Photograph by Peter Poole, no reproduction without permission.
This photo is of Bill Bohanna, who was the manager of Film Unit at Pebble Mill. The photo probably dates from the late 1970s.
Monthly Archives: January 2014
Ampex VR2000 2″ Videotape machine
Photos by John Burkill, no reproduction without permission.
These photos date from 1976, and show Ampex VR2000 2″ editing machines in VTB, with a 1/4″ machine between them for lifting off the audio when about to make an edit. In the top photo there is a 2″ editing block, used for cutting and splicing the tape. This was a difficult process, involving a microscope and iron filings, and just to complicate matters the audio and video were on different parts of the tape.
In both photos there is the obligatory VT pint of beer – meaning that the photos were probably taken after or during lunch!
The following comments were left on the Pebble Mill Facebook page:
Keith Brook: Lannin was the edit-block hero. Iron ‘powder’ was used to ‘see’ the frames, and thus the edit points. The beer was needed to wash down those particles that were inhaled. Apparently, water didn’t work at all. This was obviously a long edit because the beer’s flat.
Stuart Gandy: Lubrication of the working parts was essential in these machines. Beer was found to be the perfect substance.
Steve Saunderson: Can’t identify the machine, but it looks like a pint of Ruddles.
Jayne Savage: This is an Ampex VR2000 in VTB with a half drunk pint spoiling a perfectly good shot of a splicing block – Tim says. The splicing block lives on at the Drama Village.
End of Pebble Mill 1996
Copyright resides with the original holder, no reproduction without permission.
Crew and production team of the last Pebble Mill show, May 1996. Pebble Mill was an entertainment magazine show which went out before the lunchtime news on BBC 1 Daytime.
The show was presented by Alan Titchmarsh, Sarah Greene amongst others.
Here are a few of those in the photo:
Front row, left to right: Mark Kershaw (director),?,Kate Hillman, Crispin Evans , Alan Titchmarsh, Sarah Greene, Ross King, ?, Ronnie Butt, ?, Annie Gumbley-Williams
2nd row, l to r: Royston Horsley, Nick Harris, Shirley Benson,? , ?, Gill Thompson, Sarah Reddi, Melissa Feather
3rd row, l to r: ?, ?, Caroline Marshall, ?
1st row standing: Belinda Essex, ?, ?, ?, Vicky Jepson, Anya Francis, ?, Helena Taylor, Claire Chambers, Jane Benham, Clara Hewitt, Sue Lowe, ?
2nd row standing: Merrick Simmonds, Geoff Nawn, Andy Frizzell, (further across) Roulla Xenides, Janice Rider
Next to back row: (fourth and fifth from the right) John Carney (Tech manager), Mike Lee (Vision supervisor), in front of these row is Ian Cull (Vision engineer)
Back row: Dave Brazier, ?,?,?,?,?
(Thanks to Roulla Xenides, and Stuart Gandy for adding in some names).
Please add a comment if you can name some of the others!
Thanks to Ronnie Butt for sharing the photo.
Pebble Mill architect’s model
Copyright resides with the original holder, no reproduction without permission.
These photos are of the architect, John Madin’s model of the Pebble Mill building, and date from 1962. On the top two photos you can see the helix car park at the rear of the building, which was actually never built, due to costs.
John Williams talking about working with Donnellan
John Williams on working with Philip Donnellan from pebblemill on Vimeo.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Film cameraman, John Williams, being interviewed by Dr Paul Long, from Birmingham City University, about working with the documentary film-maker, Philip Donnellan, in the late 1960s and 1970s, at BBC Birmingham.
John Williams, cameraman
The following comment was left on the Pebble Mill Facebook page:
Peter Poole: ‘Great video, brings back memories of me getting the microphone in shoot. Philip was not happy!’