Tag: Gail Herbert

Golden Oldie Picture Show – He Ain’t Heavy

Photos by Gail Herbert, no reproduction without permission.

The Golden Oldie Picture Show ran from 1985-88 and was presented by Radio 1 DJ, Dave Lee Travis.  The show consisted of specially shot music videos, created for popular hits recorded before music videos were routinely made.  Individual directors suggested the tracks they’d like to create videos for, so there were a myriad of styles of both videos and music, linked by DLT.

These photos are from a shoot which cameraman John Williams directed for the hit ‘He Ain’t Heavy He’s My Brother’.  It was shot at a centre for young people with disabilities which John had a connection with.  The resulting film was poignant and uplifting.  There are several versions of the ballad, including recordings by The Hollies and Neil Diamond.  I’m not sure which version was used for the film.

The photos show John Williams (white shirt, pale blue trousers), grips Jimmy Monk (bent over by Variety Club van) and Keith Schofield (crouched by van).

Thanks to Gail Herbert for sharing the photos.

John Williams, Jimmy Monk, Keith Schofield

Princess Anne opens Pebble Mill – photos from Gail Herbert

Princess Anne opens Pebble Mill

Princess Anne officially opened the BBC Pebble Mill building on 10th Nov 1971.  The photo shows her being introduced to various members of staff in Studio A.  The white haired man on the left is Dr Charles Hill (Chairman of BBC Governors) I think that it is David Rose (Head of Drama) who Princess Anne is talking to, 3rd from the right is Bob Gale (senior dresser).

Below is an invitation to the official lunch with Princess Anne.

Please add a comment if you can identify other people in the photos.

Thanks to Gail Herbert for making the photo and invitation available.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Princess Anne lunch invitation

 

 

Points of View – photo from Gail Herbert

‘Points of View’ was produced at Pebble Mill for many years.  The programme gave viewers the right to reply about what they loved or hated about BBC programmes.

It tended to be recorded on location at a hotel near presenter Terry Wogan’s home a couple of days before transmission, and then edited either in London, or at Pebble Mill.

Viewers wrote letters or emails in with their complaints or congratulations.  The ones chosen by the production team were usually voiced by BBC members of staff.  Clips of the programme they were talking about also had to be sourced and edited in to the 15 minute show, which usually went out on a Sunday afternoon.

The photo was taken during the recording of the Points of ViewChristmas edition in the mid 2000s.

The photo features (left to right), Ian Thomas (director), can’t see next two properly, Belinda Essex (researcher), Kate Hillman (A.P.), Sue Watson (producer), Helen Wogan (Terry’s wife), then Bina Mistry (researcher), with Gail Herbert (P.A.) behind, then Terry, and Nick Patten (Exec producer) seated, the camera crew is behind him.

‘Points of View’ is still produced by BBC Birmingham, although Terry Wogan handed over the presentation of the show to Jeremy Vine in April 2008.

Thanks to Nick Patten and Gail Herbert for additional information.

 

 

Stefan Buczacki – ‘Gardening Britain’ & ‘Gardening Roadshow’

Photos by Gail Herbert, no reproduction without permission.

Gardening writer, presenter and plant pathologist Dr Stefan Buczacki made a number of gardening series at BBC Pebble Mill:

  • Stefan Buczacki’s Gardening Britain was a six part series transmitted in 1996 on BBC 2.  Stefan travelled round Britain dispensing gardening advice.  This series was recorded as a two camera outside broadcast.  The producer was Clare Boulter and the series producer Clare Stride. (The end of run meal features in the photos).
  • Stefan Buczacki’s Gardening Roadshow was a similar gardening advice show produced at Pebble Mill in 1998 for UK Style.  Again it was recorded as a two camera outside broadcast.  The crew for the series included cameraman Nigel Davey and Noel Paley, and sparks Herbie Donnelly.
  • Stefan also presented several stories for Gardeners’ World in 1990-1, including a feature on the restoration of Heligan Gardens in Cornwall, shown in one of the photos (Stefan with umbrella and palm trees).
  • Stefan also presented a series for UK Style called Stefan’s Ultimate Gardens, where he helped garden owners create a particular style of garden.  This series was recorded single camera.  Series producer Vanessa Jackson, director Paul Newman, researcher Emily Rusted.

Thanks to production assistant Gail Herbert for sharing her photos.

Stefan Buczacki at Heligan Gardens

Top Gear – Gail Herbert’s photos

Photos copyright of Gail Herbert, no reproduction without permission.

Top Gear, now known as ‘old Top Gear’, was produced at BBC Pebble Mill from 1977-2001.  It was a 30 min magazine show about cars and motor transport.  The presenters included Noel Edmunds, Angela Rippon, Jeremy Clarkson, Tiff Needell, William Woollard, Michelle Newman, Chris Goffey, Vicki Butler-Henderson, Jason Barlow, Tony Mason and Quentin Willson.

When production of Top Gear moved to London in 2002 some of the Birmingham production team, and presenters (Vicki Butler-Henderson, Adrian Simpson, Tiff Needell) moved to Fifth Gear on Channel 5.

Thanks to Gail Herbert, who was a production assistant on Top Gear for making her photos available.  The photos date from around 1990 and include shots of presenters William Woollard and Tiff Needell, producer Ken Pollock, directors Dennis Jarvis and David Wheeler, cameraman John Williams, sound men Tony Wass and Alex Christison, and production assistants Gail Herbert and Sophie Marsh.

David Wheeler, who is featured in these photos, sitting on a donkey, makes the following comment:

Tony Mason thought it would be amusing to do a PTC from a “4×4” for use on the sand at Weston-Super-Mere. But when I called his bluff he requested that I test drive the thoroughbred before he risked his rally-bred bottom on the beast! After some reassurance he delivered the PTC… ending: “… but I don’t think Nellie here is quite up to it, so I’ll have to find some better transport”. I seem to remember tracking from an open land rover and editing the piece to Echo Beach (Martha and the Muffins) which has a great intro and fab sax solo! Great memories.. enhanced by my trip home in the Astra 2litre, 16valve GTE… “space rocket” as I recall Gail called it!

Gail test driving a Porsche