Photo by John Abbott, no reproduction without permission.
This photo dates from the 1970s, and shows Bob Hubbard (senior cameraman) and the vision crew, (Ian Dewar on the left) from the outside broadcast truck, CMCR9. The scanner was built in 1969, and was Pebble Mill’s first CM1, later becoming Manchester’s, North 3.
The following comment was left on the Pebble Mill Facebook group:
Dave Bushell: ‘Back in the days of the Ventile jacket – not a Berghaus in sight’
Photo from Maggy Whitehouse, no reproduction without permission.
This photo is from the end of run party for Pebble Mill at One, in May 1986. The party was held at Peta Newbold’s house.
Included in the photo are Magnus Magnusson, Paul Coia, Maggy Whitehouse, David Lancaster, Josephine Buchan, Bob Langley, Steve Weddle, Jane Clement, Bev Wildman (now Thompson), Steph Silk.
Copyright resides with the original holder, no reproduction without permission.
This mechanical VT clock, for a cyclo cross outside broadcast for Pebble Mill, pre-dates the electronic VT clock invented by Peter Wood-Fisher, which was added in post production. The clock would have been recorded as part of the OB, with the details of the take chalked in fresh each time. The clock would then have been used at the front of the edited insert in VT.
Thanks to Ian Collins for making the grab available.
Copyright resides with the original holder, no reproduction without permission.
This Prospero article by John Wood, is from September 2005. It concentrates on the heyday of Pebble Mill, when 10% of output was created in Birmingham. Phil Sidey, the first HoB of Pebble Mill is credited with spotting the potential of the foyer as the studio for Pebble Mill at One.
Phil Sidey is shown in a photo with John Wood, from the press office, in the bar.
Thanks to Peter Poole for sharing the article.
Copyright resides with the original holders, no reproduction without permission. Bottom two photos by James French.
These photos are from a 1988 children’s live drama, recorded in Studio A at Pebble Mill, called What’s Your Story, with Crew 3. Included in the photos are Keith Salmon, James French, Derek Hallworth, Simon Bennett, Richard Stevenson, Adrian Kelly, Nigel Beaumont, Noel Paley, Karen Lamb and Dave Ballantyne.
What’s Your Story was a drama series with the storyline continued daily with ideas phoned in by viewers.
Christopher Pilkington was the exec producer, Richard Simkin the director and Richard Simon the producer. Dave Bushell was the lighting director.
The series featured: Sylvester McCoy (narrator), Bill Stewart, Susie Baster, Ben Benson, Tim Diggle, Lisa Rose (Laura), Stephen Tredre and Grace Wilkinson.
The following comments were left on the Pebble Mill Facebook group:
Stuart Gandy: ‘I remember this well. It was quite a challenge from an engineering point of view, but it worked well. I think this was the programme that I got my name on the credits. Engineers usually didn’t unless they were directly driving the gallery. In this case the credits included absolutely everybody that had been involved, however slight.’
Paul Grice: ‘I think it also held the record for the number of phonecalls generated at one time. As a fairly new Comms manager at the time it was my responsibility although I think Mike Day did the real work!’
