John Madin and the Donnellan documentary – Six Men

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

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In 1965, the maverick film maker, Phillip Donnellan, produced a documentary which featured the architect of BBC Pebble Mill, John Madin, amongst other prominent Birmingham men. The documentary was called Six Men – Portraits of Power in a Modern City.

The film was not universally popular, and caused John Madin some issues.

The filming was quite intensive, and involved Madin being followed round by cameramen for a three-week period, in order to capture a candid view of the architect’s working life. John Madin had requested that he would be able to see the finished film before broadcast, because of the need to maintain professional etiquette. However, this did not happen until very late in the day, and Madin was unhappy about his lack of editorial input into the film. He was frustrated that his repeated requests to see the commentary script, which was to be presented by the writer and broadcaster, Rene Cutforth, were not answered, until at 10.30pm on Thursday 25th March, when he was allowed to see the as yet unfinished script. Madin expressed concern about some of Cutforth’s remarks, but was told that he would ruin the programme if he insisted on these being omitted. Some changes were made to the script, but Phillip Donnellan proved very elusive, and in the end more changes were eventually agreed over the phone, as Donnellan was recording the commentary at a London studios, with Cutforth. The programme was transmitted with Madin still unhappy with certain views expressed.

But the matter did not end there. A local architect complained that the documentary was a breach of professional etiquette, in that it ‘advertised’ Madin’s work, and he referred the matter to the Architects’ Registration Council, who had the power to strike Madin off. A hearing was arranged for December 1965. Patrick Beech the Controller of Midland Region, was supportive of Madin, and explained in a memo that eleven out of thirteen of the accusations brought against Madin, were contained in Cutforth’s commentary, which Madin had not had any editorial control over.

Fortunately, the hearing was short-lived, with a decision being made quickly to dismiss the case. Madin clearly felt bruised by the whole experience.

(This blog was informed by letters and memos held at the BBC Written Archives in Caversham, in file M10/27)

10 years since the beginning of the end for Pebble Mill

Photo by Philip Morgan, November 2004

Photo by Philip Morgan, November 2004

Photo by Philip Morgan, no reproduction without permission.

Photo by Philip Morgan, no reproduction without permission.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yesterday, saw the tenth anniversary of Radio WM leaving Pebble Mill. It was on the 4th July 2004, at 10am, that Radio WM signed on for the first time at the Mailbox.

The Pebble Mill building was emptied gradually during the summer of 2004, as programme runs ended, or logistics would allow. Former TV programme exec, Mark Kershaw, oversaw much of the removal process, particularly for Network Factual TV.

Thanks to Andy Walters for the reminder about this anniversary.

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

Becky Land: ‘Where has that decade gone? I remember discovering that the WM Newsroom was sandwiched between the toilets and canteen. In the early days,if the queue for lunch got too long it snaked passed the news booth and we used to ask people to pipe down as it would come out on air. Also people used to nick the chairs from that booth for others nearby meeting rooms. Nothing like running in for a bulletin and then realising that you had to do it standing up…’

Emma Taynton-Young: ‘My dad was a radio WM presenter, but left before they moved to the. Mailbox.’

Gregory Hallsworth: ‘I had the privilege of working on your Dad’s show at the ‘Palace of Broadcasting’ for five years before we were disbanded in the summer of ’96. He was a great guy and he’s very much missed!’

 

 

Ainsley Harriott – Good Morning with Anne and Nick

Ainsley with HotlinersAinsley Harriott

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photos by Karen Bond, no reproduction without permission.

TV chef, Ainsley Harriott, on Good Morning with Anne and Nick, visits the Hotliners, who manned the phones of the daily live magazine show. The photo dates from the early 1990s.

Thanks to Karen Bond for sharing the photos.

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

Stuart Gandy: ‘Ainsley once gave me an apple! It was at the end of one of the recordings of Can’t Cook, Won’t Cook. I was on the studio floor clearing up after the programme for the day, when he suddenly declared there were lots of apples left over, and promptly dished them out to many of us.’

Bridget Vaughan: ‘I appeared on Can’t Cook with BBC Wm’s Bob Brolly, we won.’

Carolyn Davies: ‘Was thinking of GM today! Ainsley used to cook a separate batch of food especially for the crew….’

Pebble Mill at One – Eric Morecambe

PM@1 Eric Morecambe MM

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

The photo is from Pebble Mill at One in the 1980s, and shows comedian Eric Morecambe in the background, complete with vampire teeth, with Mick Murphy, floor manager, in the foreground. The photo was taken in the Foyer studio.

Thanks to Mick Murphy for sharing the photo.

The following comment was left on the Pebble Mill Facebook Page:

Diane Reid: ‘That was the day Eric did a Marcel Marceau on the outside of the studio window.’

Carnival 90

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Titles grab for a show called Carnival 90. I don’t have any details for the show, but perhaps it was a show about the Nottinghill Carnival?