Building – Page 94 – What Was Pebble Mill?

Karen Davies’ blog

(Copyright of the photo remains with the original holder)

I was asked to man the lift when Princess Anne opened the building….even bought a new scarf for the occasion. As a PA of only 4’11” stature and spending most of my time in the 2nd floor bar, nervous personnel doctored the lift buttons to make sure I pressed number ‘4’ to take her to the lofty management echelons! I also practically passed out waving my antennae on the reception steps in an extremely unwieldy rubber ant costume for a Pebble Mill At One, Doctor Who feature. The joys of being diminutive. I joined the Asian Unit as Gerry Hynes PA in 1971, became a Production Assistant a year later & left for ATV in ’78. Carole Glover, Coral Higson, Heather Storr, Jenny Homer, Polly Whitehouse, Jane Alderson & Pam Relton were my partners in crime.

(The photo includes Dr Charles Hill (Chairman of BBC Governors), white haired man on the left, it is David Rose (Head of Drama) who Princess Anne is talking to, and 3rd from the right is Bob Gale (senior dresser).)

Studio C North Riser, Kathryn Shuttleworth

I seem to remember that these photos were taken with a panoramic camera that was being featured on the show that day. The photos were left in the North Riser so I took them home for safe keeping.

Left to right: Alex Christison, Michael Harrison, Guy Worth, Paul Scurrell, Kathryn Shuttleworth

The following comments were left on the Pebble Mill Facebook Group:

Peter Poole: ‘Many happy days in the North Riser trying to make the VHF Micron radio mics work!’

Laura McNeill: ‘Think I spent half my life there, yes Peter happy days.’

Sony Hi8 recorder

Photos by Ian Collins, no reproduction without permission.

VT editor, Ian Collins took photos of obsolete post-production kit before the 2004 auction of equipment when Pebble Mill was cleared prior to being demolished.

These photos are of a Sony Hi8 video recorder.

Hi8 was an 8mm video format, which had better resolution than the earlier Video8, but pre-dated the introduction of Digi8. It was an analogue format, and the ‘Hi’ stands for high-band, as opposed to low-band.

The following comments were left on the Pebble Mill Facebook Group:

John Duckmanton: ‘This machine is still in the bay at The Mailbox and is still used occasionally.’

Peter Poole: ‘I think it was sometimes used for ‘Midlands Today’. The reporter may have used it before the crew arrived.’

Gordon Astley and Children in Need

Photo from Marie Phillips, no reproduction without permission.

The photo dates from May 1993, and shows Radio WM presenter, Gordon Astley, presenting a ‘Children in Need’ cheque for the ‘Allen’s Croft Project’, right outside the front of the Pebble Mill building.

Planning Office

Photo from Sue Robinson, no reproduction without permission.

This photo of the Planning Office was taken in 1980. The Planning Office used to schedule VT and other technical staff to programmes.

Included in the photo are, left to right, back row: Bev Dartnall (who went on to be a drama series producer), David Robinson, Barbara Hynes, Margaret Barton, front row: Maria Hurley?, Lyn Rae (went on to be PA/PM), Janet Collins, Sue Robinson (became multi-camera director).

Thanks to Ian Rae for adding additional information.

The following comments were added on the Pebble Mill Facebook group:

Beverley Dartnall: ‘I worked in the planning office before joining Drama in 1982, As well as allocating cameramen and soundmen to programmes, they allocated what programmes went into Studio A. Janet allocated VT and TK staff. Comms were also allocated fom that office.’

Peter Poole: ‘I remember Kath Woolstan and Mandy Peissel from the Audio Unit office. They always did an excellent job and treated audio staff as people and not machines!’