Gregory Hallsworth – What Was Pebble Mill?

John Taynton mug

Photos from Gregory Hallsworth, no reproduction without permission

Radio WM mug from the early 1990s, featuring presenter John Taynton.

Thanks to Gregory Hallsworth for taking and sharing the photos.

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

Andy Walters: ‘This particular show was shared with the four other stations in the West Midlands region. Shropshire, Stoke, Hereford & Worcester and Coventry & Warwickshire but came from WM.’

Gregory Hallsworth: ‘The show was also taken by the four East Midlands stations as well (Nottingham, Derby, Leicester, Lincoln) so quite a wide coverage area!’

Jon Pountney: ‘He was a great broadcaster, I can hear his voice now.’

Broke TX Card

Copyright resides with the original holder, no reproduction without permission

Thanks to Ann Chancellor-Davies for sharing this TX card for the drama Broke. Ann’s husband, Gavin, was the production designer on the production.

The drama was part of a series called ScreenPlay; it was transmitted on 10th July 1991, at 9pm on BBC2.

There is the entry from the Radio Times, courtesy of the BBC Genome project:

http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/8c31098b76534c8c8cd27660354c29be

“Starring
Timothy Spall
Winner of the Radio Times
Drama Awards, this week’s
ScreenPlay is a black comedy written by Stephen Bill. It is the story of a small businessman and a deal that is about to break his family.
Producer Barry Hanson, Director Alan Dossor”

The following comment was left on the Pebble Mill Facebook page:

Gregory M Hallsworth: ‘I went down to Leamington Spa one Sunday morning to do an OB for CWR from a film location for this production’

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Tony Inchley’s Retirement Photo

The photo features, left to right: David Waine, Head of Building; Tony Inchley, Radio WM Manager; Pat De Whalley, Radio WM presenter. It was taken on the occasion of Tony’s retirement presentation.

Thanks to Pat De Whalley for sharing the photo.

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

Eric Smith: ‘Worked at Radio Stoke when Tony was News Editor there in 1979.
I remember a potteries union leader coming in and asking to see Tony, who was on holiday at the time.
He wouldn’t speak to any body else and came back with the story for our exclusive use when Tony returned.’

Tim Beech: ‘Tony gave me my first BBC job at WM in 1989. At the time the station was under threat of closure because of poor audience figures, but under Tony’s management the numbers were transformed. A quarter of a century on I’m a station manager myself and if I’m even half as good as Tony was I’d be completely thrilled. I learned so much and there probably wouldn’t have been a radio station post 1991 without him. I owe him a great deal and so does everyone who’s worked at WM since.’

Gregory M Hallsworth: ‘I think that must have been about 1995. LR could do with more radio people like Tony in charge these days!’

Maurice Blisson: ‘I worked with Tony at Radio Stoke and Radio WM. Great man.’

Jane McLean: ‘I still have my autograph book! And cut glass whisky glasses engraved with my name and dates of employment. All that’s missing is RIP. They’ve NEVER been out of the box!’

Donald Steel: ‘Tony Inchley was just brilliant and he was really great at telling you when he liked something you had done. And if you popped into his office to see him at the right time you got a gin and tonic.’

Jane Upston: ‘Maiden name Jane Morgan. I worked in the ‘Personnel’ Dept from 1984 to 1992. I left after maternity leave and I think Tony Inchley was still there then. I remember David Waine, Colin Adams, Jenny Brewer, Dawn Robertson and many others in the Network TV Department.’

Roland Allen: ‘My late Sister, Marion Allen was Senior Personnel Manager for the Midlands’ Local Radio stations and News around that time…’

Janet Bacon: ‘Worked with Marion Allen and then David Robey. Brilliant times at Pebble Mill, Tony’

Vicky King: ‘I was there 1987 to 1995 with Jane Morgan and Marion Allen – I remember Tony well – what great times we had at Pebble Mill’

Pat de Whalley – Brum Beat

This article about Radio WM DJ, Pat de Whalley, is from the Birmingham music magazine, Brum Beat. The magazine was started by band promoter and manager of Black Sabbath, Jim Simpson.

The following comment was left on the Pebble Mill Facebook page:

Gregory Hallsworth: ‘I moved across from CWR to work at Pebble Mill in Spring 1991, and the Sunday evening show was certainly on air then.’

Top Gear titles grabs

These title grabs are from one of BBC Pebble Mill’s longest running and most well known series – Top Gear. They date from the 1990s.

The series began as a monthly magazine show in 1977, and ran at Pebble Mill until 2001. It was fronted by a whole host of different presenters over the years, including Jeremy Clarkson, William Woollard, Noel Edmonds and Angela Rippon.

The colour schemes are all suitably macho, as are the design features!

Thanks to Ian Collins for sharing the stills.

The following comment was left on the Pebble Mill Facebook page:

Andy Bentley: ‘Sometimes the vehicles for the program were delivered to Pebble Mill and we kept the keys in the Security office. As space on the car park was at a premium we felt duty bound to re-park them of a night. Got to drive some fab motors.’

Gregory Hallsworth: ‘Standing next to the fax machine the day after Clarkson tore into the Vauxhall Vectra was very revealing!’