Radio – What Was Pebble Mill?

Radio Gan

Here’s a great story from Karen Davies from 1972 about ‘Radio Gan’. Karen was a PA in the Asian Programme Unit at the time.

Here is a transcript of the ‘Around the Mill’ Newsletter from June 1972:

‘Faces to Voices

It seems that the recorded voices of our secretaries have been going down a bomb on the lonely island of Gan in the Indian Ocean. A recent visitor to the Mill was Dick Emerson a Senior Aircraftsman from Radio Gan who came through, apparently, to pay us a courtesy visit, but in fact his priority request on behalf of the 600 RAF lads on Gan was for photographs of our girls whose voices have been floating over the early morning air to get the lads up in time for first parade.

Apparently, they’ve been besieging the Radio Gan building wanting to put faces to voices. Well, I.O.M.’s department were able to supply pictures of all the girls; now we’re waiting for a threatened mass incursion from the island in the Maldives 4000 miles down the road from Pebble Mill.’

Here is an Ariel article about the initiative, and a photo of Karen Davies with producer David Shute.

Mahendra Kaul receiving his OBE

Here is a photo from Karen Davies of Mahendra Kaul receiving his OBE in 1975. It was the Duke of Edinburgh who awarded him the tribute. He was the face of the Asian Programme Unit for around 20 years. Members of staff from the Unit travelled down with him to Buckingham Palace. He died in 2018, aged 95.

The Archers – 1976

I came across this 1976 behind the scenes video of The Archers on the BBC Archive site, as part of the 75th anniversary celebrations. I hope you enjoy watching it.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/mZVwXTUBLdo?feature=share

Gyn Freeman – Radio WM photo card

I’ve received the following signed, promotional Radio WM photo of Gyn Freeman from former listener and child fan, Justin Fletcher:

“I’ve just been clearing out my loft and I came across this which I thought was interesting and thought I’d share. I would have been a child when I received this but lord knows from where.”

Richard Uridge’s Children in Need epic run

Here is a very young Richard Uridge about to set off on the equivalent of five marathons in five days for Children in Need back in the 80s, a similar feat to what Radio 2 presenter, Sara Cox, completed for Children in Need 2025. Richard is here with Radio 2 presenter and former Fleet Street editor, Derek Jameson. The run was from Broadcasting House in London to Pebble Mill in Birmingham.