December 2017 – Page 2 – What Was Pebble Mill?

Mega Mela

This screen grab of Mahima Chaudhry is from Mega Mela, a music and entertainment programme from the Asian Programme Unit. It probably dates from circa 2000.

Thanks to VT Editor, Ian Collins for making the still available.

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

Matthew Sly: ‘When I was at the beeb, this was being prepped. If I remember, it was a pretty big event. There were several departments working on it.’

Ruth Barretto has shared the following photographs of her looking after Mahima Chaudhry.

Ruth Barretto and Mahima Choudhry

Comms fast response Land Rover

This is the Comms fast response Land Rover, just leaving the Pebble Mill car park. I presume it would have been used on news.

Thanks to Stuart Gandy for sharing this photo, which was originally posted on the Pebble Mill Engineers Facebook group.

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

Malcolm Hickman: ‘As the name suggests, it didn’t require much setting up. The pump up mast had a microwave transmitter that could inject programmes into the receiver up the mast at Sutton Coldfield or another mid point, then by line to the Comms Centre for recording or passing on to London. One person operated, just plug the camera feed into it and go.’

Jackie Cross: ‘I loved the FRV as the shortest member of the department (until the arrival of Charlotte) I was the only one who could sit comfortably in it. It was two ‘man’ operated for a long period, so as the trainee I drove the land rover while the engineer arrived on site in their car, the looks I used to get as a 5’4″ 21 year old with long blonde hair, knocked a few stereotypes!’

Andrew Willetts: ‘In the mid 90’s it became BBC East Midlands first OB vehicle, was based at York House, Mansfield Road and fired 7GHz microwave signals into the Bardon Hill receive site (now decommissioned) near Loughborough. A great introduction to Links vehicles for me. It did 70mph… just and the MPG was always in single figures, gotta love a Land Rover V8.’

Simon Calkin: ‘It was a pig to get the gearbox to do the necessary once you were on site, and by 1994 the stabs were horribly corroded and difficult to get out then back in again. That said, used for many a Midlands Today (sic) News O.B. I did squillions but the FRV one that sticks in my mind for no good reason is the one I did at Rolls Royce in Derby with Mike Barratt.’

Andy Marriott: ‘Is it roughly the same design as the ‘FART’ that Northwest Tonight had in Manchester? Or were they dreamt up separately?’

Malcolm Hickman: ‘I don’t think there was a standard design. We did build one in a Renault Civic van though.’

Andy Marriott: ‘I only ever saw pictures of the one in Manchester. But it seemed to be of a very similar design and they were both around at the same time.

The FART has since earned a reputation as a bit of a ‘widow maker’ as some of Manchester comms engineers that worked on it have subsequently died from various cancers and the like.’

Malcolm Hickman: ‘I just remembered, the land rovers were built by a firm in Birmingham to a design by TCPID.’

Radio WM at the Birmingham Superprix

Photos from Rod Fawcett, no reproduction without permission. Bristol St Motors garage, 1986. Rod Fawcett: “This was the first race back in 1986 – you can see a few damp jackets in the pic, due to the heavy rain that fell on that day.”

Rod Fawcett: “Ivan Capelli coming into the temporary pit lane area – it’s 1986 – look at the rain on the track! Also, Ivan is driving with one hand on the wheel! He went on to drive in Formula 1 for Ferrari in 1992.”

Rod Fawcett: “This is 1987 I would say – note the completely dry tarmac! Here Bristol Street Motors is being used as a temporary pit lane area.”

Bristol St Motors, Superprix garage. Rod Fawcett: “Great atmosphere – I particularly like the temporary electrics rig on the upper left of the pic! This is 1986 the cars have full ‘wet tyres’ for racing.”

Bristol Street Motors, Superprix garage. Rod Fawcett: “The race mechanic really getting into the maintenance work here!! This is the 1986 event.”

These photos from Radio WM engineer, Rod Fawcett, are of the Birmingham Superprix race circuit from 1986-7. Bristol Street Motors provided the garaging area.

Radio WM were given access to the race, and broadcasted from the circuit.

The Nightwatchman 1959

The Nightwatchman was a six part series of stories by W. W. Jacobs, adapted by Donal Giltinan, and produced by Peter Dews at the BBC Gosta Green studios. It starred Wally Patch as Bill, the Nightwatchman, and Marjorie Rhodes as Mrs Gibbs. The series was transmitted in January and February 1959.

Here is the list of participants, from the Radio Times entry:

Author: W.W. Jacobs
Adapter: Donal Giltinan
Producer: Peter Dews
Music for the concertina composed and played by: Alfred Edwards
Designer: Stewart Marshall
Director: Terence Dudley
Bill: Wally Patch
Joe Gibbs: Victor Platt
George Brown: Hal Osmond
Bob Kidd: Douglas Ives
Landlord: Norman Pierce
Mrs Atkins: Hilda Barry
Mrs Joe Gibbs: Marjorie Rhodes
Mrs Briggs: Vi Stevens
First Customer: Charles Lamb
Second Customer: Anthony Sagar
Docker: Frank Sieman
Police Constable: Stanley Beard

Thanks to Costume’s Joyce Hawkins for sharing the photo.

House Trap

Gordon Whistance, Royston Horsley tucked behind Gordon, Craig Phillips. Photos from Suzie Curtlin, no reproduction without permission

Kate Hillman and Caroline Feldon Parsons, Dick Sharman in the back of shot

Esther Povey and Sam Beer

Contributors on the left, Suzie Curtlin and Robbie Williams on the right handside

Robbie Williams

Kate Hillman, Sarah Stokes

Kate Hillman and Caroline Feldon Parsons

Thanks to Suzie Curtlin for sharing these photos of the BBC1 makeover show, House Trap. The team were ‘locked’ in a house for a week and had to makeover a different room each day.

The presenters included Gordon Whistance and Craig Phillips, shown in the top photo.

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

Sue Robinson: ‘I directed this and Rosemary Edwards was the Producer. I can’t remember the year but about 2000 ish sounds about right. It was a house somewhere in Hall Green.‘

Caroline Feldon Parsons: ‘It was freezing I remember. And I was actually able to walk to work as I lived in Hall Green at the time! Can’t really remember much about it now other than stressing about a kitchen reveal involving a stainless steel splashback, and Kate Hillman getting trapped in the bedroom during a live segment and having to dive down beside the bed to get out of shot!’

Kate Hillman: ‘It was probably 2001, as I’d had my first baby. This is also the only explanation as to why I’d cut my hair off and dyed it dark brown. Not really any recollection of that! It was definitely winter as we were using power tools outside in the dark and frost. Andy Payne’s fleece definitely caught fire in the bathroom, as I wasn’t sure whether to flap my clipboard or beat the flames with it! It was over the closing of the live show and he stayed steady to the end! The presenter was Charlotte someone from Watchdog. It was hard work because after we’d finished the show, before the paint was dry, we moved everything into that room to prep the next room. All presenters in sleeping bags locked in the house. Seemed like a good idea at the time!!’

Nigel Mercer: ‘Pretty certain it was after 2002, as I gave Craig the fleece he’s wearing on a Carlton TV show called Renovation Street in 2001 and I was working with the lovely Gordon Whistance on Changing Rooms in 2002.’