Colin Pierpoint blog, part 11 – Re-organisation

Copyright resides in the original holder, no reproduction without permission

Copyright resides in the original holder, no reproduction without permission

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This was a time of change in the regions. Who remembers “Broadcasting in the 70s”? and the setting up of the Audio Units. We had a meeting about the future, led by Controller Midlands. First time I had seen him. Another manager (again, I know who it was, but I will save any embarrassment) was talking to us all and saying “Someone like Eric Sabin,” and he looked at me, “will in future be able to apply for a wider range of jobs, so Eric Sabin from the Control Room” looked at me again “could apply for a Sound Supervisor job in Television.” I had to say something, so I said “I believe every word you say, except that my name is not Eric Sabin”. Well, there was an uproar of laughter. John Grantham said to me after the meeting “What I liked was the way you let him dig himself in first!” But in fact it wasn’t deliberate on my part, and not intended. The same manager did later offer me some good career advise including a suggestion that I apply for a Tape and Grams post at Gosta Green. I never did, but only because it was not the direction I wanted to go.

What I did apply for, by default, was a post in the new audio unit. All those unsettled by the reorganisation were automatically given a board and I was the only one of these to get appointed. I was actually on attachment at Wood Norton at the time, and came back to attend the board. It was my performance on this board, and my board for attachments to ETD that I found I could bring out a personality from my usually quiet self. I enjoyed being a candidate on appointment boards, and we had a good laugh at times. I was later to develop this extension of my personality in my lecturing job; it was very useful in my relationship with students. Anyway, on this board, I remember being asked if I had done any Radio Drama. I said “No, and I wouldn’t do it that way in any case”. I went on to talk about location drama which must have gone down well. They also asked if I had any questions. I said “Yes. Why was Regional Radio being closed down when local radio has not yet taken over in all areas?” There was a long pause. Then the chairman said “You are probably as confused as we are”!

So, I got the only vacant post in the new Audio Unit. What happened to all the other applicants? They were put in the Audio Unit of course! Only the BBC could do it this way!

I mention the residual regional radio, I was often allocated to do Regional Extra, the one remaining Radio 4, Midland Opt-out programme, in Studio 5 at Pebble Mill. There were two audio assistants allocated, and we shared Tape and Grams or Panel (operating the desk). This gave me more Studio Manager experience to add to that I had had in Cardiff.

At this time I had asked to do the Grade C Engineering Course at my request. I was surprised when this was granted, and while on the course at Wood Norton, I asked about changing my career from operational work to engineering. In fact, I liked both sides of technical work and I had already spent years designing and building my own electronic equipment as a hobby. By the time the changes took place in regional broadcasting, I was qualified to work in Communications Department, and could therefore work in the Communications Centre at Pebble Mill. Comms had taken over the Control Room work which I had been doing, with two major changes; no continuity now that Local Radio had taken over from regional broadcasting (almost!), and I would now also be doing Radio Links for television.

Colin Pierpoint

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Syncing film rushes with Dawn Trotman and Oliver White

Copyright, Adapt Television History, Royal Holloway, University of London.

This video was recorded in August 2015 as part of Royal Holloway’s ADAPT project. The aim of the project is to recreate how television programmes used to be made, before digital technology. The project reunited Pebble Mill film editor, Oliver White, with former film assistant editor, Dawn Trotman. Oliver had a long and illustrious editing pedigree, cutting dramas like Nuts in May, The Red Shift, A Touch of Eastern Promise amongst many others. He retired as Avid editing came in. Dawn is now a freelance Avid editor, cutting programmes like Countryfile for many years. The ADAPT team asked Dawn and Oliver to demonstrate how film and sep-mag audio were synched up using a Picsync and Steenbeck. This film cutting room was in the London Film School.

Dawn Trotman with Oliver White

Dawn Trotman with Oliver White in the London Film School cutting room

 

 

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

Roy Thompson: ‘Remember teaching all of these film techniques, sound transfer, syncing up, track laying and dubbing to the ITO course (Introduction to Technical Operations) at Wood Norton after being taught by Henry Fowler formerly of Pebble Mill. A great exercise in logic, and creativity, for the students who, in a group of 3 or 4, were given 200 foot of 16mm reversal to make a short film. Great learning even though by then single electronic cameras were making inroads into production and news gathering. Great memories.’

