Pres Studio

Photographs from Stuart Gandy, no reproduction without permission

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pres studio at Pebble Mill. This was probably taken around 2004, when the studio was being decommissioned with the move from Pebble Mill to the Mailbox.

Thanks to Stuart Gandy for sharing the photographs, which were originally posted on the Pebble Mill Engineers’ Facebook group.

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

Jason Dean: ‘The pres studio was largely left unused between it being the home of nightly weekday regional continuity during the late 1970s (all evening between Midlands Today and closedown in the early hours) and being used for Breakfast bulletins from Jan 1983. It looks like the photo might have been taken during this fallow period judging by the state of it?!’

Diane Kemp: ‘I did loads of bulletins from the little self opt studio, including the memorable time the Midlands was snowbound and we were interrupting network – all from there.
Can’t see it clearly enough to see the desk, the backdrop or the seat adjacent where SAs sat.’

Jane Green: ‘It looks like it’s being built or dismantled here….we SAs sat to the right of the presenter. It was a squash. The second photo shows what looks like a control desk that the presenter operated. Later on we had a proper backing with logo. Which once fell off on air asĀ  Jonathan Dick reminded me…National inserts were done from Pres too, if you had a guest for news or Newsnight. I sat there with Michael Heseltine one evening for what seemed an age. If it’s not Pres, I can’t think where it might be. The cameras would only be in Studio B or A otherwise?

Diane Kemp: ‘It’d be great to see a photo of it as it was. I’d say ‘in all its glory’, but to be fair it was never a beautiful space. Rivalled only by the fab studio in Nottingham above the probation service offices where you could hear the women’s toilets flush on-air.’

Lynda Kettle reflects on designing Howards’ Way

Production designer, Lynda Kettle was recently interviewed by Hampshire Life, about designing on the popular drama series, Howards’ Way. Here is an excerpt from the article.

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

For the full article, please click on the link below:

http://www.hampshire-life.co.uk/people/meeting-set-designer-lynda-kettle-1-4852122?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social_Icon&utm_campaign=in_article_social_icons

Howards’ Way, Vanessa’s lounge designed by Lynda Kettle. Photo by Lynda Kettle.

Howards’ Way, Mermaid Yard, designed by Lynda Kettle. Photo by Lynda Kettle.

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The following comment was left on the Pebble Mill Facebook page:

Jason Dean: “Howard’s Way seemed so fresh, classy and groundbreaking at the time – a real highlight of the tv week for me. Filming coincided with a spell I had working in the newsroom as a reporter for Midlands Today and during my lunch break I used to enjoy sneaking into a viewing area above the Howard’s Way studio to watch them filming on set. It seemed memorising. And of course it was great to bump into the actors in the canteen on the top floor too.”