Radio Birmingham – Page 2 – What Was Pebble Mill?

Radio Birmingham top

Photos by Jane Partridge, no reproduction without permission

Radio Birmingham top, belonging to Phil Partridge. This dates from the very late 1970s or early 1980s. Thanks to Jane Partridge for taking and sharing the photos.

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

Tim Manning: ‘These were produced while negotiations about changing the name were still going on with the BBC in London; “WM”, rather than a standard place name, was a big change for BBC local radio style. John Pickles, the manager, wanted to get on with a “soft” relaunch of the station in the meantime, and for a while there was less emphasis on Radio Birmingham and more on “206” and the broader West Midlands identify.’

Andy Walters: ‘I have a feeling that dates from 78. It later morphed into the Radio WM logo. To show you how old some of our OB gear is, this logo still adorns some of it.’

Radio WM sticker on OB kit still being used!

Pete Simpkin: ‘This one was the best of all the designs for the Radio Birmingham/WM shirts…..wore all mine till they fell to pieces!!’

Radio Birmingham at Gurdwara

“Here is a picture of the late Stuart Miller (Engineer at Radio Birmingham/WM) with me rigging for the first live broadcast of worship from the Graham St Gurdwara in Birmingham in April 1975. Together we did the first…and… as far as l know…..only complete broadcasts for Radio Birmingham/WM of Sikh, Hindu, Muslim and Jewish worship on any radio station in the country. It involved complex rigging and audio balances and observation of the customs and traditions of the various communities.”

Pete Simpkin

Radio WM’s Stuart Miller at the Birmingham Superprix

Photo by Rod Fawcett, no reproduction without permission

Radio WM engineer, Stuart Miller, at the controls for the coverage of the first Birmingham Superprix road race in 1986.

Thanks to Rod Fawcett for sharing the photo.

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

Andy Walters: ‘Would it surprise you to know we still have that mixer and DK monitoring unit at WM?’

Rod Fawcett: ‘Wow yes a little surprised!! But it was well built and I think flight cased to protect the gear…’

Iain Betson: ‘All standard BBC LR issue OB kit. MX6/2, DK2/21, ASC mod’ed PR99. It just worked. I know, I used it a lot!’

Andy Walters: ‘I must admit it gets little use but does still work. Must be thanks to the flightcase as my OB kit was stored in the garden shed on the car park at Pebble Mill for years.’

Malcolm Hickman: ‘Stuart was a great guy. I first met him when I was attached to P&ID building the Comms Centre in 1971. Radio Birmingham were in the building before it opened. There was no restaurant, but we had a kitchen and the lads came in to use the kettle.’

Keith Conlon: ‘Stuart was a great man when I was working for BBC Radio Birmingham then BBC Radio WM as a freelance Station Assistant. Very helpful offering advice with my live music sound mixing.’

Colin Pierpoint: ‘I worked with Stuart many times when he was in Radio OBs and I was in Radio 4 Midland continuity (previously the Midland Home Service). Afterwards when he was Radio Birmingham Engineer (later Radio WM) we cooperated one evening when there was a fault on air on Radio WM. He was at home and asked me to go into an unstaffed Radio WM Ops room, he then talked me round the equipment to make the necessary adjustments. That was in the days when the phone I was using to hear Stuart had a wire attached!’

Pete Simpkin: ‘Stuart was a real pioneer. Together we did the first…and… as far as l know…..only complete broadcasts for Radio Birmingham/WM of Sikh, Hindu, Muslim and Jewish worship on any radio station in the country….one of them live. It involved complex rigging and audio balances and observation of the customs and traditions of the various communities.’

Lincoln ‘Sam’ Shaw

The following is from Annie Gumbley-Williams:

I have received news from Simon Shaw of the recent passing of his father, Lincoln ‘Sam’ Shaw.
I remember Sam when I worked on Radio Birmingham & Midlands Today in the 1970s to 80s. The photograph is of Sam in 1972 when he was Regional News Editor. I worked also with his son Simon, at Pebble Mill, when he was still in education, he used to come into Radio Birmingham to answer the phones on our Saturday Sports programme. Simon is now Executive Producer on the Antiques Roadshow. There’s a lovely photo on of his mother & father’s wedding on the opening titles.
Simon has sent the following:-

Lincoln “Sam” Shaw is a legendary name in the annals of Pebble Mill and Broad Street BBC history. Sadly we have received news of his recent death at the age of 93. Lincoln passed away peacefully in Torbay Hospital on February 19th. Many will remember Lincoln, either from his work as news editor on Midlands Today in the 60’s and 70’s, or from his days as Managing Editor English Regional Television which saw him broaden his responsibility for 8 regions across the UK. Those with longer memories may also know he was part of the pioneering small team that made the first local radio experiment in the 1960s. His son Simon tells us that Lincoln and wife Patricia enjoyed a life changing experience when he moved to south Devon in the 1980s by going back to the shop floor working as a reporter for the newly launched Radio Devon. Work that saw him filing reports until recently which recognised as the BBCs longest serving reporter. Luckily he managed to combine his work with golfing on some of the countries finest courses where he was regularly seen playing in to his 90s. His fulfilling and rich life will be celebrated in a memorial in early April at Dartington Hall. For more details please contact lincolnsmemorial@yahoo.com

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

Roger Sutton: ‘Sam and I were members of the same golf club for a number of years but our paths never crossed at Pebble Mill. I have fond memories of our time on the course. A lovely man.’

David Shute: ‘A real gent and very agreeable colleague. Hope he’s having fun in the newsroom in the sky.’

Chris Phipps with Black Sabbath again!

Broadcaster and music historian Chris Phipps was asked to complete a 50 year history with metal masters Black Sabbath by co-interviewing the original lineup in Dublin for the movie “BLACK SABBATH – THE END”.

Chris interviewed them regularly in the 70s for BBC Radio Birmingham’s rock show “HEAVY PRESSURE” and introduced them in a rare live appearance on BBC Midlands “LOOK! HEAR!” when they were fronted by Ozzy Osbourne’s replacement — now a collector’s item for Sabbs fans.

You can see the results on Sky Arts this MARCH–“a great honour to see them again on great form and work again with director Dick Carruthers”, says Chris.