Prince Charles visits Pebble Mill

Prince Charles, John Smith (multi camera director)

Prince Charles at Pebble Mill with Director General, Alasdair Milne

Alasdair Milne with Prince Charles

Head of Broadcasting, David Waine with Prince Charles and Princess Diana

Prince Charles and Princess Diana visited BBC Pebble Mill circa 1985.

TA Training Book 1980 – from Stuart Gandy

This Pebble Mill blue training book was issued to TA (technical assistant) Stuart Gandy in 1980. It was full of tasks for a new trainee to do. It also contained floor plans of PM as well as system drawings for TV, radio and comms, and some organisational charts which are what is shown in these photos.

Carpenter Road

Photo by Roger Davis, no reproduction without permission

This photograph by cameraman Roger Davis is of the BBC’s Carpenter Road premises in Edgbaston, Birmingham circa 1960s. Carpenter Road housed the administration and production staff who were involved in programmes other than news, before Pebble Mill opened in the early 1970s. The outside broadcast staff were also based here. There was also an early television studio here, before the studio at Gosta Green opened. The building was demolished later on, and there is now a block of flats on the site.

Camera crew in the Club

Photos by cameraman Bhasker Solanki of the camera team relaxing in the BBC Club after a recording. The photos were taken on 17th August 1984. The event was Bhas Solanki’s leaving do. He was going to work in London.

Photos by Bhasker Solanki, no reproduction without permission

Jim and Julia Gray, John Moorcroft, Simon Bennett

Keith Schofield, Jane Weir, Philip Thickett, Bhasker Solanki

When the Queen visited Pebble Mill

With the sad death of the Queen, I was reminded of her 1981 visit to Pebble Mill. This was to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the building. Here are a couple of shots of her visit to Pebble Mill at One. Pebble Mill at One deputy editor, Jim Dumighan showed her around.

Copyright resides with the original holder, no reproduction without permission

The Queen visiting the Pebble Mill at One foyer studio in 1981. Photo from Keith Brook.

 

The Queen visiting Pebble Mill in 1981

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

Stephen Hawkins: My Mother, Joyce Hawkins, who was Head of the Costume Department, has asked me to state that “In advance of the Queens visit HM named one person she would like to meet. That person was George Collins, a dresser in the costume dept. Much to the genuine surprise of everyone. They had a private conversation.

David Short: I had just joined Pebble Mill as a camera assistant and worked on the Royal visit.

Norman McLeod: Fortunate to be presented in Radio Studio 1. Charmed as everyone was. Palpable memories still treasured together with the pictures, which I am still searching for! Requiescat in Pace.

Harold Rich: As she passed me and my musicians she turned and said “Are you the backing?”