Queen Elizabeth II visits Pebble Mill 1981

Queen Elizabeth meets Vera Lynn and Bill Pertwee

Queen Elizabeth with Jim Dumighan

Queen Elizabeth, Jim Dumighan, Phil Sidey, Keith Bullock and John Allinson top left next to Steve Pierson. Top right is Chris Harris behind Phil Sidey.

Jim Gray on camera, Geoff Nawn design assistant & Samantha Watkins make up next to Keith Bullock

Queen Elizabeth meets Peter Seabrook

Queen Elizabeth meets Marian Foster, Bill Pertwee

Alan Ford, Trevor Elwell from scenery is to Donny MacLeod’s right, Fred Foster, prop master, back left

Queen Elizabeth, Jim Dumighan, Phil Sidey

Gardeners’ World Golden Anniversary

Gardeners’ World is celebrating its golden anniversary this year. Tonight on Midlands Today, there was an item presented by Kay Alexander  from Gardeners’ World Live show at the NEC, showing some of the programme’s history.

The link below is to the Midlands Today 6pm show, and will work until the evening of 17th June 2017.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b08tkz1f/midlands-today-evening-news-16062017

Below are some grabs from the Midlands Today item.

Mary Rhodes introduces Gardeners’ World’s 50th anniversary

Percy Thrower presenting on Gardeners’ World

Peter Seabrook presenting on Gardeners World

Geoff Hamilton presenting Gardeners’ World at Barnsdale, cameraman Steve Saunderson, director Denis Gartside (red jacket), PA Gail Herbert

Alan Titchmarsh presenting on Gardeners World

Monty Don presenting on Gardeners World

Outside broadcast truck setting up for Gardeners World

Outside broadcast truck interior

Arthur Binnie – Roger Casstles

Arthur Binnie's leaving do. Photo from Jane Mclean, no reproduction without permission.

Arthur Binnie’s leaving do. Photo from Jane Mclean, no reproduction without permission.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“I first met Arthur in 1977 when I was on attachment to BBC Glasgow to direct a series called ‘The Energy File’ with Raymond Baxter and Michael Buerk.  Arthur was the producer drafted in from the oil capital of Britain, Aberdeen.  He and I got on very well, we shared a sense of humour and a lack of admiration for the series producer we were working for.  It was Arthur who weaned me back onto whisky – as a young man I’d had an unfortunate encounter with Uiscea Beatha – one New Year’s Eve in Kidderminster.  The host was a Scot.  I had arrived late – ‘you’ll be having a dram’ note the absence of the word ‘wee’ – I demolished the best part of a bottle of Johnnie Walker RED Label.  ‘God, you weren’t drinking that toxic shite’ said Arthur.  ‘What you need is a wee dram of the finest – The Glenlivet.’  One sip and I was cured… I have been a whisky drinker ever since.

I returned to Brum, left the BBC for a short time motivated by a lack of admiration for the Executive Producer running the department.  In 1982 I got a job as producer/director Pebble Mill at One.  There was a new Assistant Editor.  Arthur and I were re-united!

In 1984 Arthur was approaching retirement and came up with the idea that PM@1 should do a series on Singapore – where he’d served his National Service.  I got the plum job as director and off we set, for five weeks, based in Raffles Hotel – with Nicky Barfoot, Dick Bentley, Don Cooper, Norman McLeod, Ian Dewar, Nigel Evans, Andy Frizzell and Bill Youell and an effing sack truck carting a monitor (flat screen hadn’t been invented) an oscilloscope, an Ampex VPR20, and a load of car batteries…  This was at the time that Sony had just launched the BetaCam.  Crews from around the world congregated on Singapore for the annual Dragon Boat Race.  They all came equipped with their shiny new Onesies.  i.e.Betacams.  We dragged our sack truck through the sand… got it a bit wet and the VPR20 crashed.

Throughout all the challenges in the humid Far East, Arthur remained calm, supportive and was full of his memories of life in Singapore as a squaddie.  We were there with another great, late, Scotsman Donny McLeod and a wee laddie called Paul Coia.  Oh yes, and there was a contribution from Essex boy Peter Seabrook, who refused to eat anything ‘foreign’ and lived on Dunkin’ Donuts…

We returned to the UK with a great deal of satisfaction, having produced a wealth of material for the 84/85 season of PM@1.  Arthur retired later that summer.  His retirement party was a wonderfully moving occasion which I remember most for the way he delivered his farewell speech – leaning nonchalantly against a pillar in the boardroom on the 5th floor of ‘t Mill, telling it like it was, or had been, without a wee dram of bitterness or regret.  A lovely man, and although we lost contact, I shall miss him, yet treasure the memories.

Sadly, Arthur’s happy and positive retirement was overshadowed by the untimely death of Donny in September at the very young age of 52.

I was shocked to learn this week of Arthur’s death on Radio 4’s PM programme.  It not just announced the loss to the world of journalism by one of Scotland’s finest but also told a story which, in all the time I knew him, Arthur never mentioned… dear  reader you can find out more here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-35493518

Roger Casstles,
The Ancient Civil Parish of Stowe,
Shropshire”

The following messages were posted on the Pebble Mill Facebook page:

Johannah Dyer: ‘Is that Ellie Lacey (Baldwin) on the left? And Fran in the window at the back?’

Ellie Lacey: ‘Well spotted Joh! Yes, that’s me back in the very early eighties and Fran too. Arthur was a lovely and very dear man, popular with everyone – especially the girls! I was so sad to hear of his death but happy to know he had such a long life. RIP Arthur.’

Pebble Mill at One Reunion 2012

PM@1 Reunion 1 Roy Thompson

PM@1 Reunion 2 Roy Thompson

PM@1 Reunion 3 Roy Thompson

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

This article by Peter Seabrook about a Pebble Mill at One presenters’ reunion, remembering 40 years since the start of series, was published in the Sun on 27th October 2012. Peter Seabrook is the Sun’s resident gardening expert.

Thanks to Roy Thompson for sharing the article.

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

Keith Brook (aka Scouse):

‘Seeweed, who I still call a doddery old fart every time I see him, was a wonderful, kind and professional presenter.

He knew that rehearsals were often non-existent, so he’d tip me off about what needed close-ups seconds after I arrived with the camera for his live piece’

Peter Seabrook cutting – Pebble Mill at One

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

This article in the Sun recently by Peter Seabrook celebrates 40 years since the launch of ‘Pebble Mill at One’ in 1972. Members of the team met up recently to mark the occasion.  Included in the photo at the bottom of the article are ‘Pebble Mill at One’ presenters: Peter Seabrook, Marian Foster, David Seymour and Bob Langley.

Peter’s Pebble Mill garden was round the side of the building, overlooking the brook – it was a really windy spot!

Thanks to Andy Foley for finding the cutting.