pudsey – What Was Pebble Mill?

Children in Need 2000

These stills are from the regional Children in Need output from November 2000.

The still with Pudsey is the front page of the running order for the evening show. The second photo is of the Vision Gallery controlling Studio 1. Chris Harris is on racks. The third photo is of the floor in Studio 1, which was usually a radio studio, but could be converted to TV, and was so during any re-fitting of Studio A.

Thanks to Chris Harris for sharing the stills.

Director Chris Wright on Pebble Mill at One – Steve Weddle

Director, Chris Wright, deep in thought, during Tom O’Connor Roadshow. Photo Jane Mclean

That’s a classic Chris Wright pose. He would often wander off on his own to think things through prior to going into the gallery or scanner. Mind you, there was that time on a certain infamous edition of Pebble Mill At One when, dressed as a teddy boy, he leapt out of the director’s chair, to be replaced by Mark Kershaw, so he could dance a rock and roll routine downstairs, on camera, in the foyer. It worked a treat, except one of the prgramme guests had imbibed too much and went on air somewhat worse for wear. Consequently, the entire edition went under the microscope, and questions were asked in high places why the programme director was to be seen rocking and rolling with Josephine Buchan, the presenter. How do I know this? … I was Producer of what was our last show before Christmas in that particular year…circa 1984. Hope you don’t mind me mentioning this Chris. It still makes me smile.

Steve Weddle

Mark Kershaw directing Pebble Mill at One. No reproduction without permission

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

Jane Clement: ‘All the shows leading into Christmas were great fun. And – given the generosity of the green room – inebriated guests were not exactly a rarity, but never a big problem. I’m having a drink with Chris this afternoon, as it happens. We both live in the same city (Auckland, New Zealand) so I expect we’ll be reminiscing about old times.’

Steve Weddle: ‘I should stress that Chris was totally sober when he danced on the show. It was the guest who was was worse for wear! If Chris was a celebrity he would have been on Strictly by now!’

Ruth Kiosses: ‘Drunken guests! I want to know what they put in the audience’s tea? That warm-up guy telling the audience the cameraman would be like a rat up a drainpipe if legs weren’t kept together on the front row. Must have heard that over the monitor everyday for years! It always livened them up with giggles.’

Betti Moretti: I’ was a bit late to Pebble Mill… but I had so much fun there! I remember a particularly merry Pudsey Bear after a long Children in Need taking a tumble from top to bottom of the stairs into the green room where Anne & Nick were based… wiped a couple of people out at the bottom – Jeremy Paxman included… so many funny memories… happy days indeed’

Children in Need Staff List

The document is a staff list from the 1999 regional opt team for the Children in Need evening show.

Note that the presenters included Michael Ball, alongside Midlands Today presenters: Nick Owen and Nina Nannar.

Thanks to Harvey Pope for making the list available.

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

Matthew Sly: ‘I was Pudsey Bear that year, we did the majority of it from Nat West in the Town Centre.
I was approached to be Pudsey when I worked in the Post room, and obviously was honoured, I remember that night very well indeed.

I remember how torturous the suit was, it had a fan in the head, but you couldn’t use it. I remember meeting a lot of Children while they were Auditioning for a Martine McCutcheon Video and almost passing out near the end.

I also remember H, Pete, Matt Wall and Matt Evans laughing their heads off when I first put the thing on:)’

Marie Phillips: ‘Matthew – whilst I was Co-ordinator we had strictest instructions that the suit should not be worn for more than twenty minutes at a time – a ten minute break with the head off and so on. You were lucky you didn’t suffer any ill effects. My long serving Pudsey was Charlotte Mayberry (spelling?) who did a brilliant job.’

Matthew Sly: ‘Very true Marie, I was also given the same instructions I must admit, I think I was just a bit of a wimp, the ladies that looked after me were absolutely lovely, to my shame I can’t remember their names anymore.

They also sent me a lovely letter after the night and I’ve also lost that, such a shame, it would have been my pride and joy.’

David Ackrill: ‘A friend of mine (Giles Herbert) who was an Engineer at Pebble Mill helped to organize the CiN special event station using the BBC Amateur Radio Club station located in the Pebble Mill building one year and I have a “QSL” card for a CW (Morse code) contact with the station on 144MHz somewhere in my files.’