February 2013 – Page 4 – What Was Pebble Mill?

Last Pebble Mill at One

These photos were taken on the last day that ‘Pebble Mill at One’ was transmitted in May 1986.

The top photo features, left to right: Richard Bradley, Viv Ellis, Maggy Whitehouse, Peta Newbold.

The lower photo features, left to right: Sue Ashcroft, Viv Ellis, ?, Mary Clyne, Maggy Whitehouse, Richard Bradley, Anne Varley.

Thanks to Maggy Whitehouse for sharing the photo.

This still is from a Thirty Minute Theatre, called ‘You and Me and Him’, by David Mercer. It features Peter Vaughan, and would have been recorded onto 2″ videotape. It was transmitted on 22 Feb 1973. Barry Hanson was the director, David Rose, the producer, Michael Edwards the production designer, and John Lannin the VT editor.

The play was ordered to be wiped in the 1970’s, as was the case with many programmes on 2″, due to the high cost of tape, but the VT guys changed the number on the tape and put it in the basement. It was re-discovered in 1990 by Paul Vanezis, and put in the BBC Archive where more enlightened minds were happy to ensure its survival.

Thanks to Ben Lamb and Paul Vanezis for identifying the drama, and adding much of the information here.

Papal Visit 1982 – Pete Simpkin

I came across my Papal Pass for the Pope’s visit in 1982 to Coventry Airport. For security all the Pebble Mill team, Radio and TV, were locked in, for I think 12 hours for the duration. I was the officially approved understudy broadcaster for WM and in the event was never called to duty and remained behind at Pebble Mill…. so the pass was never used!

Peter Simpkin

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

Andy Walters: ‘I covered the last Papal visit. We had to be in at 1.30am but the programme didn’t go on air till 10 and we didn’t even have any power till 6. I fell asleep, missed a fade and was woken up by the Producer who couldn’t reach me, throwing a chocolate bar off my head. As one long serving Engineer in Birmingham said, “These once in a life time things come around too often”.’

Conal O’Donnell: ‘I had to do a background doc for WM which was a nightmare in that because of the Falklands War it wasn’t at all clear whether the Pontiff would come or not..the two versions programme is such a pain especially when you have to ask such luminaries at the Dean of Peterhouse, Dr Edward Norman, to do two i/v versions -he looked at me as if I were mad!!!!!!’

Pete Simpkin: ‘Michael Blood (Rev’d) who was WM’s Religious Programmes organiser adds the following to the Papal Visit 1982 story….”I’ve got one of those labels as well! With memories of a fantastic weekend with fantastic weather! I remember my wife Beryl lovingly packing an enormous bag with food for the entire weekend as we were told to do by the ever competent BBC. Only to arrive to be issued with meal vouchers and ushered into the dining tent for lunch. The first question, from the waiter complete with bow tie, was
“How would you like your duck, sir?” And so it went on from good to better! And the bag of food came home.

The other marvellous moment came at the end of 24 hours of prizewinning broadcasting, and five star catering.
The producer, who shall be nameless, said to the PA “can I have the ROT”. To which she replied, “What ROT? Nobody asked me to make an ROT.” There was a minor explosion as the Sony Award went out of the window!”‘