John Norton – What Was Pebble Mill?

England’s Greens and Peasant Land

England’s Greens and Peasant Land. Copyright resides with the original holder, no reproduction without permission

The Play for Today was directed by Jim Hill (in front of Janice Rider & next to Heather Storr ), make-Up Sue Bide & Viv Howells (centre back) John Norton producer (left of Heather) William Hartley Ist AD (right at the back behind Viv) . John Parker (sound – back row extreme right). Andrew Smith, front right, with Dawn Robertson to the extreme right), Amin Hassan (middle right), Billy Bennett (next to Amin), Johnny Potter (sunglasses) next to Steve White.

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

by RITA MAY

Local Government Elections 1982

A motorway extension is to be built – the route will be through either the local golf course or the allotments. Which will go, the golfer’s beloved greens or the allotment holders’ precious land?

‘ Watergate ‘ comes to South Yorkshire.

Film cameraman JOHN KENWAY Sound JOHN PARKER

Film editor CHRIS ROWLANDS Designer IAN ASHURST Producer JOHN NORTON Director JIM HILL

Contributors

Camera: John Kenway

Sound: John Parker

Editor: Chris Rowlands

Designer: Ian Ashurst

Producer: John Norton

Director: Jim Hill

Ron Ollershaw: Ron Delta

Mavis Ollershaw: Maggie Lane

Horace Burley: Geoffrey Andrews

Old Tom: Teddy Turner

Sid: Peter Martin

Jim: Johnny Leeze

Les: Bill Lund

Joe: Dickie Arnold

Lol: Anthony Addams

Arthur: Joe Belcher

George: Peter Russell

Frank: Sean Glenn

Eileen: Mary Wray

Pat: Rita May

Barman: Ted Beyer

Barmaid: Marlene Jarvis

Sam: Tom Harrison

Angry housewife: Pat Wallis

Angry husband: Tommy Harper

Rover driver: Terry Waddington

Customer at stall: Brenda Castle

Minibus driver: Howard Crossley

Garage attendant: Joanne Griffiths

England’s Greens and Peasant Land – press cutting

This cutting is probably a Radio Times listing. It dates from January 1982 and gives a synopsis and cast list for the Play for Today: ‘England’s Greens and Peasant Land’, which was produced by John Norton at Pebble Mill. It was Yorkshire’s take on a Watergate like scandal, where a dirty battle is played out in the local government elections over whether the motorway extension goes through the golf course, or the allotments!

John Kenway was the cameraman, with John Parker on sound, Chris Rowlands: film editor, Ian Ashurst: designer, Jim Hill: director, Janice Rider was the costume designer.

Thanks to Janice Rider for making the cutting available.

England’s Greens and Peasant Land

Photo copyright resides with the original holder, no reproduction without permission.

These publicity shots of the 1982 Play for Today: ‘England’s Greens and Peasant Land’ were probably taken by Willoughby Gullachsen. The drama was transmitted on 5th January 1982. Set in South Yorkshire during local government elections, a motorway is planned, and the route will either go through the golf course or the allotments! Yorkshire’s version of the ‘Watergate’ scandal.

The cameraman was John Kenway, sound: John Parker, film editor: Chris Rowlands, costume designer: Janice Rider, production designer: Ian Ashurst, producer: John Norton, director: Jim Hill.

Thanks to costume designer, Janice Rider for making these photographs available.

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England’s Greens and Peasant Land

Photos by Janice Rider, no reproduction without permission.

‘England’s Greens and Peasant Land’ was a 1982 Play for Today about the local government elections, written by Rita May. It was set in South Yorkshire. A motorway extension is going to be built, and the route will either go through the golf course or the allotments – a Yorkshire interpretation of ‘Watergate’.

The director was Jim Hill; the producer, John Norton; the designer, Ian Ashurst; the film editor, Chris Rowlands; cameraman, John Kenway; sound, John Parker; costumer, Janice Rider.

The cast included Ron Delta as Ron, Maggie Lane as Mavis, Geoffrey Andrews as Horace, Teddy Turner as Old Tom, Peter Martin as Sid, Johnny Leeze as Jim, Bill Lund as Les, Dickie Arnold as Joe, Anthony Addams as Lol, Joe Belcher as Arthur, Peter Russell as George, Sean Glenn as Frank, Mary Wray as Eileen, Rita May as Pat, Ted Beyer as the barman, Marlene Jarvis as the barmaid, Tom Harrison as Sam.

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