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The Alchemist – Tony Garnett

Roger Shannon and Tony Garnett in conversation. Copyright Flatpack

Roger Shannon and Tony Garnett in conversation. Copyright Flatpack.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last night I went to Tony Garnett’s book signing event at the Ikon Gallery, Birmingham. Tony was in conversation with Roger Shannon, and when asked why he wrote his memoirs, The Day the Music Died, he said, because he had to. He described it as a very painful process, where sometimes he had to stop writing because he couldn’t see the page through his tears! Tony certainly seemed to have experienced more than his fair share of tragedy, especially early in his childhood, when he lost his mother. He told the audience that until he wrote the book, that he hadn’t realised how much his childhood experiences had shaped his approach to the dramas he later produced. Tony was born in 1936, in Erdington and remembered the war in Birmingham well. He was brought up in a large family, with many uncles and aunts, and lots of cousins. He began his working life as an actor, and had a promising career, appearing in a number of stage and television plays. One television play he acted in was The Alchemist, produced by Peter Dews, which was a live drama from Gosta Green, BBC’s Birmingham drama studios before Pebble Mill was built. Also appearing in this production was Topsy Jane, who Tony described as the love of his life, who sadly later suffered from mental health issues.

Here is the Radio Times entry for The Alchemist, by Ben Jonson, transmitted on 29th May 1961, at 21.20. You’ll notice Tony’s credit towards the bottom of the list, playing ‘Kastril, the Angry Boy’:

http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/90d4bd2d1ff14e8b8724dc8bbfe8419b

“starring
AI.AN DOBIE
PATSY ROWLANDS
JOHN WARNER
Produced by Peter Dews
Neighbours, Officers:
Colin Campbell , Mary Chester
Roser Croueher , Murray Gilmore Timothy Harley , Loelia Kidd
Henry Manning , Monica Stewart Isobel Swan
Face and his confederates, Subtle and Doll Common, get up to every trick, squeezing money out of the gullible and the greedy. These lead to outrageous complications which resolve only as the play ends.
Designer, Charles Carroll From the Midlands
See page 21

Contributors
Unknown: Patsy Rowlands
Unknown: John Warner
Produced By: Peter Dews
Unknown: Colin Campbell
Unknown: Mary Chester
Unknown: Roser Croueher
Unknown: Murray Gilmore
Unknown: Timothy Harley
Unknown: Loelia Kidd
Unknown: Henry Manning
Unknown: Monica Stewart
Unknown: Isobel Swan
Designer: Charles Carroll
Face, the Housekeeper: Alan Dobie
Subtile the Alchemist: John Warner
DoH Common, their Colleague: Patsy Rowlands
Lovewit Master of the House: William Mervyn
Dapper, a Lawyer’s Clerk: Edward Petherbridge
Abel Drugger, A Tobacco Man: Terry Scully
Sir Epicure Mammon, a Knight: Thomas Gallagher
Pertinax Surly, a Gamester: Jerome Willis
Ananias, a Deacon: David William
TribulationWholesome, a Pastor: Peter Duguid
Kastril, the Angry Boy: Tony Garnett
Dame Plianthis Sister, a Widow: Topsy Jane”

Unfortunately this production seems to have been Tony’s only work for BBC Birmingham, although he was friendly with David Rose, so it was a little surprising that he never produced any of the English Regions Drama Department plays from Pebble Mill.

Tony Garnett in The Alchemist, copyright resides with the original holder, no reproduction without permission

Tony Garnett in The Alchemist, copyright resides with the original holder, no reproduction without permission. Thanks to Joyce Hawkins for sharing the photo.

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Midland Today newsroom

Bob Sinkinson, Steve Lee Milton, Roy Saatchi, Maureen Carter. Copyright resides with the original holder, no reproduction without permission

Copyright resides with the original holder, no reproduction without permission

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A pensive moment in the Midlands Today newsroom at Pebble Mill. Included in the photo are: Bob Sinkinson, Steve Lee, Roy Saatchi and Maureen Carter.

Thanks to Maureen Carter for sharing the photo.

 

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Pebble Mill mosaic

Pebble Mill Mural Suzie Curtlin

Photo by Suzie Curtlin, no reproduction without permission

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Copyright Martin Phillip, no reproduction without permission

Copyright Philip Morgan, no reproduction without permission

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When the Pebble Mill building was closed before being demolished in 2005, the mosaic mural in the courtyard was dismantled and a piece of it given to each member of staff, as a memento, which was a nice gesture. The mosaic was in the courtyard shown in the photograph, although unfortunately not visible in it.

Thanks to Suzie Curtlin for sharing this photo of her piece of mosaic tile.

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