Category: Building

The Pebble Mill Building

Studio C – Walkway Sign

Studio C Walkway Sign

This sign used to hang on the walkway at the back of Studio C at Pebble Mill.  Studio C was originally the entrance foyer, which was then converted into the studio for Pebble Mill at One. It was later used for Good Morning with Anne and Nick.  At the back of the foyer was a corridor which led to Studio A, Make Up and the dressing rooms.  This corridor had to be closed when Studio C was being used, so that people weren’t walking through the back of shot.  When the Studio was in use only the top sign was displayed, with the lower one being taken up and down, depending on whether you were allowed to walk through or not.

The sign was rescued by James Patterson from Pebble Mill before it was demolished and is now proudly displayed in the Post Production area of BBC Birmingham, in the Mailbox, next to the sink and the drinks machine!

Pebble Mill – First Day Covers

50 Years of Broadcasting first day cover

Pebble Mill 10th Anniversary first day cover

There were two ‘First Day Covers’ issued by the Royal Mail to commemorate anniversaries at Pebble Mill.

The first dates back to September 1972, and celebrates the 50th anniversary of the BBC.  Special BBC stamps were produced.  The stamp on the first envelope cost only 3p! The logo for this website is inspired from the ‘First Day Cover’ stamp on the envelope.

The second ‘First Day Cover’ marks the 10th birthday of BBC Pebble Mill, and dates from 10th Nov 1981.  The price of the stamp has gone up to 14p by this time!

Thanks to Ian Collins from Post Production for making these available.

Scenic Workshop – Gus’s photos

Scenic Workshop

Photos by Willoughby Gullachsen (Gus), no reproduction without permission.

These photos are of the Pebble Mill Scenic Workshop, where the studio sets were made.  The Scenic Workshop opened onto Studio A, so that sets could easily be moved into place.  You can see the studio doors in the lower photo.

Scenic Workshop

Rum Punch Day Football Match


RUM PUNCH DAY FOOTBALL MATCH

These photos are taken of the Pebble Mill football match, organised by the BBC Club, traditionally held on ‘Rum Punch Day’, just before Christmas each year.  Thanks to Gail Herbert, who was Chair of the BBC Club at Pebble Mill for many years for making the photos available.  The match was ‘Personnel versus the Club’.

Top photo (not sure which year) were the losers, top row left to right: Colin Spears, Rick Thompson, Steve Lee, Alan Towers, Brian King, Peter Urie, Jock Gallagher.

Bottom row: Paul Howell, Bridget allen, Mark Duggan, Jane Morgan, Andy Tylee, Roy Saatchi.

Lower photo: Rum Punch Day Football Match 1985.

Bottom Row: Andy Turley, Mary Mallett, Mel Stevens, Paul Howell, Roy Saatchi, Jock Gallagher Row l to r: Colin Spears, Andy Tylee, Kevin Knock, Peter Urie,?, Brian King,Peter Windows (freelance producer on The Archers, then lecturer at BCU), Ted Woodhead ?.

If you can fill in any of the unidentified players in the second photo, or know the year of the first photo, please add a comment.


Aerial Shots of Pebble Mill

Here are some aerial photos of Pebble Mill taken in the early 1970s.  Thanks to Keith Ackrill, Juliet Dean and Maggie Humphries for making the photos available.  The black and white photo was taken for Pebble Mill at One from a high speed RAF fighter.

Aerial of Pebble Mill taken from an RAF fighter