Selina Scott – What Was Pebble Mill?

The Clothes Show

Thanks to costume designer, Janice Rider, for sharing the photo.

The photos shows The Clothes Show presenters, Jeff Banks and Selina Scott. The item obviously had a 1950s rock and roll theme.

The Clothes Show was a fashion magazine show, which went out weekly on a Sunday between 1986-2000. It was devised and produced by Roger Casstles. The series became well known for its high production values and stylish inserts, which often used innovative DVE transitions, canted shots and contemporary chart music.

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

Annie Gumbley-Williams: ‘Ivor Williams, and Brian Watkiss plus other editors on the Clothes Show won a BAFTA for editing the Clothes Show, and were also nominated a second time. The BAFTA disappeared from Pebble Mill when it closed. Anyone know where it went?’

Jane Clement: ‘It was a rock n roll edition of The Clothes Show back in our era – I remember they had a local rock n roll club there dancing, who are probably the people in the background. Roger Casstles and Claire Stride producing, of course, and Janice Rider would have been on wardrobe – fun job for her. Can’t remember who else worked on it though.’

Claire Cotton: ‘Remember it well as one of BBC Birmingham’s big hits, with its spin off event Clothes Show Live still going. I loved working on it, with Jane Galpin running the London office and Colette Foster and Roger Casstles our Birmingham Office. I am still in touch with many ex Clothes Show people including James Strong (who went on to direct Dr Who and Downtown Abbey) and James Morgan who went on to do Springwatch, the Apprentice and won a BAFTA for Big Blue Live.’

Alastair Yates on Midlands Today 1978

Alastair Yates Midlands News 1978 from pebblemill on Vimeo.

Copyright resides with the original holder, no reproduction without permission.

This clip courtesy of TV Ark, was recorded in 1978 in the Presentation studio (adjacent to the Midlands Today studio) as I was reading a bulletin into Midlands Today‬.

I joined the regional newsroom team in 1978, from BBC Radio Derby, and as well as my TV duties I also read the Midlands news on Radio 4 VHF.

Before long I was also invited to present the morning show on BBC Radio Birmingham (now WM). I left Pebble Mill in 1980 to join Selina Scott as co-anchor of North Tonight at Grampian TV in Scotland.

‪Doesn’t my voice sound plummy: I put that down to David Stevens, Head of Pres., who was trying to rid me of my Burton upon Trent accent.‬ Seems to have paid off though as my career took me to SKY NEWS, where I was the first male presenter on air, then on to BBC NEWS CHANNEL and WORLD. I also joined Deutsche Welle World TV in Germany for a couple of years and am now at Classic FM news.

Alastair Yates

The Clothes Show

‘The Clothes Show’ ran from 1986-2000. It was a spin off from fashion items on ‘Pebble Mill at One’. Roger Casstles was the executive producer. Jeff Banks and Selina Scott were the original presenters. The fashion magazine show mixed catwalk with high street items. The show became very popular for its stylish visuals, and use of digital video effects. It was transmitted on Sunday afternoons.

In 1989 The Clothes Show Live exhibition at the NEC was launched, which is still an annual event, and The Clothes Show magazine started a little later.

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

Ruth Kiosses: “I was on the show dressed in an Edwardian evening gown at the Barbican centre January 1989. A year later I was working at pebble mill and bombing around in the clothes show ‘wagon’ the large box van with CS logo on. I remember a very funny journey thrapsing down to Oxford but that’s another story! ”

Hilary Anne Hughes: “I remember trying to get some mens ties to stay put while they shot underwater. We wired the ties in the end then they could be shaped but stayed in place.”

Ruth Kiosses: “There was a Vivienne Westwood corseted evening gown that arrived in huge box. The dress was so enormous with layers of net the model could hardly walk in it! It looked amazing but totally impractical for anyone who wanted to do anything other than stand still!”

Becky Land: “Finding a sofa covered in recucled fleece then hauling it up a hill in Snowdonia so models could drape themselves over it. Surreal.”

Janice Rider: “Took Selina Scott shopping for the rock ‘n roll edition . She had a wonderful flat overlooking Hyde Park . She and Jeff joined in with a rock ‘n roll dance club for the shoot – very amusing.”

Jane Green: “I was the runner on the first ever Clothes Show Bride of the Year – a Mrs Elizabeth Barnes. Mad, mad few days but fabulous programme. Years later was director. Usually worked with Jeff who wandered off a lot during filming to use phoneboxes to make business calls while crew were waiting and public held back by security to get the shot. I’d have to go find him. I worked with Viv Westwood, Naomi Campbell, Philip Treacey and more. Hardest job I ever had.”

The Clothes Show 100th episode – Ivor William’s photos

The Clothes Show cake

Photos from Ivor Williams, no reproduction without permission.

This cake was made to celebrate the 100th episode of The Clothes Show. Ivor Williams was one of the VT editors who worked on the popular Sunday afternoon fashion magazine show. The spelling of IROV on the cake was an in-joke. The ‘SM’ on the cake, I think stands for Steve May, also a VT editor.

The Clothes Show went out between 1986 and 2000. It was executively produced at Pebble Mill by Roger Casstles. Series producers included Colette Foster and Jane Lomas. The show grew out of ‘Pebble Mill at One’ fashion items, and became a huge brand, leading to the BBC magazine of the same name and the annual ‘Clothes Show Live’ exhibition at the NEC.

Breakfast Time’s Selina Scott and designer Jeff Banks were the series’ first presenters. Other presenters over the years included Caryn Franklin, Tim Vincent, Brenda Emmanus, Richard Jobson, and Margherita Taylor. The show included catwalk and high street fashion, including make-overs. The title music was a remix by Arthur Baker of the Pet Shop Boys’ ‘In the Night’ (off the 1986 ‘Disco’ album).

What really set the show apart were the high production values and innovations in digital video editing. The editing team were rewarded with a craft BAFTA award.