Copyright resides with the original holder, no reproduction without permission
Photo of Midlands Today in Studio B. Presenter Diane Kemp is on the right.
This photo was originally shared on the Pebble Mill Engineers Facebook page.
This link is to a clip from Nationwide on 15th June 1971. Midlands Today presenter, Tom Coyne gives a guided tour of the brand new Pebble Mill studios. Included in the tour are Studio B, the home of Midlands Today; Studio A, where many dramas were produced; and the Radio studios, home to The Archers, we also see Radio WM in action. There is no mention of Pebble Mill at One, because the programme had not yet been planned.
Thanks to Malcolm Hickman for sharing the link.
Still from Tom Coyne’s piece on Nationwide. Copyright BBC.
The following comments were left on the Pebble Mill Facebook page:
Keith Warrender:’The EMI cameras were still going in 1983 when they were replaced with Link 125s. Link are long gone but the old factory is still standing unused in Andover.’
Sue Astle: ‘Such an amazing exciting time for us then, we were privileged to have worked there. Susie Bancroft. Ex make up’
Sarah Tongue: ‘My mom ran the Library!’
Helen Smith: ‘Loved watching that, my Dad was the cameraman at the beginning of the clip.’
Michael Fisher: ‘Radio Birmingham as it was at the start!’
Andy Marriott: ‘What was the little mini cart system they were using for spot effects, called?’
Malcolm Hickman: ‘It was a device called a P.E.G. Programme effects generator. They used a spool of tape in a case with a metal loop fitted at one end. When you inserted the cartridge, the machine grabbed the tab and cued the effect. It had loads of slots so a sequence of effects could be built up. A BBC designs department product, IIRC.’
Sue Welch: ‘Actually remember Tom Coyne from Tyne Tees Television. A very long time ago.’
Malcolm Adcock: ‘Happy memories, joined Top Gear in 1988 and our production office was later in the old Pebble Mill at One studio area.’
Copyright resides with the original holder, no reproduction without permission
Studio B in action at BBC Pebble Mill circa 1975/6. Jack Rooke on the left hand camera and Dave Doogood on the right hand one. The presenter looks like a young Tom Coyne, who presented Midlands Today.
Studio B was used for Midlands Today as well as many other programmes, which didn’t need the much larger, Studio A.
Thanks to Stuart Gandy for making the photograph available.
The following comments were left on the Pebble Mill Facebook page:
Malcolm Hickman: ‘EMI 2001s on HP peds.’
Richard Stevenson: ‘Although the cameras changed, pretty sure those peds stayed until the end.’
Carole Haysom: ‘Early Sunday mornings for Farming today…remember getting a few shorts straws for that!!!!’
Susan Astle: ‘Farming and Asian progs on a Sunday, early days at Pebble Mill! I remember Samantha once coming in the night before frock! They were early starts!!’
Helen Smith: ‘Love this – that is my Dad on the right hand camera!’
Richard Stevenson: ‘Many happy days being trained by your father. He taught me a lot for which I will always be grateful.’
Copyright resides with the original holders, no reproduction without permission.
This video was recorded by Thomas Graal, it shows the last days of BBC Pebble Mill Birmingham, including exclusive video footage of the Newsroom, all the News edit suites, the Crush Bar, the Pebble Mill garden, the main News studio, the conservatory & the car park. All this & the running commentary were recorded in October 2004.
Copyright Thomas Graal
Copyright resides with the original holder, no reproduction without permission
Thanks to director Waseem Mahmood for sharing these images about Asian Magazine featured in the book Inside BBC Television.
The series was transmitted on BBC1 on Sunday mornings at 10am in the early to mid 1980s.
The following comments were left on the Pebble Mill Facebook page:
Dawn Trotman: ‘ I worked with Waseem as an acting editor on the Asian magazine show later to become Network East. I think I cut one of his very first items about a DJ in one of the portacabins in the car park ..happy memories.’
Jane Green: ‘I worked on many an Asian Magazine. Great fun. Bish Mehay was a lovely guy to work with. Loved the bands we squeezed into Studio B – loved learning what all the various instruments were. Sat in the corridor on one occasion waiting for the set to be finished – with Benazir Bhutto. Great programme.’
Colin Pierpoint: ‘Yes, I remember, but I also remember the start of radio and television from the Midlands for Asians. The first step was to separate AM and FM Radio 4 on a Sunday morning (I think the management was afraid of loosing listeners if it went out on both!) In 1965 AM did “Make yourself at Home”, a programme on which I worked in Studio 1 Broad Street several times. (FM had the previously scheduled programme). I also did a bit on the television programme from Broad Street studio 4, in black and white, although I may only have been on attachment. Presenters: Saleem and Mahendra, directed by Gerry (surname?)’