Radio Birmingham – Page 11 – What Was Pebble Mill?

Radio Birmingham Carnival Float – photo by Annie Gumbley

Photo by Annie Gumbley, no reproduction without permission.

This photo is of the Radio Birmingham float, from the Birmingham Carnival, dating from the 1970s.

Producer and presenter Pete Simpkin is on the right handside, in the white shirt. In the red jacket at the back is Early Show and Traffic presenter Peter York,next to him Alex Lester (now the Radio 2 Thro’ the night presenter), just behing Annie G is David Lowe who was a tech op, now writes TV theme tunes. Next to Annie, is Kathy Nelson (Kathy Scott then), behind to the left is Crol McLeod and to the left Clair ? ex copy taker in the Newsroom.

Please add a comment if you can identify the others. Thanks to Pete Simpkin and Annie Gumbley-Williams for identifying many in the photo.

Radio Birmingham – ‘206’ relaunch

This is a report from the Sandwell Evening Mail in November 1980 about the re-branding of Radio Birmingham as “206”, and the tag line ‘Five Star Listening’. According to the article the ‘five star’ could refer to the 5 main presenters, the five counties ‘206’ broadcast to, or to the quality of the station! The article features a photo of Tim Manning, Radio Birmingham’s Community Relations Officer.

Thanks to Tim Manning for making the article available.

Radio WM information card

The Radio WM information cards were distributed to promote the station, and make sure people knew the right frequencies to tune in to. The cards were given out around the time of the official relaunch of the station with its new name – BBC Radio WM, instead of Radio Birmingham (which took place on November 23rd 1981), and were designed to publicise the additional medium wave transmitter on 828 khz at Sedgley, aimed at improving the signal in Wolverhampton and across the Black Country.

‎”Five Star Listening” was the tag line for the station, it was used before the official name change as well. From late 1980 onwards when the name Radio Birmingham was played down and the station started to refer to itself wherever possible as “206”. There was a lengthy discussion going on between BBC Local Radio HQ in London and the management at Pebble Mill about what the new name for the station would be. John Pickles was determined that the re-vamping of the station wasn’t going to be delayed forever by internal debate, and so the 206 strategy (the MW frequency) was adopted.

Thanks to Stuart Gandy for making this card available, and to Tim Manning for providing all the information.

Radio Birmingham Football Team

Thanks to Annie Gumbley-Williams for making this Radio Birmingham football team photo available.

Mick Murphy, Pete Simpkin and Jane Green have identified the following team members:

2nd from left, back row,Jim Rosenthal (ITV Sport), fourth from left is Denis Mcshane went on to become an MP, top right, Rick Thompson, Head of Regional Programmes, Midlands and Head of 9 O Clock News.

Bottom row, 1st left, Stuart Woodcock(?), 2nd left, Duncan Gibbons, third from left Roger Moody (early sports producer Radio B’ham went onto a satellite company afterwards), far right, Nick Owen.

Duncan Gibbons became a screenwriter in Hollywood. He died in the first high profile forest fires in California, a good few years ago, attempting to rescue his cat.

I think the photo dates from the mid 1970’s. If you can add information, or identify more of the players, please add a comment.

‘Yorkie’ – Radio Birmingham, by Pete Simpkin

Here’s someone else you may recall from the Radio Birmingham days……’Yorkie’ (Peter York) was a regular presenter of many programmes especially the old 5am show which I often followed at 7am. He was also a speedway announcer and reporter and still appears at the remaining tracks around the UK. We shared the dubious honour of covering the first night of nude bathing sessions at the old Handsworth baths……he had been comissioned to ‘cover’ it for the breakfast ‘Heart of the Nation’ News programme but as the organisers would only allow him in if he too appeared ‘au naturel’ he refused to go unless I (as presenter) accompanied him in a similar fashion. Unfortunately no photographs were allowed but we still have the tape!

Pete Simpkin