John Parker – What Was Pebble Mill?

The Groundling and the Kite – Jenny Brewer

‘The Groundling and the Kite’ was a drama in the Play for Today anthology.

Crew photograph from 1983
This was the last Play For Today made out of Pebble Mill. Shot during the very hot summer of 1983 in and around Hampstead in London and transmitted on BBC1 in 24 July 1984. This was the last show I worked on as a Production Assistant before becoming a Production Associate. I have discovered the full play is available on You Tube should you wish to watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4clkwmzOHlE

The Groundling and the Kite crew. Thanks to Jenny Brewer for sharing the photo.

From front row R to L Keith Froggatt, Cameras; Charles Bond, Designer; Alan Miller (with the bald head) Gaffer Spark from Lee Electric with 3 sparks alongside him

Next row Colin Rogers, Producer; Graham ??; Prop and Support Vehicles

Next row Ian MacNulty; Grip; Jenny Brewer, Production Assistant; John Duttine, Actor; Peter Jefferies, Director; Carol Parks, Production Associate

Next Row William Hartley, Production Manager; Lenny Preston, Writer and Actor; John Kenway, DOP; Liddy Bennett, Assistant Floor Manager; Geoff Nawn, Design; John Parker, Sound Recordist

Next Row John Cole, Sound; Chap from Costume ?; Gwen Arthy, Make Up Designer; Trevor Elwell, Scene Crew Supervisor; alongside Nigel ?? and others on the scene crew; Tom Beech, Props Buyer; Nigel Roberts next to Tom Beech, Ray Clulow, carpenter, behind Nigel & one of the painters behind Ray. Hiding behind the pillar might be Phil Hawkins, scene crew supervisor.

Back Row Mark Thompson Unit Driver; Lesley Weaver, Make Up; Sue Peck, Costume Designer; and ?? from Costume

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

Asian Magazine

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Thanks to director Waseem Mahmood for sharing these images about Asian Magazine featured in the book Inside BBC Television.

The series was transmitted on BBC1 on Sunday mornings at 10am in the early to mid 1980s.

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

Dawn Trotman: ‘ I worked with Waseem as an acting editor on the Asian magazine show later to become Network East. I think I cut one of his very first items about a DJ in one of the portacabins in the car park ..happy memories.’

Jane Green: ‘I worked on many an Asian Magazine. Great fun. Bish Mehay was a lovely guy to work with. Loved the bands we squeezed into Studio B – loved learning what all the various instruments were. Sat in the corridor on one occasion waiting for the set to be finished – with Benazir Bhutto. Great programme.’

Colin Pierpoint: ‘Yes, I remember, but I also remember the start of radio and television from the Midlands for Asians. The first step was to separate AM and FM Radio 4 on a Sunday morning (I think the management was afraid of loosing listeners if it went out on both!) In 1965 AM did “Make yourself at Home”, a programme on which I worked in Studio 1 Broad Street several times. (FM had the previously scheduled programme). I also did a bit on the television programme from Broad Street studio 4, in black and white, although I may only have been on attachment. Presenters: Saleem and Mahendra, directed by Gerry (surname?)’

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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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