Christmas down the BBC Club

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Maggie from CSV

Maggie Smith from CSV

Presenter Mo Dutta dancing with producer Celia Marks

Presenter Mo Dutta dancing with producer Celia Marks

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Photos by Karen Bond, no reproduction without permission.

Christmas cheer down at the Pebble Mill Club.

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

Carole Lowe: ‘I think I was there as well as I was Maggie’s assistant good to remember the good old day on Anne and Nick.’

Michael Wood: ‘I think the ‘Maggie’ you’re referring to is Maggie Smith. Lovely lady who got me my first job at the BBC.’

Robert McGowan: ‘Is that John McEvoy in the fourth pic with hair?’

Mark Hellings: ‘I was probably at this party, but thanks to the rum punch have absolutely no recollection of it.’

Sarah Dunning: ‘Yes definitely John McEvoy with hair and a tie!!’

Pebble Mill Props Cages

10269346_10152452206602139_1156570742662719721_nPhoto by Karen Bond, no reproduction without permission.

This photo shows some of the props cages at Pebble Mill, together with a man in a very bright florescent vest! Props cages tended to be stored either in the basement of the building, or near the scene dock on the ground floor. They had wheels on the base, and so could be wheeled around easily. They were mostly used for dramas, although the studio and make-over shows also used them. I remember sometimes the cages weren’t where you’d left them, because they had been wheeled away by someone, which was rather disconcerting!

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

Steve Johnson: ‘I remember these. I used to work in the News Library next to the newsroom so was often in the basement looking for tapes or film reels.’

Andy Walters: ‘There are still a couple of props cages in the Horsefair car park. They still have the names of the last home makeover shows they were used for scribbled on the side in chalk.’

Marie Phillips: ‘Lovely House Services comandeered several each October for storing my Children In Need merchandise in the cabin loaned for free every year. Also – one Appeal Night me and Gyn Freeman got stuck in a lift behind one and had to keep going up and down until there was someone to rescue us. If you know Gyn and I you will know how funny that was !!’

Carol Churchill: ‘I remember the Props parties, well when l say remember that may be stretching the truth!’

Scott Holdsworth: ‘There were loads of these throughout the basement. I remember when Can’t Cook Won’t Cook finished and all the brand new pans were stored there for years. When there was a clear out I ended up with a kitchen full of lovely new utensils.’

Andy Bentley: ‘Props was great for fun when on nights, when we were in the old Security office at the back of the building we got a head from props. We put the head on a long pole and put it up to the edit suite window above the office. I reckon they could hear Trudy [Offer] and Ingrid [Wagner]’s screams in town. It looks more like Mervin in the photo.

Ruth Kiosses: ‘Best memories of the Props/costume store best known as Smelly (Oak). The Props Lads as they were affectionately known were real characters, especially Jacko who gave himself a wonderful long title which meant props lad. They had a tea room furnished in old Howards’ Way set so the drawers were dummies but it looked swish. I remember a lot of practical jokes after shooting a sex shop scene for a ‘murder mystery’? Series (title eludes me) although I remember costumes really well, lead lady in full Burberry check trousers etc, fabulous purple suede suit! Anyway the props as you can imagine were inflated and used for all sorts of interesting decorations!!!’

Teresa Fuller: ‘Was only privileged to visit Pebble Mill once, on an induction day. But when I worked at The Mailbox, we had storage cages over at the multi storey car park (the one with local rats and the fear of having a friendly local resident chucking something from the adjacent tower block as you walked back from your hire car drop-off)! Anyway, we used the cages to store props for To Buy or Not to Buy and one day a colleague and I had the pleasure of cleaning a cage out that was covered in mouse droppings. Nice.’

Andy Bentley: ‘There was also the skeleton propped up against a door in the basement so when Ted went on patrol and opened the door it fell out on him. Again I reckon the screams could be heard in town.’

Hollywood themed Children in Need

Planet Hollywood OB Planet Hollywood crew Planet Hollywood

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photos by Karen Bond, no reproduction without permission.

These photos are of a Children in Need night with a Hollywood theme. The show took place in Studio A. The first photo has floor manager, Dave Brazier on the far left hand-side, with Laurel and Hardy look-a-likes. They date from the early 1990s. The girl in black, centre, in the second photo is presenter Jenny Powell.

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

Carole Lowe: ‘I have my photos of that night found them the other day it was inside the studio with a Hollywood theme for Children in Need Marie Phillips was at the helm maybe she might know , the only OB I remember for Children in Need was in the city centre with Alan Titchmarsh and Lesley Joseph I was helping on that day as well. Happy memories.’

 

 

Dancing at the BBC Club

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Photos by Karen Bond, no reproduction without permission.

These photos of dancing in the BBC Pebble Mill Club date from the early 1990s. They mostly feature Pebble Mill series editor, Steve Weddle, taking to the dance floor, amongst others!

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

Marie Phillips: ‘Funny you posted this today. We were lunching with friends today at The Boot in Lapworth and in walked Steph Silk who I have bumped into twice in a week after 25 years. She was meeting former Pebble Millers, including Jenny Brewer and ….. Steve Weddle also 25 years on. Great to see everyone and share a few laughs. Steve was excited about his recently published book – available on Amazon! It must be part of the aging process but nobody looks any different as the years roll by.’

Judith Markall: ‘Remember dances in Studio 9 at Carpenter Road!’

Bridget Vaughan: ‘Tall girl could be Bev Dartnall, bless her.’

Janet Collins: ‘Sure it’s Bev and is the other person Julie Knee?’

Steve Weddle: ‘What is he like? Don’t answer that! And yes, that could be Bev – she was always full of fun and frolics, god bless her.’

Good Morning Summer set

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Photo by Karen Bond, no reproduction without permission.

This behind the scenes photo is of the set of Good Morning Summer, from 1995. The series ran over the summer, when Good Morning with Anne and Nick was off-air. It went out from the set and conservatory in the courtyard of Pebble Mill. You can see the set, with the beach huts in the back of the photo. The series was presented by Will Hanrahan and Sarah Greene.