Helen O’Rahilly outside Pebble Mill, copyright resides with the original holder, no reproduction without permission
My first BBC job….1988-89…researcher at Daytime Live. Great days, great people: Simon Shaw, Mary Clyne, David Morgenstern, Vikki Kimm, David Lancaster, David Weir, Alan Titchmarsh, Judi Spiers….loved the Friday baltis with the team in Moseley. A wonderful place that welcomed this young Irish woman from RTE. Fond memories.
Helen O’Rahilly
Emma Clarke, copyright resides with the original holder, no reproduction without permission
(This article is from the Bromsgrove Advertiser: http://www.bromsgroveadvertiser.co.uk/news/14321710.)
Five former staff from the BBC who were made redundant from the company, and moved on to try out new interests and careers are organising a spring market in Bournheath Village Hall to show off some of their wares.
Emma Clarke studied for a bachelor’s degree in Podiatric Medicine after leaving the BBC, and now has clinics all over Bromsgrove and the surrounding area. She plans on bringing some tempting treats for feet to the market, along with foot care advice.
Michelle Doidge moved on to run a business specialising in aloe vera health, nutrition and skin care products, while Ruth Barretto, who still works in television as a freelancer, also makes home-made cupcakes which she’ll be bringing along.
Lyn Flavell now runs ‘Lin’s Bakeaways’ a successful catering business, which supplies tea-shops, butchers and delicatessens in Worcestershire.
Finally ex-BBC producer, Veronica Butt, now runs her own cards and stationery business.
She said: “A number of former BBC staff have pursued other interests and careers since leaving the BBC including local Bromsgrove author, Sue Watson, as well as people becoming life coaches, running their own mobile spa, running an interior design business, a catering business and a wedding photography business – we even have a vicar.
“We hope that many more of us who are exploring new careers will be available for an event in the future so people can see that it’s never too late to try something new.”
Between them the five had more than 100 years of experience at the company before moving on to their new lives, and they will be showing f a range of products in Bournheath Village Hall in Claypit Lane on Sunday, March 20 from 2-4pm.
Entrance to the fair is free, and there will be free tea, coffee and biscuits on offer, as well as the chance to buy homemade pies, quiches, cupcakes; greetings cards, giftwrap, stationery; aloe vera health and beauty products and professional foot care emollients and ointments.
Photo copyright, Philip Morgan, no reproduction without permission.
These photos were taken by Philip Morgan in autumn 2004, when Pebble Mill had been emptied, and just prior to the auctioning off of equipment.
The top photo shows one of the Radio WM studios, with the second one showing a close up of the ringmain selector, which is mounted on the back wall.
I particularly like the piece of paper stuck to the wall reminding presenters not to forget to include the travel in the 7pm news bulletin, as well as the reminders for how to get accurate time signals!
Andy Walters added the following information:
“That was the NPA (News Presentation Area) at the end of the newsroom nearest WM. The ringmain was a separate one for the newsroom and there were several of them dotted around. in the NPA the red and gren dials appeared as monitoring sources on the desk. I remember having to remake those labels. Even though we had computer playout from 2001 the cartridge machines were still used for regional news bulletins to the end. There was a similar studio next door (The TPA!) and in Wolverhampton. Here’s the same room on it’s last day of action in June 2004. Due to some error none of WM’s equipment was auctioned and was slowly picked off by other stations who were still using the same equipment.”
News presentation area (NPA), photo from Andy Walters
Radio WM newsroom, the NPA, was just off here. Photo by Andy Walters
Copyright resides with the original holder, no reproduction without permission.
Before the opening of Pebble Mill it became clear that additional space was needed for the Film Unit, and particularly for film cutting rooms and review theatre. It was decided to build a link building between the Outside Broadcast base and the main building. It wasn’t a very aesthetic building, but a very functional and cost effective one.
This sketch dates from May 1969, and was drawn by D.R. Kinally, Head of Engineering, Television Projects. The proposed layout was designed to ensure that six film cutting rooms had good access to light, which shows surprising consideration to editors’ working conditions, and of course allowed them to grow the occasional plant on the windowsill!
I don’t remember the layout of Film Unit being as shown in the sketch, so perhaps it was altered later on.
Copyright resides with the original holder, no reproduction without permission.
Thanks to Ian Collins for sharing this titles grab from Top Gear Motorsport, which was a spin off series from the popular BBC2 motoring magazine show, which focused on all types of motorsport and went out between 1995-8.
Here is the entry from the Radio Times for the first episode of the series from autumn 1995, courtesy of the BBC Genome project: http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/83b5237bb8e8487ab2b57dbfb2035870
“In the first of a 17-part series, John Cleland , recently crowned British
Touring Car Champion, reviews his season. Plus, there’s a look at Alister McRae ‘s bid for glory in the Scottish round of the Top Gear British Rally Championship, and a review of the career of five times world champion
Juan Manuel Fangio , who died earlier this year. Presented by Tiff Needell , Tony Mason and Steve Berry.
Series producer Ken Pollock ; Executive producer
Dennis Adams”