lynda kettle – Page 2 – What Was Pebble Mill?

Pebble Mill Peelable

Two Point 4 Children, photo and design by Lynda Kettle

A special paint was developed to paint on the floor of Studio A, the television drama studio – it was called ‘Pebble Mill peelable’ and was available commercially.

The following comments were posted on the Pebble Mill Facebook Page, about this special paint, what it did, and whether it was a good thing – or not!

Raymond Lee: ‘Before Pebble Mill peelable the studio floor was painted in water based paints, which ran if anything got spilt on them. Also it required a day between productions to wash the studio floor and let it dry, before the next painting could take place. One of the downsides of of the peelable paint was that after a number of layers the floor became quite uneven, so tracking shots became increasingly wobbly! I’m fairly sure it was only used in Studio A, and not the foyer. A base coat was put on the studio floor, which involved closing the studio for a couple of days. The fumes were quite pungent. Then the special floor paint was used to create the required floor using rollers, as previously. When a new drama went in the next floor scene was just painted on top. This continued for a number of productions, and then the paint was peeled off a bit like lino back to the base layer.’

Lynn Cullimore: ‘Yes, I remember it and it was a company headed by a man called Terry Field – I would think he is long retired now. It was really rated apparently. I knew Terry as he was a friend of John Woods in the press office when I then worked. They did use it in Studio A I believe but I am not sure if they did in the foyer.’

Guy Heselden: ‘The paint used at the London studios sounds similar. It goes on with a roller and can be touched up or painted over as and when and then when required gets washed off back to the bare brown coloured studio floor, ready for a new coat of paint!’

Gerry King: ‘Pebble Mill Peelable existed for many years totally dependent on Pebble Mill studios for income. They had premises on the Hagley Road close to the Plough & Harrow. For the life of me I cannot remember the name of their MD.’

Keith Brook (Scouse): ‘It was the most awful invention ever to fall on the lovely lino floors of Studio A. The original water paint system could be sucked up immediately after the sets had been removed and the new floor painted soon after. That system had the added effect of cleaning the floor and so we were left with a smooth surface to do our famous tracking shots. Pebble Mill Peelable often had it’s thick base coat put down without the floor being cleaned first. To add insult to injury, subsequent layers weren’t cleaned off either and the build- up was horrific. Many of the camera crew carried a Stanley knife and cut out the offending items which annoyed the manager who had introduced the paint. A short lecture on camerawork shut him up until the next time he wanted to flex his muscles.’

Nanny

Nanny, was a BBC drama series, starring Wendy Craig. It was set in 1930s England. There were three series of ten episodes each, transmitted in 1981, ’82 and ’83. Pebble Mill hosted the third series, although I don’t know if the first two series were made in Birmingham or London.

These photos are from the third series.

Thanks to costume designer, Janice Rider for sharing the photos.

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

Eurwyn Jones: “I worked on most of the series and if I remember rightly they started in the 30s through to WW2 into the forties. I believe it was all done at Pebble Mill. Joy Pugh was Wendy Craig’s dresser. It was hosted by Pebble Mill for Drama, Series and Serials London. I have some pics somewhere myself.”

Susie Astle (Bankers): “I was the make up designer on one of the series done from Pebble mill. Samantha was Wendy’s assistant. Carole Brady, Linda, Lesley Weaver and more worked on the show when we had lots of extras. It was a nice series to work on with a lovely cast and crew.”

Lynda Kettle: “Margaret Peacock was the designer, I was her art director on some of them and I designed one of the episodes.”

Barrie Edgar 1919-2012

Barrie Edgar in July 2010

Barrie Edgar sadly died recently aged 93.

Barrie was closely associated with BBC Birmingham since the very early days of radio broadcasting in the city. His father, Percy Edgar was a Birmingham concert manager who was asked to start up broadcasting in Birmingham in 1922, by the chief engineer of the G.E.C. works in Witton, which was part of the British Broadcasting Company. He supplied artists, and produced programmes. Barrie’s reaction as a young child to a story called ‘Spick and Span’ was apparently the inspiration for establishing the first ‘Children’s Hour’ broadcast, which was years ahead of the BBC in London, and produced by Percy. Barrie made his first broadcast at the age of 14, playing Tom Brown in a radio adaptation of Tom Brown’s School Days.

Barrie started working in television in 1946, when he was demobilised after the war, and in 1951 he came back to Birmingham as a television outside broadcast producer. The O.B. unit was shared with BBC Manchester. The first programme he produced was an amateur boxing contest at Gosta Green, the same building which became the BBC Gosta Green Television Studio in 1955. Barrie was based at the new Broadcasting House, in Carpenter Road in Edgbaston, which was where most programmes were made until the move to Pebble Mill in 1971. Barrie produced programmes such as ‘Gardening Club’, which became ‘Gardeners’ World’, ‘Farming’ and ‘Come Dancing’. He also produced the ‘Kings College Christmas Carols’, ‘Songs of Praise’, as well as events like General Elections, and the consecration of Coventry Cathedral.

Barrie retired from television in 1979. Barrie’s son is the playwright, David Edgar.

The following comments were added on the Pebble Mill Facebook Group:

Keith Brook: ‘Dear Barrie. Lovely man. Cool, calm and collected. That’s how directors and producers handle themselves when they understand the business. ‘

Gordon Astley: ‘Barrie was a mate of my dad, Pat Astley…and got me an interview for the Beeb via the back door. He looked after me for the first few months of a career that lasted 40 years. Lovely man.’

Pete Simpkin: ‘Wonderful broadcasting practitioner the like of which has gone for ever. I really enjoyed interviewing such a terrifically talented man on Radio Birmingham/WM and also remember him taking charge of the garden at Pebble Mill….how many retired producers of standing would do that?’

Lynda Kettle: ‘An extremely wonderful gentleman!’

Children in Need – Pirate Ship

Photos by Sue Robinson, no reproduction without permission.

The photos are from the pirate themed ‘Children in Need’ evening from Studio A. Included are James French, with the pirate hat and hand held camera; Adrian Kelly swinging the crane; and Dave Wilkins squaring up to Keith Schofield! Lynda Kettle was the pirate set designer.

Date with Fate – Becky Land

Photo by production designer Lynda Kettle, no reproduction without permission

I had so much fun on this show. I remember I stood in as ‘presenter’ in the run throughs on the top floor! It lasted only one series and was a daytime Mr and Mrs with horoscopes. It pitted family and friends against guest astrologers to see who would be able to answer questions about them; the astrologers used personal birth charts of each contestant to help them. The prizes were a little modest compared with today but it was still when the BBC had a limit on the value of prizes. I do remember a Henry vacuum and of course the ‘Date With Fate’ Plate. Three shows in a day running back and forth along the ground floor to the old ‘Clothes Show’ Office. I think it was around early 1998? We all went separate ways and I ended up on ‘Gardening Neighbours’ in Sheffield.

Becky Land