March 2017 – What Was Pebble Mill?

All Memories Great and Small – part 7, Carol Churchill

Photo of All Creatures Great and Small set in Studio A, by Tim Savage. No reproduction without permission.

Here is the latest excerpt from “All Memories Great & Small” – by Oliver Crocker.

This time, it is the memories of Carol Churchill (née Ganniclifft) (Make-up Artist):

‘I’d joined the BBC in 1973. I had heard they were looking for make-up artists at Pebble Mill and I thought it sounded interesting so I applied and I got the job – though when I applied, I really had no idea what it was! My mother had a hairdressing salon, so I had that skill, because in television you needed to do both. They sent me to London for a course for three months and then I was up and running. I feel very sad for the girls today because it is so hard to get into it and they have to pay for their training now, which for the same course I did is about £9,000, so not everyone can afford it.’

60 cast and crew have shared their memories for this new book, which is available to preorder now from Miwk – http://bit.ly/2d7p5ts

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

Richard Burn: ‘Great to see this set again, first programme I ever worked on in television. I did the pre-production sign design for Darrowby and packaging and signage for the Dispensary, I had never heard of set dressing before then.’

Andy Frizzell: ‘Ha! First studio drama I ever worked on. Bob Gell was TM1 (lighting director nowadays) the hands on the clock in the hall were held on with blue tack.’

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Nuts in May article

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This interview with Alison Steadman about the 1976 Play for Today, Nuts in May, must have taken place in 2009 (which is when the Alan Bennett play mentioned at the end of the article was on), but I’m not sure of where it appeared, or why. Perhaps it was simply an interesting article with Alison Steadman, which promoted Alan Bennett’s, Enjoy? David Rose gave me a photocopy of the cutting a few years ago, but it doesn’t say where it’s from.

Please add a comment if you can add any more information.

Here is the synopsis of the improvised drama, Nuts in May, from the Radio Times, from the BBC Genome project. It must be one of the strangest synopses ever, and tells the reader nothing, and everything, about the drama – which was no doubt the point:

Synopsis

“Camp Rules:
1: No open fires.
2: No music after 11.0 pm.
3: Positively no drains to be dug around any tent.
4: No crockery or cooking utensils to be washed up in toilet block.
5: These rules are imposed for the benefit and enjoyment of all during their holiday.
BBC Birmingham

Contributors

Film Cameraman: Michael Williams
Film Recordist: John Gilbert
Film Editor: Oliver White
Producer: David Rose
Devised and directed by: Mike Leigh
Keith: Roger Sloman
Candice Marie: Alison Steadman
Ray: Anthony O’Donnell
Honky: Sheila Kelley
Finger: Stephen Bill
Miss Beale: Richenda Carey
Quarryman: Epic Allan
Farmer: Matthew Guiness
Farm girl: Sally Watts
Policeman: Richard Ireson”

http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/6ba7ee595baf45749dd2742c67e47055

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

David Crozier: ‘I was the Designer on this superb film, Nuts in May. Tim Dann (then Design Assistant) and I had to have our wits about us to keep up with Mike Leigh’s ever developing improvisation. A thoroughly enjoyable experience which I constantly recall with warm thoughts!’

Lynn Cullimore: ‘I thought it was fantastic. Never to be forgotten and the brilliant Alison Steadman who has gone on to do more brilliant things. Thanks to all those people who were involved in it.’

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Harold Rich’s 90th Birthday

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This cutting is from the Solihull Observer from March 2017, and celebrates the 90th birthday of Harold Rich. Harold was the pianist of the BBC Midland Light Orchestra, and later its conductor, before becoming the orchestral pianist with the Midland Radio Orchestra. He also formed his own broadcasting Quartet in 1961, and was a member of the Palm Court Trio, which produced a number of broadcasts and recordings, and even played for the Queen Mother. In the 1970s, Harold became the Musical Director of Pebble Mill at One, conducting stars like Tom Jones, Cilla Black, Eartha Kitt and James Galway.

Thanks to Pete Simpkin for sharing the cutting.

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

Ed Billington: ‘What a gent, always happy and great to work with, happy birthday Harold’

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Ian Brindle

Ian Brindle, who was a 1st Assistant Director, and then Production Associate on several drama productions at Pebble Mill, sadly died earlier in March, after a long illness. Ian worked on dramas like the 1989 serial,Vote for Them, and was on location in Egypt with the rest of the cast and crew.

Maggie Harwood a former costume designer at TVC, and Ian’s partner, wanted news of Ian’s death sharing here.

Thanks to Janice Rider for passing on this sad news.

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

Lesley Weaver: ‘Very sorry to hear this, worked with Ian on many occasions… My condolences to his family’

Allan Hughes: ‘Such a great person to work with many happy memories’

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Martin Chuzzlewit script front page

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This is the script front page for the 1994, BBC2, drama serial: Martin Chuzzlewit, adapted by David Lodge from Dickens’ original. Chris Parr was the producer, and Pedr James the director. This must be an early version of the script, because not all the crew are named. The rehearsal period was about ten days, in Acton, with filming taking four months.

Thanks to Ann Chancellor-Davies, the widow of production designer, Gavin Davies, for making the page available.

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