Andy Frizzell – Page 2 – What Was Pebble Mill?

Studio A Lighting Grid

Photo by Malcolm Hickman, no reproduction without permission

This photo shows the lighting grid for Studio A at Pebble Mill. It probably dates from the 1970s.

Thanks to Malcolm Hickman for sharing the photo.

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

Andy Frizzell: ‘The Lighting ‘barrels’ were on hoists that lowered to the studio floor, there were generally 2 ‘twisters’ per bar. Twisters were dual source lights ‘hard’ fresnel at one end soft ‘fill’ at the other. There were three 5Kw channels on each bar. 10Kw channels were available from the grid above.
On the barrels each lamp had additional ‘pantographs’ to fine tune the height above sets etc.
Towards the end we added DMX moving light connectivity. If memory serves, this was considered a ‘saturation’ rig studio as opposed to the monopole system preferred by the itv companies. No doubt Dave Bushell can elaborate/correct me on the details as he was my NVQ tutor/examiner.’

Dave Bushell: ‘You have given a very succinct description. I worked with monopole systems after leaving the Mill and I can’t say I liked the lack of flexibility they gave. I suppose it’s what you got used to.’

Roger Casstles reminisces about BBC Pebble Mill

Specially shot video of Roger Casstles talking about why BBC Pebble Mill was a special place. The video is recorded on Pebble Mill Road, overlooking the site where Pebble Mill stood, and is now a dental hospital. Roger mentions some of the productions that came from Pebble Mill, like Pebble Mill at One, Midlands Today, The Archers, as well as the Midland Radio Orchestra, and being a centre for drama, but tells us that the really important thing was how people worked together, for instance post production working across all productions and the way that Graphics and Set Design departments collaborated with production. Roger Casstles was the creator and producer of The Clothes Show, the fashion magazine series which ran from the 1986-2000.

(The video was shot by BCU Media graduate, Ash Connaughton, with me, (Vanessa Jackson) asking the questions).

Roger Casstles at the site of Pebble Mill

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

Andy Frizzell: ‘Had some great shoots with Roger in many countries around the world. As always talking a lot of sense. We were all saddened by the closing of ‘The Mill’.‘

Claire Chambers: ‘As Roger would say “ why answer a question with one word when thousands will do” ! Very well said’

Linda Hearn-Clapham: ‘Very happy memories of recording Hartbeat and The Movie Game at Pebble Mill in the 90’s!’

Rod Fawcett for Radio WM at Brum Superprix

This photo shows Radio WM engineer, Rod Fawcett, during coverage of the Birmingham Superprix. Notice the backpack for transmitting the radio signal.

The Superprix was a motor race meeting, held on the streets of Birmingham, between 1986-1990.

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

Andy Shepherd: ‘I was working at Central Television then, although not on the Superprix itself, and would go to the top of Alpha Tower (26 storeys) and watch the race with the guy who manually maneuvered the microwave receiver throughout the race to pick up the signal from the one (and only one) car with an on-board camera.’

Andy Walters: ‘We’ve still got a backpack like that. Usually gets used for the Birmingham Marathon and things like that.’

Emma Taynton-Young: ‘I remember going to this with Dad (John Taynton) but I can’t remember if he was at the Beeb then or still at BRMB.’

Mike Taynton: ‘Pretty much everything I got to experience with, my late father, John Taynton was a joy but getting to go along with him to these races is up there in my all time highlights’

Richard Uridge: ‘Great snap. I remember that day well as a reporter at WM. Nice to see Rod. He was always always smiling.’

Anthony Guy Willcock: ‘Racing up the ring road towards the Mosque, so slow!’

Jim Knights: ‘ It rained!‘

Andy Frizzell: ‘I was involved with the Top Gear coverage (pre Clarkson) Chris Goffey was our presenter.’

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Feasts for a Fiver

Alan Duxbury recording Feasts for a Fiver, Andy Morton sound recordist to the left of Alan, Sue Watson on the left

Alan Duxbury recording

Sophie Grigson location shoot

Micci Bamford with Sophie Grigson

Sophie Grigson and Micci Bamford, Alan Duxbury in back of shot

These photos were taken in a shoot for Feasts for a Fiver, a cookery series starring Sophie Grigson.

The series was transmitted in 1999 on BBC2. This episode may be the one shot in Kent. Here is the entry from the Radio Times:

“Sophie Grigson prepares battered plaice and herb sandwich with griddled potato, tomato and red-onion salad, plus a vegetarian supper that includes beetroot curry and cucumber sambal, and a cut-price picnic for five. Directors Micci Billinger. Lynda Maher ; Producer Sara Kozak.”

During one episode the crew stayed in the coastal Devon village of Appledore. The location inspired producer Sue Watson, who is now a novelist. Appledore is the setting for Sue’s latest novel, Ella’s Ice Cream Summer.

Here is the link to Ella’s Ice Cream Summer: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ellas-Ice-Cream-Summer-romantic-sprinkles-ebook/dp/B06XK5PLYF%3FSubscriptionId%3D0V4JT1H35KWYMF0SKQR2%26tag%3Dnovelrank-21%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB06XK5PLYF

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The following comment was posted on the Pebble Mill Facebook page:

Andy Frizzell: ‘Bumped into Sophie Grigson a couple of times over the last couple of years. Ran a café in the Story museum, Oxford then a frozen food shop in Summertown, Oxford’

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Behind the scenes at Pebble Mill at One

This article is from the Pebble Mill at One book, 1986. Studio director, Mark Kershaw, describes the challenges of broadcasting from the foyer studio, as well as explaining how the show is created and what the following roles contribute: vision mixer, director, producer, researchers, designer, lighting supervisor, senior camerman, sound supervisor, production assistant, floor managers.

Mark Kershaw is seen directing in the top photo. It is possibly Roger Hynes up the ladder is the lower photo.

The following comment was left on the Pebble Mill Facebook page:

Andy Frizzell: ‘The line drawing looks like it’s from when they raised the ceiling (a godsend for lighting) and removed the inside canopy over the front doors (not so great, we used that to put all the ballasts for the HMI lights.’

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