Photos by Philip Morgan, no reproduction without permission.
Philip took these photos in November 2004, once all the different departments had moved out of Pebble Mill, on one of the preview days before the auction selling off fixtures and pieces of equipment.
The various notices and signage give an insight into broadcasting practices of the time, and I wonder if Pebble Mill was the only BBC building with a croquet lawn!
Croquet lawn booking board
Copyright resides with the original holder.
This photo from the 1960s, shows a group of technical operators ‘relaxing’ on the set
of another soap produced at Gosta Green. This was called ‘United’ and was about life in a fictional football club. It was a total flop and hardly mentioned in BBC drama history at all.
Gosta Green (Gosta Green was the BBC studio in Birmingham before the building of Pebble Mill) did a lot of drama, but also general work – Percy Thrower’s gardening programmes and music items for the fledgling immigrants’ programmes among them.
Dave Kirkwood
Photos copyright Peter Poole, no reproduction without permission.
These photos from the early 1990s, show the Film Sound Transfer Suite which was a very busy area. Its main use was to transfer audio tapes to SEPMAG. The tapes were recorded on a Nagra tape recorder together with a pilot tone signal. This was needed to ensure that the audio was synchronous with the picture. At a latter time a DAT recorder with time code replaced the Nagra. The Transfer Suite also housed a collection of “Library Music”. These discs were produced for TV and radio programmes and not commercially available. They had interesting titles such as “Links Bridges and Stings”. A full collection of BBC sound effects were also available.
Peter Poole
Copyright resides with the original holder, probably Willoughby Gullachsen, no reproduction without permission.
These photos are from the 1989 ‘Play on One’ drama: ‘Master of the Marionettes’, produced by Michael Wearing at Pebble Mill. It was written by Guy Hibbert, directed by Pedr James, with Hilary Salmon the script editor.
The Radio Times billing read: “Teddy Rose’s passion is security – selling alarm systems to prosperous yet fearful suburban homes, one of which he and his family inhabit with conspicuous success. Then one Saturday morning a violent street encounter starts a chain of events which calls into question his every assumption and changes his life for good.”
The play starred Kenneth Cranham, as Teddy; Kenneth Colley as Tennyson; Carol Drinkwater as Maggy; John Duttine as Tim; and David Bradley as Harry.
The first photo includes, left to right: Pedr James (director), Terry Ford (props), John Greening (1st AD), Paul Woolston (camera).
The second photo includes, left to right: (partially hidden) Peter Potter (props), (partially hidden) Terry Ford (Props) Gareth Williams (AFM), John Greening (1st AD), Pedr James (director).
Thanks to John Greening for making the photos available.
Copyright resides with Pete Simpkin, no reproduction without permission.
This audio slideshow of 1970s and ’80s photographs, was produced by Pete Simpkin, and used when he gave talks about the work of Radio Birmingham ‘Heart of the Nation’. It dates from the time when Pete presented the Breakfast programme, and illustrates the daily routine of the Station, which was based at BBC Pebble Mill.
