Keith Salmon – Page 3 – What Was Pebble Mill?

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.’

Keith Salmon on Children in Need

Photo by Sue Robinson, no reproduction without permission.

The photo shows cameraman, Keith Salmon, and camera, dressed up for a ‘Children in Need’ evening show, from the Studio C, Foyer, with pledge call takers in the background, circa 1991.

Telecine – Ray Lee (part 1)

Photo by Ivor Williams, of Pebble Mill TK 1971, no reproduction without permission.

I joined telecine (TK) in 1974 having transferred from telecine in Television Centre. At that time there were 2 Rank Cintel flying spot telecine machines. There was a 2 storey block to the rear of the main office area and Studio A. Much of the first floor level was occupied by Telecine, Video tape (VT) the Dubbing theatre, film processing and an assortment of film cutting rooms.

TK and VT shared a common area, with a corridor down the middle. There were 3 rooms /cubicles on each side TK on the left, VT on the right as approached from the main door. TK A, TKB, and an expansion area, likewise VTA, VTB and an expansion area. VTA, and B had a large sliding Marley Door between them where the common wall would have been, so that they could be worked as an edit pair by sliding the door back, or as individual machines working to separate areas, with the door closed.

Just inside the entrance, was the film transfer area, where 1/4” tape was transferred to Sepmag film in order to be edited synchronously with the film pictures. There were a number of SepMag bays some of which could be linked to the Dubbing theatre in order to dub additional sounds onto the film. This area was reorganised shortly after my arrival, so the detail is hazy.

Working in the area at that time were Paul Richards, Jim Gregory, Graham Winter, and Peter Hodges, and myself (Ray Lee). Peter soon moved on to become VCMS in Studio A, and there were a number of other people moved through TK in the time I was there. Charles Osborne, Peter Greenhalgh, Keith Salmon (who moved into News), Tim Savage, and some others whose names have been lost in the mist of time.

Ray Lee

Pebble Mill Reunion 2010

Copyright resides with the original holder, no reproduction without permission. Thanks to Jane Mclean for making the photo available.

The photo was taken at Keith Salmon’s get together at the Saracen’s in 2010.

Included are: John Smith, John Endall, Yvonne Ackrill, Keith Ackrill, Jim Dumighan, Roy Ronnie, Margaret & Brian Barton, Gordon White, Keith Salmon, John Kimberley, Dave Ballantyne, Toby Horwood, Bob Jacobs, Wilf Welch, Tony Wolfe, James French, John Couzens, behind Jane Mclean (front with orange juice), Kath Woolston, John Abbott. Simon Evans wearing shades at back and Eric Wise standing in the front between Dave Ballantyne and Bob Jacobs. It might be Keith Bullock behind Margaret Barton, Dave Doogood behind Bob Jacobs and Mark Kershaw between Wilf Welch and Tony Wolfe. Probably Phil Wilson behind Kath Woolston. Simon Albu on left in front of John Smith.

Thanks to Dave Bushell, Jayne Savage, Janet Collins, Yvonne Ackrill and Jane Mclean for identifying everyone.

Top Gear – John Burkhill’s photos

Photos by John Burkill, no reproduction without permission.

These ‘Top Gear’ photos date from 1977 (with the Lotus Esprit and Porsche 928 photos) and 1982 (with the photo of the Ford Granada). They show early in-car recordings onto 1″ videotape. The recording machine was the VPR5. The camera mounted on the Lotus and Porsche is the Bosch Fernseh, which was one of the first ‘lightweight’ cameras, although it was extremely heavy in reality. The camera mounted on the roof of the Ford Granada is an Ikegami, probably an HL79. It is being operated by Keith Salmon, director David Weir is holding the gun mic and Tony Wass is on the right-hand side. Inside the white Granada, Steve Searly is operating the racks control for the VPR5. John Burkill, VT editor/engineer would have set up the VPR5.

The photos show how cumbersome in-car recording was in the 1970s and 80s in comparison to today, when cameras can be really tiny.

David Weir, Keith Salmon, Tony Wass