Steve Saunderson – Page 2 – What Was Pebble Mill?

The Flying Gardener

Save

The first series of The Flying Gardener was produced in London, by Owen Gay in 2001, with the subsequent series being produced in Birmingham in 2003. Sarah Davis (now Moors) was the producer, and Gill Tierney the series producer, when the series transferred to Birmingham. It was transmitted on Friday evenings on BBC2. Presenter and garden designer, Chris Beardshaw travelled around the country in a helicopter, in search of inspirational gardens, to influence the design of a garden project.

Thanks to VT Editor, Ian Collins, for making the screen grab available.

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

Steve Saunderson: ‘Barry Foster shot a lot, all or some of it on tape and I shot the title sequence on film, all at 75fps on my Arri SR3 Advanced camera, which then was speed-ramped in the edit to whiz the helicopter in and out of frame. My focus puller was Terry Bartlett and the assistant was my son Paul. We were on top of a steep “cliff” at a golf club somewhere above Cheltenham so that Chris could stand on the edge and have the helicopter rise and fall behind him with lots of airspace to manoeuvre. We shot most of it on my 50mm, 85mm and 135mm prime Zeiss Superspeed lenses, to visually pull the helicopter closer to Chris.’

Adam Trotman: ‘Yep I edited all the stings… speed ramping them…..very in those days….. bloody Matrix had a lot to answer for’

Barrie Foster: ‘ It was great fun. Tim Green did the sound and Castle Air did the flying. Memorable very ‘lumpy ‘ rid over Scottish hills after kippers for breakfast!‘

Tracey Bagley: ‘How could I forget this one .. hard sums and schedules but all worth the effort’

Sarah Moors: ‘Now there’s a blast from the past! The hours spent on that programme and the stories I could tell…The start of years of Gardening programmes for me. Happy times.’

Save

All Creatures Great and Small – last ever episode board

Photo by Steve Saunderson, no reproduction without permission

This clapper board was for the last ever episode of All Creatures Great and Small, the Christmas Special, which Steve Saunderson lit and shot on S16mm film on the Panavision panaflex camera.

Save

Filming at the canal

Save

This photo probably dates from the mid 1960s, and shows filming at the canal with a Arriflex 16mm film camera.

The photo was originally posted on the Pebble Mill Engineers’ Facebook group.

Would this have been for news pictures, or a hobby film? Please post a comment if you can add more information.

Thanks to Stuart Gandy for allowing the photo to be shared.

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

Malcolm Hickman: ‘Looks like the Worcester Bar at Gas Street Basin. You can see Stanier House and the Town Hall in the distance. No Alpha tower or Central TV. Looks like he has a sound recorder over his shoulder, but I can’t see a mic. Probably professional.’

Jim Knights: ‘Hazard a guess at freelance cameraman from Midlands Today. Certainly a mute cameraman as Arri 16 has no sound box. Could be Ed Mullis? Mid 60’s when I arrived in Broad st news , he was one of 3… Charlie Moody.. Derek Johnston and Ed Mullis. I stand corrected if wrong!’

Keith Brook: ‘I think that’s the battery pack over his shoulder. Years before belt packs.’

Malcolm Hickman: ‘Weren’t those Arris clockwork?’

Steve Saunderson: ‘It’s an Arri ST and it is the battery strap over his shoulder. As Jim says, it’s a mute camera 100 foot loading ( 2mins 30secs at 25fps ) and you can see the battery lead going to the back of the camera.’

Save

Gardeners’ World Golden Anniversary

Gardeners’ World is celebrating its golden anniversary this year. Tonight on Midlands Today, there was an item presented by Kay Alexander from Gardeners’ World Live show at the NEC, showing some of the programme’s history.

The link below is to the Midlands Today 6pm show, and will work until the evening of 17th June 2017.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b08tkz1f/midlands-today-evening-news-16062017

Below are some grabs from the Midlands Today item.

Mary Rhodes introduces Gardeners’ World’s 50th anniversary

Percy Thrower presenting on Gardeners’ World

Peter Seabrook presenting on Gardeners World

Geoff Hamilton presenting Gardeners’ World at Barnsdale, cameraman Steve Saunderson, director Denis Gartside (red jacket), PA Gail Herbert

Alan Titchmarsh presenting on Gardeners World

Monty Don presenting on Gardeners World

Outside broadcast truck setting up for Gardeners World

Outside broadcast truck interior

Trinity Tales

This photograph of Alan Plater’s, Trinity Tales, (BBC2, 1975) includes, left to right: Bill Maynard, David Rose, Gaye Brown. It was taken on location at Wembley for the Rugby League Final. David, although the producer, obviously also wanted a Hitchcockian moment.

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

Steve Saunderson: ‘I did a couple of days as Focus Puller on this series. John Williams was the Cameraman and all I remember was that the “in vision” old mini-bus kept breaking down. I was lodging at the legendary “Mrs Meakings Theatrical Boarding House” at the time and so was Gaye Brown and one or two other cast members.’

Save