Basil Brush – 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.

Basil Brush was a weekly children’s entertainment show.  The star of the show was a fox puppet (Basil Brush) and each week he would be joined by special guests.  There were various sketches, and music included in the show.  The 1980 series of Basil Brush was recorded at Pebble Mill in Studio A.  Paul Ciani was the producer, Lynda Kettle the designer, John Abbott the lighting director and David Weir was in charge of sound.  Billy Boyle was the presenter.

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.

Lynda Kettle

‘Kickstart’ – photos from Maggie Humphries & John Burkill

Photos from Maggie Humphries & John Burkill, no reproduction without permission.

‘Kickstart’ and ‘Junior Kickstart’ were outside broadcast series produced at Pebble Mill in the 1980s.   The different series staged motorcycle trials for seniors and juniors.  John Smith (who had worked on Pebble Mill at One, organising some of the most spectacular events like the Red Arrows) produced many of the series.  Peter Purves, ex Blue Peter presenter, was the presenter on ‘Kickstart’, with expert advice voiced by Mick Andrews.

The black and white photos show cameraman Jim Gray, recording ‘Junior Kickstart’, with the colour photo from John Burkill dating from 1983.

Jim Gray recording 'Junior Kickstart'

‘Children in Need’ – photos by Lynda Kettle

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.

This was pirates year. Kay Alexander is upstage right in this photo, so she must have been presenting the regional ‘Children in Need’ output in this particular year.  It looks like floor manager Dave Brazier talking to Kay.  Dave Bushell (lighting director) is at the back admiring the palm trees, and it is probably Adrian Kelly on the camera jib. The guy towards the back left in the white shirt and tie is probably Mike Day from comms engineering. Those items look like telephones at the back there which he would have been responsible for.  In the second photo cameramen Robin Sunderland, James French and Andy Payne are by the grand piano. Sue Beardsmore is rehearsing.  Alan Titchmarsh & Sue were presenting this year. Merrick Simmonds was the Director and David Nelson Producing.  Please post a comment if you recognise anyone else in the photos.

‘Children in Need’ was a big annual occasion at Pebble Mill.  Sets, like this one were built for the evening regional ‘Children in Need’ output, and other programmes in the building would regularly join in.  Teams of willing volunteers would man the phones.  This often included staff from non-programme departments who were just as keen to lend a hand – and to dress up in costume!

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.

Afro-Caribbean Unit – photo Bev Dartnall

Afro Caribbean Unit girls

Photo by Bev Dartnall, no reproduction without permission.

Pebble Mill was the home of BBC multicultural programming for many years, including the Asian Programmes Unit, and the Afro Caribbean Unit.  The Afro Caribbean Unit made programmes like the weekly magazine series: ‘Ebony’, which went out in the 1980s, presented by Vastiana Belfon amongst others.

Director, Sharon Pemberton adds the following information:

“The photo was actually taken whilst the ‘Multicultural Progs Unit was based in the famous ‘portacabin’. (Freezing in winter, boiling in summer!)

The gals in the photo are:

Back L-R) Victoria Trow (from editing) Annie Jenkins (from graphics) Sharon Pemberton, Sarah Costigan, Beverley Dartnall, Ann Holmes, Trudi Cresser
(Front L-R)Jo Mainwearing, Anna Umbima, Vastiana Belfon, Rosemary Boateng and Mary Gregory.

We made three major series for BBC2 during the 1990′s – ‘Black Britain’, ‘Black on Europe’ and ‘Africa – Out of Darkness’.
All ground-breaking stuff, although I don’t think I realised it at the time.”

 

RAC Rally – photo from Maggie Humphries

Ian Churchill & Keith Froggatt

Photo from Maggie Humphries (Film Unit).

This photo is from the Lombard RAC Rally (probably from 1983), it features cameramen Ian Churchill (left) and Keith Froggatt (right).  BBC Pebble Mill used to cover the RAC Rally each year, and produce a daily report from the Rally, called the Top Gear Rally Report.