November 2017 – Page 2 – What Was Pebble Mill?

Grease Monkeys

Grease Monkeys was transmitted on BBC 3 in 2003-4. The comedy drama featured Ace Bhatti, as Dave Dhillon, shown in these photos. The series tells the story of a dysfunctional Asian family in Manchester.

Will Trotter was the producer of ten episodes, and the editors included James Hey, Adam Trotman, Neil Roberts, Dan Wardle, Russell Parker and Mark Davies.

Thanks to VT editor Ian Collins, for making these screen grabs available.

Derek Smith, Comms

Photo from Brian Johnson, no reproduction without permission

A wistful looking Derek Smith, in what I think is Comms.

Thanks to Brian Johnson for sharing the photograph.

David Shute and local radio

At the beginning of the 60s the BBC mounted what I believe was first experiment of local radio in Reading. It was a three week caper, recorded but not broadcast. The station manager was Bill Coysh, Senior Talks Producer, Bristol and founder of “Any Questions.” The news editor was the dour Jack Johnson from Birmingham. I was a journalist working on the weekly Reading Standard. I’d always dreamt of working for the BBC. I did earn a few extra bob by filing copy to the South East news desk. I went to do a story about the experiment and made such a nuisance of myself that Jack gave me a small job doing a review of a local AmDram performance just to shut me up. A few days later Bill rang me to say that they’d under estimated the staffing level for the experiment and could I join them. The newspaper’s Chairman, a kindly man call John Pole, sent me on my way with his blessing. In due time, having failed to get any of the contacts I’d made interested in giving me a break in, Bill Coysh invited me to Bristol for an audition. David Dimbleby had left to go back to London and – heaven knows how – got his slot on contract. My book “A Series of little BBC Adventures” tells quite a bit of the tale. You can read the first chapter FREE on Amazon Kindle: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Little-BBC-Adventures-David-Shute-ebook/dp/B007C4SWY8

Children in Need circa 1992

This photo is from Costume’s Ruth Kiosses, who was the back-end of this racehorse, inspired by the BBC drama series, Trainer, which was made at Pebble Mill.

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Children in Need 1991

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These photos are from Children in Need
1991. The top photo shows the hot-liners taking pledges of money. It could be Sue Beardsmore checking her cue cards.

The lower photo shows Bob Meikle and probably Diane Lester in their character outfits.

These photos were originally posted on the Pebble Mill Engineers Facebook page.