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.