Patrick Flavelle – What Was Pebble Mill?

Countryfile – Ken Pollock

Countryfile team. Copyright resides with the original holder, no reproduction without permission

Regarding Countryfile, it is fun to look at the photograph and recognise old friends/colleagues.
My involvement was to be a producer on Farming, with Martin Small, and Exec John Kenyon. We wanted to acknowledge the large “over the shoulder” audience we had on Farming, and hence wrote the brief for Countryfile. I remember it well, sitting in John Kenyon’s office sketching in the idea, and kicking around names. I came up with the Countryfile name, although we may have thought it should be two words…
Michael Grade, Controller BBC1 accepted the idea, the team went from 4 to 24, and the Countryfile bandwagon started rolling.
After poor Brain Strachan died, there was a vacancy on Top Gear, and John Kenyon told me to get some broader experience, before applying to run Countryfile. So I did, but they did not want me to run Countryfile, as I was supposedly too biased to the farming community and Mike Fitzgerald got the gig.
I stuck with Top Gear and the rest is history…

Ken Pollock

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

Patrick Flavelle: ‘I started on a rolling weekly contract working with Fitz surfacing potential stories at the fag end of Farming…led to working on the show for its first 11 years. Happy days and incredibly boozy Xmas do’s…the one after this photo was very messy!’

Mick Murphy: ‘3rd from right, 2nd row – Sue Lloyd, Director. 1st on the left, front row – Barry Paine, former BBC producer / wildlife narrator, who used to voice over some of our films. Girl behind Fitz is called Sarah…? Great picture. ‘

Jane McLean: ‘John Clarke on the left .. who I went to Russia and Siberia with for Countryfile in 1989. Should try & find the Russian pix. Talk about an eye opener. The director was Dick Colthurst (what happened to him?) and the crew was Nigel Davey, Barrie Foster, Keith Rodgerson and Andy Frizzell. We were force-fed vodka shots 24/7 – honestly! ‘

Pam Relton: ‘Dick is very successful Jane – he went to BBC Bristol after CountryFile and is now MD at Tigress Productions.’

Jane McLean: ‘Good on him. Never heard of Tigress Prods – am SO out of the loop these days re anything telly!’

Viv Ellis: ‘I recognise Yasmine O’Grady looking glam – as ever. I worked on Farming for a few months’

Roy Thompson: ‘Spent a very happy attachment to Countryfile from Wood Norton even getting to direct a piece on arts in rural communities. Very supportive and friendly team.’

Andrea Buffery: ‘This picture would look amazing next to the Countryfile team today. It consists of 30 plus people.’

Steve Johnson: ‘I worked on Countryside for a short time in mid nineties, arranged the filming of the brand new RSPB reserve at Conwy.’

Pam Relton: ‘As a real City girl, CountryFile opened my eyes to so many things. I remember my first shoot – in a battery hen farm, a barn the size of a hanger filled with chickens in cages no bigger than themselves, floor to ceiling, the noise!! I’ve not knowingly eaten anything other than free range, outdoor-reared produce since. I learned so much about the pressures on farmers and producers to comply with the big supermarkets. This was the great thing about working on programmes like this – that open up the issues to do with farming and the countryside to everyone.’

Jane McLean: ‘I was country born & bred Pam – my brother was a pig farmer – and I know exactly what you’re talking about from the other side! ‘

Children in Need

Marie Phillips_0004

Photos from Marie Phillips, no reproduction without permission. Marie Phillips was the Midlands Children in Need organiser at this time.

Here are a couple of photos of the Children in Need fund raising trailer, at Pebble Mill on Children in Need night. The vehicle would tend to be parked at the front of the building, attracting as many visitors as possible, for the regional broadcasts.

The lower photo is from 1990, and includes: Melissa from the Press Office, Pauline Logan from the Press Office who sadly died at a young age a few years ago, Marie Phillips, Jeanette Read who was Barry Smith’s Secretary and when she retired, worked for Marie for a couple of days a week. It used to be so manic at Appeal Time that Marie and Jeanette became known as Stan and Ollie which they still call each other to this day.

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

Marie Phillips: ‘Appeal Nights were such fun and a wonderful opportunity to meet fundraisers as well as funded groups. CIN was my life for nine happy and fulfilling years. My “real” job was administering the Midlands and East donations once grants had been allocated by our dedicated Appeals Committee and making sure that the money raised by the public was used effectively and properly. I had amazing support from so many people at Pebble Mill who never turned down my frequent begging requests for help with events and merchandise sales (£100,000+) and visits to funded projects. Yes, Jean, Great times and the best times.’

Siobhan Maher Kennedy: ‘I got a big break from CIN night ..I think 1986 or 87 I was allowed to present some of the BBC Midlands sections as i was a researcher on a 6 month contract for Mike Fitz and we went live on national tv for one and I got a job at CBBC in London to be a presenter in children’s pres.Oh but that’s a very long run on sentence…I never do that on Telly lol!’

Ruth Kiosses: ‘Loved CIN parties on the front of PM. Busiest week of the year for wardrobe, costume vans galore arriving from Wales Farm Road In London. Always great fun though.’

Jean Palmer: ‘Loved CIN at Pebble Mill raised lots of money in the club Sue Lowe, Angie and myself doing a turn on the stage. the best one was our take on the three degrees. great night. great times.’

