Mike Bloore – Page 3 – What Was Pebble Mill?

Videotape in the 70s (part 6) Ray Lee

Balcony of the 2nd floor bar: Ivor Williams, Nigel Evans, Mike Bloore, John Burkill
Photo by Tim Savage

VT Office

When Pebble Mill was first built, the BBC Club was on the second floor, and became known affectionately by some as the VT Office. It was true that most of the VT staff could be found there at lunch time, and that many conversations with programme staff, producers, and directors took place there over a pint. That in a sense was the cauldron of ideas, that quite often led to innovative programme ideas that came to distinguish Pebble Mill. Departments were small enough, and the bar just about big enough that representatives from all disciplines could come together socially and exchange ideas.

I was only an occasional user, usually having ventured there to collect a Radio Times, but for some it was their regular lunchtime activity. It was there that the problem lay, in that it was just a bit too convenient on the 2nd floor, and more than one of my colleagues was recognised as having a drink problem, and sent on a “drying out” course by the BBC management. As space became more of a premium, the new Club building was built and the second floor returned to office space. I don’t remember the details of the changeover but the net result was that a more deliberate decision was needed to go to the club, rather than just falling out of the lift at the second floor.

Ray Lee

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

Jane Clement: ‘Ah, the second floor bar – home of my first Pebble Mill job (barmaid) and the scene of many an interesting night (and lunchtime). The tales I could tell from both sides of the bar as a barmaid then a researcher, then an AP…The new Club that replaced it was never quite the same.’

Lynn Cullimore: ‘Ooh yes, some people I could mention did use it as their office but you are right, I am sure many programme ideas were thought up there. The new bar was never quite the same! I remember my first rum punch day (the first of many) – or rather there were parts of it that I forgot!’

The Great Acrobile

The still is from a 1973 Second City First studio drama, called ‘The Great Acrobile’, transmitted on 1st March. It was directed by Tristan de Vere Cole, produced by David Rose, written by Roy Minton, with Barry Hanson as the script editor, and Michael Edwards as the production designer.

The drama was recorded in Studio A. It starred Bernard Spear as Mawson, Brian Godfrey as Bernard, John Garry as Sproggs, Ian Gammell as Ticky, Ben Tabiner as Mick, and Ralph Arliss as Slim.

Unfortunately it seems that ‘The Great Acrobile’ was recorded over, and that no copy now exists. This was the case with many studio dramas from the 1970s.

Thanks to Mike Bloore for identifying the drama.

Marvin’s Credits

Photo by Tim Savage. Marvin is on the far right!

Marvin’s credit on Track One. Grab from Keith Brook.

VT editors are a singular breed, and sometimes curiously attached to inanimate objects! The VPR2 machine in VTC was affectionately known as ‘Marvin’. Presumably after ‘Marvin the paranoid android’ in ‘Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy’. Not only was ‘Marvin’ the machine, named, but he was also credited – on at least one, and possibly on more programmes, for his creative efforts. ‘Marvin’ is the machine on the extreme right of top photo – not a very good shot of him!

‘Marvin’s’ credit was on ‘Track One’ a regional programme for the discerning younger audience. The credits for VT read: ‘Marvin – Mike Bloore – Ivor the Engine’ in that order. So Marvin got top billing as well!! Keith was the director of that episode, produced by Keith Haley, with executive producer, Mike Fitzgerald. (Thanks to Keith Brook for this information, and the grab!).

‘Marvin’ may also have enjoyed other credits – possibly on ‘Look! Hear!’

How many VT boys does it take to move a Quad?

Photos from Mike Bloore, no reproduction without permission.

These photos were taken at the switch off of the last Quad suite at Pebble Mill, circa 1984.

Pebble Mill’s Videotape Editors were a group of highly trained and skilled professionals – but there were some problems where even they had to resort to brute force! PAs sitting on top of 2″ Quad machine I suspect made the task to shifting it slightly harder, but a whole lot more enjoyable!

Included are: Mike Bloore, Nigel Evans, Ian Collins, Jim Gregory, Steve Critchlow, Chris Glover, John Burkill, Brian Comley, Jon Parker – and sitting atop – PA Sue Williams.

The following information was added on the Pebble Mill Facebook page:

Ray Lee: ‘It is an Ampex VR2000, VTB Cubicle and on the 6th photo you can just see through the marley door into VTC which is clearly equipped at this time.’

Charisma Keyboard

Charisma keyboard

Photo by Ian Collins, no reproduction without permission.

VT editor, Ian Collins, took a number of photographs of obsolete kit before the closure of Pebble Mill in 2004; this still of a Charisma keyboard among them. Charisma was a digital video effects machine which was de rigour in the late ’80s, early ’90s. It enabled complex video effects to be incorporated in programmes like ‘The Clothes Show’. In fact the style of series like ‘The Clothes Show’ were largely due to Charisma, and the skilled use of it by VT editors like Mike Bloore, who was awarded a craft BAFTA for his editing of the programme. I remember being really excited about using Charisma in VT edits, and thinking the effects looked really great. If anything it was used too much, and caused a reaction against multi-layered complex edits and effects and back towards straightforward cuts. Nowadays the effects look pretty dated. I also remember a funny story about an edit assistant, who shall remain nameless, going to a job interview and being asked about what he thought about Charisma. He replied that charisma was an important quality in a person, and meant that they could be inspirational to others etc. It was only later he realised that they were talking about the Charisma machine. I can’t remember if he got the job or not! The following comments were left on the Pebble Mill Facebook Group: Mike Workman: ‘As used by the Six O’Clock News in 1985 for headline transition wipes, what a machine – VizRT is not a patch on Charisma!’ Matthew Skill: ‘we had one in Newcastle BC, there’s a complete set of manuals down in the workshops in the basement of TVC. That’s all the info i have for now….’ Mike Workman: ‘there’s a few dotted around TVC that came out of the then N1/2 news studios when the News Spur opened in 1997’ Mike Skipper: ‘Their successor the Ten X was used up until about a year ago at TV Centre!’ Ian Collins: ‘Without this piece of kit, Clothes Show would not have been the success that it was.’ Jane Green: ‘Ian’s right. I remember racing back from the NEC Clothes Show Live 1992 with the rushes of the live show and using Charisma with VT at Pebble Mill to put the show montages together. The effects were groundbreaking at the time. Took the finished tapes back to Roger at the NEC for TX and everyone crowded round to watch and loved the Charisma transformation.’