Pebble Mill at One, Studio C

Copyright Simon Harris, no reproduction without permission

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1980’s photo of the Pebble Mill at One studio, in the converted foyer of Pebble Mill. Note the Links cameras

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

Wendy Lewis Edwards: Four years on Pebble Mill at One then back years later for Good Morning with Anne and Nick. Remember Beryl Reid crawling on all fours across the floor between cameras to pull faces at Val Doonican singing away with his guitar. The viewing audience were completely unaware…

Julian Hitchcock: I hardly know where to begin. I first worked in the foyer in late 1978, worked on countless Saturday Night at the Mill programmes and hundreds of PM@1s.

Oddly, my last visit was as a guest on the Anne and Nick daytime show that took the same slot, in 1995, when I was escorted there and back in a limousine. On that occasion, I deliberately wore a checked jacket to pull the TM’s leg. (Sorry).

Eurwyn Jones: I remember working on Saturday Night at the Mill and Ginger Rogers arriving in a big car and walking in through the double doors.

The production team were Roy Ronnie, Roy Norton, Patricia Mifflin and Peter Wisdom.
David Crozier: I have many happy memories of being the designer on both Pebble Mill at One and Saturday Night at the Mill. I always loved the live TV atmosphere on both these shows. It was the Pebble Mill live TV experience which inspired my career change, a few years later, to becoming a TV director. I always enjoyed directing multi-camera live TV shows and the impression left by my time at Pebble Mill has never left me!
Carolyn Davies: Forgot how narrow it was! Amazingly well utilised space, remember it well for Daytime and Good Morning with Anne and Nick, bands, demos, cooking, how did we fit it all in!?!
Tim Dann: Great ‘daze!’…& who will forget Roy Norton in the Gallery; at the end of the show jumping up, knocking his chair over & screaming at ‘Presentation’…”Take me prez, take me, take me!!”….then as Susie says…Off to the ‘Strathallan’ for hospitality. Wonderful times.
Ruth Barretto: I used to work for john Grantham in Engineering (one of the loveliest boss) and I remember he had these huge rolled up artist impressions of the foyer area when it was in the planning stage. It was initially the reception area . He asked me if I wanted them . Being young I thought ‘why would I want them?’ Wish I had said yes now!!!
David Shute: I recall when the Wild Eyed Sidey was hot to go with this idea that the head of Engineering, a pleasant person, said it wouldn’t work ‘cos you can’t combine daylight & studio lighting. Phil gave him 30 mins back in his own office to come up with reasons WHY or come ready to discuss his early retirement. What a surprise, it all happened at speed !

Derek Johnson

copyright resides with the original holder, no reproduction without permission

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Veteran Midlands Today film cameraman, Derek Johnson, sadly died a few days ago. He was in his mid-eighties. Derek was also a stills photographer and recorded mute films for Midlands Today.

Unfortunately I do not have a photograph of Derek, but please let me know if you have one, and could share it.

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

Jason Dean: ‘Very sorry to hear about this. Always grateful to Derek and his son Ian (his sound man) for being so helpful and patient with me when I was on attachment to Midlands Today in the mid 80’s as a rooky TV reporter. Particularly remember the time they put up with me doing endless attempts to get a piece to camera right in the centre of Leamington Spa!’

Wendy Lewis Edwards: ‘Derek was a one man film operator, going out relentlessly over very long days to pick up mute pictures of stories that otherwise would not have been covered. He made an enormous contribution to Midlands Today and was a delightful, reliable, modest man for whom I had great admiration’

Robin Latchem: ‘I think I did my first Midlands Today item with Derek and Ian. So glad they tolerated being a de facto mobile training unit. Such a helpful, gentle man.’

Kevin Latimer: ‘Derek was a companion on many cold winters news stories around Brum – remember him as a very contented cameraman’

James Roberson: ‘Very sad to hear about dear DJ – he was one of the stalwarts of the Midlands today team, along with his son Ian – both gentlemen and so helpful and kind to work with – happy days in the late 1980s at Pebble Mill ..’

 

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