Roger Mulliner – What Was Pebble Mill?

GTC Award to Pebble Mill Camera Department

Copyright resides with the original holders no reproduction without permission

This was the presentation of the GTC’s (Guild of Television Camermen) TiCA (Television Cameraman’s Award) to the Pebble Mill camera department for Pebble Mill at One circa 1979.

The names are as follows:

Back (L to R): Doug Smith, Robin Sunderland, Bob Meikle, Don Cooper, Paul Woolston, Tony Wigley, Phil Wilson, Mike Solomons (GTC Chairman from Thames TV), Brian Cave, Jim Gray, Bob Hubbard, Chris Allen, not sure (perhaps Phil Sidey?), Jack Rooke, Keith Salmon, Dave Lawson, Dave Doogood, Dave Wilkins, Pete Edwards, Tim Konewko, Bhasker Solanki.

Kneeling down (L to R): Barrie Foster, Keith ‘Scouse’ Brook, Roger Mulliner, Dave Ballantyne, John Couzens, Eric Wise

(Thanks to James French for providing the names, Annie Gumbley Williams for sending me the photo and to Roger Mulliner for sharing it in the first place).

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

Richard Stevenson: ‘That is an amazing picture! I have never seen so many cameramen in ties! Brilliant.’

Lynn Cullimore: ‘They all look so young and thats because they were – then. hah.’

Bob Bishop: ‘There are no women in the photograph, would that be the same today.’

Keith Brook (Scouse): ‘We were told to dress up by management. Bhaskar Solanki, far right (physically, not politically) went on to be a very, very successful news cameraman and is now a senior producer. Good for him!! I should also mention that I’m the only one wearing a waistcoat. Even then, standards were sloppy!!’

Birmingham Club Sports

photo by Charles White, no reproduction without permission

Photo by Roger Mulliner, no reproduction without permission

Photo of editor Charles White about to play tennis at the opening of the tennis courts at the BBC Birmingham Club. It is Nigel Chapman who is cutting the red and white safety tape ribbon.

Charles is wearing a BBC Birmingham Club T-shirt, as shown in a different colour way above.

Charles White adds the following information:

‘The Birmingham Club, after much heated debate with the committee and the football team, decided to spend 13 grand on the construction of the 2 hard-courts, which replaced the run-down courts over by the creche. Whether we ever got the money back is debatable, but about 20 regular players used the courts in the summer evenings and even at lunch breaks. Opened in 1993 I think.’

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

Alan Fortey: ‘I think you’ll find the first the football team knew about it was seeing bulldozers digging up the pitch. One of the biggest white elephants in the Club’s history!! Still gets to me.’

Conal O’Donnell: ‘It’s certainly Nigel Chapman -he opened a tennis court & closed a radio station (C&W).’

Pebble Mill Rifle Range

Photo by Ben Peissel

In the basement of BBC Pebble Mill there was, apparently, a fully functional rifle range. Journalist, Maurice Blisson used to shoot there most nights after Midlands Today went off air around 7pm. Peter Gower remembers using the range in the mid 1980s, along with fellow film editor, Roger Mulliner. Nigel Mercer remembers competing, as part of a Central TV team, against some Pebble Mill Staff, at pistol shooting, at the Police Range, in about 1983. It was a fairly informal occasion. Steve Dellow remembers going down in the basement to see the room with the ‘echo plates’. And Stuart Gandy also remembers seeing the door to the rifle range, but never went in. He thinks it was near the photographic dark room.

Thanks to everyone who posted their memories of the rifle range on the Pebble Mill Facebook Group.

Ann Gumbley-Williams added the following comment on the Pebble Mill Facebook group: I was a member and used to shoot at the rifle range on the basement. When I was there it was run by Pip Allkins who was the son of Maisie Allkins who worked on the old telephone system where you had to plug the phones in to connect! Maisie, her husband John and Pip also helped on the BBC pantomimes that used top take place every year. They were put on in the theatre at Cadburys.

Tug of War – BBC Pebble Mill Club

Photos by Roger Mulliner, no reproduction without permission.

These photos are of a tug of war held at the BBC Pebble Mill Club. This was probably part of a summer party held over at the Club, or part of Regional Clubs’ Day

The second girl from front is Helen Sandon, who worked in Finance and the lady in the turquoise top towards the back is probably Wendy Mawson. Second from the back, in the sunglasses, is probably David Bellinger. The fourth woman from the left with the navy top and red shirt is Janet Bellinger (David’s ex).

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1st BBC National Golf Competition – photo from Roger Mulliner

The photo is of the prize giving of the 1st BBC National Golf Competition, which was held at Kings Norton Golf Course in Birmingham. There seem to be a lot of trophies for the Pebble Mill contingent!

The photo features (left to right): Derek Price, John Kenyon (Farming editor), Jim Cleland, Colin Spears, Roger Sutton (vision mixer).

Please add a comment if you know the approximate year of the photo, more about either the competition or the various participants.