Peter Davison – What Was Pebble Mill?

All Memories Great and Small – part 5 John Williams

John Williams, cameraman

Excerpt from “All Memories Great & Small” by Oliver Crocker

Memories from John Williams (Film Cameraman):

‘For the lambing scenes, Wardrobe came up with the wonderful idea of mobile hand warmers, bags of something or other that stayed warm for long periods. Wardrobe never let the cast down, hence Peter Davison’s scarf wrapped around his head in the opening scenes. Christopher Barry was a good director who knew and understood the scripts, so he would work out the structure of what we had to get in the can and we had a relationship where he trusted me to get on with it. We couldn’t expect the animals to perform as directed, so I had to be aware of what specific shots were needed and just get them. Robert Hardy was very good, he had his work cut out working with these live wild animals, which could be difficult as they weren’t very predictable, so he didn’t have an easy time.’

60 cast and crew have shared their memories for this new book, which is available to preorder now from Miwk – http://bit.ly/2d7p5ts

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John Williams has also published his own memoirs, Shoot First, No Ordinary Life, which is A4, 216 pages full colour, 96,500 words; it is being sold at cost £14, plus postage or can be collected.If you would like a copy please contact John on john@willbriar.myzen.co

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All Memories Great and Small

Oliver Crocker’s All Creatures book is now available to Pre-order.

BREAKING NEWS! NEW ALL CREATURES BOOK COMING SOON!

Released as part of the 100th birthday celebrations for James Herriot, a new book “All Memories Great & Small” is being released by Miwk Publishing as an ideal companion to the classic BBC series. Every episode is accompanied by exclusive memories, thanks to 60 new interviews with cast and crew.

THE REGULAR CAST

Christopher Timothy (James Herriot), Robert Hardy Esq, CBE, FSA (Siegfried Farnon), Peter Davison (Tristan Farnon), Carol Drinkwater (Helen Herriot), Andrea Gibb (Deirdre McEwan), Jean Heywood (Mrs Alton) and Ali Lewis (Rosie Herriot).

GUEST CAST

Peter Alexander (St. John), Lois Baxter (Margery Egerton), Paul Clayton (Brian Weeting), Fine Time Fontayne (George Forsyth/Joe Bentley), Gillian Hanna (Betty Sanders), Derek Hicks (Willie Bannister), Pete Ivatts (Mr. Blackburn/Tom Maxwell), Vivien Keene (Mary Trenholm), Ray Mangion (Franco Pedretti), Norman Mann (Richard Edmundson), Nicholas McArdle (Mr. Worley), Joanna McCallum (Lady Hulton), Elizabeth Millbank (Alice McTavish), Suzanne Neve (Joan Clifford), Jonathan Owen (Peter Gillard), David Quilter (Andrew Bruce), Pamela Salem (Zoe Bennett), Jessica Sewell (Mary Clarke), Madeline Smith (Angela Farmer/Anne Grantley), Amanda Waring (Elizabeth Rayner) and Susan Wooldridge (Daughter of Margaretta Scott).

PRODUCTION TEAM

Bob Blagden (Director), Sandy Byrne (Widow of Writer Johnny Byrne), Alex Christison (Film Sound), Carol Churchill (Make-up Designer), David Crozier (Designer), Nigel Curzon (Designer), Roger Davenport (Writer), Rowena Dean (Make-up Artist), Mike Duxbury (Film Editor), Paul Finch (Son of Writer Brian Finch), Graham Frake (Lighting Cameraman), Roderick Graham (Director), Joyce Hawkins (Costume Designer), Terry Hodgkinson (Writer), June Hudson (Costume Designer), David Hughes (Sound), William Humble (Writer), Brian Jones (Gaffer), Peter Loring (Film Cameraman), Richard Martin (Director), Christopher Penfold (Script Editor/Writer), Les Podraza (Scene Hand), Janice Rider (Costume Designer), Tony Redston (Production Associate), Michael Russell (Writer), Helen Scarsbrook (Wardrobe), Bill Sellars (Producer), Pip Short (Grip/AFM/Location Manager), Sam Snape (Writer), Maggie Thomas (Make-up Artist), David Tilley (Assistant Floor Manager), Tony Virgo (Director) and John Williams (Film Cameraman).

PRE-ORDER NOW http://bit.ly/2d7p5ts

All Creatures Great and Small

Photos by Janice Rider and others, no reproduction without permission.

The black and white group shot dates from the 1989 series of ‘All Creatures Great and Small’. The other photos were taken by Janice Rider in her role as costume designer, as records of what the actors were wearing in particular scenes, for continuity reasons, so that interiors recorded in Studio A at Pebble Mill, would match with exteriors recorded in Askrigg, North Yorkshire.

‘All Creatures Great and Small’ was hosted at Pebble Mill.

