Photos by Ian Collins, no reproduction without permission.
Before the Pebble Mill auction in 2004 and the demolition, VT Editor, Ian Collins decided to take record photos of much of the post production kit, particularly obsolete items which were being disposed of.
These photos are of the Shibaden 1/2 Video Tape recorder – model SV 700, which was the most popular model in the range. These machines came out in the late 1960s and were used well into the 1970s. They were open reel to reel videotape recorders, recording in black and white. The tapes moved at 7.5 inches per second. Shibaden also made cameras, sync generators and monitors, and were a rival to Sony.
Considering the glorious sound and fury the network radio team created at Pebble Mill down the years, I’m sorry that there are so few contributions from the wireless wonders.
I was editor and then Head of Network Radio for the best part of twenty years (1970-89), and I can recall an astonishing array of talent that passed through the radio studios both in front of and behind the mic. When I started with the Beeb in 1966 (pre Pebble Mill), I worked in the Broad Street newsroom for the fiercesome Glaswegian Jack Johnston and was regularly saved from his wrath by Roy Ronnie and Sam Shaw! Despite Jack’s attempt to fire me, I survived and thrived well enough to climb the greasy pole and had a key part in the move into Pebble Mill in 1970. In fact, when Alan Rees (Head of the Centre at the time) became ill, I got lumbered with the whole fandango of the royal opening of the building.
So…I have a shedload of memories but is there anyone out there who wants to hear them?
It would be nice to hear from some of the old school but I warn you, I won’t need too much encouragement to shout my mouth off!
Jock Gallagher (Pebble Mill from the beginning until 1989)
Photos by Peter Poole, no reproduction without permission.
These photos show Studio C vision control and lighting desk (photo 1), vision mixer (photo 2), and production desk (photo 3).
The main use of this gallery was working with the foyer studio area. ‘Pebble Mill at One’ and ‘Good Morning with Anne and Nick’ were broadcast live from the foyer.
Photos probably taken by Mark Kershaw, no reproduction without permission.
The photos are from the first ‘Gardener of the Year’ final in 1999. We recorded the show at the Earth Centre in Doncaster in early September 1999, with the programme being transmitted just before Christmas on 21 Dec, and achieving some very good audience figures. The show ran for around 10 years.
For the final the contestants had to design and build a show garden which was about 5m square. They had a budget which they had to stick to rigorously, and they were allowed one helper each. Each regional winner from the heats had 5 days to build their garden. I remember a fair amount of tears and tantrums. The finale was an OB in a fantastic marquee presented by Alan Titchmarsh. Charlie Dimmock reported on how the contestants had got on during the build. The format worked really well, and was finessed over the subsequent years, although the preliminary heats were dropped.
The series was produced by me (Vanessa Jackson), executive produced by Roger Casstles, directed by Mark Scott, with assistant producers Kate Hillman and Beverleigh Wildman (now Thompson). The judges were garden designer Ali Ward, Gardeners’ World Magazine editor Adam Pascoe, and presenter and gardening expert Nigel Colborn. Alan Titchmarsh was the presenter, with Charlie Dimmock reporting.
The photos include: Charlie Dimmock (jeans), Roger Casstles (navy jacket), me (Vanessa Jackson, centre, blue floral dress – and 6 months pregnant), John Moorcroft (camera, yellow T-shirt, shorts). Ali Ward and Adam Pascoe (judges) in the penultimate photo, and Dave Brazier (floor manager) and me in the last photo.
Photos by Brian Watkiss, no reproduction without permission.
The photos are of a studio recording in VT E between 1990-2. Editor, Nigel Evans is on the left, then Simon Bennett, with director, Philip Thickett on the right. You can see the machine room through the window on the left hand-side.
The second photo also shows Nigel Evans in VT E. The recording looks to be of a cookery programme, possibly ‘Hot Chefs’. You’ll also notice an owl soft toy on top of the monitor. The owl still exists somewhere. The owl has two eyes, a red and a green one. If it lit up red it would signify a non PAL edit IIRC!
Thanks to Paul Vanezis for adding information about these photos.
