Jane Upston – What Was Pebble Mill?

Personnel reunion

Photo from Jane Upston, no reproduction without permission

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Staff from Personnel at Pebble Mill had a reunion in July 2017 – and here they are under the gazebo at the Tally Ho in Birmingham. Gilly Groom (was Sellars) first left. Going round the back row, next to Gilly Groom is Diane Verney, Stephen Davies. Lynda Perrin and Heather Jones. Front row is Jane Upston, Kate Hawkins, Rani Randhawa, ?, then Marie Phillips.

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

Jonathan Dick: ‘Ah – the golden age when you had your own personnel officer, based in the same building as you! Nowadays ‘HR’ is a call-centre somewhere or other.’

Keith Brook (Scouse): ‘I’m afraid personnel caused more problems than they solved. They had grown so large without any increase in staff numbers that they needed problems to justify their existence. Luckily for us, we were able to bypass most of their inane decisions.’

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Rod Natkiel cutting

I’m not sure where this article is from, but probably one of the local Birmingham papers. It is from 1992, when Rod Natkiel was appointed Head of Network Television. As the cutting is rather hard to read, I have transcribed it here:

“Surprise as outsider takes Pebble Mill top job.

Mr Rod Natkiel has been appointed as Head of Network Television at BBC Pebble Mill in a surprise move.

The 40-year-old, who lives in Wylde Green, Birmingham beat off a strong field of internal applicants.

In his new role he will have overall responsibility for drama, leisure and lifestyle, multi-cultural programming output and the new daytime schedule.

Mr Natkiel, a freelance independent producer, was s former BBC TV light entertainment producer and director in Scotland from 1978-84 and is currently production executive at the Birmingham Media Development Agency.

His impressive CV includes work in entertainment, documentary, drama, news and current affairs, including stints on Granada’s Krypton Factor, Channel 4’s QD – The Master Game and Children’s Ward, the ITV drama.

Last night he said: “I am delighted to be joining the BBC again, especially at Pebble Mill which has such an excellent track record.

“These are challenging times for the industry and the BBC itself, of course, has many issues to resolve.

But I’m looking forward very much to being part of that process and hopefully assisting future success of the corporation and Pebble Mill.”

Before accepting the job, Mr Natkiel insisted that he be allowed to retain his MDA post after he starts work with the corporation on Monday.

A BBC insider commented: “This is a fairly sensational appointment. He will be the man who is responsible for all the network TV output from Pebble Mill.”

Mr Bill Cotton, chairman of Noel Gay Television and a former BBC managing director, said: “I think it’s a very good appointment. I think he’s a first class producer with a lot of experience and patience.”

Mrs Dorothy Hobson, director of the MDA, said: “We have always had a close relationship with the BBC because they were one of our original sponsors.”

She said Mr Natkiel had always shown great patience and interest in up-and-coming film makers.”

Thanks to Philip Thickett for sharing the cutting.

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

Jean Palmer: ‘I worked for Rod and Jenny Brewer on the 5th Floor. Thought I had made it being on the management floor. He called me to ask me if I could go and unit manage Good Morning with Anne and Nick. Enjoyed that role, worked with a great team of people, fun times and hard times but great times.’

Jane Upston: ‘Yes I worked with him and Jenny too prior to maternity leave from Personnel, as it was called in those days!’

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Barry Smith

Barry Smith, former Head of Personnel, has died suddenly in hospital. He moved his home from Warwickshire to Northern Ireland some years ago, having retired from Pebble Mill in 1991.

The following comment is from Louise Willcox, who remembers working with Barry Smith fondly:

“I am sorry to hear about Barry Smith. I spent many an interesting day negotiating with him, with my ‘lay’ BECTU hat on. He did his best to be honorable, within the constraints placed upon him by the BBC.