The photos include Lynda Bellingham, Peter Davison, Robert Hardy, Christopher Timothy, John McGlynn (young actor in group shot), Andrea Gibb (played Deirdre) amongst others.

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Kinsey, series 2 – photo from John Greening

Photograph from John Greening, no reproduction without permission.

The photo shows production manager, John Greening in the Bull ring in Malaga, Spain in 1992. The Malaga shoot featured in episode 4 of the series, entitled ‘Drop Shot’.

‘Kinsey 2’ was a six part series which went out on BBC 1 in Nov/Dec 1992. It starred Leigh Lawson, Peter Davison and Meera Syal. It was a Pebble Mill drama series about a Birmingham solicitor. Minnie Driver also had a small part in it.

Richard Standeven and Anthony Garner were the directors, Barry Hanson the executive producer and Carol Parks the producer. The script was written by Peter Gibbs.

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

Midlands Today reporter, and now Head of Compliance at BBC Birmingham, Liz Munro remembers having a small part in ‘Kinsey’: ‘I was in Kinsey! Played myself as a tv reporter. Waited around all day to say my lines, but the pay was good. It was fab. I still have a copy of the script.’

Terry Powell (costume): ‘I loved this show, one of the best I worked on. I looked after Leigh Lawson for 2 years and still keep in touch after all these years!’

Ruth Kiosses (costume):’Remember Kinsey costumes very well. Wasn’t Minnie Driver in it before Hollywood beckoned? I bought some clothes she had worn at the end of filming (sure it was Kinsey).’

Dawn Trotman (film editor): ‘Remember Kinsey very well. Its where I meet my husband! But loads of people got sacked as I recall. At Eliot road where we edited it we had tape in the shape of bodies over the floor! As each person went down. Still enjoyed it though and got to know Carol Parks who was lovely. The cast were good as well.’

Ian Barber: ‘I remember sitting in a cottage in front of a log fire with Minnie Driver, whilst shooting Kinsey 2. Mark Williams (fast show & harry potter) was also in it as an office bod.’

Melissa Hallworth (nee Feather): ‘I remember there was an earthquake in LA where Leigh Lawson’s wife was staying (Twiggy) with their friend Dustin Hoffman, so I had to fax Dustin’s house to make sure Twiggy was ok on behalf of Leigh! great series, loved working on it! x’

Mark Heslop (editor): ‘Had fun on Kinsey. Mixed it at the old Ladbrokes theatre in Notting Hill with Aad Wirtz and a young Adrian Rhodes. Remember having a lovely meal with Carol in Covent Garden, had escargot for the first (and last) time. Made a great team with Dawn and Adam Trotman.’

Diana Lester (costume): ‘Kinsey had a very dramatic effect on my life !!! Met my husband whist filming it, and now nearly 20 years later….still happily married!!’

Anna of the Five Towns – photos by Willoughby Gullachsen

Photos by Willoughby Gullachsen, no reproduction without permission.

This 1985, 4 part drama series was directed at Pebble Mill by Martyn Friend, and produced by Colin Rogers. John Harvey wrote the adaptation of Arnold Bennett’s novel, set in the potteries in the 1890s. Bob Chaplin was the lighting director and Michael Edwards the production designer. Dave Baumber recorded sound (Dave is the one with the moustache and not a lot of hair in the close up photo). Sue Bennett-Urwin was the 1st A.D., and can be seen directing in the last black and white photo. Filming took place in the Isle of Man in 1984, amongst other places. This is where the photo of the cast and crew was taken. The black and white photos were taken at the Black Country Museum near Dudley.

The series starred Linsey Beauchamp as Anna Tellwright, Emrys James as Ephraim Tellwright, Peter Davison as Henry Mynors, Anton Lesser as Willie Price and Anna Cropper as Mrs Sutton.

I believe that Anna of the Five Towns was the first location drama at Pebble Mill to be recorded single camera on video tape. Please add a comment if you can confirm this, or can identify people in the photo of the cast and crew.

Group picture – either side of Jim Clelland (2nd on the left) are Dick Bentley (OB Lighting) and Ray Sperry (Engineer). Joyce Hawkins (Costume), Sally Englebach (Design) and Lesley Perry (Make-up) in the centre amongst others. Paul Woolston (Senior Cameraman) on right and also on camera in the tracking shot. From costume Terry Powell, Mark Ridley, Sally Pearson who sadly is not with us any more, Rachel Selby. The chap with the bald head and the moustache is Dave Baumber (sound), next to him is editor Ivor Williams and Steve Neilsen. Infront of Dave, I think is P.A. Sally Daniels.

(Thanks to Dave Bushell, Terry Powell, Stuart Gandy, Jane Clement, Annie Gumbley and Russell Parker for their help in identifying people).

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