Category: Blog

Pebble Mill at One running order – Kevin Lakin

Thanks to Kevin Lakin for keeping this marked up running order of  a 1984 edition of ‘Pebble Mill at One’ safe in his attic for the last 27 years!

Kevin was the floor assistant at that time, and his main job was getting presenters and guests from make-up, wardrobe, canteen, bar, green room and on to the studio floor at the right time. Item no 2 and 7a are crossed out because they were pre-recorded in the morning, that’s why there’s a VT in the box.

Roger Casstles was the producer of the show, and the presenters Paul Coia, Marian Foster and Jeff Banks.   The show featured Princess Anne, Earl Okin, John Curry as well as Peter Seabrook planting lettuce!  Sounds like a packed show!


Run for the Lifeboat – photos by Willoughby Gullachsen

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photos by Willoughby Gullachsen, no reproduction without permission.

‘Run for the Lifeboat’ was a Screen Two drama produced at Pebble Mill and transmitted in 1988.  Douglas Livingstone wrote and directed the film and Carol Parks was the producer.

The drama tells the story of Maggie, who moves from London to a small Welsh fishing village, with her son Terry.  She meets and starts a relationship with Gareth Jones, a member of the local lifeboat crew, and they eventually marry.

Stacey Tendeter played the part of Maggie, David Burke played Gareth Jones, and I think Douglas Livingstone’s own son, Ross, played the part of Terry.  The drama also featured Constance Chapman, John Pickard, Melanie Walters, Jeff Rawle, Tenniel Evans, and David Dietf.

John Kenway was the DOP, with Dave Evans assisting.  Roger Slater was the sound mixer, with Tony Wass boom operator and Jimmy Monks, grips.

 

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The Drinkers

Copyright remains with the original holders, no reproduction without permission.  The photographers include: Tim Savage, Paul Scholes, Brian Watkiss, Jim Gregory, Kate Davies, Ian Collins, Paul Vanezis, Steve May, Leigh Sinclair.

Making programmes is thirsty work as testament in these photos. Some of the drinks are definitely coffee!

Brian Watkiss

Doctors, after the bombing – photos by Neil Roberts

Photos by Neil Roberts, no reproduction without permission.

‘Doctors’ was probably the last production to finish recording at Pebble Mill, and decided to go out with a bang rather than a whimper.  Taking advantage of the fact that the building was going to be demolished they staged a bomb blast in the Riverside Surgery and Lether Bar, on the last day of shooting.

Neil Roberts, who still edits ‘Doctors’ from its new site at Birmingham University, took these photos after the last shoot.  Neil was the last avid editor in Pebble Mill, fine cutting ‘Doctors’ – it must have felt like being on the Marie Celeste!  Chris Rowlands performed the last online edit at Pebble Mill, onlining the ‘Doctors’ episode which Neil offlined, the following day in VTA.

The Sleepers – photos by Ian Collins

Photos by Ian Collins, no reproduction without permission.

Television is tiring work, as you can tell from these photos, involving long days and lots of travelling!  Annoyingly there always seems to be someone around with a camera when you’re just resting your eyes for a few minutes!

The first photo is of ‘Clothes Show’ producer, Clare Stride, who sadly died of cancer several years ago, then P.A. Jane Mclean, followed by a vision engineer called John Bradley, then Chris Glover from VT, but the last is of Nick Patten, now the Head of Vision Productions at BBC Birmingham and BBC Manchester. Sat next to Nick is Sam Cox (sound), and behind him pointing is Nigel Evans (editor).