Copyright resides with the original holder, no reproduction without permission.
A huddle of WM presenters are joined by Dr Who’s Tardis.
Included are: second from the left, Pat de Whalley, next to Julie Mayer with Tony Wadsworth on the right. The photo also includes Pat’s sons, Andy and James.
This photo was taken outside the Radio WM studios on the ground floor of the Mailbox, when Julie and Tony showed Pat and family around the new studios.
Copyright resides with the original holder, no reproduction without permission.
The photo is of Radio WM presenter, Pat de Whalley, at work in the studio, circa 1990.
The following comments were left on the Pebble Mill Facebook page:
Andy Walters: ‘That looks like it would have been Area 2. The window is looking into Area 3, the phone-in room. Those are very expensive Technics CD players too. Later replaced with modified Hi-Fi ones that were horrible to fix. Usually gluing buttons back on.’
Andy Caddick: ‘I would agree that this is Area 2 with Area 3 through the glass and 4 after that. Love the Mark 111 desk. Amazing to see all those carts.’
Philip Morgan: ‘A pair of Beyer DT100 cans on the MKIII desk too…’
Pete Simpkin: ‘That’s right Andy, in the old days we called area three the ops room. You can see a very hazardous pile of blue plastic carts used for jingle, trails etc on the top of the desk.Behind her dozens more. She looks as if she is carrying out one of the more hazardous operations with the equipment namely adding a sugar lump to her coffee. Surprising to see coffee let loose so close to the faders…could put us off the air in seconds if it spillt. The anglepoise arms carried the microphones which could be positioned easily by the presenter. I would guess music is on air at the moment as the only fader ‘up’ is what I know as a grams fader, probably deck two yellow top ident on fader)(hidden behind the desk bulkhead) as the arm is not on the disk on deck one.’
Copyright resides with the original holder, no reproduction without permission.
The photo shows Radio WM presenter, Pat de Whalley in one of the radio studios, adjusting the faders. You can see the carts just behind Pat; these would probably have held jingles and sig tunes etc.
Thanks to Pat for sharing the photo.
The following comments were left on the Pebble Mill Facebook page:
Mark Jones: ‘It’s circa 1989/1990.. Pat moving onto afternoons at about that time. Carts for the fab WM jingles, trails and music beds.’
Andy Waters: ‘We had carts until 2001. WM Area 4’s Sonifex cart machine stack and carts as removed from the building are in a display case in the Mailbox open space along with a Uher portable reel to ree. Other items in shot are a BBC Designs Department Mk3 broadcast desk, Telecaster phone in system and a Technics SP10 gram. There are still stations using BBC Mk3 studios even though some are over 30 years old.’
Richard Uridge: ‘The cart (short for cartridge) was king. They held jingles, promos and signature tunes certainly. But we also used them for news clips. The “advantage” was that they were supposed to start instantly so no need for pre-roll of three seconds as with reel-to-reel but they quickly became obsolete (just like every other technology). When was this Pat?’
Pat de Whalley: ‘Hi Richard I think this picture was taken between 1991/92.’
Viv Ellis: ‘Mid ’80s on they had Public Service Announcements etc
Copyright resides with the original holder, no reproduction without permission.
Official invitation to Lawrie Bloomfield, Managing Editor of Radio Shropshire’s black tie, retirement party. The invitation was made to Tony Inchley, Managing Editor of BBC Radio WM, and presenter, Pat de Whalley.
Thanks to Pat de Whalley for sharing this invitation, and keeping it safe for the last twenty years.
The following comment was published on the Pebble Mill Facebook page:
Pete Simpkin: ‘I worked with Lawrie in the 60s when he was a freelance working for BBC South in Southampton. A real character and great personality.’
Copyright resides with the original holder, no reproduction without permission.
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’