Susie Astle – What Was Pebble Mill?

The Other Woman Cast and Crew

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Included in the photo are: Michael Simpson, Michael Gambon, David Rose, Jane Lapotaire, Lynn Frederick, Gavin Davies (production designer, right handside next to Andy Meikle),Andy Meikle (production coordinator, far right with beard), 2nd row, Jan Nethercot (make-up designer), Sue Peck (dresser), Stephanie Hawkes (dresser) Tudor George (costume designer, behind and between Sue and Steph), Richard Ganniclift (cameraman).

Thanks to Janice Rider, Terry Powell, Susie Astle, Wendy Edwards for adding in names. Please add a comment if you can identify others.

The Other Woman was a Play for Today, broadcast on 6th January 1976.

Here is the synopsis from the Radio Times, from the BBC Genome project:

“The Other Woman by Watson Gould

Kim, an angry young artist, disrupts the lives of Robin, a family man, and Niki, a temp sec – for whom she is the other woman.’
BBC Birmingham

Contributors

Writer: Watson Gould

Film Editor: Henry Fowler
Film cameraman: John Williams
Producer: David Rose
Designer: Gavin Davies
Director: Michael Simpson
Script Editor: William Smethurst
Kim: Jane Lapotaire
Robin: Michael Gambon
Niki: Lynne Frederick
Aunt Darnley: Barbara Atkinson
Miles Darnley: Leon Sinden
Rose: Rosalind Adams
Louise: Eve Pearce
Ben: Benedict Taylor
Lois: Martyn West
Barman: John Joyce”

http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/6f977b764a6f401399dfb414fda0b503

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

[Also in the photo are:]

Terry Powell: ‘Tudor George costume designer. My very good friend who I’ve worked with the last 25 years. Who as I text we are now designing. Comic relief together.’

Susie Astle: ‘Jan Nethercot, make up designer. Sue Peck costume. Steph dresser.’

Janice Rider: ‘As Susie said from left 2nd row correct but Sue Peck would have been a dresser then I imagine and Stephanie Hawkes next to her , probably costume assistant and Tudor George ( between Jan & Sue Peck – also known as Dist – would have been the costume designer as Terry says .’

Tim Dann: ‘Alfie Mayall..scene crew behind Sue & Steph.’

Gillian Hardle: ‘Left of camera with arms folded looks like Rob Prosser — grip; Camera asst Richard Ganiclifft is seated behind the camera next right looks like Chrissie Marshall and right of her is Bert Round – gaffer electrician. I recognise everyone but can’t put names to faces.’

Lesley Weaver: ‘John Williams lighting film cameraman behind Gavin Davies maybe?’

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Linda Webster – make-up

Photo by Eurwyn Jones, no reproduction without permission.

Photo of Linda Webster from make-up, with actor, Anthony Sher. The photo was probably taken before a Pebble Mill at One show, where Anthony Sher was probably publicising a forthcoming drama. Anthony Sher did appear in several Pebble Mill dramas, including The History Man, and The Sheik of Pickersgill.

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

Susie Astle: ‘From Susie(ex Bancroft ) I worked on the Sheik [of Pickersgill] and the photo was not from then. He wore a false moustache for that, it fell off during a tea break and I found it on the bottom of my shoe! I never told him so hope he’s not reading this, as if!!’

Lesley Weaver: ‘Yep Bankers true to form … Mind you I remember Shelley Weber doing that too …. She walked around all lunch time with the moustache stuck in the snow on the bottom of her moon boot… We searched everywhere, it was only when she sat down and crossed her leg that someone spotted it half hanging off!!! …once it was cleaned and re tongued no one was the wiser… Oh funny old times weren’t they!!!

I can’t be definitely sure it’s The Sheik ..but I am sure that this photo was taken in the Pebble Mill at One make up area next to where Barbara the BBC hairdresser worked. So it may have been for an appearance on the lunch time programme. Can’t think why the lead actor on The History Man would have been made up in that small area which was really a make shift area we used specifically for Pebble Mill at One. I worked on The History with Gill Hughes who was the hair & make-up designer… To my knowledge I don’t think Linda worked on that with us… In any case Tony was very particular about his hair & moustache on that show and being the lead I’m sure only Gill herself look after him, even I didn’t go near him and I was Gill’s senior assistant on that series. Tony looks much younger here than on History Man where he grew his own moustache for the character. Linda herself also looks quite young here too, we started at the same time and I think The Sheik was produced while I was in London on the make-up school during the autumn of ’78.. Linda didn’t attend that school she stayed at base and she went on a later one so she would possible been working on Pebble Mill at One during that time.’

Nanny

Nanny, was a BBC drama series, starring Wendy Craig. It was set in 1930s England. There were three series of ten episodes each, transmitted in 1981, ’82 and ’83. Pebble Mill hosted the third series, although I don’t know if the first two series were made in Birmingham or London.

These photos are from the third series.

Thanks to costume designer, Janice Rider for sharing the photos.

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

Eurwyn Jones: “I worked on most of the series and if I remember rightly they started in the 30s through to WW2 into the forties. I believe it was all done at Pebble Mill. Joy Pugh was Wendy Craig’s dresser. It was hosted by Pebble Mill for Drama, Series and Serials London. I have some pics somewhere myself.”

Susie Astle (Bankers): “I was the make up designer on one of the series done from Pebble mill. Samantha was Wendy’s assistant. Carole Brady, Linda, Lesley Weaver and more worked on the show when we had lots of extras. It was a nice series to work on with a lovely cast and crew.”

Lynda Kettle: “Margaret Peacock was the designer, I was her art director on some of them and I designed one of the episodes.”