January 2013 – Page 5 – What Was Pebble Mill?

Shakespeare or Bust

This grab is from the 1973 Play for Today, ‘Shakespeare or Bust’, by Peter Tersen. David Rose was the producer, Brian Parker the director, Barry Hanson the script editor, assisted by Tara Prem.

The film featured three characters who’d appeared in an earlier Play for Today, ‘The Fishing Party’ again by Peter Terson. The drama followed the miners, Art, Ern and Abe, on a canal narrowboat trip down to Stratford Upon Avon. Art was played by Brian Glover, Ern, Ray Mort and Abe by Douglas Livingstone.

Peter Terson wrote the script whilst doing the journey himself in a narrowboat, leaving chunks of the finished script at lock-keepers’ cottage along the route for Tara to pick up.

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

Caroline Hawkins: ‘Yep, I remember it. Mum was the costume designer and after the filming was over we hired the very same boat for a family holiday.’

Dawn Trotman: ‘I think Oliver White cut it and of course Barry Hanson went on to head up the department as well as produce the Long Good Friday.’

CMCR 9 Vision Crew

Photo by E.M. John Abbott, no reproduction without permission.

The photo is of the Vision Crew of the outside broadcast scanner: CMCR9, Pebble Mill’s CM1 in the 1970s. This scanner went on to become North 3, in Manchester.

The truck was used on programmes like ‘Gardeners’ World’ and ‘Songs of Praise’, as well as dramas and sport.

Included in the photo are: Ian Dewar at the back, Ron Pickering on the phone, Rod Bach at the front and John Allinson on the right. (Thanks to Janet and Ian Collins for the identification!)

Eurwyn Jones in Studio A Quick Change

Photo from Eurwyn Jones, no reproduction without permission.

Floor Manager, Eurwyn Jones, liked to pop in to the quick change room of Studio A, for a chat with the girls in Costume.

The Costume girls include Alison Mitchell top left, Di Lester top right, Joy Pugh front left and Janet Sandles front, right hand side.

The photo probably dates from the early/mid 1980s.

It was probably taken during a Studio day for the drama series ‘Nanny’, which featured Wendy Craig. Joy Pugh was Wendy Craig’s dresser.

Barrie Edgar (1919-2012) – a memory from Pete Simpkin

Barrie Edgar produced some really innovative TV OBs including the first live relay from a Cross Channel Ferry. He related some of the challenges, especially having to cut away from the camera covering the commentator, Peter West, and his interviews as the great sea swell took its toll on their stomachs! This picture from a BBC publication in the early 60s (price 2/6!) shows a more mundane booking with Barrie at work.

Pete Simpkin

The last Pebble Mill at One

Photo from Maggy Whitehouse, no reproduction without permission.

Photograph of the last edition of ‘Pebble Mill at One’ in 1986, taken in Studio C, probably during rehearsal, or whilst prepping during a music number or VT insert. Included are, left to right: Magnus Magnusson, Marian Foster, Canon John Ely, Marjorie Lofthouse next to Paul Coia (seated), Michael Smith, with Josephine Buchan next to the impressive champagne pyramid! The floor manager in the foreground is Caroline Matthews.

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

Julian Hitchcock: ‘I was an AP on “On the House” at the time. However, as a mark of respect, I took part as a volunteer Floor Assistant. It was the last bit of floor management I ever did…’

Peter Poole: ‘I worked on this programme. Pebble Mill Road had crowds of viewers with placards saying “Save our Pebble Mill” . I can’t remember any other programmes getting this reaction from the public.’

Maggy Whitehouse: ‘And one of them got into the official photograph somehow. No idea how she managed it but there’s this old lady looking slightly bemused.’