Carol Parks – Page 2 – What Was Pebble Mill?

Vote for Them group shots

Photos by Willoughby Gullachsen (Gus), no reproduction without permission.

These publicity stills are from the BBC2, 1989, three part drama, Vote For Them, by David Edgar and Neil Grant.

Thanks to costume designer, Janice Rider, for sharing the photos.

Here is the Radio Times entry for the second episode, transmitted on 9th June 1989, from the BBC Genome project, which almost certainly contains some of the scenes shown here: http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/e9decff99d7e467786837144615f5319

‘by DAVID EDGAR and NEIL GRANT
The ‘Music for All’ Forces
Parliament is a great success. A general election is held to decide who should be the Government and who the Opposition. Government
Opposition
Speaker
Civilians
Drama Club
Backbenchers
Present Day
Sound ANDY REDFERN
Lighting BARRY CHATFIELD Executive producer MICHAEL WEARING
Producer CAROL PARKS
Director JAMES ORMEROD BBC Pebble Mill’

If you can add more information about the scenes that these stills are from, please add a comment.

The following comments were left on the Pebble Mill Facebook page:
Neil Grant (referring to the 3rd photo): ‘David Cardy front row, on the left, and Billy Hartman, the sergeant in the foreground facing away. From an early meeting of the ‘Music for All Parliament’.’
Ian Barber (also referring to the 3rd photo): ‘Looks like Jane Gurnett in the 2nd row’

Vote for Them in Egypt

These publicity photos were almost certainly taken by Willoughby Gullachsen on location in Egpyt. They are from the 1989 three part drama series, Vote for Them, written by David Edgar and Neil Grant. The series was produced by Carol Parks.

Thanks to costume designer, Janice Rider, for sharing the photos.

Below is the synopsis from the Radio Times entry of the series from the BBC Genome project http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/3bc1b6954a074ae7af03e2e03cf40739:
‘First of three episodes.
Egypt. 1943: Rommel has been kicked out of Africa and the fighting has moved on to Italy. The Allied troops still based in Cairo have time to think about what sort of world they want when the war is over.
Script editor ESTELLE DANIEL Designer NIGEL JONES Executive producer MICHAEL WEARING
Producer CAROL PARKS
Director JAMES ORMEROD BBC Pebble Mill’

Vote for Them – aircraft shots

These publicity photos were almost certainly taken by Willoughby Gullachsen, and were used to publicise the three part drama serial: Vote for Them, written by David Edgar and Neil Grant. The show was transmitted in June 1989. Carol Parks was the producer, Michael Wearing the executive producer, and James Ormerod was the director.

This link to the BBC Genome project gives more information about the drama from the original Radio Times: http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/3bc1b6954a074ae7af03e2e03cf40739.

Thanks to costume designer, Janice Rider, for sharing the photos.

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

Neil Grant: ‘The aircraft is a Supermarine Spitfire, though not one of the earliest Marks as it has a four bladed propeller. Simon Adams is on the left – he played Aircraftsman “Nobby” Clarke – together with, I think, Peter Llewellyn Williams, who played Aircraftsman Bill Beatty.’

Diane Lester: ‘An early example of a supermarine spitfire. ..we filmed these scenes at an airfield just north of Salisbury, and had a hurricane and other planes there, including an American one. All the planes flew in, and on the last day we filmed with them,the spitfire and hurricane took off and did a victory roll over the airfield ….very spectacular.’

Mary Sanchez: ‘This was my first drama I worked on as a floor assistant (runner) . Having to identify about 100 extras and main characters all in uniform was quite a tall order! A really lovely bunch though.’

Gary Hudson: ‘I’m guessing a Mk IX Spitfire, but experts will know. In 1989 hardly any of the Battle of Britain-era ones were still flying, and I’m assuming this one is authentic (not a replica) and was airworthy, or else how did it get there? Mary, Diana? There were only a couple of Hurricanes flying then, I believe, but again someone will know.’

Kinsey – rubber numbers

This sheet shows the ‘rubber numbers’ for some of the 16mm film rushes for the 1991, Pebble Mill six part drama series, Kinsey. The ‘rubber numbers’ were added to the transferred sound, so that it could be synched up with the frames of film. This log shows how the ‘rubber numbers’ corresponded with the ‘key numbers’ on the film itself. Also included are the slate number, the episode and the scene, and a description of the shot.

Thanks to film editor of Kinsey, Oliver White, for sharing this sheet.

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

Adam Trotman: ‘Omg my bad hand writing. Seems I was very lazy with my shot descriptions. Bob Mitchell used to do the rubber numbering. The rubber numbers where added to both the film rushes and the sound after we had synched it up with the clapper boards….. The key numbers were noted down as a double check if we ever need to get new rushes printed for what ever reason. And finally I see a take 11. …. never seem to go beyond 4 these days….’

Dawn Trotman: ‘Is it your writing Adam? Great times at Elliot road.. and don’t forget the black spacing!’

Victoria Trow: ‘Blimey, rubber numbers – Adam, was that you? Oh Bob Mitchell…. And Oh Oliver White and Carol Parks who saved me….. I will never forget Oliver re-cutting a scene on that show that had seemed fairly routine and uninteresting. A master class, A few frames off here, a few added on there…. Memorable.’

Terry Powell: ‘I loved working on this show, looked after Lee Lawson who still to this day, and his wife Twiggy, I see.’

Pete Simpkin: ‘Could someone explain to an essentially radio bloke what on earth you are talking about??’

Adam Trotman: ‘Pete – this is a shot log used in the old film cutting rooms. It was to help assistants and editors keep tabs on what rushes they had and where they were. … rubber numbering was used to help keep the film in sync with the sound.’

Vote for Them – railway photos

External photographs by Willoughby Gullachsen; photo of the actor in the carriage, possibly by Nick Eastwood, no reproduction without permission.

These photos were taken as publicity stills for the 1989 three part drama: Vote for Them, by David Edgar and Neil Grant, and produced by Carol Parks. Several scenes of the drama were filmed at Bewdley Station, on the Severn Valley Railway, as shown here.

Thanks to costume designer, Janice Rider, for making the photographs available.