Tag: Stuart Gandy

Producer Choice Explained

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This article was published in the Midlands News, the internal newsletter, in June 1992. Roger Waugh, the Head of Resources sets out to explain the principles behind, Director General, John Birt’s ‘Producer Choice’.

‘Producer Choice’ split off the Resource departments from Production, and resulted in mass redundancies in Resources. Redundancies are hinted at in this article, but the position wasn’t clear in 1992.

Thanks for Stuart Gandy for sharing this edition of Midlands News.

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

Carolyn Davies: ‘Still commonly used in inverted commas to mean ‘complete disaster’…’

Malcolm Hickman: ‘I remember I had to establish each business units’ asset size so they could be charged. A mammoth task.’

Mark Holdstock: ‘I couldn’t decide who was the worse DG. Birt or Mark Thompson producer choice was a completely stupid idea. When they started charging for record loans, we quickly worked out that it was much cheaper to pop into town to HMV and buy the disc.’

Steve Peacock: ‘Idiotic and divisive policy. Decimated the craft base and did us producers no favours at all.’

Caroline Feldon Parsons: ‘Producer Choice. Leading to much less actual sensible choice than a producer had before it was implemented. Lovely.’

Julia Versluis: ‘Until you had to pay for a service and discover it was three times more expensive this way.’

Julie Hill: ‘I jumped ship before that hideous “initiative” was enforced. Lost out on any redundancy though!’

Vicky King: ‘I remember it well, working in HR, one of the biggest change programmes I’ve worked on.’

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Miriam O’Reilly on Pres desk

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The photo is of Miriam O’Reilly operating the Midlands Today pres desk at Pebble Mill in 1990. This was a year before the big stereoification refurbishment of all the regional pres desks in 1991, which in turn led to the building of the pres gallery next door.

Notice the diamond-shaped strips sticking the ear-piece wire to behind Miriam’s ear, probably of toupee tape – I bet those hurt when they were pulled off. There’s also a handy reel of what looks like camera tape on the desk, carefully out of shot, in case of emergencies!

Thanks to Stuart Gandy for sharing this photo, which was originally posted on the Pebble Mill Engineers Facebook group.

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

Mary Sanchez: ‘Great photo! I used to sit to the right of her punching up the graphic slides and ‘floor managing’ timings etc from my chair! Seems so simple now!!’

Jane Green: ‘Miriam was I think the first to do the self-drive – presenting and pressing all the buttons. I was next to her when she did the Breakfast bulletin and instead of pressing the button to bring her name up on screen at the beginning, she cut to the end weather caption. Then something else, and so on. Poor lady! I could do nothing to help. At the end of the bulletin, she pointedly looked down to the buttons to find the right one to opt back to the network, and looked up and gave a lovely smile before opting back. She stayed calm throughout.’

Jonathan Dick: ‘I remember being in there with Janet Mayo, on one of the first times that she worked in that suite – probably around 1988/9. On the 0855 bulletin, she faded beautifully down-and-up from network to the BBC 1 Midlands symbol, said ‘This is BBC 1 for the Midlands’, then cut straight back to network sound and vision (now showing the South East News), rather than her camera. So we got SE News plus Janet’s voice over the top of it. Somewhat recklessly perhaps, I put my arm in from the side, trying to keep low, beneath the camera shot, and punched the camera button. As I moved back after doing this, I caught a lovely view of myself doing so in the TX monitor… not low enough, obviously. I then realised that I hadn’t stopped network sound from going out, so desperately inched my arm in once again, managing to stay out of view, except after I hit the requisite button, when my arm recoiled, and flew-up through the shot – at least I didn’t accidentally punch Janet on the jaw at that point! All was OK after that, and poor Janet kept on reading throughout my contortions beside and in front of her. I went nervously back into the newsroom afterwards, wondering what would be said, but nothing was – Roy Saatchi was there chatting to some colleagues, but nobody mentioned the incident. I thought I’d got away with it, until Mike Johnston arrived a few minutes later, and from the other end of the newsroom, saw me, pointed at me and shouted ‘Hey – star!!!’. Later in the morning my appearance was reviewed by several of us on the VHS ROT in Studio 9, with the tape being stepped forward a frame at a time, in order to determine my point of maximum visibility.’

