Steve Weddle – Page 5 – What Was Pebble Mill?

Tom O’Connor Roadshow – group shots at the bar!

Mary Sanchez, Mark Botfield, Jane Mclean, Steve Weddle, Jo Dewar

David Weir, Jane Mclean, Bev Wildman (now Thompson), comedian, Peter Hercombe, Caroline Marshall

A couple of after show sessions in the bar at different locations during the run of the Tom O’Connor Roadshow in 1987.

Included in the top photo are AFM Mary Sanchez, PAs Jane Mclean, and Jo Dewar, and producer Steve Weddle. In the lower photo are studio director, David Weir, PA Jane Mclean, music researcher/AP Bev Wildman, comedian, exec Peter Hercombe and music researcher/AP Caroline Marshall.

Thanks to Jane Mclean for sharing the photos.

Director Chris Wright on Pebble Mill at One – Steve Weddle

Director, Chris Wright, deep in thought, during Tom O’Connor Roadshow. Photo Jane Mclean

That’s a classic Chris Wright pose. He would often wander off on his own to think things through prior to going into the gallery or scanner. Mind you, there was that time on a certain infamous edition of Pebble Mill At One when, dressed as a teddy boy, he leapt out of the director’s chair, to be replaced by Mark Kershaw, so he could dance a rock and roll routine downstairs, on camera, in the foyer. It worked a treat, except one of the prgramme guests had imbibed too much and went on air somewhat worse for wear. Consequently, the entire edition went under the microscope, and questions were asked in high places why the programme director was to be seen rocking and rolling with Josephine Buchan, the presenter. How do I know this? … I was Producer of what was our last show before Christmas in that particular year…circa 1984. Hope you don’t mind me mentioning this Chris. It still makes me smile.

Steve Weddle

Mark Kershaw directing Pebble Mill at One. No reproduction without permission

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

Jane Clement: ‘All the shows leading into Christmas were great fun. And – given the generosity of the green room – inebriated guests were not exactly a rarity, but never a big problem. I’m having a drink with Chris this afternoon, as it happens. We both live in the same city (Auckland, New Zealand) so I expect we’ll be reminiscing about old times.’

Steve Weddle: ‘I should stress that Chris was totally sober when he danced on the show. It was the guest who was was worse for wear! If Chris was a celebrity he would have been on Strictly by now!’

Ruth Kiosses: ‘Drunken guests! I want to know what they put in the audience’s tea? That warm-up guy telling the audience the cameraman would be like a rat up a drainpipe if legs weren’t kept together on the front row. Must have heard that over the monitor everyday for years! It always livened them up with giggles.’

Betti Moretti: I’ was a bit late to Pebble Mill… but I had so much fun there! I remember a particularly merry Pudsey Bear after a long Children in Need taking a tumble from top to bottom of the stairs into the green room where Anne & Nick were based… wiped a couple of people out at the bottom – Jeremy Paxman included… so many funny memories… happy days indeed’

Tom O’Connor Roadshow – Steve Weddle

Steve Weddle sporting a pith helmet. Photo Jane Mclean

The Tom O’Connor Roadshow – which was probably the most fun show to work on – ever – attracted amazingly good ratings in what had previously been the Pebble Mill At One slot, often peaking at over three million up against strong opposition on ITV. However, it began to prove very costly, as this tv circus travelled from town to town, week after week, so it was decided that the planned live shows from Aviemore, would be cancelled in favour of an extra week from Blackpool, although there were, rather bizarrely, pre-recorded inserts from the Scottish ski resort played into the second week in Blackpool. How do I remember this rather arcane fact? – I was Series Producer of this series; responsible for reinventing it after a rather sedate Down Your Way type pilot had been made by a different team. And I enjoyed doing this series so much I can still remember the precise transmission order of the various locations across the UK. How sad is that?! Suffice to say, it started in Derby and finished in Tom’s home town of Liverpool.

Heidi Wright & Steve Weddle. Photo Jane Mclean

So an occasional glass of Blue Nun might have passed our lips after a hard day decorating Roadshow Cones, the quiz consolation prize, if my memory serves me well. Sadly, even if we had all signed the pledge it wouldn’t have saved it from getting the chop after only one really successful series. We should have done Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday live and then recorded Thursday and Friday on Monday and Tuesday afternoons, as we did in the later years of Pebble Mill Mark Two. That would have almost halved costs and made it viable again – although the quiz would have needed to be re-formatted. Classic telly!!! Why can I remember all this, when I can’t even remember what I did last week?!

Steve Weddle

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

Jane Clement: ‘It was only costly because of the amount everybody drank! I was in charge of setting the quiz questions for the series so I travelled around with a suitcase full of reference books – no internet back then. Great fun.’

Pebble Mill at One 1976

This photo of the Pebble Mill at One presenters was taken on the area just by the bridge at the front of the foyer studio, on September 7th 1976. Included, left to right are: Donny Macleod, Marian Foster, Bob Langley, Jan Leeming and David Seymour.

Thanks to Gary Jordan for sharing the photograph.

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

Robert Greaves: ‘What a great picture. Pebble Mill at One was always a good reason to miss first period of afternoon school! Marian was always the most professional yet homely – I often wonder what she did after Pebble Mill.’

Lynn Cullimore: ‘Such memories of those days and lovely Donny who died.’

Sue Westwood: ‘I loved Pebble Mill at One. My neighbour made the cake for the final programme.’

Steve Weddle: ‘That was the year I joined the production team as a researcher on PM at One. I was lucky to work with a really great line-up of presenters, and a brilliant editor called Terry Dobson, who virtually invented the daytime magazine show.’

Steve Weddle on Tom O’Connor Roadshow

Photos by Jane Mclean, no reproduction without permission.

Producer Steve Weddle, in different forms of fancy dress, on location with The Tom O’Connor Roadshow. Heidi Wright is in the middle photo, with Steve as a chicken! Top photo in Newcastle, middle photo in Liverpool, bottom photo in Portsmouth.

In the lower photo: Jane Mclean (front, scarf), Mary Sanchez (blue top, on right), Mark Botfield (blonde hair, next to Mary), Jo Dewar (behind Mary), Steve Weddle (at back next to Jo).

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

Mary Sanchez: ‘Portsmouth! Is this where you Jane and Jo played a trick on me with T.O’C ? ( remember the ‘on the spot’ slot- and me and my gymnastics??!)’