Kinsey TX Card
TX Card for the drama ‘Kinsey’, courtesy of Maggie Humphries.
There were two, six part series of ‘Kinsey’. Which went out in 1991 and 1992. The drama followed the story of a maverick Midlands’ solicitor.
The drama was written by Peter Gibbs, produced by Carol Parks, Exec Producer by Barry Hanson, and directed by Phil O’Shea and Philip Draycott. It starred Leigh Lawson in the title role.
Kinsey TX Card
Photos by Lynda Kettle, no reproduction without permission. Lynda Kettle was a Production Designer at BBC Pebble Mill, working on factual, entertainment and drama shows in studio and on location. The photos were taken as records of the Sets.
This was pirates year. Kay Alexander is upstage right in this photo, so she must have been presenting the regional ‘Children in Need’ output in this particular year. It looks like floor manager Dave Brazier talking to Kay. Dave Bushell (lighting director) is at the back admiring the palm trees, and it is probably Adrian Kelly on the camera jib. The guy towards the back left in the white shirt and tie is probably Mike Day from comms engineering. Those items look like telephones at the back there which he would have been responsible for. In the second photo cameramen Robin Sunderland, James French and Andy Payne are by the grand piano. Sue Beardsmore is rehearsing. Alan Titchmarsh & Sue were presenting this year. Merrick Simmonds was the Director and David Nelson Producing. Please post a comment if you recognise anyone else in the photos.
‘Children in Need’ was a big annual occasion at Pebble Mill. Sets, like this one were built for the evening regional ‘Children in Need’ output, and other programmes in the building would regularly join in. Teams of willing volunteers would man the phones. This often included staff from non-programme departments who were just as keen to lend a hand – and to dress up in costume!
Production Designer, Lynda Kettle also worked as a theatre designer and an artist, and now runs courses from her art studio http://www.lynda-kettle.com. She is a member of the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists, Birmingham Water Colour Society. Midland Pastel Society and Birmingham Art Circle . She exhibits her paintings several times a year at selected galleries.
Afro Caribbean Unit girls
Photo by Bev Dartnall, no reproduction without permission.
Pebble Mill was the home of BBC multicultural programming for many years, including the Asian Programmes Unit, and the Afro Caribbean Unit. The Afro Caribbean Unit made programmes like the weekly magazine series: ‘Ebony’, which went out in the 1980s, presented by Vastiana Belfon amongst others.
Director, Sharon Pemberton adds the following information:
“The photo was actually taken whilst the ‘Multicultural Progs Unit was based in the famous ‘portacabin’. (Freezing in winter, boiling in summer!)
The gals in the photo are:
Back L-R) Victoria Trow (from editing) Annie Jenkins (from graphics) Sharon Pemberton, Sarah Costigan, Beverley Dartnall, Ann Holmes, Trudi Cresser
(Front L-R)Jo Mainwearing, Anna Umbima, Vastiana Belfon, Rosemary Boateng and Mary Gregory.
We made three major series for BBC2 during the 1990′s – ‘Black Britain’, ‘Black on Europe’ and ‘Africa – Out of Darkness’.
All ground-breaking stuff, although I don’t think I realised it at the time.”
Sidmouth 1 Tracking shot on Sidmouth seafront, Paul Woolston on camera, Diarmuid Lawrence (director) at left. Sidmouth is deputising for Brighton in the book.
Sidmouth 2 Sidmouth beach scene, Paul Woolston and trio of soundmen (Chris Rea, Paul Willcox, David Hughes) ready for action. Make-up and electricians also enjoying the late April sunshine.
Edinburgh 1 Shooting in Edinburgh, a late substituted location for Bath following an injunction by a resident there prevented filming. L-to-R, Roger Willcox (sound), John Alison (electrician), Ronnie Fleet (grip), Paul Woolston (camera)
Edinburgh 2 Diarmuid Lawrence directs Paul Woolston on a crane shot in Edinburgh
Edinburgh 3 Ronnie Fleet and Bob Few take the strain on a tracking shot in Edinburgh
Edinburgh 4 Another short tracking shot in Edinburgh, Paul Woolston on camera, unknown First Assistant shouting action.
Edinburgh 5 Some sort of sound ritual – Roger Willcox and Alistair Askham
Blickling 1 Gavin Davies (designer), in characteristic pose, watches the building at Blickling Hall, Norfolk, of the set for Vauxhall Gardens.
Blickling 2 Set built in the gardens of Blickling Hall, Norfolk. Four nights of shooting until the sun came up, in freezing weather. So much artificial light on that the birds got confused and started the dawn chorus at about 1 am.
Blickling 3 Set built to represent Vauxhall Gardens
Heydon 1 John Bradley fettles up an LDK14 camera at Heydon Hall, Norfolk
Heydon 2 Tracking shot from a specially adapted Citroen 2CV with Rob (?), engineer and Michael Owen Morris, director, in the back
Heydon 3 Freddie Jones, playing Sir Pitt Crawley
Heydon 4 Paul Woolston and First Assistant Director shelter while rain sweeps all the set dressing material into the Heydon rains.
Thetford 1 Lesley Perry (makeup designer) photographs while Tracy Southam (makeup assistant) put the finishing touches to Simon Dormandy. Location is Thetford, the setting for the Battle of Waterloo.
Photos by Dave Bushell (lighting director), no reproduction without permission.
Photos by video editor Ian Collins, no reproduction without permission. The photos show the filming of a carriage from a low loader.
‘Vanity Fair’ was a 16 part BBC serial hosted out of Pebble Mill. It was transmitted in 1987. Terrance Dicks was the producer, Phillippa Giles the Script Editor, and Dairmuid Lawrence the director. Alexander Baron adapted Thackeray’s novel. Dave Bushell was the director of lighting, Gavin Davies was the production designer, Joyce Hawkins the costume designer, and Lesley Perry the make-up designer.
The series starred Eve Matheson as Becky Sharp, Rebecca Saire as Amelia Sedley, James Saxon as Jos Sedley, Benedict Taylor as George Osborne and Simon Dormandy as Dobbin.
