Category: Blog

Sue Farley’s Retirement Party

Thanks to thanks to Sarah Tongue, Carole Howell’s daughter, for sharing this photo of, and invitation to, Sue Farley’s retirement party in 1988.

Beryl Thompson (left), Myles Lang (centre), Barbara Wrigley (right in black patterned dress), Margaret Barton (right).

Sue Farley was PA on the Farming programme, as well as in the Asian Programmes Unit and John King’s unit.

David Attwood

‘Keep Smiling’, photo by James French

From Heather Storr, Diana Coxon and Jenny Brewer

It is with great sadness that we pass on the news of the death of David Attwood. David had not been well for the last few years and he died on 21st March 2024. Many of you will remember him from his days in English Regions Drama at Pebble Mill.

Here are some memories from both Heather and Diana. This list of shows that David worked on is not exhaustive but is truly representative of his skills and expertise as a Director.

David joined the Drama Department as an AFM in 1976. He came down from BBC Scotland where he had worked with Alastair Reid. Heather worked with him on OUR FLESH AND BLOOD in 1976 and the next year they both worked on the GANGSTERS series.

A few years later he became a Production Assistant and then Production Manager and worked on OUT OF TOWN BOYS (1978) and KEEP SMILING (1979) before THE BLACK STUFF (1980) and THE MUSCLE MARKET (1981). Then the series BOYS FROM THE BLACK STUFF (1982) and we think DEAD HEAD (1986) as well.

In 1984 he undertook the BBC Directors course and started what was to be his main career as a Drama Director at Pebble Mill. His shows included ALL TOGETHER NOW (1986), a comedy set around a brass band; AIRBASE (1988) which aroused controversy for its unflattering portrayal of life on an American airbase in Britain; and by the time he became freelance KILLING TIME (1990) a dark tale of a killer who befriends a teenager and murders him.

Heather worked with him on the following films between 1992 and 2007.

WILD WEST (1992), SHOT THROUGH THE HEART (1998), SUMMER IN THE SUBURBS (2000), FIDEL (2002), STUART A LIFE BACKWARDS (2007)

His other films/dramas during this time are:

THE FORTUNES AND MISFORTUNES OF MOLL FLANDERS (1996) THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES (2002) MAY 33RD (2004) TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH (2005) BLOOD AND OIL (2010)

HIs nominations and awards include :

TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH

BAFTA Awards / 2006 Nominee / Best Drama Serial

Biarritz International Festival of Audiovisual Programming / 2006 Nominee / TV Series and Serials

SHOT THROUGH THE HEART

San Francisco International Film Festival / 1999 Winner / Television Drama Feature

BLOOD AND OIL

Geneva International Fim Festival / 2009 Winner / Drama Series

‘The Unborn’ – Michael Custance

Here are some memories from director Michael Custance from 1980:
“‘The Unborn’
A play for BBC2 ‘Playhouse’ series. My first one-off play for TV! A psycho’ thriller. Earlier I had made ‘Empire Road’ for the same producer, Peter Ansorge.
With only two days in the studio it was tough to get all the special effects done in time.
There was one happy, or not so happy fluke.
The pregnant mother played by Mary Larkin, opens a parcel she received and discovers a human heart, beating and alive. Terrified she throws it across the room only for it land stuck up the lens hood of the camera. The brilliant cameraman held it in focus all the way ending with a giant full screen image of a bleeding beating heart which shocked the studio into a horrified silence. It was almost too horrifying for an audience but Peter, the producer, said to keep it in the show.”

Artist’s Impressions of BBC Pebble Mill

Thanks to Richard Grantham for sharing these artist’s impressions of BBC Pebble Mill. They belonged to his late father, John Grantham. I’m told that John was in charge of the move to BBC Pebble Mill in 1971, from the other BBC buildings around Birmingham (Broad Street, Gosta Green, Carpenter Road).