Matthew Sly – What Was Pebble Mill?

Mega Mela

This screen grab of Mahima Chaudhry is from Mega Mela, a music and entertainment programme from the Asian Programme Unit. It probably dates from circa 2000.

Thanks to VT Editor, Ian Collins for making the still available.

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

Matthew Sly: ‘When I was at the beeb, this was being prepped. If I remember, it was a pretty big event. There were several departments working on it.’

Ruth Barretto has shared the following photographs of her looking after Mahima Chaudhry.

Ruth Barretto and Mahima Choudhry

Dave Brazier on a music OB

Photo by Richard Stevenson, no reproduction without permission.

This photo of floor manager, Dave Brazier was taken in July 1989, at a music outside broadcast in Birmingham. Possibly Jackie Graham, in the back of shot.

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

Matthew Sly: ‘Dave very kindly gave me and my friends a place to stay when we returned from Tenerife late one night. It would be very difficult to find a more considerate, kind man.’

Siobhan Maher Kennedy: ‘That was my first lodging staying at Dave’s house for my first job at Pebble Mill. Nice fella.’

Nikki Turner: ‘I consider myself lucky to have worked with the legend that is Dave Brazier. Miss you Dave!!’

Richard Stevenson: ‘James French was on the crew that day.’

James French: ‘Isn’t it a concert we did in the Botanical Gardens? A really hot day. Forget who was on the bill.’

Annie Gumbley-Williams: ‘Saw David at the Antiques Road Show last week.’

East

East was a topical factual magazine show about Asian affairs, with reports from Britain and abroad. It went out on BBC 2 between 1990 and 2002.

The series tended to go our weekly in the spring or summer, in runs varying between 6 and 10 episodes.

Thanks to VT editor, Ian Collins, for making this grab available.

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

Peter Poole: ‘I often worked on the Studio B recordings. The music sessions ranged from traditional to electro-pop. A very interesting and enjoyable experience.’

Matthew Sly: ‘I did Audience Security when it was Network East, always found it very enjoyable.’

Dawn Trotman: ‘It was experimental as an editor they pretty much let you do what inspired you. Oh I yearn for those days.’

Lynn Cullimore: ‘Yes, I worked in what was known as The Asian Unit. I enjoyed it and i remember we never went without food! I wonder what happened to Nahrendra.’

Children in Need Staff List

The document is a staff list from the 1999 regional opt team for the Children in Need evening show.

Note that the presenters included Michael Ball, alongside Midlands Today presenters: Nick Owen and Nina Nannar.

Thanks to Harvey Pope for making the list available.

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

Matthew Sly: ‘I was Pudsey Bear that year, we did the majority of it from Nat West in the Town Centre.
I was approached to be Pudsey when I worked in the Post room, and obviously was honoured, I remember that night very well indeed.

I remember how torturous the suit was, it had a fan in the head, but you couldn’t use it. I remember meeting a lot of Children while they were Auditioning for a Martine McCutcheon Video and almost passing out near the end.

I also remember H, Pete, Matt Wall and Matt Evans laughing their heads off when I first put the thing on:)’

Marie Phillips: ‘Matthew – whilst I was Co-ordinator we had strictest instructions that the suit should not be worn for more than twenty minutes at a time – a ten minute break with the head off and so on. You were lucky you didn’t suffer any ill effects. My long serving Pudsey was Charlotte Mayberry (spelling?) who did a brilliant job.’

Matthew Sly: ‘Very true Marie, I was also given the same instructions I must admit, I think I was just a bit of a wimp, the ladies that looked after me were absolutely lovely, to my shame I can’t remember their names anymore.

They also sent me a lovely letter after the night and I’ve also lost that, such a shame, it would have been my pride and joy.’

David Ackrill: ‘A friend of mine (Giles Herbert) who was an Engineer at Pebble Mill helped to organize the CiN special event station using the BBC Amateur Radio Club station located in the Pebble Mill building one year and I have a “QSL” card for a CW (Morse code) contact with the station on 144MHz somewhere in my files.’