Tag: Midlands Today

Stella Sims Recording Session – Peter Poole

Stella was a senior broadcast journalist working for regional TV. She frequently directed Midlands Today. She is now pursuing a career  as a singer. More information  at  www.seaton-sims.co.uk.

 The recording was made in Studio 1 Pebble Mill. The piano pieces are,

“Aquarelle” by Edric Cundell.

“Rumores de la Caleta (Malaguena)” by Isaac Albeniz.

A  Metamorphosis of a theme by Maurice Ravel.

Studio 1 was a large radio studio designed for classical music broadcasting. The acoustics were excellent but did suffer from low level traffic noise at rush hour. Many live Radio 3 lunch time concerts were broadcast there. It was originally equipped with a BBC “Type D” mixing desk. This became unreliable after many years use. And in 1992 it was replaced with a AMS Logic One digital mixing desk. This was semi-assignable and featured a “Audiofile” 8 track digital recording and editing system. This equipment was not very user friendly so I made my recording on a portable DAT recorder.

After the introduction of “Producer Choice” Studio 1 became too expensive for radio use. It was then used as a TV studio. The acoustics were then not ideal for speech based TV programmes. Midlands Today used Studio 1 when Studio B was being refurbished. And several viewers asked why it now had an echo!

Peter Poole

Studio 1 photo by Willoughby Gullachsen

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

Harvey Pope: ‘Am I correct in remembering a Children in Need night being broadcast from there? I was sent to do warm-up at Star City with Denise Lewis!’

Pete Simpkin:’It was a terrific experience to visit Studio 1 in the great days and watch mighty orchestras…up to 70 or 80 players at work. Also many audience shows were taped there…. and who will forget the amazing staff meetings for things like the visit of the DG!!’

Denis MacShane at Pebble Mill

Labour MP Denis MacShane stepped down as MP for Rotherham last week after an investigation into expenses irregularities.  Before he went into politics he worked as a journalist in radio, and was at BBC Pebble Mill for a while.

The following comments were contributed via the Pebble Mill Facebook Group:

Pete Simpkin: ‘He was one of the original News reporting team at Radio Birmingham. Sad to hear of his demise when so many Radio Birmingham people went on to great jobs in Network Radio and TV……….and politics.’

Keith Brook: ‘he also, surprisingly, did stuff for Midlands Today because I remember trying to teach him the etiquette of walking in front of a camera.’

Michael Fisher: ‘On the Saturday Night show RTE1 tonight one of the guests will be Edwina Currie a former Tory politician turned broadcaster who got plenty of radio experience on the breakfast show Heart of the Nation at Pebble Mill when she was a Birmingham councillor.’

Norma Scott: ‘I remember Denis when he worked for the Sunday Mercury!’

Conal O’Donnell: ‘Denis was born Denis Matyjaszek apparently changing his name at the behest of the BBC because it was too hard to pronounce (!) A legend amongst phone-in producers Denis enlivened one of his flagging shows by posing as a caller himself -unethical you might think but hey what do u do when the lines are dead?Trouble is he went on to compound the deception by calling Tory politician Reginald “reggie” Maudling a crook on air .Well he was of course but taking full advantage of our rapacious libel laws Maudling sued the Beeb for muchos sponduliks.One can’t help but smile!’

Kay Alexander leaves BBC Birmingham

copyright resides with the original holder, no reproduction without permission

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

‘Midlands Today’ presenter, Kay Alexander, retires today from BBC Birmingham after nearly 40 years.  She began working for the BBC in 1974, and yesterday she presented her last bulletin, at lunch time.  Besides from ‘Midlands Today’ she has presented ‘Best in Brass’, ‘Children in Need’ for the Midlands region, ‘Miss Great Britain’, and ‘Life File’.   Although originally from Surrey, she became an adoptive Brummy after studying English at Birmingham University.

The photo dates from 1977, it includes the regional news presenters, left to right:  Guy Thomas, Kay Alexander,Peter Windows, David Stevens, (back row) Michael Hancock,Tom Coyne.  Thanks to Annie Gumbley for making the photo available.

The following comments are just some of those left on the Pebble Mill Facebook Group:

Ruth Kiosses: ‘Ahhhhh end of an era! Such a lovely lady with such a beautiful and distinctive voice.’

Julie Mayer: ‘All good things must come to an end, but they are shoes that will be hard to fill. Lovely lady and great friend.’

