Keith Jones – What Was Pebble Mill?

Opening of BBC Club

This photo is from the opening of the new BBC Birmingham Club circa 1982. The original club at Pebble Mill was on the second floor of the office block. That become programme offices when the new Club building was built across the bridge over the Bourne Brook.

The photo includes:

Phil Sidey, Phil Thickett, cameraman (back row striped shirt), Gail Everett, PA (nee Herbert, back row, to the right of Sue), Brian Johnson next to Gail, Freddie Foster right, Stuart Miller (striped shirt), Peter Skinner, Assistant Accountant (extreme right middle row) Keith Jones, Building Engineering Services Manager, Colin Spears, Sue Robinson (front pink dress), Lesley Sleigh next to Sue.

Julie Hill added the following memory on the Pebble Mill Facebook page:

“Ah such happy memories of the BBC Club! I used to take the Minutes of the Club meetings for extra money! Remember the crazy squirrel who used to attack us on the bridge? Highlights include watching harrier jump jet land on the grass and the whole building shook. And being tasked with stopping Larry Grayson drink. I failed….”

Keith Jones obituary

This obituary for Pebble Mill Engineering House Services Manager, Keith Jones, written by Tony Pilgrim, appeared in Prospero, the BBC retirees’ magazine, in August 2013.

Thanks to Peter Poole for sharing it.

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

Lynn Cullimore: ‘Yes of course I remember Keith. I worked in Engineering as it was my first job at the BBC. I am sad to hear he has passed away. He was always nice to me, always kind and helpful which as a young lass then i appreciated. He was known as HSE – House Services Engineer.’

Keith Brook: ‘Keith was a lovely man and did a great job, not only with the building but as chairman of the club.’

Opening the new Pebble Mill Club

Phil Sidey & Keith Jones New Club Opening

When Pebble Mill was first built the bar was on the second floor of the building, at the back, overlooking the back field and the courtyard. It was a hub of activity and socialising where almost everyone would congregate at lunchtime and after work. It was probably the only place where all levels of production and crew would get together, and therefore it became a really productive place for bouncing off ideas and solving any production issues.

As the number of staff expanded, there was more pressure for office space. In the early 1980s the new Club was built in the Pebble Mill grounds on the far side of the brook. It was a single storey building with a kitchen, large and small bar-rooms, and administration offices. There was a terrace to sit out on in the summer, as well as tennis courts and football fields.

Going to the bar at lunchtime was called ‘going over the bridge’, because of the little bridge across the brook to get to the Club.

The photo shows Phil Sidey, who was Head of the Building and President of the Club, and Keith Jones, Club Chairman, ringing a bell to officially open the new Club, circa 1982.

Thanks to Gail Herbert (subsequent Chair of the Club) for making the photo available. Copyright resides with the original photographer.