Television – Page 241 – What Was Pebble Mill?

Look! Hear!

'Look Hear' Badge

Look! Hear! was a regional television music and arts show produced at Pebble Mill in the early 1980s which went out in the Midlands on BBC 1. The series featured genuinely live popular music performances with a studio audience. It was presented by Toyah Wilcox plus local radio presenters Ann Butler, Liz Cotton, John Holmes and Chris Phipps, who sat around on odd-looking chairs talking about the arts.

Copies of many studio programmes in the 1970s and 80s were not kept by the BBC; they were seen as disposable. Three episodes of Look!Hear! had been lost, but fortunately presenter John Holmes had kept VHS copies of the shows, and so Paul Vanezis from the BBC was to transfer them, and create copies for the BBC programme library.

Thanks to Ian Collins, VT Editor, who worked on the series, for making the badge available.

Lizzie’s Pictures – TX Card from Dave Bushell

Transmission Card for the 1987 4 part drama Lizzie's Pictures

Lizzie's Pictures TX Card

Lizzie’s Pictures, four-part drama series shot in Studio A and on location in Birmingham, Warwickshire and London. Directed by Nick Renton.

Transmitted in 1987. Critically well-received but unfortunately got lost as it was aired alongside ‘Porterhouse Blue’ which was very popular. Starred Lisa Harrow, Robert Stephens, Sheila Ruskin, Philip Jackson and Pam Ferris amongst others. Crew included myself on lighting, Sally Engelbach (designer), Al Barnett (costume), Gill Hughes (make-up), Dave Doogood (camera supervisor), Dave Baumber (sound) and Ivor Williams (VT editor).

Dave Bushell

Script front page for Lizzie's Pictures

Pity in History – photos by Willoughby Gullachsen

Photos by Willoughby Gullachsen, no reproduction without permission.

Pity in History was part of the 1985 ‘Summer Season’ of dramas, it went out on 4th July. It was produced at Pebble Mill by Chris Parr, the executive producer was Robin Midgley and Sarah Pia Anderson the director. The play was performed in Studio A.

The play by Howard Barker starred Norman Rodway, Anna Massey, Alan Rickman, Patrick Malahide and Ian McDiarmid.

Set in the Civil War, the story is about a sculptor working to finish a memorial to the Royalist years, as Cromwell’s men break down the surrounding cathedral walls.

The first photo has Alec Robson (TM1) on the left, setting lights and a back view of Keith Schofield with camera; the photo of the rehearsal featuring the crew includes: camera supervisor Dave Doogood, P.A. Bobbie Chapman, Dawn Robertson, cameraman Keith Schofield (crouched), Kevin Heffernan (design), Chris Parr (prod on left), George Allen (TM2) is in the centre with the dark sweater, on his right is cameraman Doug Smith.

John Greening comments: “Gareth Williams is b/g in white trousers. I was AFM and the rehearsals were at Five Ways in an empty office block. Actor in f/g is Roger Frost, husband of Pam Ferris. Howard Barker wrote the play as a vehicle for Ian McDiarmid – he was at the RSC at the time and I had to play his part during rehearsals when there was a matinee..”

Thanks to Dave Bushell, David Short and John Greening for adding to the information.

Pity in History rehearsalSave

Soundman, Hugh O’Donnell – photo by Willoughby Gullachsen

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

Peter Seabrook’s Gardening Week – Gail Herbert’s photos

Peter Seabrook presented many gardening programmes at Pebble Mill including Gardeners’ World in the 1970s, Pebble Mill at One in the 1970s and 80s, and the gardening advice show: Peter Seabrook’s Gardening Week in the 1990s. These photos from Gail Herbert, who was the production assistant on the series, feature the production team, probably from 1996. Gail is wearing the red scarf on the first photo, on the left of Gail is Kathy Bryant, and Rachel Innes-Lumsden is crouched down. Rachel went on to become BBC Head of Development Factual and Learning in 2006, and won a BAFTA for her work on The Tower – A Tale of Two Cities in 2008.

Peter Seabrook's Programme Team

Seabrook team - Kathy Bryant & Rachel Innes Lumsden