Category: Blog

‘Vote for Them’ – Bob Jacobs

In this video Bob Jacobs talks about working as 1st Assistant Director on the 3 part drama series – ‘Vote for Them’, written by David Edgar.  The photos were taken by Bob Jacobs and Bev Dartnall.

The series was set in Egypt as the Second World War was coming to a close.  It was a political drama set amongst Allied troops as they consider what sort of world they want after the war and form “parties”, holding debates and elections.

The series went out in June 1989.  It was shot on location in Cairo, with a sand quarry in Dorset also doubling as Egypt.  The interiors were recorded in Pebble Mill Studio A.

Carol Parks was the producer, James Ormerod the director, with Michael Wearing as Executive Producer.

On location in Egypt

Radio Training Week – Paul Balmer

Paul Balmer - supervising school children

Radio Training Week.

Jock Gallagher invited schools to come and learn about Radio production that’s me in ‘M3’ teaching tape editing with a razor blade!

I spent most of the day with Kenneth Williams as a ‘minder’ – I think Jock wanted him out of his hair . Kenneth spent most of the day regaling me with the agony of his haemorrhoids!

Pebble mill was full of surprises!

Paul Balmer

Howard’s Way – Lynda Kettle’s photos

Photos by Lynda Kettle, no reproduction without permission. Lynda Kettle was a Production Designer at BBC Pebble Mill, working on factual, entertainment and drama shows in studio and on location.  The photos were taken as records of the sets and locations.

Howard’s Way was produced by BBC London, but hosted out of Pebble Mill.  It was recorded on location in Southampton, and the south coast, and in Studio A.  The Sunday night drama series ran between 1985-1990, and was the BBC’s answer to Dynasty. The storyline follows Tom Howard who after being made redundant invests his time and money in a run down boat building yard. It starred Jan Harvey as Jan Howard, Stephen Yardley as Ken Masters, Glyn Owen as Jack Rolfe, Maurice Colbourne as Tom Howard and Kate O’Mara as Laura Wilde in later series.  John William, Keith Salmon, Paul Woolston, Keith Froggatt, Dave Doogood, David Evans and Don Cooper all worked on the camera side. Lynda was production designer on 15 episodes in 1989-90.

These photos include several ‘before’ and ‘after’ shots of the initial locations (undressed), with the dressed version following on.  The Southampton Civic Centre, re-dressed as Malta Airport is particularly impressive!  The tank shots are really interesting.  There are shots of the empty tank for the special effects storm, with shots of the full ‘storm’ and yacht in trouble!

Production Designer, Lynda Kettle also worked as a theatre designer and an artist, and now runs courses from her art studio http://www.lynda-kettle.com.  She is a member of the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists, Birmingham Water Colour Society. Midland Pastel Society and Birmingham Art Circle . She exhibits her paintings several times a year at selected galleries.

Song for Christmas – Paul Balmer

Mixing a 'Song for Christmas'

I loved this show!

Every Christmas 100’s of schools submitted entries for the Song For Christmas Competition.

The quadrangle was filled with artificial snow and Christmas trees – MAGIC.

I was Sound Supervisor and hand picked a great little crew – the tracks were recorded in London and mixed on Studio 2 ‘s 4000E SSL – 24 tracks and state of the art outboard gear.

Wayne Unwin won one year with ‘Snow in Moscow’ and this is him mixing in Studio 2 with Mike Massey. Wayne now works as a composer as Ty Unwin – his name pops up on the end of programmes.

Paul Balmer

Nice Work – photos by Willougby Gullachsen

Photos by Willoughby Gullachsen, no reproduction without permission.

Nice Work was produced at Pebble Mill in 1989 by Chris Parr.  David Lodge wrote both the original novel and the screenplay.  The series starred Warren Clarke as Vic Wilcox, the managing director of a ‘Rummidge’ engineering firm, and Haydn Gwynne who played Robyn Penrose a young university academic.  It was filmed on location around Birmingham and the Black Country, including Birmingham University (where David Lodge was a Professor).  Vic and Robyn are thrust together on a business/academic scheme where Robyn was told by her Head of Department to shadow Vic.  After an initial reluctance they come to a mutual respect and friendship, especially when Robyn prevents Vic being tricked by a German engineering company.  Janet Dale played Vic’s wife, Marjorie.

The series was directed by Christopher Menaul, designed by Ian Ashurst, with Paul Woolston as the DoP.  Will Hartley was the 1st AD.

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