Category: Building

The Pebble Mill Building

Post Production Staff Photos March 2004

These photos were taken just before the closure of Pebble Mill, in March 2004. They feature the post production staff and were taken in VTH, VTF, VTE, VTB & Dub 1. They show editors, assistants, dubbing staff as well as booking staff and runners.

VTH: John Reynolds, Louise Pearson, Jo Cairns, Peter Shannon, Dan Wardle, Jim Gregory, Russell Parker, Matt Taylor, Shirley O’Mara & Neil Stacey.
 
VTB: John Burkill, Angela Worrall, Phil Burrell, Ivor Williams, Karl Kelly, Brian Watkiss, Helena Lyons, Simon Prentice & Steve May.
 
VTE: Mike Brown, Ian Collins, Amrik Manku, David Chan, Tara, Gary Williams, Ant Smith, Tim Savage, Martin Dowell, John Walton, Dave Pick, Mike Palmer & Keith Brown.
 
VTF: Mike Bloore, John Duckmanton, Steve Killick, Steve Neilson, Dave Rhodes, John Doidge, Matt Jinks, Rob McGowan, Tristan Leon, Simon Wilson, James Cole & Louise Shires.
 
Dub 1: Ben Peissel, John Rosser, Dave Mason, Richard Hastings Hall, Andy Freeth, Brian Charles, Neil Roberts, Dawn Mears, Fiona Vooght, James Hey, Rachel Jayes, Ian Bellion, Kate Davis & Chris Rowlands.

Planning Office – photo by Ben Peissel

Photo by Ben Peissel, no reproduction without permission.

This photo is of the girls who worked in the Planning Office at BBC Pebble Mill, booking VT and other facilities.

The photo shows left to right: Kath Woolston, Margaret Barton, Mandy Holdcroft, ?, Janet Woodhouse, Helena Lyons, ?, Christine Grainger, Barnara Hynes.

If you can fill in the gaps, or add more information, please add a comment.

The Drinkers

Copyright remains with the original holders, no reproduction without permission.  The photographers include: Tim Savage, Paul Scholes, Brian Watkiss, Jim Gregory, Kate Davies, Ian Collins, Paul Vanezis, Steve May, Leigh Sinclair.

Making programmes is thirsty work as testament in these photos. Some of the drinks are definitely coffee!

Brian Watkiss

Doctors, after the bombing – photos by Neil Roberts

Photos by Neil Roberts, no reproduction without permission.

‘Doctors’ was probably the last production to finish recording at Pebble Mill, and decided to go out with a bang rather than a whimper.  Taking advantage of the fact that the building was going to be demolished they staged a bomb blast in the Riverside Surgery and Lether Bar, on the last day of shooting.

Neil Roberts, who still edits ‘Doctors’ from its new site at Birmingham University, took these photos after the last shoot.  Neil was the last avid editor in Pebble Mill, fine cutting ‘Doctors’ – it must have felt like being on the Marie Celeste!  Chris Rowlands performed the last online edit at Pebble Mill, onlining the ‘Doctors’ episode which Neil offlined, the following day in VTA.

The Sleepers – photos by Ian Collins

Photos by Ian Collins, no reproduction without permission.

Television is tiring work, as you can tell from these photos, involving long days and lots of travelling!  Annoyingly there always seems to be someone around with a camera when you’re just resting your eyes for a few minutes!

The first photo is of ‘Clothes Show’ producer, Clare Stride, who sadly died of cancer several years ago, then P.A. Jane Mclean, followed by a vision engineer called John Bradley, then Chris Glover from VT, but the last is of Nick Patten, now the Head of Vision Productions at BBC Birmingham and BBC Manchester. Sat next to Nick is Sam Cox (sound), and behind him pointing is Nigel Evans (editor).