We are BBC Birmingham – Resources & Drama

We are BBC Bham Drama, ResourcesCopyright resides with the original holder, no reproduction without permission.

This still is from a brochure produced when BBC Birmingham moved to the Mailbox, in 2004. The brochure was for staff and people elsewhere in the industry, promoting the services and departments within BBC Birmingham.

Post production took outside bookings at this time, from series like Fifth Gear, as well as internal bookings.

Drama, did not relocate to the Mailbox, due to insufficient space, the cost, and the inability to film scenes around the premises, and instead arranged accommodation for themselves at the University of Birmingham.

Thanks to Dharmesh Rajput for sharing the brochure, and keeping it safe for the last decade.

Factual and Learning – We are BBC Birmingham

We are BBC Bham Factual & LearningCopyright resides with the original holder, no reproduction without permission.

This sheet about the Factual & Learning department, was part of a booklet given to all staff when BBC Birmingham moved from Pebble Mill to the Mailbox in 2004.

The sheet lists various recent and current programmes made by the department, including: £1 Million Pound Property Experiment, SAS Survival Secrets, Casualty Saved My Life, All the Queen’s Cooks, Sylvia Young Theatre School, and Coast. Major series included: Gardeners’ World, Countryfile, Points of View, Call My Bluff, and Sky at Night. Daytime titles included: To Buy or Not to Buy, Houses Behaving Badly, Feather Your Nest, Trading Up, Big Strong Boys. Asian Programmes unit shows mentioned are: Nuclear Paradise, India’s Ladyboys, The Joy of Curry, Dating the Asian Way, Desi DNA and Malai Presents.

Factual & Learning was a prolific department, producing a wide cross section of shows for BBC1, and 2 as well as some for BBC3.

Thanks to Dharmesh Rajput for sharing the booklet, and keeping it for the last decade.

We are BBC Birmingham

We are BBC BirminghamWe are BBC Bham PeopleWe are BBC Bham, FinanceWe are BBC Bham Marketing
Copyright resides with the original holder, no reproduction without permission.

This, We are BBC Birmingham brochure was given to members of staff moving from Pebble Mill to the new Mailbox building in summer/autumn 2004.

There are other sections which name some of the then current productions, both radio and television, but I will post those separately.

The leaflet highlights the work of internal departments like HR, Finance, Marketing, Talent Rights, Libraries and IT.

Thanks to Dharmesh Rajput for keeping the leaflet safe for the last decade, and for sharing it.

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

Andy Walters: ‘I remember those being taken. I am on the first B. We were assembled on the grass at the back of the building with the photographer on the roof.’

Jane Green: ‘I’m on a B too. I miss Pebble Mill’

Paul Hunt: ‘Am on the bottom of C having dashed back from a meeting at the Mailbox!’

Claire Bennett: ‘Eleven years? Did I miss all the big ten year anniversary celebrations there must have been for a decade of glory at the Mailbox then?’

Steve Peacock: ‘I think they threw that party in Bristol’

Countryfile – John Craven in the bath

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Copyright resides with the original holder, no reproduction without permission.

Still of presenter John Craven in the bath, during a Countryfile item.

Does anybody know what the item was? Please add a comment if you can add any information.

Thanks to Ian Collins for making the still available.

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

Andrea Buffery: ‘I think it was a compilation programme directed by Joanna Brame. JC is wearing my snorkel mask.’

Andrew Chorlton: ‘I’m sure that was me on sound. Probably Foster, B or Evans, D on camera. A long time ago!’

Garry Jordan: ‘COUNTRY FILE, Transmission date: 14 May 1989, Clip #: BBC_253004’

Betti Moretti: ‘Can’t help with the story sorry… but when I worked on The Countryside Hour, the most mortifying thing would occur every Thursday… when I was little, Mum would hoover when Newsround came on – white noise? And I’d immediately drop off on the sofa… every Thursday, John would rehearse his script for Countryfile in my room… and you would not believe the struggle I had to keep my eyes open! Thank god for the Club & Mick Murphy! Happy days!

Rosalind Gower: ‘I directed one on lavender growing for essential oils in Norfolk which ended with John in a bath, but I don’t recognise the bathroom or the duck and snorkel! On my shoot we did this as a last minute idea and asked one of the farm workers if we could borrow their cottage bathroom for a short time. When she saw it was for the famous John Craven she readily agreed. To save John’s modesty we asked if she had any bubble bath…no…so we used washing up liquid instead but had to use loads of it to make any sort of decent bubbles. By then the hot water had run out so poor JC has to do his PTC in gloopy lukewarm water, trying not to shiver and pretending he was having a luxuriously scented relaxing bath. What a trooper! When we’d finished the woman asked for John’s autograph as she thought otherwise none of her friends would believe she’d had John Craven in her bath that afternoon!’

Countryfile Titles

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Copyright resides with the original holder, no reproduction without permission.

This is a titles’ grab from Countryfile, BBC1’s Sunday rural affairs magazine show, presented by John Craven.

Thanks to VT Editor, Ian Collins for sharing the grab.