Song for Christmas – What Was Pebble Mill?

Pebble Mill at One: A Song for Xmas – Mark Kershaw

Song for Xmas team

A Song for Christmas was an annual event in the Pebble Mill at One calendar. It was a carol competition for different children’s choirs.

The photo was taken just after recording in the Courtyard probably in 1986. The photo features (ones I recognise, L to R) Peter Knowles (sound) & Dave Brazier (floor manager) kneeling, Norman Steemson in the green at the back, Ewan Keil (demin jacket), Beverley Wildman (AP) under all the snow!, John Wescott behind, me (Mark Kershaw – director) leaning on snowman, Aled Jones behind, a young Phillip Schofield, Caroline Marshall right at the back, next to Phillip is Geoff Nawn (designer), Derek Hallworth behind, Dave Farline, James French (cameraman) behind him.

Mark Kershaw

Song for Christmas – Lynda Kettle’s photos

Photos by Lynda Kettle, no reproduction without permission. Lynda Kettle was a Production Designer at BBC Pebble Mill, working on factual, entertainment and drama shows in studio and on location. The photos were taken as records of the Sets.

Song for Christmas was an annual children’s carol competition, and part of Pebble Mill at One. Mark Kershaw was the director of the Song for Christmas shown in the photos, and David Weir was the producer. Lynda Kettle designed the set in Studio A. I’m not sure which year the photos are from, but probably 1985 0r 1986.

Production Designer, Lynda Kettle also worked as a theatre designer and an artist, and now runs courses from her art studio http://www.lynda-kettle.com. She is a member of the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists, Birmingham Water Colour Society. Midland Pastel Society and Birmingham Art Circle . She exhibits her paintings several times a year at selected galleries.

Song for Christmas

Song for Christmas – Paul Balmer

Mixing a 'Song for Christmas'

I loved this show!

Every Christmas 100’s of schools submitted entries for the Song For Christmas Competition.

The quadrangle was filled with artificial snow and Christmas trees – MAGIC.

I was Sound Supervisor and hand picked a great little crew – the tracks were recorded in London and mixed on Studio 2 ‘s 4000E SSL – 24 tracks and state of the art outboard gear.

Wayne Unwin won one year with ‘Snow in Moscow’ and this is him mixing in Studio 2 with Mike Massey. Wayne now works as a composer as Ty Unwin – his name pops up on the end of programmes.

Paul Balmer

Pete Simpkin – The Pebble Mill Roof

Pete Simpkin radio producer

THE PEBBLE MILL ROOF

As the Pebble Mill at One Show developed more items were broadcast from the inner quadrangle of the building which was a pleasant grassed and landscaped area. However the British weather increasingly played its disruptive part and so a foldable roof was installed so that whatever the weather the show could go on.
It was however fascinating on wet days to see the gardener having to water the flowers and shrubs under the roof while perfectly good rain fell on the roof above! Similarly we were fascinated one snowy day to look down from the radio studio to see artificial snow being distributed around whist real snow was falling outside. Fascinating challenges!

Peter Poole adds the following comment on Facebook: ‘I remember the artificial snow well. I worked on ‘A Song for Christmas’ in the Quad. We used several Sony ECM 50 mics. The snow got into the XLR plugs and caused problems. After the show it took ages to clean all the cables. I now hate artificial snow!’