John Trew – What Was Pebble Mill?

The Franchise Affair – James French & Keith Salmon

The Franchise Affair was a six-part drama series that went out on BBC1 on Sunday afternoon in 1988. It was directed by Leonard Lewis and starred Patrick Malahide. Much of the series was shot in Church Stretton, where all these photographs were taken. Photos by Keith Salmon and James French.

John Trew (grip) and Keith Salmon (Camera Supervisor). Elemac dolly with Reg Allen arm, Vinten Swan panning head and Ikegami HL-79E.

Sam-Master Crane. James French (focus pulling) Keith Salmon on Camera. Nick Johnson (sound), Fred Jobling on cable.

Sam-Master Crane. Keith Salmon on camera. Leonard Lewis (director) watches the monitor.

Sam-Master Crane. Keith Salmon on camera.

Keith Salmon on Egripment Tulip Crane. Leonard Lewis (director) is below. John Trew (rigger) with white gloves by the crane.

Keith Salmon on crane.

Eric Crouch (spark), Louise Willcox (sound), Keith Salmon (camera) & John Trew (grip).

John Trew (grip), Louise Willcox (sound), Keith Salmon (camera) & Eric Crouch (Spark).

Grips/Riggers: Fred Jobling, George Stephenson, John Trew & Dennis Wintermantle.

James French & Keith Salmon on Sam-Master Crane.

James French & Keith Salmon on Sam-Master Crane.

Nick Johnson on the sound boom, James French on camera, Dennis Wintermantle (grip) and Leonard Lewis (director)

Patrick Malahide and Keith Salmon (camera supervisor)

Keith Salmon operating Ikegami HL-79E with Canon 8×6 lens.

Paul Woolston in Lichfield Cathedral

Photo by Richard Stevenson, no reproduction without permission.

This 1990 photo is of cameraman Paul Woolston on a crane in Lichfield Cathedral, on a Songs of Praise outside broadcast. Kevin Gill (floor manager) on the left, and John Trew (grip) on the right.

Apparently, moments later the wheel of the crane disappeared into a heating grate and the crane nearly toppled over, with Paul still on the front of it.

Paul sadly died some years ago.

Thanks to Richard Stevenson for sharing the photo.

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

Diane Reid: ‘Paul was lovely to work with and a great cameramen – it was one of my OBs – a Songs of Praise.’

Alex Johnston: ‘Paul was a truly lovely man always friendly and had a wonderful smile.’

Ian Barber: ‘He was a true gentleman, loved working with Paul and Dave Bushell.’

Tracy Cahill: ‘Very first OB I ever went on was at Lichfield cathedral, John Abbot sent me to ‘observe’ how it’s done. I only went cos Fred was the rigger.’

Sarah Beedle: ‘I remember that Songs of Praise – the grating did get broken.’

Helen Betts: ‘Christopher Betts, my son whom I am visiting in Virginia, clearly remembers playing the organ for Songs of Praise in 1990. He was the Cathedral’s organ scholar that year before going to Oxford University. He also says he cannot think of any of TV OBs that year.’

Ed Billington: ‘He was a very nice person and a professional at his job he always spoke to me when I was cleaning the studio.’

Paul Mcdonald: ‘Ah the joys of entrusting your life to the crane operator.’

Dave Ballantyne: ‘The camera is a Phillips/Pye LDK 5, Paul was a colleague and friend over many years, I still miss him, a special man.’

John Hoare: ‘I knew Paul well back in the sixties and seventies – a good friend and a true gentleman’

Shalom Salaam tracking shot – Dave Bushell

Photo by lighting director, Dave Bushell, no reproduction without permission.

‘Shalom Salaam’, filming at Leicester Station, 1988.

John Trew laying a camera track (while there’s a perfectly good one already in place on the right). The rigger on the left is Peter Mylowski, and I think it’s Elson Godbolt (vision engineer) at rest on the dolly.

Just visible in the distance in the trademark sheepskin coat is director Gareth Jones.

Dave Bushell

(Thanks to Andy Frizzell for identifying the rigger)