Television – Page 221 – What Was Pebble Mill?

Telly Addicts Christmas Special

The photo includes left to right: Back Row, Pat Mifflin, Richard Lewis, Annette Martin, Noel Edmonds, Steve Pierson, John King; Front Row, Jennifer Hassall, Rajinder Ram, Tim Manning, Sue Williams, Denny Hodge (Comedy Workshops).

‘Telly Addicts’ was a BBC 1 Game Show produced at Pebble Mill, which ran between 1985 and 1998. Noel Edmonds was the host, who tested contestants on their knowledge of television shows. Alongside the regular series were a number of Christmas Specials. This photo was taken after the recording of one of these Christmas shows.

Stuart Gandy remembers the little gadget that engineering made for Noel, known as the hooferdoofer, that he used to indicate to the gallery with. Looked a bit like a TV remote with a few buttons on. Louis Robinson remembers borrowing the word ‘hooferdoofer’ to describe the remote, from his grandmother!

Thanks to Tim Manning for making the photo available.

Telly Addicts Question Card – from Tim Manning

‘Telly Addicts’ was a BBC 1 Game Show based on contestants’ television knowledge. It was hosted by Noel Edmonds. The series was recorded in Studio A, and was transmitted between 1985 and 1998. It was produced by John King’s department at Pebble Mill. First producer was Juliet May, followed by John Smith, Tim Manning and Richard Lewis.

Thanks to Tim Manning for making this Question Card available.

Survival of the Fittest – photo from John Greening

‘Survival of the Fittest’ was a 1990 Screen One drama, produced at Pebble Mill by Carol Parks, written by Julian Mitchell, and directed by Martyn Friend. John Greening was the production manager.

The drama starred Timothy West as Geoffrey Cowper, Jean Anderson as Molly Cowper, Nerys Hughes as Betty Trinder, Elizabeth Spriggs as Eileen Blackett, Timothy Davies as Chris Trinder and Joanna Brookes as June Trinder.

L to R: Martyn Friend (director), David Bell (focus puller, blue jacket), Ian McNulty (grip), Steve Saunderson (camera), Jane Barton (script supervisor).

Geoff Hamilton’s funeral service sheet

Thanks to Gail Herbert for making Geoff Hamilton’s funeral service sheet available.

Gardening presenter and journalist,Geoff Hamilton was born in 1936 in East London. He was a twin. His love of gardening developed early, and he worked on practical gardening magazines as a journalist before beginning his television career. After working for Anglia Television, he joined the ‘Gardeners’ World’ team in 1979. The series was based at his home, Barnsdale, in Rutland, from 1985. His five acre garden was divided into a number of small plots, mimicking suburban gardens.

Geoff presented a number of gardening series, besides ‘Gardeners’ World’, including: The Cottage Garden, The Paradise Garden, The Ornamental Kitchen Garden, The Elizabethan Kitchen Garden, and Old Garden, New Gardener.

He died of a heart attack on 4 August 1996, whilst taking part in a charity bike race.

I worked as a researcher on ‘Gardeners’ World’ in 1990/1, and remember filming at Barnsdale. Geoff had two cats, named after directors on ‘Gardeners’ World’, one was named ‘Denis’, after Denis Gartside, but I can’t remember the name of the second one. Geoff’s downstairs loo was also a fascinating place to visit – the walls were covered with press cuttings about ‘Gardeners’ World’, and you could spend quite a while reading the walls happily!

This is History Gran – photo from John Greening

‘This is History Gran’ was written by Robert Holman and produced at Pebble Mill in 1986. It was set in the 1930’s and present day and starred Paul Jesson, Liz Bradley, Gina McKee, Martin Walker, Mark Rylance and Peter Howell.

Sarah Pia Anderson the director, Carol Parks the producer, Sue Bennett-Urwin 1st assistant director, Bill Hartley the production manager, John Greening the assistant floor manager. John Kenway was the director of photography.

The story involves Lord Edward Langbaurgh making a shocking discovery whilst walking in the grounds of his country home. The discover affects the Chapman family in a nearby town. Christopher Chapman decides to investigate.