After him came the world of Human Resources – a role-change explained to me by a BBC Personnel Officer, who took demotion, rather than swap. The difference, she told me, was that a Personnel Officer’s role gave them the satisfaction of looking after the welfare of staff (from hardship loans to arranging time off for staff in emergencies), not just advising ‘the management’ on emloyment law and implementing change for them. Human Resources is the management of humans as units of work, only. I nicknamed Barry’s replacement the Head of Human Robots!

Barry was definitely Head of Personnel and felt his ‘duty of care’ keenly. My condolences to his family.”

(Thank you to Jim Dumighan, Annie Gumbley Williams and Louise Willcox for this information).

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

Marie Phillips: ‘I am very sorry to hear that former Head of Personnel and Administration, Barry Smith, died a week ago. Barry had lived in Belfast for some years since retiring and his Funeral was held there yesterday [15th Jan]. I was Secretary to his Deputies – Andy Tylee and Bridget Allen before moving to CIN and shared an Office with his Secretary, Jeanette Read. Barry always worked very hard in the very best interests of staff and I am sure there will be many memories of the help he gave.’

Andy Bentley: ‘I remember Barry manning the North Road gate during a strike, he said afterwards he could not believe the amount of abuse he got because the car park was full. He was very sympathetic to us after that.’

Jane Upston: ‘Dear Barry, a fantastic boss. I worked in Personnel for 10 years, first as Maggie Molloy’s and Barry’s P A and then as Personnel Officer Network Television. I remember you well Louise. I was then Jane Morgan.’

Ed Billington: ‘Sad to hear this news always a nice guy I remember sitting in my 3 wheeler outside pebble mill one night on picket duty for the union and he came to see if I was ok and told me if gets to cold go home to bed.’

Telly Addicts titles grab

Thanks to Ian Collins for making this titles grab available.

Telly Addicts was a BBC1 early evening, game show about television presented by Noel Edmonds. It was first transmitted in 1985, and ended in 1998. John King was the Executive Producer, with producers including Tim Manning and Richard Lewis. It was recorded in Studio A.

The questions were about television programmes past and present, with the usual format being a clip followed by questions. There were usually two teams of four people each, with a tournament style of 16 teams, in 8 qualifying heats, being adopted from 1987-1996.

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

Denny Hodge: ‘Yes fond memories doing the warm up on the show.’

Jane Green: ‘Your warm ups were a treat to see Denny. Remember them well. I worked on this. Noel was a dream to look after. Helicopter arrived literally 5 minutes before rehearsals began and he had his clothes all ready and pressed and he’d be in studio on time. No fuss, no silly demands. Went to collect him from his dressing room once and found him standing on a chair waving a ‘brick’ around. It was a new thing called a mobile phone and he was trying to get a signal. His very beautiful new wife Helen turned up to rehearsals one evening to support him as his much loved dog had just died and he was so upset. She just walked in – I didn’t know who she was and was about to ask her to leave when someone explained…’

Andrew Langstone: ‘My friend Jennifer Kings (was Hassall) was a production secretary on Telly Addicts. Managed to get us some tickets for a few recordings.’

Malcolm Hickman: ‘Didn’t John King flog the rights to Noel Edmonds?’

Richard Stevenson: ‘The first show I worked on in 1997. Ironically I then went on to work with Noel on numerous Gotchas (65 I think), Noel’s House Party and some great worldwide trips for Noel’s Christmas Presents.’

Belinda Essex: ‘I used to do auto cue sometimes’

Gill Thompson: ‘I used to organise the audiences for this show, never had a problem filling seats was always a popular one!’

Sarah Dunning: ‘And the graphic designer was the brilliant Annie Jenkins!’

Jane Upston: ‘I remember recruiting for this programme (I was Jane Morgan then and worked in HR). I remember Nick Hurran too, the Director and Jennifer Hassell. Who was the PA?’

Richard Stevenson: ‘Trudi Stanton and Roger Sutton vision mixed I think. Can’t remember the PA but it will come to me!….Thea Harvey?’

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’