Copyright resides with the original holder, no reproduction without permission. Included are Yousaf Aziz, Bish Mehay, Krishen Gould, Asha, Ashok Rampal Jayne Savage and Waseem Mahmood
Here’s a photo from Waseem Mahmood of the Asian Programmes Unit team at hospitality after a recording with Indian Singer Asha Bhonsle. It includes Yousaf Aziz, Bish Mehay, Krishen Gould, Asha, Ashok Rampal Jayne Savage and Waseem.
Here’s a link to two Asian Programme Unit documentaries from Waseem Mahmood about a model and a ballerina, Safira and Nicky Katrak:
The following was added to the Pebble Mill Facebook page:
Jayne Savage: ‘The wonderful Elisabeth Seabourne was responsible for ‘finding’ and researching Nicky’
Photographs from Andy Stowe, no reproduction without permission
Thanks to Andy Stowe and Malcolm Hickman for this tale from Pebble Mill:
Andy’s father, Pat Stowe, supervised the team of glaziers called in to install a replacement window at Pebble Mill in the late 1970’s. As you can see from the photo, it was a huge piece of glass, in the corridor outside Studio A!
Ray Lee added a comment about the cause of the broken glass:
“The incident I remember, was after a Saturday Night at the Mill, which I worked on. There was an item involving Paratroupers landing on the lawn and the Lighting TM had two large lights shining through the windows to illuminate the area. He checked regularly to make sure the windows were not getting hot, and all seemed well.
The program went well, and all the lights were turned off. That night was a very cold night with a sharp frost. At about 3am there was a loud bang heard by security. The thermal stress had proved too much and both windows that had been warmed cracked. A plastic film was applied to the cracked windows to prevent them falling out while replacement glass was arranged, which had to be imported as a special order as the size was too big for any UK Float Glass company.
The cracked windows were there several months before they were replaced, and when they were, it featured as an item on Pebble Mill at One. When the windows were replaced, the top edge needed an extra wide section of “putty” as the glass was about half an inch short of the top frame! I was there on the day they were put in as well, and remember seeing the gap at the top of the glass before the extra “putty” was applied.”
Malcolm Hickman remembers the incident well:
“I was watching as they removed the old glass. They attached these big suckers to it, took all the trim off and started pulling with the crane. It refused to budge, so one of the men claimed onto the frame that had the suckers mounted on it and started bashing the glass around the edges with a big rubber mallet. It came out in 3 big pieces.”
“No hard hats or safety gear. That would have been my dad!” (Andy Stowe)
The following comments were left on the Pebble Mill Facebook page:
Herbie Donnelly: ‘I believe the light didn’t fall over but was placed too close to the window. Its purpose being to live alone for parachutists to see it as they jumped in on Saturday Night At The Mill. The subsequent heat caused the glass to crack.’
Jayne Savage: ‘ I thought the safety film went on after the Birmingham bombings and because of threats to the building but maybe it was this incident.’
Richard Stevenson: ‘Many happy hours sat by those windows in the days when tea breaks were part of the drama schedule and as the trainee, you were dispatched with loose change from the camera crew to get the tea in at the time of the allotted break.’
Keith Ackrill: ‘I also think the film was added to avoid splinters after an explosion. I also believe the light was too close to the glass, but not as a guide for parachutist. I believe it was for some routine to be shot there, and the lamp was left there too long. I cannot recall any parachutist landing on the lawn after dark.’
Photo copyright Robin Stonestreet, no reproduction without permission.
The photos show the Pebble Mill outside broadcast truck, CM2, on location at Warwick Castle, on 16th December 1989.
The Vision crew, in the top photo are Johnny Moore (left) and Ray Sperry (right).
The man on the roof of the larger truck: North 1 (a Type 5, BBC Manchester OB truck), in the blue anorak is Jeremy Chadwick, and the man in the cap is probably Albert Kinsella.
CM2 was fitted with Philips LDK514 cameras, which apparently weren’t very ergonomic. (Thanks to Toby Horwood for adding this information, and identifying Johnny).
Thanks to Robin Stonestreet for sharing the photos.
The following comments were left on the Pebble Mill Facebook page:
Jayne Savage: ‘This might have been Carols from Warwick Castle – or the programme was called something very similar – that was presented by Douglas Fairbanks Jnr and directed by Roy Norton. I was the PA and it greatly troubles me that I can’t remember who the other contributors were – apart from the choir from St Mary’s, Warwick! However, I do remember a very exciting recce when we accessed the castle roof to look for camera positions by climbing out of the manager’s window.’
Nick Patten: ‘I have very happy memories as an OBSM and a director working with these magnificent trucks.’
Copyright of this recording, Peter Poole, no reproduction without permission.
This audio recording was made at an after show party, perhaps after a play or pantomime. Peter Poole recorded it, but cannot remember the date or occasion. If you can add any information, then please add a comment.
Peter Poole
The following comments were added on the Pebble Mill Facebook group:
Keith Brook (Scouse):’This is wonderful stuff. I never knew there was a an am-dram or pantomime crowd in the entire time I was there. I only found out later and being the shy, retiring type, I wouldn’t have been any use at all. This lovely recording is about people unwinding after giving their all.’
Ann Gumbley-Williams: ‘Sounds like Robin Hood that we did with the BBC drama group. We put the panto on at Cadbury’s Theatre. I have some photos I will down load when I can. I think Keith Ackrill was in the panto, and also Jayne Savage.’
Dunsany Alfred: ‘Ivor (can’t remember his last name) was a management apprentice for BL who somehow got roped in. Graeme was also non Beeb and also played the mayor in the next year’s Pied Piper. I’ve been looking for the programme that Maisie kept but no luck so far.’