Joyce Miller

Joyce MillerThe death of Joyce Miller was announced in the Worcester News today, 4th March 2014. Joyce was a press officer at Pebble Mill, and was married to Stuart Miller, an engineer at Radio WM, and later at BBC Hereford and Worcester. Stuart passed away a couple of years ago.

Joyce was a regular phone in guest to Hereford and Worcester’s mid-morning show until quite recently.

Thanks to Mark Hellings, Assistant Editor of BBC Hereford and Worcester, for sharing this information.

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

Marie Phillips: ‘When I took over CIN [Children in Need] from Tony Raimont it was based in the Press Office because nobody really knew where it belonged !! Joyce was very welcoming and helpful and a true friend when I was threatened with “eviction” !! We shared a lot of laughs, none more funny than the story of the trifles. She and Stuart were active in their village life and Stuart arrived home from a Committee Meeting to tell her that she had been nominated to make 14 trifles for the next event. She begged and borrowed enough bowls, put in monumental effort and made them on the due day, taking them proudly to the venue, to be told by Madam Chairman that actually, it was “trifle for 14” !!! Stuart almost ended up wearing them. Happy memories Joyce – rest easy.’

Richard Uridge: ‘Joyce and Stuart took me under their wing when I was a cub reporter at Radio WM at Pebble Mill. A charming couple and a sad loss to the local radio “family.” Joyce, like Stuart, always had a twinkle in her eye. Both warm and mischievous. A wonderful combination. Happy memories.’

 

Open Country

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

Open Country was an outdoor factual magazine show, which probably dates from the early 1990s.

Thanks to Ian Collins for making this title grab available.

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

Pete Simpkin: ‘I think Richard Uridge presented the Radio version.’

Richard Uridge: ‘Peter you’re right. I was the first presenter of the radio version (which is still running). I don’t recall a TV spinoff though.’

Pete Simpkin: ‘To be honest you have never been adequately replaced old son!’

 

Midlands Today – TV Ark link

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is a link to ‘TV Ark’, a site which includes short clips from a number of ‘Midlands Today’ episodes.  Clips include the first Midlands Today from 1971, as well as excerpts from presenters David Stevens, Alan Towers, Kathy Rochford, Nick Owen, Sue Beardsmore, Kay Alexander, Brian Conway, David Davies, Bernadette Kearney, Andy Knowles, Richard Uridge, Lawrence Lee, Michael Collie, Stuart Linnell and Suzanne Virdee.  The last ‘Midlands Today’ to be broadcast from Pebble Mill is also included.

http://www2.tv-ark.org.uk/bbc_midlands/news.html

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

Jane Ward: ‘I vision-mixed that last 6.30 prog….an honour to do it, but very emotional….’

Stuart Gandy: ‘If you spend a few minutes looking at TV ark, you will find quite a lot from pebble Mill. After all we did make a lot of programmes there, probably more than the average viewer realised’

Ewan Kiel: ‘That is great. I probably spent far longer than I should have done on Midlands Today … but looking back, it was really fun and hey, it was where I met my wife – and now I list people people who were – to me – cool: Kay, Brian, Darren, Fiona Barton, Richard (Uridge), Steve (Lee), Pete Lowe, Patrick (thank you, Patrick), Cathy, Martin Dowell, David Davies, Fiona (again), Steph, Pam, Gary (yes, Hudson), Will Trotter, Mike Johnston, Paul Freeman, Ian (Pedersen – very cool man), John Carney, Kathy Rochford (always had a crush), Liz (camera diary – huge crush… huge), Harvinder ( coolest guy in the office), Fiona ( the memory won ‘t go away), Barbara Steele (were the rumours true?), Darren (again coz he is my abiding friend from that time, and I honestly love him … although nothing gay has happened yet!), Jane Green (aaah), Julie (Etchingham … didn’t she do well), Pete Wilson (cool), John McLeod (very, very cool), Peter Poole (loved him), Howard (HOWARD!!?), Sue Beardsmore (especially in that button up the front grey dress), Nick Patten (and his tendency to direct standing up), Merrick Simmonds, Mel and her stockings, Lindsay, Ian Bellion (and his gorgeous sideburns) …and christ, I spent too long there.’

Lynn Cullimore: ‘yep, worked on that….gallery flush as we called it always evident as things went wrong and you had to be on your toes! Dear david stevens too – dont think he is any longer with us. kay alexander too – she is lovely. oh many many names….oh yes geoffrey green – i loved him and he was so funny. Wonder if he is with us still?’

Peter Poole: ‘I will never forget Alan Towers resigning on air and his comments about BBC management. What a great presenter.’