Peter Poole: ‘Pebble Mill always put on a great show. I remember the funfair on the front lawn. This attracted a large crowd. Plenty of money for CIN and great PR for the BBC. Many viewers told me the Pebble Mill opt-out was the best bit. The BBC needs good PR these days. Such a shame that Birmingham no longer does a CIN opt-out like the old days.’

Mary Sanchez: ‘I worked on many CIN s at PM – what epics! Front /back lawns – fire engines / helicopters landing on field by bar ….sooooo busy, brilliant – must dig out some photos – I have one somewhere of all floor staff in space outfits …(?!)’

Patrick Flavelle: ‘My first gig at Pebble Mill – supporting David Nelson, a cracking producer. Met some celebs and tasted live telly for the first time….happy days!’

Home Front in the Garden

Pebble Mill was asked to produce a series of 8 episodes of the garden design programme, ‘Home Front in the Garden’, presented by enigmatic designer Diarmuid Gavin. They went out weekly from October 2002. The still shows Diarmuid relaxing in the company of project manager Sean Cunningham.

The series was producer by Patrick Flavelle, with David Symonds directing the first transmitted show, a garden in Chingford.

It was a challenging series to work on, with Diarmuid sometimes not turning up on location when he was supposed to, and getting fed up with most members of the production team at one time or another. By the end of the series almost no one who was working on the show originally was still there!

The following information was added by assistant producer, Julie Richards:

“I was one of two AP’s on the series. We had an incredibly hard-working team but, one-by-one, they were deemed “unsuitable” by Mr Gavin which left us scrabbling around, working ridiculous hours, with some being on-site for weeks at a time. Memorable gardens were built, including one in Birmingham which involved installing a garage car-ramp which could raise the garden up over 10ft, a giant disco-ball shed, 100 white rabbits, a copper garden retreat and one “jungle” with a building clad entirely in cedar (I was banned from that garden so never saw how it turned out!!). The series ran over budget by an eye-watering amount as Diarmuid spent without our being able to control him. I was invited to a lunch with the then head of BBC2 who, once I’d recounted the goings-on, merely replied with a smile, “oooo he’s a one that Diarmuid, isn’t he”. However, I have a couple of lasting friendships from that series – it truly was one that, once you’d gone through it, you really felt like you’d been through a war, rather than merely making a television programme. David did a fabulous job in the face of some very trying circumstances and, due to all the overtime, I managed four days in Hoar Cross Hall. Not all bad then…”

Countryfile – photo from Pam Relton

This is an early photo of the ‘Countryfile’ production team, and includes:
Back row l to r: Dan Cherrington, ?, Susie Lightfoot, Mark Jobst, ?, Julia Gillet, Caroline Smith, Anne Stevens.
next row: Mike Derby, Janice Wallace, Mike Fitzgerald, Patrick Flavelle, Jo Toye, Penny Searley, Mick Murphy
next row: John Clarke, Pam Relton, ?, Ruth Patterson, Yasmin Archer, Katharine Lapworth, Lynn Cullimore
Next row: ?, Ian Breach, Anne Brown, Chris Baines.

Apparently the photo was taken by the Press Office either as part of a publicity drive, or just before the Christmas Party.

The ‘Countryfile’ team did get together from time to time and had several epic Xmas parties hosted by Mike Fitzgerald. Long lunch and a return to the Club bar where revelry would include Mick Murphy playing the piano for a sing-song.

Countryfile’ began life in 1988. The rural affairs magazine show was fronted by John Craven for the next twenty years. It used to be transmitted on a Sunday morning, until the move to the 7pm Sunday evening slot in 2009. It is still made by BBC Birmingham.

The photo was taken on the front lawn of Pebble Mill, with Reception behind.

Thanks to Patrick Flavelle and Mike Fitzgerald for the additional information.

Patrick makes the following comment about working on ‘Countryfile’:

“I remain convinced that while it was a Press Office pic….it was actually taken on the day of the first Xmas party….we’re all togged up esp Murph with his DJ….Janice’s hair-do etc….but no matter the circ’s it bringsback v fond memories of a lovely team of people…I still tease my dear friend John Craven about the fact I worked in Countryfile before he did!!! ( He joined about 1year in)
In fact my claim to fame (Fitz would put me right on this one)…I think I was the first person after Fitz himself to work on Countryfile on a rolling weekly contract in the crossover between Farming and CF…I was so happy to be involved….and ended up there for over 10 years…happy memories galore.”

Patrick Flavelle filming 1989 – photo by Gail Herbert

Photo by Gail Herbert, no reproduction without permission.

This photo from 1989 is of Patrick Flavelle, on the left, (with the clipboard), directing on ‘Countryfile’. The man with the rabbit is presenter Roger Tabor.

Patrick adds the following comment:

‘It was for a piece called ‘What’s British?’ about common animals and plants that you might imagine were native to Britain. Rabbits,not, Horse Chestnut, not etc Roger Tabor presenting and shot at Packington Estate who were really helpful. No facility fee as long as we didn’t say where we were. Very unlike the National Trust!
Nigel Davey on camera I think and my first solo shoot as Director. Clipboard, bouffant hair and pretending I know what I’m doing.’