Stuart Allen – What Was Pebble Mill?

Keen Types

Screen grabs shared by Stuart Allen, of the 1984 regional show, Keen Types, presented by Don Maclean. The series featured different enthusiasts from around the region.

These screen grabs are from the 1985, Joan Armatrading concert from the NEC, simulcast on BBC 2 and Radio 1, on 4th and 11th April. John Smith was the director, and Annie Gumbley Williams was the PA. Below is the entry from the Radio Times, courtesy of the BBC Genome project:

“The exciting singer songwriter, soon to embark on another long world concert tour, makes a rare British television appearance in a concert recorded recently at the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham.
In her repertoire,
Joan Armatrading mixes previous chart successes with contemporary material, including ‘Love and affection’, ‘Heaven’ and ‘Temptation’.
Producer JOHN G. SMITH BBC Pebble Mill
A simultaneous broadcast with Radio 1. Viewers with stereo Radio 1 may wish to turn off TV sound and position their speakers on either side of the screen, but a few feet away.
Stereo headphones provide a suitable alternative.
(The second half of this concert will be shown next Thursday)”

https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/19c900f984ed49c7a3b6cfe25aa40eec

Thanks to Stuart Allen for making the grabs available.

Billy Joel Live on One

The live concert of Billy Joel at Wembley was transmitted on 8th June 1984.

Below is the entry from the Radio Times, courtesy of the BBC Genome project:

“Billy Joel in Concert

BILLY JOEL , American singer/songwriter, in a rare live broadcast from Wembley Arena, presents a catalogue of hits from ‘Piano man’ to ‘An innocent man’.
In this, the only European engagement of his 1984 World Tour, Billy Joel includes previous favourites Just the way you are’, ‘Goodnight baigon and ‘Allentown’ along with his contemporary successes ‘Tell her about it’, ‘Uptown girl’ and ‘An innocent man’.
Sound JIM BOYER , MICK ROBINSON
Lighting STEVE COHEN , DEREK PRICE Executive producer JIM DUMIGHAN Production JOHN G. SMITH
BBC Pebble Mill”

http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/314845fc65ef4eac8646ccbf4bad055e

Jane Mclean was the PA.

Thanks to Stuart Allen for sharing this screen grabs from the concert.

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

Andrew Henry Lewellyn Davies: ‘It was also broadcast live at the same time on Radio 1. I still have the recording. Superb broadcast of Joel in his pomp.’

Peter Hercombe: ‘Remember this well. Love Billy Joel. Well done John G and Jane !’

Gardeners’ World September 1987

Thanks to Stuart Allen for making these screen grabs available.

These stills are from Gardeners’ World transmitted on 9th September 1987. This was when the Friday night gardening series was still being made as an outside broadcast. I think it was usually shot on two cameras and used a system called editech to assemble the programme as the recording went along, rolling back to last edit and picking up from there.

Jean Laughton was a renowned production assistant, who was working more as a researcher than a PA. She compiled a very comprehensive set of card notes which included all the programme details, along with which plants were included in which episode.

Denis Gartside was a larger than life director. I worked with him on Gardeners’ World in 1989. I remember driving with him to location, he used to steer with his knees and stop with the handbrake!

Children in Need with Alan Towers

These stills are from Children in Need from the early 1980s. These would have been from the Midlands contribution into the national Children in Need show. The presenter was Alan Towers, who was one of the Midlands Today presenter. The first still shows the volunteers taking the pledges of money on the phones.

Thanks to Stuart Allen for sharing the photos.

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

Ann Gumbley Williams: ‘Worked with Alan as assistant on the very first Children in Need. I was in the Gallery on my own when London said they were coming to Birmingham in 30 seconds. Had to run around to the newsroom and grab Alan and all those involve. Just about got there in time! Such memories, the first one was so crazy and laid back and hairy! If you can be both.’

Gary Hudson: ‘I knew Alan before I worked for the BBC, and on my first day he took me to one side:”Staff job, eh? Find yourself an empty office on the fifth floor and stay there till you collect your pension.”
Variously called everything from Beckenbauer to Uncle Barmy, he was a great character, loyal friend and I miss him. His wicked sense of humour wasn’t confined to the infamous farewell speech. Who remembers the Christmas studio decorations sign-off? As I recall, it was something like: ‘Do you like our Christmas tree? The fairies put it up in the middle of the night. Thanks, boys!”