Philip Donnellan – What Was Pebble Mill?

Elisabeth Seaborne

Elisabeth Seaborne, who worked in the Newsroom and in the Asian Unit, sadly died in January 2018.

Below are memories from those who worked with Elisabeth:

Diane Kemp: ‘I remember her from my days at Midlands Today. I always thought she was probably better read and more clued up than many of us (well certainly me). I also remember her telling me about working for Philip Donellan and Charles Parker. A direct link to two phenomenal documentary makers.
I’m sorry to hear she’s passed away.’

Carol Wilson: ‘When I knew her she was the camera diary supremo at Midlands Today. She seemed to know just about everyone. Sadly she became ill with MS and was incapacitated for most of her later years.’

Janet Collins: ‘Elisabeth also worked as Comms Clerk in the Planning Office’

Philip Donnellan retires

This article from the Pebble Mill News from 1984, lists some ‘comings and goings’ at BBC Pebble Mill.

Included in the ‘goings’ is radio and television producer, Philip Donnellan. Philip joined BBC Birmingham in 1948, and his retirement was beginning with a filming trip in the USA, and the promise of being able ‘to make all the films I wasn’t allowed to in the BBC!’

Other notable ‘goings’ include Stan Smith from Comms, Technical Manager Barry Hill, cleaners Maud Joyce and Gwen Carr.

Amongst the new faces were trainee cameramen, Simon Bennett and John Moorcroft, engineer Steve May, Top Gear researcher Jon Bentley (now of the Gadget Show), and dresser Terry Powell.

Liz Darby, Bob Jacobs are also congratulated on their attachments.

Thanks to Robin Sunderland for sharing the Pebble Mill News.

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

Laura McNeill: ‘That is brilliant! I trained with David Page at Wood Norton, the audio trainee.’

Stuart Gandy: ‘Many names I remember here and some I have worked with over the years.
Dave Bushell seeing your name there reminded me that it’s 35 years last month since I joined the BBC and you were my course lecturer!’

Dave Bushell: ‘Yes, Stuart, you were one of my early victims! Luckily you survived!’

Steve Dellow: ‘Lurking at the extreme bottom right (Anniversaries)…Clive Kendall (Comms) reaching 40 years service!’

Richard Stevenson: ‘Jon Bentley, Researcher Top Gear. Didn’t he do well?!’

Brian Vaughton demonstrates the Brenell editing deck

Brain Vaughton demonstrates the Brenell tape editing deck from pebblemill on Vimeo.

Radio producer and editor, Brian Vaughton, demonstrates the Brenell tape editing deck, which would have been used to edit radio documentaries and inserts from the 1960s.

Brian worked as a freelancer at BBC Birmingham in the 1960s, with producers like Philip Donnellan and Charles Parker.

The following comment was left on the Pebble Mill Facebook Page:

Peter Poole: ‘I used Brenell decks in hospital radio. Very good machines and built like a tank!’

Intensity of working with Philip Donnellan

Intensity of working with Donnellan from pebblemill on Vimeo.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Specially recorded interview with film cameraman, John Williams, talking about working with documentary film maker, Philip Donnellan.

Philip Donnellan

John Williams talking about working with Donnellan

John Williams on working with Philip Donnellan from pebblemill on Vimeo.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Film cameraman, John Williams, being interviewed by Dr Paul Long, from Birmingham City University, about working with the documentary film-maker, Philip Donnellan, in the late 1960s and 1970s, at BBC Birmingham.

John Williams, cameraman

The following comment was left on the Pebble Mill Facebook page:
Peter Poole: ‘Great video, brings back memories of me getting the microphone in shoot. Philip was not happy!’