On the House – Page 2 – What Was Pebble Mill?

Children in Need, Confession – Giles Herbert

copyright resides with the original holder, no reproduction without permission

If any of the readers ever wondered what we were doing in the back foyer by the lifts, this was a crucial part. With aerials strung from the roof, members of the Ariel Radio Group would talk to the world (and Selly Oak) with the intention of involving others in the event.

Within Amateur Radio, special events can be commemorated by unique and short term individual Call Signs and GB0CIN was one such. The picture is the front of a commemorative post card called a QSL Card. These provided the person contacted with a connection to the event and were very popular!

If anyone involved in “On the House” can remember back that far, several years running the security lights added to the structure as part of the D.I.Y. second series mysteriously failed on over a weekend in late autumn: I can now reveal that it was my fault! Morse transmissions made via an overhead temporary aerial were the reason and I heard a rumour at the time, that the manufacturers came and could never trace the reason why a relay should have welded itself up in the on position! We had removed the aerials over the weekend and when the investigation took place, no evidence of cause remained.

Giles Herbert

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

Peter Poole: ‘I was introduced to the joys of amateur radio by one of the Technical Managers. I think it was Bob , can’t remember his surname. Anyone remember him?’

Giles Herbert: ‘Bob Stacey no relation to Gavin I hazard to guess! It could have been George too as both are licensed.’

Bugbusters pilot – Vanessa Jackson

The photo was taken on a location shoot for a Pebble Mill pilot programme called ‘Bugbusters’ circa 1991. The photo includes Paul Hutchins (Magpie sparks), and Keith Conlon on sound, in the foreground (left to right) Pauline Pearson (PA), Vanessa Jackson (Researcher), Dr Moray Anderson (Entomologist and presenter). The photo was probably taken by Robert Davies, who I think was the director on the shoot.

The idea was a spin off from the DIY series ‘On The House’, and was about the pests that live in our homes, and how to get rid of them – we’re talking rats, deadwatch beetle, woodworm, moths, wasps, ants etc. Dr Moray Anderson was an Entomologist (insect expert) at Birmingham University, and was the presenter of the pilot. I remember putting out calls for contributors on various local radio stations. After selecting the contributors and recceing the locations we’d take Moray out with us, dispensing advice on how to get rid of the pests.

Stephanie Silk was the programme’s editor.

Unfortunately the series was never commissioned.

Vanessa

Pebble Mill at One – photos by Tim Savage

Photos by Tim Savage, no reproduction without permission.

The photos show the building of a set on the back lawn at Pebble Mill. You can see the building behind the set.

These cottages were positioned in the same place as the ‘On The House’ house, although these photos pre-date the 1980’s DIY series.

I thought at first the set must have been for a drama, but Tim Savage tells me they were part of a short series of items on ‘Pebble Mill at One’ about refurbishing old houses. They would have been taken in the early 1980s.

On The House – photos from Annie Gumbley

Front door of the ‘On The House’ house

On The House was a popular DIY magazine programme which went out on Friday evenings on BBC 2 in the late 1980s.

It spawned a whole host of other DIY series in both the daytime and primetime schedules.

The actual house was a timber framed, brick clad house which was erected in the grounds of BBC Pebble Mill behind the main office block. There was an excellent time-lapse sequence of the house being erected. The house operated as a television studio, and was set up so that it was easy to shoot in. You also had to remember not to use the toilet – as it wasn’t connected to any sewage pipes!

The show was the brainchild of producer Andy Meikle with Steph Silk the series producer.

The show was presented by Harry Greene (father of Sarah Greene), Rick Ball and Pattie Coldwell.

Pattie Caldwell, Harry Greene, Rick Ball

Andy’s Farewell – Steph Silk

'On The House' with Steph & Andy

Andy always kept this On The House press launch picture from 1987 on the wall in his study. He wasn’t too happy at the beginning when I was assigned to ‘his’ DIY programme, but the show ran for 4 successful series and the team lasted for 25 years!

His sons and I have been very comforted by the many warm tributes posted this week. Andy had always said that he wanted a ‘meeting of friends and didn’t want people wearing black.”

We hope that friends and colleagues can join us at 1.15 at Redditch
Crematorium on Monday 21st February and afterwards at The Abbey Hotel.

Family flowers only: any donations to either St Mary’s Hospice or The Prostate Cancer Charity.

Steph Silk