Malcolm Hickman – What Was Pebble Mill?

Chris Rowlands on the RAC Rally

Photo from Mel Stevens, no reproduction without permission

This photo is of Film Unit’s Chris Rowlands, when he was Editing Organiser. It dates from the mid to late 1980s and is from the RAC Rally. Chris would order in editing equipment to fit out a van to edit on location.

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

Ian Collins: I was the editor on CM2 working on the Rally in 1988. John Burkill was Producer along with the late John Smith if I remember rightly and Tony Rayner was the Director. I think LO22 was also involved but I can’t rennet where we were located.

Ned Abell: Remember CM2 parked nearly outside the Nottingham Albany rally headquarters..and the Laguna Tandoori 3 steps away after transmission with starters on the table!!

Malcolm Hickman: I did plan the radio links for the RAC rally which was starting in Scarborough. That would have been the late 80s.

Dome on the roof of Pebble Mill

Photo by Bhasker Solanki, no reproduction without permission

This dome appeared on the roof of the Pebble Mill office block circa 1980.

The following comments about were posted on the Pebble Mill Facebook page:

Annie Gumbley Williams: The dome was built to be used for recordings, interviews etc. Remember doing one there with Robin Cousins in Roy Ronnie & Roy Norton days. Roy Ronnie used it for meetings sometimes to get out of the office. It made a lot of noise when it rained so not good for recording!

Malcolm Hickman: It also acted like a greenhouse and anything left in there suffered with the condensation.

Andy Shepherd:The dome was bought second-hand from Granada who had used it in the summer of 1979 for their Saturday morning children’s show The Mersey Pirate. The show was based aboard the ferry MV Royal Iris moored at Liverpool Docks. The dome structure was built on the promenade deck of the vessel. The run of the series was cut short by the ITV strike which started in August.

Here are a couple more photos of the dome being installed in 1981. They are from Stuart Gandy.

Photo by Stuart Gandy, no reproduction without permission

Dome being hoisted on to the roof. Photo by Stuart Gandy, no reproduction without permission

Stan Smith’s retirement party

Photo from Malcolm Hickman of Stan Smith’s retirement party (circa 1983/4), which was well attended by Comms Centre staff.

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

Brian Johnson: ‘Will give it a try: Front row L to R – David Robinson, John Noble, Chris Donovan, Stan Smith, Keith Lindsey, Graham Hewitt: : Second Row L-R Shaffiq, John Nestor, Brian Johnson, Ian Gordon, Roy (Cyril) Thompson (peering over his shoulder), Glynn Benbow, Roy Winson, Jon Parker, Bob Allison, Mike Day, Fred Norton, Nigel Harris, Keith Brown, Paul Wheeldon, Derrek Smith, Malcolm Hickman,: Back Row R-L- John Malby, Phil Partridge, Guy with Glasses (??), then Graham Todd, Richard Taylor.
Can anyone fill in the (??) .

Great Photo. but what a male orientated lot we were’

Malcolm Hickman:’Guy over Roy’s shoulder is John Parker. Went to VT. Nigel Harris with beard, Keith Brown looking sideways.’

Andy Marriott: ‘Graham (on the right, with his hand on the trolley looking thing) was one of the Comms supervisors when I started.’

The Queen and Jim Dumighan

Jim Dumighan showing the Queen around Pebble Mill in 1981.

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

Malcolm Hickman: ‘I remember it as Roy Thompson and I were on shift in the comms centre when security phoned to say they had a bomb warning. We scoured the area and found a bag under a table in the corner. We didn’t know who’s it was, so security removed it. Turned out one of our colleagues, who was not on shift, had all his cameras gear in the bag as he had been photographing the queen.’

Roy Thompson: ‘Thanks Malcolm for reminding me of that had totally forgotten it. How intrepid we were searching for the bag!!! Do you remember the other time the comms centre was “under attack”. We thought we were being shot at when a loud bang was heard and a chip mark appeared on the large toughened glass window facing the road. Turned out to be the gardener’s lawn mower throwing a stone in our direction from the front lawn. Happy days!!’

Vanity Fair, photos by Chris Glover

Paul Woolston and VPR20 videotape machine mounted on carriage

Low loader

Paul Woolston on 2CV camera car + director Mike Morris

Cherry picker. For lighting purposes I think, rather than a camera platform

Photos by Chris Glover from the 1987 drama series, Vanity Fair.

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

Malcolm Hickman: ‘Paul Woolston was a real gentleman. A sad loss..’

Jane Green: ‘Yes – lovely to see Paul Woolston in this pic. I was a runner on this. Up at 3am to bus in about a hundred extras to get into costume and make up – period dress – so took hours and hours, to shoot a ball scene at the Rothschilds’ fabulous Waddesdon Manor in Bucks. Seriously hard work! Lots of tired, hot, fed up actors to placate.’