Peter Poole – Page 11 – What Was Pebble Mill?

Midlands Today Running Order

This running order is for the Midlands Today lunch time news from 10 Oct 1995. Kay Alexander was the presenter.

Thanks to Peter Poole for sharing this running order.

Sound Effects Disc – ‘In A Provincial Town’

This BBC Sound Effects Disc was given to Peter Poole when he left Pebble Mill and moved to the O.U.P.C., Milton Keynes.

Sound effects tracks, like the ones on this record were used as background atmosphere on many location based television shows, they were added on in the dub, and helped smooth out differences in background audio.

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

Pete Simpkin: ‘The cue-ing up was interesting, there was a blip of tone just before the start of an effect and you stopped the disc on prefade as soon as you had heard this. Was fascinating to hear on live news programmes the occasional ‘beep’ in the background from one of the grams which had slipped or been miscued in the rush to do live on air effects!’

Peter Greenhalgh: ‘Ahh, Prov Town. I used to use that a lot when editing mute news rushes. In fact I think its still used today and exists on our Quantel server. City Skyline was another useful one, although you have to avoid overusing the bus that went past at one point as people started recognising it….’

Fish eye lens photos of Pebble Mill

The photographer of these fish eye lens photos of the foyer and entrance of Pebble Mill is not known.

Thanks to Peter Poole for sharing the photos.

The Rise and Fall of Regional Drama – David Rose

This article by David Rose, BBC Pebble Mill’s first Head of the English Regions Drama Department, was published in the BBC retiree’s magazine: Prospero, in April 2013.

Thanks to Peter Poole for finding and sharing this article.

Panto-party – Peter Poole

This audio recording was made at an after show party, perhaps after a play or pantomime. Peter Poole recorded it, but cannot remember the date or occasion. If you can add any information, then please add a comment.

Peter Poole

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

Keith Brook (Scouse):’This is wonderful stuff. I never knew there was a an am-dram or pantomime crowd in the entire time I was there. I only found out later and being the shy, retiring type, I wouldn’t have been any use at all. This lovely recording is about people unwinding after giving their all.’

Ann Gumbley-Williams: ‘Sounds like Robin Hood that we did with the BBC drama group. We put the panto on at Cadbury’s Theatre. I have some photos I will down load when I can. I think Keith Ackrill was in the panto, and also Jayne Savage.’

Dunsany Alfred: ‘Ivor (can’t remember his last name) was a management apprentice for BL who somehow got roped in. Graeme was also non Beeb and also played the mayor in the next year’s Pied Piper. I’ve been looking for the programme that Maisie kept but no luck so far.’