Paul Coia – Page 3 – What Was Pebble Mill?

Pebble Mill at One – photo from Maggy Whitehouse

Photo from Maggy Whitehouse, no reproduction without permission.

The photo features key members of the Pebble Mill at One presentational team: (left to right) Magnus Magnusson, Paul Coia, Marian Foster, Bob Langley, Josephine Buchan. It probably dates from the mid 1980s. It was taken at Peta Newbold’s house in Selly Park, where everyone ended up after the very last Pebble Mill at One.

Pebble Mill at One running order – Kevin Lakin

Thanks to Kevin Lakin for keeping this marked up running order of a 1984 edition of ‘Pebble Mill at One’ safe in his attic for the last 27 years!

Kevin was the floor assistant at that time, and his main job was getting presenters and guests from make-up, wardrobe, canteen, bar, green room and on to the studio floor at the right time. Item no 2 and 7a are crossed out because they were pre-recorded in the morning, that’s why there’s a VT in the box.

Roger Casstles was the producer of the show, and the presenters Paul Coia, Marian Foster and Jeff Banks. The show featured Princess Anne, Earl Okin, John Curry as well as Peter Seabrook planting lettuce! Sounds like a packed show!

6.55 Special – from Mark Kershaw

The early 1980’s 6.55 Special was a nightly chat show on BBC 2. It came from Studio 1 ( which was actually the radio studio using the CM2 Outside Broadcast unit for cameras.

The photo is of the production meeting before the show and includes – left to right: David Williams (music booker and producer of this particular show), Mark Kershaw (director), Sally James (presenter), and the back of David Soul’s (co-presenter) head. The photo is possibly for a special whole music show with Elkie Brooks, which turned out rather well!

Sally James co-presented the first series of 6.55 Special with David Soul, and the second with Paul Coia.

The second series came from the courtyard behind the Pebble Mill at One Studio C, with a retractable roof fitted in case of rain.

Stuart Gandy comments: “I definitely remember the courtyard being used for the 6.55 special, and from an audio point of view the roof wasn’t very successful, especially if it rained!. I cant quite remember if it was for this programme, or one that came later, buit at some point a scenery door was fitted to the back of Studio 1 to make it easier to get sets in and out.”

6.55 Special