John Rosser – Page 2 – What Was Pebble Mill?

Post Production Christmas Party

Mark Heslop, Ingrid Wagner, Stan Treasurer, Greg Miller

Jonathan Birkett, Victoria Trow, Roger Mulliner, Ian Bellion

Ian Bellion, Peter Gower, Charles White, John Rosser, Mike Duxbury

Photos by Shirley O’Mara, no reproduction without permission.

Each year the Pebble Mill Post Production department held its own Christmas party. These photos date from the late 1980s, when the department descended on the Forbidden City Chinese Restaurant for its festive treat!

Please add a comment if you can identify any of the missing names.

Dead Head

The BBC Pebble Mill drama series Dead Head is released on DVD on 15 April 2013. The film was edited by John Rosser with the video edited by Ivor Williams.

Dead Head was a four part thriller, with Denis Lawson as a small time criminal who gets mixed up with a grizzly murder. It was originally transmitted on BBC2 from 15 Jan 1986- 5 Feb 1986. The four parts were, Episode 1: Why Me?, Episode 2: Anything for England, Episode 3: The War Room and Episode 4: The Patriot.

The team included: Rob Walker (director), Robin Midgley (producer), Howard Brenton (script), Dave Bushell (lighting), Gavin Davies (designer), Kathryn Ayerst (costume), Vivien Oldham (make-up), Richard Hartley (music).

Thanks to Neil Roberts for spotting the release.

The following comment was added by camerman David Short on the Pebble Mill Facebook group: ‘Remember working as a camera assistant on it. I think Keith Salmon was the Senior Cameraman. Possibly the last thing I worked on before moving to TV Centre.’

Film Editors – Peter Poole

Photos by Peter Poole, no reproduction without permission.

The photos include film editors: Oliver White, and John Rosser, along with others, like Dave Brazier, who went on to become a floor manager. They were taken in the early 1980s, in the Pebble Mill canteen. Also included with John Rosser is Judy (film editor, Ian Bellion’s partner), and film librarian Karen Coulthard. (Thanks to Sharon Pemberton for identifying some of those included).

Please leave a comment if you can identify any others.

Peter Poole

Pebble Mill Film Editors – photos by Jim Gregory

Photos by Jim Gregory, no reproduction without permission.

The photos feature some of the Film Editors from BBC Pebble Mill, including: Beverly Mills and Dawn Mears, Alan Barnby, John Rosser, John Bland, Oliver White, Greg Miller, Peter Gower and Lynn Hawkins. They were taken in 2004 by Jim Gregory, at one of the editors’ annual get togethers.

Backup – photos by Willoughby Gullachsen

Photos by Willoughby Gullachsen, no reproduction without permission.

The photos probably come from the drama ‘Backup’. It was a Pebble Mill drama which ran for two series. The first eight part series went out in 1995, with the second, six part series transmitting in 1997. Hilary Salmon was the producer; Tony Virgo the exec producer; Bob Blagdon, Jan Sargent, and Douglas Mackinnon the directors. Nigel McCrery created the series with Roy Mitchell writing some of the scripts. The series was edited by John Rosser and Beverley Mills.

These photos are probably from the first series.

The drama featured Martin Troakes, Katrina Levon, Nick Miles, Christopher John Hall, and Calum MacPherson.

A synopsis by ‘Sulla-2’ on the IMDB site describes the drama:

‘There were two series of ‘Back up’ and they were both very good entertainment. Basically it is a series about a section of the Special Patrol Group ( SPG) They work has a crew of experienced male and female Constables working in uniform or plain clothes. They are based in Birmingham in the Digbeth area but can be called upon to assist any of the West Midlands Police areas, although they would mainly be in Birmingham. Their speciality is Public Order but they are in a position to provide back up for more or less anything. In real life, Officer on the SPG are very fit and highly trained. The officers portrayed in this programme are rather less fit. Several of the cast have gone on to bigger and better things but others have disappeared without trace.’ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0115102/

Thanks to Ant Smith and Kevin Lakin for identifying the photos of this drama.