March 2016 – Page 2 – What Was Pebble Mill?

CMCR9 Outside Broadcast Re-enactment

Photo by Steve Harris, no reproduction without permission

A re-enactment of the outside broadcast truck above, CMCR9, Pebble Mill’s original CM1 is being organised for May 2016. The team from Royal Holloway, University of London, have so far organised quite a large team of crew who worked on type 2 OB trucks. However, they still need some more people to be involved, including at least one more cameraman, an engineering manager, a PA, and more than anything they need some riggers! If you worked on these type of OB trucks, and might want to get involved, then please add a comment and I will pass on your details to the organisers. The idea is to recreate as far as possible an actual recording with the truck. The recording will be in the North West.

Angela Rippon presenting Top Gear

Copyright resides with the original holder, no reproduction without permission

Here is a screen grab of Angela Rippon presenting the first ever episode of the motoring magazine show, Top Gear, stood outside BBC Pebble Mill, from 1977. An excerpt of this episode is included in the following BBC show, Back in Time for the Weekend, episode 3, The 70s: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b071c07m/back-in-time-for-the-weekend-3-the-70s

Here is the Radio Times entry for an early episode of Top Gear, from July 1978, courtesy of the BBC Genome project: http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/53d7caaca2db42e9af4b102cb6bb061b. You’ll see from the text that the programme was much more consumer and safety conscious than the current iteration of Top Gear:

“Top Gear with Angela Rippon and Barrie Gill
Rippon on the Road
The big holiday rush begins this weekend and many drivers plan to travel through Friday night. How dangerous is this practice? What are the stress factors and what are the signs of fatigue? Angela finds out for herself by night driving to the West Country. Twenty people are killed and over 200 seriously injured each week yet these figures could be cut to one tenth if we used our seat belts. Should we leave it to persuasion or is compulsion the final answer?
Director PHIL FRANKLlN Producer DEREK SMITH BBC Birmingham

Radio Studio 2

Photos by Martin Fenton, no reproduction without permission

Photo by Martin Fenton, no reproduction without permission

“This is the console in studio 2. Studio 2 did more Big Band / studio music sessions and was multitrack. Studio 1 was more of an orchestral concert studio and had GP cababilities.”

Kath Shuttleworth

“It’s SSL 4000E, as Kath says in studio 2. I worked on them at Maida Vale, as a trainee we were told that it cost £2000 a channel! There was a similar desk in SCV6.”

Paul Hunt

“Ah… Studio 2 was my home from home…. So many memories…..”

Jane Ward

Site for Regional Headquarters 1948

The memo below shows that the Pebble Mill site was identified as suitable for the BBC as early as 1948. The Controller of Midland Region, H.J. Dunkerley had visited various sites around Birmingham, including one on the Hagley Road, but the Pershore Road site had the most promise. It is strange to think that it would be 23 years until the building actually opened!

Controller, Midland Region 9^th November 1948

SITE FOR REGIONAL HEADQUARTERS

Civil Engineer Copies to: D.A., The Solicitor

As you will see from a note which M.R.Ex. is sending you, there is now every indication that there should be no major difficulties in the way of our securing the Pershore Road site in Birmingham which you inspected a few weeks ago. Since you were here I have seen it myself, and agree with your estimate of it. It is well placed on a corner site about two miles from the city centre and easily accessible. The total area of the site is about 7 and a half acres. It is situated in a good-class residential neighbourhood and is not far from the University, which is another favourable factor. We have still to hear from the Edgbaston Estates as to terms, but we do no anticipate any difficulty in that direction. As regards the Birmingham Corporation, it was at their instance that we investigated this site as an alternative to the Hagley Road West area where they did not favour our going. I trust therefore that we can go forward at an early date with firm arrangements for securing the Pershore Road site. Please let me know if there is anything more we can do at this end to help matters along.

H.J. Dunkerley

Good Morning with Anne and Nick

This titles grab is from the daily magazine show, Good Morning with Anne and Nick, which ran on BBC1 from 1992-6. The show was scheduled to compete with This Morning on ITV. It was presented by Anne Diamond and Nick Owen.

Here is the Radio Times entry from one of the early episodes from October 12 1992, courtesy of the BBC Genome project:

Anne Diamond and Nick Owen welcome you to a new week of chat. fact, tips, fun, daily horoscopes and star guests.
10.50 Beauty Spot with Liz Simpson
11.00 News (Txt) and weather
11.10 Library of Romance
11.20 Star Guest of the Day
11.30 Consumer Action with Will Hanrahan
11.35 Medical Phone-in with Dr Mark Porter
1 1.50 Travel Spot with Carol Smillie
12.00 News (Txt) and weather

Editor Mike Hollingsworth

http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/650fac97edd84607b638b8e3dcd3c32e

Thanks to Ian Collins for making the grab available.