Steve Weddle – Page 3 – What Was Pebble Mill?

Pebble Mill on Midlands Today

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b081m154

There was a moving item on Midlands Today tonight (10th Nov 2016), with Nick Owen interviewing Pebble Mill series editor, Steve Weddle, about the campaign to erect a blue plaque to commemorate BBC Pebble Mill. The campaign seems to be building a momentum, and fingers crossed, the plaque will soon become a reality.

Nick also interviewed cameraman, John Williams, who shot a wealth of dramas and factual series during his long career at Pebble Mill. John has just published an autobiography about his life as a cameraman entitled, Shoot First – No Ordinary Life.

John’s book: Shoot First

Coincidentally, today marks the 45th anniversary of Princess Anne officially opening BBC Pebble Mill in 1971!

Princess Anne opening Pebble Mill 10th Nov 1971. Copyright resides with the original holder, no reproduction without permission.

Annie Gumbley adds that:

‘Steve Weddle did a brilliant interview with Adrian Goldberg on Radio WM this morning. At 4.15pm today Nick Owen will be on Radio WM talking about Pebble Mill & at 6.30 tonight on Midlands Today John Williams will be interviewed by Nick Owen talking about his book & Pebble Mill. The amazing thing is that today is the 45th Anniversary of the official opening of Pebble Mill Studios, opened by Princess Anne who arrived at 12 noon, on 10th November 1971. The photo shows John Williams, myself, Ivor Williams and Nick Owen where Ivor and myself (+Molly Dog) met up with them to pass on some photos of the event in 1971.’

John Williams, Annie Gumbley-Williams, Ivor Williams, Nick Owen. Copyright resides with the original holder, no reproduction without permission.

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A Blue Plaque for Pebble Mill?

Copyright Ben Peissel, no reproduction without permission

Let’s have a plaque for Pebble Mill.

If you walk down Pebble Mill Road today you won’t find any evidence this iconic Broadcasting Centre ever existed. It’s like it has been airbrushed from history. Now Gisela Stuart MP has promised to back our campaign to mark this once groundbreaking building with a blue plaque in the Road which bore its name. Standby for more campaign updates.

Steve Weddle

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A Date with Fate

Photo by production designer Lynda Kettle, no reproduction without permission

(Thanks to Steve Weddle and Julia Versluis for the information here about A Date With Fate. The BBC1 Daytime series was transmitted in May and June 1998, at 9 or 10am).

“A Date With Fate is possibly the world’s only Astrology based Game Show, starring Jonathon Cainer and future [now former] Tory Minister, Esther McVey. Contestants used to get a consolation Date With Fate plate.

Jonathan Cainer, sadly passed away not that long ago. He was massively rich as a result of his astrology telephone lines, and at the time of recording was by his own admission searching for a new wife. One particular member of the production team was in his sights, but the planets obviously weren’t suitably aligned.”

Steve Weddle

“A Date With Fate was so funny. I remember we lost power in the studio. Jonathan Cainer was standing next to me while I was doing autocue and said something along the lines of, “well you know why we lost power? It was due to Saturn being in conjunction with Jupiter” – all I could think was it would have been helpful for him to have told us all before it happened but I just smiled and waited for the power to come back on!”

Julia Versluis

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All Over The Shop

Thanks to Ian Collins for making this titles grab of the series, All Over The Shop available.

All Over The Shop was a shopping and consumer panel game show, presented by Paul Ross, in 1997-9. Panelists included actors and celebrities. It went out on BBC1 Daytime at 12.25pm. The producer was Caroline Jones, and the exec, Steve Weddle.

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

Steve Weddle: ‘It was a London creation – the second series was shipped in to Pebble Mill for reasons I can’t recall. So we inherited the format – flimsy, to say the least – and tried to make a half decent telly show out of it. I think we just about succeeded, but there was so much politics behind the scenes,given the half London/ half Birmingham set up. It did however open up channels for some PM production people to work in Events in London, especially Veronica Butt.’

Veronica Butt: ‘Linda Flavell Michelle Furey Ellena Stojanovic Yvonne Stevenson Julia Versluis Merrick Simmonds, Andrea Miller, Caroline Jones and Steve Weddle worked on it’

Julia Versluis: ‘I had fun trying to get Paul’s script onto all those lovely cards. Hours of fun! as well as trying to dodge the rest of the office printing on my labels before I could shout “no-one print” I do believe I have a photo of Veronica Butt, Paul Ross and myself at the end of show BBQ. I’ll see if I can find it.’

Caroline Jones: ‘Wow now that’s a blast from the past clearing all those logos was a copyright nightmare and all the guest who suddenly developed allergies to the items slated for the taste tests! Weird commission shipped up from London to stop us from closing the first time!’

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Tom O’Connor Roadshow – Liverpool

Photos by Jane Mclean, no reproduction without permission.

These photos are from the Tom O’Connor Roadshow winter/spring 1987. The roadshow was staged in each location for one week, these photos were taken in Liverpool, which was the last location on the run, in April 1987. The second photo is of cameraman John Couzens, seated on the Beatles’ Eleanor Rigby bench. The bottom two photos are from the after show party, which was obviously attended by Melvyn Bragg. Series producer, Steve Weddle, can just be seen popping up behind Melvyn Bragg.

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

Mary Sanchez: ‘Ok I was there and the girl on piano was Louise someone( can’t remember surname – producer ) and in first pic is a graphics girl (Liz?)( on the right ) and on the left is it Pam Creed? Sorry this is all I can offer! I have LOADS of pics , must dig them out!’

Steve Weddle: ‘The warm-up chap alongside Melvyn Bragg, weirdly enough, is called Bobby Bragg (no relation!) In fact Bobby became a bit of an on screen celebrity as Roadshow Reg, the pretend scene shifter, who’s catchphrase was, I’m not feeling very well Mr. O’Connor. We’d send him on stage whenever we were under running, which happened quite frequently. And as the series progressed his cameos with Tom became increasingly popular, so much so, that when I appeared on Open Air to discuss the Series the following week, it was Reg who joined me on the sofa there! Melvyn Bragg just happened to be in the vicinity of our end of series party in the Adelphi Hotel, Liverpool – unsurprisingly, he had nothing to do with the Show – but we invited him along anyway, and he graciously joined us for our knees up. I seem to remember I was dressed as a giant chicken at the time! I think that’s Pam by the old Roadshow Relay scoreboard, and Louise Stellakis is the researcher by the piano.’

Jane Mclean: ‘Just come to me! The audio supervisor Louise married was Paul Cunliffe.’