Paul Richards – TK Operator

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photograph by Paul Scholes, no reproduction without permission.

The photo is of Paul Richards, TK operator (now deceased). It was probably taken in TK A.

TK, stood for Telecine, it was the area in post production that allowed for footage shot on film to be viewed on video equipment.

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

Stuart Gandy: ‘TK was the second department I rotated into as a TA back in 1980. I was at first astonished at the sheer speed that Paul Taylor and Jim Gregory could lace up the machine. But they had to be able to. When TK was used for Midlands Today, it was quite common for the news film to arrive sometimes only seconds before on air time. Many times I can remember Milton Hainsworth rushing around to TK with the reel ready for lacing. In those days the filmed stories were edited into a continuous piece of film.’

Pete Simpkin: ‘One of the great tragedies of the use of film on regional news,especially in the 50s and 60s is that the original negative film was processed,edited and transmitted from TK which means that after only a few showings there was no way of getting a good quality archive copy which is why news clips from that era are of such poor quality. Shame after all the frantic and skilled work which was expended on getting newsfilm ‘on air’.’

Peter Greenhalgh: ‘I spent a few months in TK with Paul, Jim, Gregory, Dave Scholden, and John Duckmanton when I was a trainee about the same time as Stuart (1981). I remember it being a close, friendly team, and Paul gave me lots of good advice. I wasn’t allowed vinegar on my chips in the canteen though… I too remember how fast those guys were. The Sondor bay got me every time. If you forgot to move the top arm out of the way, when you got halfway though lacing it, it would rip the sepmag out of your hand and spool it back onto the reel!’

Peter Poole: ‘I didn’t know negative film was used for news. How was audio recorded? I remember reversal film being used in the 1970s. The quality of commag audio was poor. The TV farming programme was also shoot on reversal film due to its topical content. I often worked on the live TX from Studio B on Sunday mornings. Back then TK and VT needed a 10 second run up. The directors and PAs needed to run TK and VTs on time. If not the presenter would have to ad-lib to fill the gap. No wonder programmes from that time look rather slow.’

Pete Simpkin: ‘The negative film was used in the black and white period of the 50s, when regional TV news was started, and into the 60s up to the point when colour was introduced using as you say reversal film system. Black and white film used commag stock for sound, recorded in the camera and, this was often cut under pressure and any voice over links added usually live. Later there was a system called SEPMAG which, when the original camera audio had been copied across to the separate reel of film, enabled independent editing of pictures and sound and hence the introduction of dubbing suites. Unfortunately for news purposes it wasn’t always possible to re-unite the audio and picture onto commag so the separate reel had to be ‘locked’ or synchronised with the picture projector….a very hazardous and hair raising experience not only for the operators in TK but the studio director who would be often waiting for the ‘all clear’ that the locking up had worked !!’

Vanity Fair – Mark Hill

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Polishing off an ice lolly on the left at the back of this still is yours truly.

I recall the ‘Vanity Fair’ shoot (with many scenes at Blickling Hall). It was toward the end of my time at Pebble Mill (fond memories) before I jumped ship to Central (ITV). I was working in G41 at the time (post production and OB maintenance). As I recall, I had been sent to Norfolk as a ‘guarantee engineer’, with the aim of minimising any downtime on the production should any of the technical kit on CM2 breakdown.

I well remember the night time scenes and trying to get the best pictures out of the Philips LDK-14 colour cameras and the Ampex VPR-2B videotape recorders that were fitted to the OB unit (CM2). I remember seeing the series on TX and wincing at the dreadful video lag evident on shots with candles in them; the noise on the low light scenes; and the occasional suspect corner registration. Not suprised that the BBC re-made ‘Vanity Fair’ as part of the move to 16:9!

Mark Hill

Helicopter Rescue at Pebble Mill at One

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

These stills are of a helicopter rescue demonstration as part of  a ‘Pebble Mill at One’ programme.  Producer Tony Rayner is seen in the helicopter with the headphones on, and presenter Bob Langley is the one being rescued.  The programme probably dates from the early 1980s.

Please add a comment if you have any more details.

Karen Davies’ blog

(Copyright of the photo remains with the original holder)

I was asked to man the lift when Princess Anne opened the building….even bought a new scarf for the occasion. As a PA of only 4’11” stature and spending most of my time in the 2nd floor bar, nervous personnel doctored the lift buttons to make sure I pressed number ‘4’ to take her to the lofty management echelons! I also practically passed out waving my antennae on the reception steps in an extremely unwieldy rubber ant costume for a Pebble Mill At One, Doctor Who feature. The joys of being diminutive. I joined the Asian Unit as Gerry Hynes PA in 1971, became a Production Assistant a year later & left for ATV in ’78. Carole Glover, Coral Higson, Heather Storr, Jenny Homer, Polly Whitehouse, Jane Alderson & Pam Relton were my partners in crime.

(The photo includes Dr Charles Hill (Chairman of BBC Governors), white haired man on the left, it is David Rose (Head of Drama) who Princess Anne is talking to, and 3rd from the right is Bob Gale (senior dresser).)

Studio C North Riser, Kathryn Shuttleworth

I seem to remember that these photos were taken with a panoramic camera that was being featured on the show that day. The photos were left in the North Riser so I took them home for safe keeping.

Left to right: Alex Christison, Michael Harrison, Guy Worth, Paul Scurrell, Kathryn Shuttleworth

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

Peter Poole:  ‘Many happy days in the North Riser trying to make the VHF Micron radio mics work!’

Laura McNeill: ‘Think I spent half my life there, yes Peter happy days.’