Photo by Willoughby Gullachsen, no reproduction without permission.
This photo was dates from the late 1980s. The soundman is Hugh O’Donnell, and the drama is probably ‘Shalom Salaam’, working title ‘Coming Together’ – I think it’s a great photo!
Thanks to Dave Bushell and Bev Dartnall for identifying who it is of.
Vanessa
The BBC Club at Pebble Mill was badly flooded in 1987 when a massive water pipe ruptured somewhere nearby. Very quickly the terrace where staff had been drinking and eating was underwater, followed by the little car park at the front of the building, and then the building itself. The Club was out of action for several months whilst the building dried out and was repaired and redecorated.
Thanks to Gail Herbert, Chair of the BBC Club for many years, for making the photos available.
Gail comments: “The lady wading on the patio is Joyce Latham. I’m the one with only a shirt on in the lounge & Linda Parsonage is to the left of me. Can’t remember the names of the other two but they were bar staff.”
Please add a comment if you remember the flood at the Club.
Flooded Terrace at the BBC Club
The Queen visited Pebble Mill to celebrate the building’s tenth anniversary in 1981. She went on the set of Pebble Mill at One and talked to several members of staff. She is pictured with Phil Sidey, Head of Pebble Mill in photos 2 & 5, Jim Dumighan in photos 3,4 & 7, the man with the glasses is Mahendra Kaul OBE, one of the Asian Unit producers at the time, and in photos 5 and 10 the man on the extreme left is probably the late Alan Ford from the Postroom.
One person who was there but not pictured is the late John Pickles demoted from his job as head of BBC Scotland after his “Queen is dead” prank inevitably backfired.He was reduced to the ranks as manager of Radio WM & was definetly lurking wisely out of camera given the circumstances!He later took over BBC Hereford&Worcs.
Lynn Cullimore remembers: “I was stood with some of the cleaners and saw her quite close up. Did not get introduced though – don’t think I was grand enough for that. I remember we were designated where we could stand.”
Thanks to Ian Collins from post production for making these shots available, and to Conal O’Donnell, Jayne Savage, Jane McLean and Dave Milligan for providing additional information.
The Queen visiting Pebble Mill in 1981
Phil Sidey & Keith Jones New Club Opening
When Pebble Mill was first built the bar was on the second floor of the building, at the back, overlooking the back field and the courtyard. It was a hub of activity and socialising where almost everyone would congregate at lunchtime and after work. It was probably the only place where all levels of production and crew would get together, and therefore it became a really productive place for bouncing off ideas and solving any production issues.
As the number of staff expanded, there was more pressure for office space. In the early 1980s the new Club was built in the Pebble Mill grounds on the far side of the brook. It was a single storey building with a kitchen, large and small bar-rooms, and administration offices. There was a terrace to sit out on in the summer, as well as tennis courts and football fields.
Going to the bar at lunchtime was called ‘going over the bridge’, because of the little bridge across the brook to get to the Club.
The photo shows Phil Sidey, who was Head of the Building and President of the Club, and Keith Jones, Club Chairman, ringing a bell to officially open the new Club, circa 1982.
Thanks to Gail Herbert (subsequent Chair of the Club) for making the photo available. Copyright resides with the original photographer.
BBC Staff Photo 2004
This photo was taken just before the closure of Pebble Mill in 2004. It was taken from the roof of the building with everyone assembled on the back lawn.
More staff than anticipated turned up, and so the ‘C’ had to have a double line of people.
You’ll also notice quite a few children in the photo, brought over from the Pebble Mill Staff Nursery, which was housed in a small wooden pavilion just a little way down the Bristol Road.