Richard Uridge – What Was Pebble Mill?

Mikhail Gorbachev and the mobile phone shop

Here is a gem of a story about Mikhail Gorbachev by former BBC journalist, Richard Uridge:

“Many years after the Soviet leader stepped down he was asked to open a mobile phone shop in Cheltenham. To the surprise and delight of the owner he agreed and the event was duly covered by the BBC at Pebble Mill. As a Midlands Today newsreader I introduced the story and back referenced it with words to the effect “funny old world isn’t it? One minute you’re the second most powerful man on the planet. The next you’re opening a phone shop in Gloucestershire.”

I thought it was hilarious. But I got told off by my bosses for editorialising. The shop owner wasn’t too chuffed either. Said I’d demeaned his business. I wasn’t at all sorry. Reckon he got a lot of free publicity.

My other Gorbachev-related comments – on radio rather than telly – are too excruciating to relate here and warranted a grovelling letter of apology.”

Richard Uridge

Creative commons photo of Gorbachev, by John Mathew Smith, 1997

Directing Midlands Today 1990

Photograph from Rosin Elder, no reproduction without permission

Female production team in the gallery of Midlands Today in 1990 at Pebble Mill. Left to right: Christine Palmer, vision mixer; Rosin Elder, director; Fiona Barton, PA; Maureen Carter Producer.

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

Richard Uridge: ‘They all look very worried. I was probably presenting that night!’

Jonathon Dick: ‘The VM is Christine Palmer, who went on in later years to become a senior production executive with the BBC OU Production Unit. The Sound Sup is Peter Poole, who was a regular on MTD.’

David Croxson: ‘What a fantastic front desk. There was a right to do and a hoo-hah recently on a friends Facebook when it was shared as a triumph that the whole of a regional news programmes’ production team turned out to be female. Someone else complained that they wouldn’t have shared a similar photo if it was all men.

Perhaps Midlands Today was years ahead of its time!!’

Stephen Neal: ‘Roisin and I worked together at Look East when we were both Regional Station Assistants (aka the best first job in regional TV)! The chap at the back is the sound sup for the show by the look of it.’

Midlands Today smart occasion

Midlands Today presenters Diane Kemp and Richard Uridge, with producer Maureen Carter between them. Judging how smart everyone looks, this may be from an awards event.

Thanks to Maureen Carter for sharing the photo.

Editing News

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This photo shows the editing of regional news in 1990. It looks like a rather makeshift edit suite.

This photograph was originally posted on the Pebble Mill Engineers’ Facebook page.

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

Brian Charles: ‘Makeshift?!? That was state of the art kit at the time – Edit Suite 2 I think.
That’s Inge Samuels managing to get a smile out of Gary Hudson. Can’t have been a last minute lead story edit then!!’

Richard Uridge: ‘Notice the heavy tape boxes ready for Gary to throw at unsuspecting passersby.’

Diane Kemp: ‘Blimey it does look very last century. Definitely Gary though at PM’

Simon Calkin: ‘Three-machine Betacam suite with an Audio Designs mixer.’

Gary Hudson: ‘It’s not me. I sent my stunt double and the bastard smiled, ruining my public image (see comments above about the legendary bad temper). He was a little fey, as you can tell from the girly haircut, and I made sure we were never seen in the same room together, partly to maintain the mystique but also because his immaculate dress sense and devastating good looks were an embarrassing distraction from my position as the only competent journalist in the newsroom at the time. He usually did the posy stuff – PTCs, cutaway questions and the like -while I got on with the proper job. This picture appeared in the book that was given free to staff when Pebble Mill closed – obviously as a tribute to those who were soon to embrace obscurity. Inge was brilliant though, as was Brian Charles, despite his cheeky comment above.’

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Rod Fawcett for Radio WM at Brum Superprix

This photo shows Radio WM engineer, Rod Fawcett, during coverage of the Birmingham Superprix. Notice the backpack for transmitting the radio signal.

The Superprix was a motor race meeting, held on the streets of Birmingham, between 1986-1990.

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

Andy Shepherd: ‘I was working at Central Television then, although not on the Superprix itself, and would go to the top of Alpha Tower (26 storeys) and watch the race with the guy who manually maneuvered the microwave receiver throughout the race to pick up the signal from the one (and only one) car with an on-board camera.’

Andy Walters: ‘We’ve still got a backpack like that. Usually gets used for the Birmingham Marathon and things like that.’

Emma Taynton-Young: ‘I remember going to this with Dad (John Taynton) but I can’t remember if he was at the Beeb then or still at BRMB.’

Mike Taynton: ‘Pretty much everything I got to experience with, my late father, John Taynton was a joy but getting to go along with him to these races is up there in my all time highlights’

Richard Uridge: ‘Great snap. I remember that day well as a reporter at WM. Nice to see Rod. He was always always smiling.’

Anthony Guy Willcock: ‘Racing up the ring road towards the Mosque, so slow!’

Jim Knights: ‘ It rained!‘

Andy Frizzell: ‘I was involved with the Top Gear coverage (pre Clarkson) Chris Goffey was our presenter.’

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