Gerard Glaister – What Was Pebble Mill?

Howards’ Way 30 years anniversary

Copyright resides with the original holder, no reproduction without permission. Thanks to Les Podraza for making the cast and crew photo available.

(This iPlayer link is to an item by South Today about the making of Howards’ Way)

The end of 1st September 2015 marked the 30 years anniversary of Howards’ Way, the sailing drama series, which was likened to a British version of the US drama Dallas.

The series was hosted at Pebble Mill, and recorded on location in Southampton, with some of the interiors being recorded in Studio A.

Here is the Radio Times synopsis for the first episode, courtesy of the BBC Genome project:

“A serial in 13 parts devised by GERARD GLAISTER and ALLAN PRIOR
Episode 1 written by JILL HYEM
‘I’m sorry, Jan … It may be selfish, but I intend to spend the rest of my working life doing something I want to do.’
Title music
SIMON MAY and LESLIE OSBORNE Film cameraman JOHN KENWAY Designer MYLES LANG
Script editor JOHN BRASON Director PENNANT ROBERTS Producer GERARD GLAISTER”

http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/14bd8b49c7524441b9e9a278e19e74d7

Thanks to Paul Burton for pointing out the anniversary, and the South Today piece.

The following comments were posted on the Pebble Mill Facebook page:

Dawn Trotman: ‘I think it is John Kenway yet it was John Willey who shot the first and second series.. I edited the first series with Nigel Pardoe-Matthews and the second on location with Sharon Pemberton and Lynne Hawkins..great fun.. We always knew it would be successful..It was our Dallas..’

Maggie Humphries: ‘Not John Kenway,, it’s Jimmy Monks, Grips who worked on the series.’

Lesley Weaver: ‘Maggie Humphries is right, it is the lovely freelance grip Jimmy Monks near left of camera and far right is David Evans a lovely freelance Camera operator. Can’t really work out who’s behind camera. I worked on the second series so I ought to remember. In the clip I remember Tony ‘O’ sparks from Lee North and Susie Peck is the designer talking about the costumes, lots of others I remember too.’

Kate O’Mara – Howards’ Way

Copyright resides with the original holder, no reproduction without permission. Kate O’Mara is second from the right in the top photo. The lower photo shows the cast and crew of Howrds’ Way.

Kate O’Mara died on Sunday 30th March 2014, in a Sussex nursing home, aged 74, after a short illness.

Kate O’Mara played the part of Laura Wilde in Howards’ Way, series 5-6.

Howards’ Way was made at Pebble Mill between 1985-90. It was a London hosted production. The drama series was inspired by US soaps like Dynasty and Dallas. The series was created and produced by Gerard Glaister. It was set in a fictional town of Tarrant on the south coast of England, around the rich and glamorous world of sailing. It followed the trials and tribulations of the Howard family, and their rivals.

Here is a link to Howards’ Way on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oK03V7z_IA

The following comments were left on the Pebble Mill Facebook Page:

Karen Lamb: ‘I remember when we were filming in Studio A for Howards’ Way and she had to drink some champagne during a scene, ever the professional (only after she had completed the scene) she went mad that it was real champagne & not fake!’

Susan Astle: ‘I was lucky enough to do Kate’s make up on most of the series.’

Mary Sanchez: ‘I worked on Howards’ Way with her for 2 series – she had a very dry sense of humour and had the men eating out of her hand ! Lovely lady – sorry to hear of her passing away relatively young.’

Trainer – photos by Les Podraza

Photos by Les Podraza, no reproduction without permission.

Trainer was a drama series produced in 1991-2 by BBC London, but hosted by Pebble Mill. The scene crew included Les Podraza. The series was directed by Jeremy Summers, produced by Gerard Glaister and written by Christopher Green. The series starred Susannah York, David McCallum, Mark Greenstreet , Nigel Davenport and Patrick Ryecroft. The cast also included: Des McAleer, Nicola King, Kenneth Farrington, Sarah Atkinson, Floyd Bevan, Stephen Greif, and Tracy Louise Ward.

After the end of Howard’s Way, the BBC needed a big drama series for the Sunday evening schedule, and therefore commissioned Trainer, a drama following the life of trainer Mike Hardy (Mark Greenstreet) in his constant battle against his employer and stable owner James Brant (Edward Davenport) and other members of the racing fraternity residing somewhere in the Lambourn Downs.

Les with David McCallum