Toby Horwood – What Was Pebble Mill?

Going for a Song cast and crew

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Thanks to Gill Thompson for sharing this photo of the cast and crew of Going for a Song, the antiques panel game show.

Included are: Michael Aspel (presenter), Eric Knowles (antiques expert), Claire Hobbs (producer, front, black jacket), Helena Taylor (series producer, sat on the camera), Dave Wilkins (camera), Toby Horwood (camera), Mark Scott (director), Gill Thompson (audience organiser, pink top behind camera), Adam Schoon (antiques consultant), Dave Bushell (lighting director), Keith Knowles (engineer) in orange top next to Dave Bushell, Pete Eggleston (with beard, engineer), Dave Ballantyne and Keith Salmon (cameras) on the right, Sue Russell (production secretary and hospitality, left-handside, beige patterned top), Dave Brazier (blue shirt and tie, floor manager), Ron Poston from the BBC Club is next to Dave. Back row, top left in pink is Chris Reely (sound), Jim Gray (camera, back row, black jumper, moustache), James French (camera, black top, centre back), at the back on the left is Dave Savage (black top with white stripes) and Chris Reeley in the red t-shirt is at the top left – both Senior Audio Supervisors

Thanks to the following for their help in identifying people: Shareen Worthington, Dave Bushell, Jane Mclean, Jan Poston, Steve Admans,

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CM2 at Warwick Castle

Photo copyright Robin Stonestreet, no reproduction without permission.

The photos show the Pebble Mill outside broadcast truck, CM2, on location at Warwick Castle, on 16th December 1989.

The Vision crew, in the top photo are Johnny Moore (left) and Ray Sperry (right).

The man on the roof of the larger truck: North 1 (a Type 5, BBC Manchester OB truck), in the blue anorak is Jeremy Chadwick, and the man in the cap is probably Albert Kinsella.

CM2 was fitted with Philips LDK514 cameras, which apparently weren’t very ergonomic. (Thanks to Toby Horwood for adding this information, and identifying Johnny).

Thanks to Robin Stonestreet for sharing the photos.

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

Jayne Savage: ‘This might have been Carols from Warwick Castle – or the programme was called something very similar – that was presented by Douglas Fairbanks Jnr and directed by Roy Norton. I was the PA and it greatly troubles me that I can’t remember who the other contributors were – apart from the choir from St Mary’s, Warwick! However, I do remember a very exciting recce when we accessed the castle roof to look for camera positions by climbing out of the manager’s window.’

Nick Patten: ‘I have very happy memories as an OBSM and a director working with these magnificent trucks.’

Pebble Mill at One cameraman

Photo by Eurwyn Jones, no reproduction without permission.

This photo was taken during a Pebble Mill at One rehearsal, in the Foyer studio, circa 1980. Presenter Donny Macleod can just be seen in front of the camera.

The cameraman has been identified as Pete Edwards, with Bas Solanki visible above Pete’s arms. Pete left Pebble Mill to go to Granada circa 1980.

Thanks to Toby Horwood, Robin Sunderland and Annie Gumbley Williams for the identification.

Toby Horwood in Studio A

Here’s a mug shot of yours truly. This in in Studio A. Judging by the presence of audience seating it would have been a Call My Bluff or Going for a Song or something similar.

Very happy days. Still in the Beeb. Still Happy.

Toby Horwood

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

Stuart Gandy: ‘As it is a Sony camera, it must have been after the refurb to widescreen.’

Heart of the Country – Toby Horwood

This is on the set of Heart of the Country with Susan Penhaligan (who you can see on set). To be honest I can’t remember that much about the plot, other than it centred on the big carnival floats that were built for a festival in Somerset – hence the big gorilla. Barry Chatfield was lighting it (he’s stood on the right in the foreground). I was given the rare honour (for one so junior on the crew) of operating the camera on the Wilmac crane. I was swung high above the floor of Studio A. As long as you didn’t look down you were ok.

Toby Horwood

(Heart of the Country was a four part adaptation of Fay Weldon’s novel, set in Somerset. It was transmitted 25/2/1987-18/3/1987. Brian Farnham was the director and Roger Gregory the producer.)

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

Lesley Weaver: ‘I was the Make Up designer.. Filming around Shepton Mallet, Wells and Glastonbury in August 1986 lovely places …but it rained almost every day. Then back again around November in even more rain to do the tremendous fun Shepton Mallet Carnival scenes and then sitting freezing up on Glastonbury Tor during a night shoot. Don’t think I’ve ever been so cold. But it did have the gorgeous Christian Bale in! However he was much much younger! Kathy Ayehurst was the Costume Designer, we did have a laugh coming up with the costumes for the Stepford Wives Scenes …. Oh happy days where did they go? …’