Maurice Blisson – What Was Pebble Mill?

Midlands Yesterday – photos Maureen Carter

Here is a selection of photos from the Midlands Today reunion – entitled Midlands Yesterday, held on Saturday 3rd September 2016 at the Midlands Arts Centre. Thanks to Maureen Carter for sharing the photos.

Anita Bhalla, Sue Beardsmore

Ann Gumbley Williams, Jim Knights

Sally Morris and Ann Banks

Jane Ward, Mary Sanchez, Kay Alexander

Maurice Blisson

Pete Shannon, Gary Hudson

Pete Shannon, Maureen Carter

Richard Uridge

Rick Thompson and Gill Thompson

Rick Thompson, Pete Shannon, Jim Knights, Maureen Carter, Cathy Houghton,

Roz Gower and Mike Wilkie

Tony Francis and Roy Saatchi

Sue Beardsmore, Maureen Carter

? and Keith Ackrill

Brian Conway, Kathy Rochford, Sally Morris

Bob Sinkinson, Frances Coverdale, Mike Wilkie, Jim Knights

Gary Hudson and Mark Readman

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Tony Inchley’s Retirement Photo

The photo features, left to right: David Waine, Head of Building; Tony Inchley, Radio WM Manager; Pat De Whalley, Radio WM presenter. It was taken on the occasion of Tony’s retirement presentation.

Thanks to Pat De Whalley for sharing the photo.

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

Eric Smith: ‘Worked at Radio Stoke when Tony was News Editor there in 1979.
I remember a potteries union leader coming in and asking to see Tony, who was on holiday at the time.
He wouldn’t speak to any body else and came back with the story for our exclusive use when Tony returned.’

Tim Beech: ‘Tony gave me my first BBC job at WM in 1989. At the time the station was under threat of closure because of poor audience figures, but under Tony’s management the numbers were transformed. A quarter of a century on I’m a station manager myself and if I’m even half as good as Tony was I’d be completely thrilled. I learned so much and there probably wouldn’t have been a radio station post 1991 without him. I owe him a great deal and so does everyone who’s worked at WM since.’

Gregory M Hallsworth: ‘I think that must have been about 1995. LR could do with more radio people like Tony in charge these days!’

Maurice Blisson: ‘I worked with Tony at Radio Stoke and Radio WM. Great man.’

Jane McLean: ‘I still have my autograph book! And cut glass whisky glasses engraved with my name and dates of employment. All that’s missing is RIP. They’ve NEVER been out of the box!’

Donald Steel: ‘Tony Inchley was just brilliant and he was really great at telling you when he liked something you had done. And if you popped into his office to see him at the right time you got a gin and tonic.’

Jane Upston: ‘Maiden name Jane Morgan. I worked in the ‘Personnel’ Dept from 1984 to 1992. I left after maternity leave and I think Tony Inchley was still there then. I remember David Waine, Colin Adams, Jenny Brewer, Dawn Robertson and many others in the Network TV Department.’

Roland Allen: ‘My late Sister, Marion Allen was Senior Personnel Manager for the Midlands’ Local Radio stations and News around that time…’

Janet Bacon: ‘Worked with Marion Allen and then David Robey. Brilliant times at Pebble Mill, Tony’

Vicky King: ‘I was there 1987 to 1995 with Jane Morgan and Marion Allen – I remember Tony well – what great times we had at Pebble Mill’

End of Pebble Mill party photos

Clara Hewitt, Janet Collins, Margaret Barton, Sheila Brown

Ruth Barretto, Kevin Nock (Head of Finance)

George Henson (manager Comms and Engineering), Ruth Barretto, John Grantham

Photos from Ruth Barretto, no reproduction without permission.

These photos were taken at the end of Pebble Mill party in summer 2004. The party was held in the back garden of Pebble Mill, behind the office block. There was a marquee, with different areas – named after different programmes, as well as games outside. A good time was had by all, despite the sadness of the occasion!

Thanks to Ruth for sharing the photos.

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

Janice Rider: ‘There was alot of controversy surrounding that party as many key former members of staff were left off the invitation list.’

Jean Palmer: ‘Kevin Nock my old boss. He tried to tell me to stop laughing as if I would stop that. The only way to get all those payment done was with a bit of a laughing. Yes I remember a lot of new staff where at the party. But I am pleased to say I had an invite and glad I went saw a lot of good friends.’

Stuart Gandy: ‘Can’t believe it’s almost 10 years ago now, It was a great party for sure, but for such a sad reason. I remember John Grantham from my very very first day at Pebble Mil in 1979l, that was before I was employed there as he did my first interview!’

Maurice Blisson: ‘It was a fabulous do. I remember seeing Michael Hancock and several of the retired news people. And the chocolate fountain was amazing!’

Judith Markall: ‘Takes me back to Carpenter Rd and Pebble Mill in the good old days – working alongside Janet and Margaret.’

Pebble Mill Rifle Range

Photo by Ben Peissel

In the basement of BBC Pebble Mill there was, apparently, a fully functional rifle range. Journalist, Maurice Blisson used to shoot there most nights after Midlands Today went off air around 7pm. Peter Gower remembers using the range in the mid 1980s, along with fellow film editor, Roger Mulliner. Nigel Mercer remembers competing, as part of a Central TV team, against some Pebble Mill Staff, at pistol shooting, at the Police Range, in about 1983. It was a fairly informal occasion. Steve Dellow remembers going down in the basement to see the room with the ‘echo plates’. And Stuart Gandy also remembers seeing the door to the rifle range, but never went in. He thinks it was near the photographic dark room.

Thanks to everyone who posted their memories of the rifle range on the Pebble Mill Facebook Group.

Ann Gumbley-Williams added the following comment on the Pebble Mill Facebook group: I was a member and used to shoot at the rifle range on the basement. When I was there it was run by Pip Allkins who was the son of Maisie Allkins who worked on the old telephone system where you had to plug the phones in to connect! Maisie, her husband John and Pip also helped on the BBC pantomimes that used top take place every year. They were put on in the theatre at Cadburys.

Newsroom – Maurice Blisson

I came across this old photo taken in Pebble Mill newsroom, in the early 90s at a guess. I am in the foreground and also on it are Harvinder Singh, a newsroom stalwart who still does news shifts at the Mailbox, and Bob Sinkinson, Network News reporter, now retired. It looks like it is the old assignments desk, with me as intake editor and Harvinder on Camera Diary, controlling the movements of the crews and reporters. The early computers were the Hewlett-Packard BASYS system and were very rudimentary. There is the reflection of a red light at the end of the newsroom, indicating transmission.

Maurice Blisson

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

Becky Land: ‘Ah BASYS, that takes me back. I went from an electric typrwriter (ILR) to Basys and Rip n Read and thought I was in vanguard of technological age. Cart anyone?’

Peter Poole: ‘Maurice was a great character. The BASYS system could be logged in to remotely using a dial up connection. Somehow the modem phone number, user name and password was leaked. And a person who was due to be interviewed hacked into BASYS. And was able to read the scripts for their interview.’