Tag: Studio A

All Creatures Great and Small – Les Podraza’s photos

Photos from Les Podraza, no reproduction without permission.  Les was a scene hand on ‘All Creatures Great and Small’, which was filmed on location around Askrigg in the Yorkshire Dales, with the interiors being recorded in Pebble Mill Studio A.  The series was produced by the BBC in London, but hosted out of Pebble Mill.

There were 91 episodes of ‘All Creatures’ which were transmitted between 1978 and 1990.  Christopher Timothy starred as James Herriot, with Robert Hardy as Siegfried Farnon and Peter Davidson as Tristan Farnon.  Carol Drinkwater played the role of Helen Herriot until Lynda Bellingham took over in 1988.  The series follows the adventures of  vet James Herriot in the 1930’s Yorkshire Dales, when he is working for Siegfried Farnon’s practice.

Les’s photos feature Carol Drinkwater and Christopher Timothy, as well as other members of the cast and crew.  Also included are shots of the crew’s digs in Askrigg, the special effects team at work, and the camera rig on James Herriot’s car .

Les with Carol Drinkwater

Asian Music and Dance – photos by Lynda Kettle

This gallery contains 6 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. Pebble Mill became a important centre for Black and Asian programme making, including several Asian…

Style Challenge – 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.

Style Challenge was a BBC 1 Daytime make over show, presented by John Leslie, Shauna Lowery, Caryn Franklin and Oz Clarke. The image of two volunteers were transformed by hair, make-up and clothes experts.  The show’s trademark was the revolving mirror, revealing the contributor’s new image with maximum effect. The series was broadcast on weekday mornings on BBC1, from September 1996 to December 1998, and recorded in Studio A. Eileen Stokes was the producer.

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.

Keith Ackrill’s Memories of Working at Pebble Mill

Bob Langley dancing with Ginger Rogers

KEITH ACKRILL – MEMORIES OF PEBBLE MILL

I worked at Pebble Mill on Radio 4 and television, from the day it opened until I left in 1982.  I have very many pleasant recollections of the years I spent there.

The thing you noticed most was the tremendous enthusiasm that permeated the whole staff.

It was the feeling that we were in a brand new building hailed as the biggest combined radio and television complex in Europe.  We were all determined to make Pebble Mill programming a force to be reckoned with.

Hours and hours of top television had the Pebble Mill label.  As well as Birmingham productions, many London drama series were based in the studio or filmed on location, using Birmingham crews.

The Brothers, Poldark, All Creatures Great and Small, Juliet Bravo, Howards Way, even Basil Brush – the list goes on and on.  And that doesn’t include the many classic dramas that were produced in Studio A.

Radio was an important part of the building’s output too.  Radio Two programming found a home there, the Midlands Radio Orchestra was in residence for many years.  Folk music, pop music – every kind of music came from Pebble Mill.  And that’s not forgetting radio drama.   Pebble Mill, of course, was home to The Archers and many other dramas of all kinds were produced alongside, together with some fine radio documentaries.

There were many landmark programmes – Top Gear, Pebble Mill At One, Saturday Night At The Mill – all of which I was fortunate to have worked on.

My main memories from the last programme include talking to actor Robert Wagner, in the hospitality room, about English beer.  I know nothing about beer, but it was worth talking about it just have Natalie Wood’s dark brown eyes focused on me!  I remember sitting across the table from Ginger Rogers and, later, photographing Bob Langley dancing with her – lucky devil – accompanied by Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen, with guest trumpeter James Hunt.  Many, many great stars came to Pebble Mill to take part in the wide range of radio and television programmes that came from within that building.

I miss meeting them, but I also miss the camaraderie of the people I worked with, of being part of a team dedicated to putting broadcasting in the Midlands on the map.