Pebble Mill – Page 10 – What Was Pebble Mill?

Pebble Mill Site Maps

Thanks to Peter Poole for making these site plans of Pebble Mill available, and for adding the following information:

The plans show the patch panel points around the Pebble Mill building. These boxes were fitted with camera connection sockets, microphone sockets, audio tie-lines and mains power sockets. The outside boxes were fitted with heaters to prevent corrosion of the sockets. All the audio circuits appeared on the north riser jack field. They could then be connected to any studio using a double ender. In the audio unit the plans were used in pre-production planning. A rigging form would be completed showing the studio microphone setup. It would show all the cable connections from the studio floor to the mixer jack field. This is a simplified description. Normally the audio set up would be more complex.

Fish eye lens photos of Pebble Mill

The photographer of these fish eye lens photos of the foyer and entrance of Pebble Mill is not known.

Thanks to Peter Poole for sharing the photos.

Pebble Mill Site – Tom Poole

Photo by Tom Poole, no reproduction without permission.

Tom got up around 5.30am to take this photo of the still vacant Pebble Mill site, 8 years after the BBC studios were demolished!

Children in Need – St Basil’s

Photos by Marie Phillips, no reproduction without permission.

The photos show television presenter, Ross King, presenting the Birmingham charity – St Basil’s, with a cheque for £50,000 from Children in Need. It dates from October 1992. St Basil’s is a charity for young people at risk of being homeless in the West Midlands.Ross King worked on Hot Chefs , and the entertainment show, Pebble Mill, as well as linking The Morning on One.

Marie Phillips added the following information:

‘it was a grant from Children in Need to St. Basils, but for something different to their homeless projects. This was for a womens’ refuge with mostly single mothers. I remember we visited to hand over the cheque which I think was a three year grant to fund support workers.We could not identify the location for security of the residents. I was struck by the number of cctv cameras around the building (not so common in those days) and asked why they were there. Apparently abusive husbands and boyfriends would try to get to their wives and partners and the cameras were for prevention and protection. Ross King was brilliant with everyone and showed real interest and concern and said afterwards how genuinely delighted he had been to be able to bring a little light into their lives. He was another Pebble Mill Presenter always willing to help CIN and me. Happy days!’

BBC Telephone Directory 1995/6

This is a page from the BBC Telephone Directory of 1995/6. It promotes the Resources Department of the Midlands and East Region. This would have been after the vertical split imposed by John Birt, when Resources had to become more commercial and take paying work from Independent Production Companies. The page is lists prominent productions serviced by Pebble Mill’s Resources Department, which included design, graphics, editing, crewing – both radio and television.

Thanks to Peter Poole for making this page available.