Radio – Page 39 – What Was Pebble Mill?

Sig Tunes – The Archers and Farming Programme

The recording includes:

1. The Archers signature tune (original version). This is the full version of a tune called Barwick Green. It was composed by Arthur Wood in 1924. In 1992 a stereo version was recorded with a new orchestral arrangement.

2. TV Farming programme signature tune. Opening and closing. Date unknown.

Thanks to Peter Poole for making these recordings available.

Dawn Chorus – Pete Simpkin

It’s at this time of year that International Dawn Chorus Day is marked and on the first Sunday in May 1984 to mark the start of the scheme Radio WM broadcast the first transmission of the Dawn Chorus live from Earlswood Lakes near Solihull, starting at 4 am with stereo mics in the woods and Local Naturalists Alan Richards and Brian George together with me providing a running commentary from my tent (seen on the right of picture) in which we had slept overnight! Engineer Dan Cooke manned the Radio car(left hand vehicle in the picture) and Jay Patel held the fort at the studio. The birds awoke very late that morning so several discs had to be played together with pre-recorded early morning ribaldry from all the members of WM staff. When we finished at arond 6.30 my Wife Pat arrived with very welcome hot bacon sandwiches and coffee. Dan made an On site stereo recording (Radio Cars were mono at the time) and I edited a pull together recorded repeat in stereo for the following Bank Holiday Monday. an unforgettable experience which I think has never been attempted since!

Pete Simpkin

Prospero – Mark Decker

This article from the BBC retirees’ magazine, Prospero (November 2006), commemorates the dedicating of radio drama studio in the Mailbox, where The Archers is recorded, to the memory of sound designer, Mark Decker.

Thanks to Peter Poole for sharing this article.

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

Julian Hitchcock: ‘How very sad. In my own BBC years, everyone liked Mark immensely and respected his serious and thoughtful approach to the development of sound engineering. I am terribly sorry to hear this news. It’s touching to celebrate Mark’s work and commitment in this particular manner. I knew Sue well and offer her my deepest condolences.’

Ray Lee: ‘Mark was a true professional. He pioneered work with the Calrec Soundfield Mic, wich gave some atonishing results and when the stereo sound was listened to on headphones, you really could hear things coming from behind and over your head.’

Ed Billington: ‘As a studio attendant I worked with mark sitting up the studio’s a great chap always a gent am sorry to hear this news.’

Kath Shuttleworth: ‘I had the pleasure of working with Mark on The Archers and many other Radio Drama projects over the years both as Spot SM and Gram Op. I learnt so much from him and always admired his work. We worked together on moving the Radio Drama Studio from Pebble Mill to The Mailbox and I was gutted when we lost him. Today I sit in what was his chair at the front of the studio mixing The Archers and I can only hope that I do the job half as well as he did. He was truly inspirational, a complete gentleman, and still very much missed.’

Radio Birmingham’s opening broadcast

Here is the opening broadcast from Radio Birmingham circa 1970. You’ll notice that the presenters have received pronunciation, and there isn’t the trace of a Brummie accent.

Thanks to Andy Caddick for finding and sharing this sound clip.

The following comment was left by Pete Simpkin on the Pebble Mill Facebook Group:

Pete Simpkin: ‘Quite right about the voices Vanessa-I was amazed to be accepted at Radio Birmingham just a few months after being refused a job at Radio Solent in Southampton my home town because my voice was ‘not acceptable’ there! Another aspect of recruitment of staff to many of the Local Radio second wave of stations of which Birmingham was one was that at the time there was quite a bit of relocation of staff as these stations were in effect replacing the old BBC Regions as part of the major re-organisation plan called ‘Broadcasting in the Seventies’.’

Papal Visit 1982 – Pete Simpkin

I came across my Papal Pass for the Pope’s visit in 1982 to Coventry Airport. For security all the Pebble Mill team, Radio and TV, were locked in, for I think 12 hours for the duration. I was the officially approved understudy broadcaster for WM and in the event was never called to duty and remained behind at Pebble Mill…. so the pass was never used!

Peter Simpkin

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

Andy Walters: ‘I covered the last Papal visit. We had to be in at 1.30am but the programme didn’t go on air till 10 and we didn’t even have any power till 6. I fell asleep, missed a fade and was woken up by the Producer who couldn’t reach me, throwing a chocolate bar off my head. As one long serving Engineer in Birmingham said, “These once in a life time things come around too often”.’

Conal O’Donnell: ‘I had to do a background doc for WM which was a nightmare in that because of the Falklands War it wasn’t at all clear whether the Pontiff would come or not..the two versions programme is such a pain especially when you have to ask such luminaries at the Dean of Peterhouse, Dr Edward Norman, to do two i/v versions -he looked at me as if I were mad!!!!!!’

Pete Simpkin: ‘Michael Blood (Rev’d) who was WM’s Religious Programmes organiser adds the following to the Papal Visit 1982 story….”I’ve got one of those labels as well! With memories of a fantastic weekend with fantastic weather! I remember my wife Beryl lovingly packing an enormous bag with food for the entire weekend as we were told to do by the ever competent BBC. Only to arrive to be issued with meal vouchers and ushered into the dining tent for lunch. The first question, from the waiter complete with bow tie, was
“How would you like your duck, sir?” And so it went on from good to better! And the bag of food came home.

The other marvellous moment came at the end of 24 hours of prizewinning broadcasting, and five star catering.
The producer, who shall be nameless, said to the PA “can I have the ROT”. To which she replied, “What ROT? Nobody asked me to make an ROT.” There was a minor explosion as the Sony Award went out of the window!”‘