Pam Relton: ‘I always think Kay must have a portrait in the attic – she looks so lovely. Really is the end of an era. All the best Kay.’

Ros Gower: ‘A true lady and an enormous pleasure to work with. Happy retirement Kay.’

David Crozier: ‘I remember Kay as a warm, intelligent and immensely professional person. Happy days, Kay!’

Fiona Barton: ‘Happy retirement, Kay. Was so lovely to catch up with her and Brian earlier in the year. What a fab couple, so much fun…they didn’t look a day older than when I left Pebble Mill more than 20 years ago!’

Steve Peacock: ‘Fare well Kay and enjoy the next phase’

Dawn Trotman: ‘Always a joy to work with and a consumate professional. Glad to know I am also leaving the BBC in the same week as such a glamourous lady. Enjoy your retirement Kayx’

Children in Need – Steve Cram and Alan Towers

Steve Cram & Marie Phillips

Marie Phillips & Alan Towers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photos from Marie Phillips, no reproduction without permission.

‘Children in Need’ has enjoyed some high profile supporters over the years.  In these photos Pebble Mill ‘Children in Need’ co-ordinator, Marie Phillips, is joined by middle distance runner, Steve Cram, and Midlands Today presenter, Alan Towers.

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

Ruth Kiosses: “Guessing this was c1990 because if the plain blocks under Pudsey? The following year the blocks were coloured ! Sad to know this info but I remember the sweatshirts I bought each year. Still got my Pudsey on this design 22 years old and still taken into school every November!”

Marie Phillips: “Gosh Ruth, well remembered ! This was an athletics event at Alexandra Stadium where we were invited to take CIN merchandise to sell and Alan Towers was there to help with promotion and Steve Cram came over to the Stall – can’t remember if he bought anything but he attracted a crowd who did!”

Ruth Kiosses: “I started PM in 1990 and I knew that it was the first sweatshirt I bought! Loved CIN the busiest week of the year in Wardrobe. Light entertainment stuff arriving in van loads, long hours, but great fun. Loved doing the OB from the front lawn always such a great atmosphere.”

Marie Phillips: “I retired in 1998 Ruth, but as every November arrives I remember those nights – such fun, such hard work, such adrenalin and then twice a year being so proud to be able to allocate the fruits of all the effort. Hapy, happy days.”

Videotape in the 70s (part 3) – Ray Lee


Photo by Tim Savage, no reproduction without permission

VT Expansion

Around 1975/6 VTC was created. A pair of AmpexVR1200 were installed into the new area, but because there were only sufficient lines on the Comms router at that time for one more VT they shared a single source and destination route, and one control line. When working with a studio or outside destination, they only saw whichever machine was switched to line, which meant that for programmes like Midlands Today, one machine could be cuing the next item, while one was playing, but normally it would need a brief return to another source so that the machine to line could be switched prior to playing the next item. I had a fairly extended period working in VT after VTC was created, and even did some training of others including Tim Savage. At that time Angela Ripon was the main presenter on “Top Gear” which was frequently edited in VTC.

Soon after that the IVC 9000 Slant track machine was installed in the former Telecine viewing room. More and more programmes were using VT and so any viewing of film material took place either in the viewing theatre run by Stan Treasurer, or in the Telecine cubicles themselves. The IVC 9000 used 2inch wide tape like the Quad machines, but recorded the tracks diagonally across the tape. The tape also ran at half the speed that the Quad machines used, so could accommodate longer continuous recordings.

It was slightly less noisy than the Quad machines and had a much quicker start up mode. (I believe it could be synchronous in 3 seconds instead of 10). This machine was used extensively by Pebble Mill at One, but because there was only ever one machine, it still required a Quad machine to do edits, and also any material that was on slant track format tapes, could only be played on that machine, which rather limited its usefulness. The idea of obtaining a second machine for an edit pair never materialised, as by this stage the Ampex VPR2 machines were starting to be installed in London, and subsequently at Pebble Mill, and these had the advantage of seeing pictures in still frame and shuttle mode, which enormously improved the location of edit points.

Ray Lee

Ray added this additional information on the Pebble Mill Facebook page: ‘VTC was equiped with VR1200s which Paul (Vanezis) is quite correct were older machines (than the VR2000s). Pebble Mill had them 2nd Hand I think ex London when they were just starting to install VPR2’s at TVC as far as I recall.’

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