Diane Kemp: ‘Yes, it hurt! The camera tape is how we stuck the wire to our necks. It’s all about the glamour you know!’

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Bob Meikle and Jim Gray

Photo by Richard Stevenson, no reproduction without permission

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This photo is of cameramen, Bob Meikle and Jim Gray, sitting in the Crush Bar, outside Studio A, enjoying a break and a snack. It was taken by Richard Stevenson in February 1990, when Bob and Jim were presumably working on a show in Studio A.

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

Stuart Gandy: ‘This was when the servery for the crush bar was downstairs, before eventually moving to the corridor above.’

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Last Pebble Mill at One – Five Star

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This is a performance of Five Star on the last ever episode of Pebble Mill at One in 1986. The group dance in locations all round the Pebble Mill building, including the canteen, PBX, the roof, courtyard, and even the Pebble Mill at One production office.

Thanks to David Croxson for pointing out the video on YouTube.

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

Ruth Barretto: ‘I have to say it bought a tear to my eye. So loved working in this building. Many happy memories. I remember watching them rehearsing .’

Stuart Gandy: ‘Wow, Can’t beleive this is 30 years ago!. I remember this so well, especially the bit they did in comms centre.’

Caroline Feldon Parsons: ‘Looking at that you realise once again what an iconic building it was. Loved my time there.’

Dharmesh Rajput: ‘Love this! Great to see the building again – I don’t think I remember the quadrangle without the conservatory in it!’

Pete Simpkin: ‘Fantastic!…brings back so many memories after all this time….yes and the lump to the throat!…..and what brilliant editing. Just this one clip shows clearly why ‘The One Show’ is such a feeble imitation too!!!’

Claire Chambers: ‘The very talented Roger Casstles directed this – only he could make Pebble Mill look like a Miami backdrop ( well at the beginning -not the bit in the canteen!)I think I was the P.A.!!!! How many locations and shot variations has he used -excellent.’

 

Colin Pierpoint blog part 18 – Move From Pebble Mill

Copyright, Colin Pierpoint. My best office at Wood Norton.

Copyright, Colin Pierpoint. My best office at Wood Norton.

Copyright Colin Pierpoint. Robin, seen from the office window.

Copyright Colin Pierpoint. Robin, seen from the office window.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is the final part of Colin Pierpoint’s blog.

(After working at BBC Pebble Mill since it opened in 1971, Colin was eventually tempted away).

In June 1980 I got a permanent post as a Lecturer at the Engineering Training Department at Wood Norton, where I had had two previous attachments of a year. I was lucky. The Head of ETD had retired, and the new head was Dr Owen from the Open University, so on the Board I was able to talk about all the OU courses I was studying for my degree. In June 1980 I began my new career, but that didn’t mean that I left Pebble Mill for good. Part of my work was to bring courses of students on a regular trip to Droitwich transmitting station and Pebble Mill. Being recognised by staff I used to work with was very useful, and got us into all areas to see actual operational work going on. (Unlike the tours you get now; where, even if you are ex-staff you don’t even see inside a studio). One Christmas I sent boxes of chocolates to each department in appreciation of all the cooperation I had in the past. I expect they thought I had claimed them back on expenses, but in fact I paid for them myself. I was still well known at Pebble Mill on visits with my students because ex-colleagues who met me would often say “Have you been on leave? Kay Alexander said “What happened to my coffee?”

Colin Pierpoint

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

Stuart Gandy: ‘I remember my visit to Driotwich on my A course, but it was in autumn 1979, the year before you were there Colin. It was especially memorable because during that particular week, there had been some very bad weather and strong winds, which had actually blown down the long aerial wire that was fixed to the two masts. So you can imagine, there was a lot of activity going to to fix it. I remember they guys saying ..its not normally this busy!’

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