Steve Saunderson – What Was Pebble Mill?

Film Unit – BBC Midland Region

These photos date from the 1960s, when the BBC Midland Region Film Unit was based at Broadcasting House, 52 Carpenter Road.

The following information was added on the Pebble Mill Facebook page:

Steve Saunderson: The camera looks like an Arriflex 2b 35mm. With a 400ft magazine ( 5 mins run time at 25fps ). The motor was underneath the camera body and fitted into a special tripod head such as a Ronford-Baker Fluid 15. Fitted with a clip-on bellows matte-box with filter tray. There was a smaller version, the Arri 16ST 16mm which could take a 100 ft ( 2mins 30secs ) daylight loading spool inside the camera body or have a 400 ft ( 10 mins run time ) magazine on top like the camera pictured.

The Land Rover emblem doesn’t specify “Midlands Film Unit” so it may have been sent up from BBC Ealing Studios.

Nicola Katrak shoot

On location on the 1986, Nicola Katrak documentary with the Asian Programme Unit. In the photograph are Barrie Foster (then camera assistant), Steve Saunderson (film cameraman), Waseem Mahmood (director).

Here is the entry for the documentary from the Radio Times:

“A Dancer’s Story – Nicola Katrak
Narrated by Marian Foster An Asian Magazine special that takes a look at the hard, dedicated profession of dancing through the eyes of Nicola Katrak , a young
Principal with the Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet.
Nicola is descended from a distinguished Parsee family in Karachi, Pakistan. The film shows Nicola rehearsing at Sadler’s Wells, relaxing at home in London with her husband Charles, and also working with young children teaching them to appreciate ballet.
Research ELISABETH SEABOURNE Film editor JOHN BLAND
Director WASEEM MAHMOOD
Executive producer ASHOK RAMPAL BBC Pebble Mill”

https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/f2419193cf7142e9ab22b9469926b9fb

Merseybeat

Merseybeat was a police drama series which dates from the early 2000s. There were at least four series.

Thanks to VT editor Ian Collins for sharing these screen grabs.

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

Steve Saunderson: ‘I was DOP on a few episodes up in Runcorn.’

Fiona Stennett: ‘It was filmed in Runcorn and edited on site by Adam Trotman and John Rosser.
I tracklaid this with Kate Davis. Dave mason and Andy Freeth I think were the mixers.’

Janet Collins: ‘Ian Collins and Mike Bloore were also on site editors The exec producer was Mal Younge. Two of it’s stars were Haydn Gwynne & Leslie Ash.’

Ian Barber: ‘I did the first episodes with Michelle Fairly, later Hayden Gwynne, producer Ken Horn, originally titled Silver Command. Shot in and around Runcorn.’

Barrie White-Miller: ‘I was a regular PC ‘Extra’ way back then, had a chat with Chris Walker about Merseybeat a few months ago. The Police Station set was in Runcorn. Great memories, thank you for posting the photos.’

Anne Sweeting: ‘Celex provided alot of the extras it was filmed in Runcorn’

Daniel Klarfeld: ‘I was a runner on it for a bit’

Dave Rhodes: ‘Leslie Ash joined in series 3 – me and Russell Parker assistants.’

Paul Shuttleworth: ‘It was shot on location in Liverpool logged as a Pebble Mill production.’

Debbie Mitchell: ‘also shot in Widnes and Runcorn. The ‘police station’ was filmed in the old Golden Wonder crisp factory.’

Paul Shuttleworth: ‘I was an extra in a few eps at the crisp factory.’

Days at the Beach

Here is the Radio Times entry for the 1981 Playhouse production, Days at the Beach, starring Julie Walters. It was produced by David Rose, and directed and written by Malcolm Mowbray. John Kenway was the cameraman, with Chris Rowlands being the film editor, and Margaret Peacock being the designer. Roger Gregory was the script editor. Thanks to Roger for keeping the copy safe since 1981.

The following comment was posted on the Pebble Mill Facebook page:

Steve Saunderson: ‘Days at the Beach was a very classy piece of writing and direction by Malcolm Mowbray on which I was the un-credited Camera Operator. We shot most of it on Harlech Beach and Llandudno Pier. The very talented Graham Hazard was my Focus Puller who was constantly battling the sand being blown into the camera kit. Micky Patten was the Grip?I think Mick Murphy was on this too, maybe he’ll correct me on this. I remember Julie Walters was very nervous on one scene with her husband who had returned “Shell-Shocked” from the battle fields of WW 1. It was one of her first film roles, and it was a very difficult scene. After the take she tugged frantically at my sleeve and whispered “was I ok? was I ok?” I whispered back that she was perfect and she smiled back at me. I felt very humble. I also remember Stephen Bill, known from “Nuts in May” played a great part. A lot of night shoots.’

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Dreams of Leaving

This publicity photograph, of Kate Nelligan and Bill Nighy is from the Play for Today: Dreams of Leaving, transmitted on 17th January 1980.

Below is the entry from the Radio Times, from the BBC Genome project:

‘A film by DAVID HARE
William came to work in Fleet Street in 1971. London meant girls, as many girls as he could find. Then he met Caroline and so it began, that very strange summer … Caroline said the best of her life.
Music NICK BICAT
Film cameraman MICHAEL Williams. Film editor MIKE HALL
Designer MICHAEL EDWARDS. Script editor ROGER GREGORY. Producer DAVID ROSE. Written and directed by DAVID HARE
BBC Birmingham

Contributors:
William: Bill Nighy
Caroline: Kate Nelligan
Andrew: Andrew Seear
Xan: Mel Smith
Stievel: Johnny Shannon
Mrs Alexander: Helen Lindsay
Aaron: Julian Littman
Colin: Charles Dance
Robert: Hilton McRae
Gallery owner: Tony Mathews
Keith: Gary Holton
Keith’s lawyer: Raymond Brody
Drunken journalist: David Ryall
Miss Collins: Annie Hayes
Doctor: George Raistrick
Laura: Maria Harper’

http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/bb14c4a2d19c4195a6367a2812da9221

The following comment was left on the Pebble Mill Facebook page:

Steve Saunderson: ‘I was Focus-Puller on this and did a bit of Operating too. DOP was Mike Williams ( RIP ) and John Kenway was the main Operator. Mainly all night shoots in Soho. I think it was Bill Chesneau on Sound from Ealing Studios. Remember playing “air-guitar” with Bill Nighy to “My Sharona”, he never could get the right chords.’

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