Studio A – Page 9 – What Was Pebble Mill?

Good Morning with Anne and Nick set

Photos by Karen Bond, no reproduction without permission.

These photos are of the Good Morning with Anne and Nick set, circa 1993. The set was built in Studio C, which was originally the Foyer at Pebble Mill, and where Pebble Mill at One was staged. The set mimicked a domestic house, and blocked out much of the iconic view from the street scene on Pebble Mill road, which characterised Pebble Mill at One. The successor programme to Pebble Mill at One, called simply, Pebble Mill, was using Studio A at this time.

Good Morning with Anne and Nick, was a mid morning magazine show, presented by Anne Diamond and Nick Owen which went out between 1993-6.

Bob Hoskins 1942-2014

Copyright resides with the original holders, no reproduction without permission

Bob Hoskins died of pneumonia last night, aged 71.

He was best known for roles in films like Mona Lisa, The Long Good Friday and Who Framed Roger Rabbit, but he also appeared in many television dramas including three Plays for Today and series like Pennies from Heaven.

I don’t know if he was involved in any transmitted Pebble Mill dramas, but he was certainly involved in a pilot show, for testing out Studio A, when Pebble Mill was just opening, probably in 1971. The pilot was a studio magazine show, with an audience and a number of different items, including sketches. Bob Hoskins took part in one of the sketches. The show was produced by David Rose. I managed to watch a VHS copy of the pilot show, which is still archived in the BBC Library.

Toby Horwood in Studio A

Here’s a mug shot of yours truly. This in in Studio A. Judging by the presence of audience seating it would have been a Call My Bluff or Going for a Song or something similar.

Very happy days. Still in the Beeb. Still Happy.

Toby Horwood

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

Stuart Gandy: ‘As it is a Sony camera, it must have been after the refurb to widescreen.’

Kate O’Mara – Howards’ Way

Copyright resides with the original holder, no reproduction without permission. Kate O’Mara is second from the right in the top photo. The lower photo shows the cast and crew of Howrds’ Way.

Kate O’Mara died on Sunday 30th March 2014, in a Sussex nursing home, aged 74, after a short illness.

Kate O’Mara played the part of Laura Wilde in Howards’ Way, series 5-6.

Howards’ Way was made at Pebble Mill between 1985-90. It was a London hosted production. The drama series was inspired by US soaps like Dynasty and Dallas. The series was created and produced by Gerard Glaister. It was set in a fictional town of Tarrant on the south coast of England, around the rich and glamorous world of sailing. It followed the trials and tribulations of the Howard family, and their rivals.

Here is a link to Howards’ Way on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oK03V7z_IA

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

Karen Lamb: ‘I remember when we were filming in Studio A for Howards’ Way and she had to drink some champagne during a scene, ever the professional (only after she had completed the scene) she went mad that it was real champagne & not fake!’

Susan Astle: ‘I was lucky enough to do Kate’s make up on most of the series.’

Mary Sanchez: ‘I worked on Howards’ Way with her for 2 series – she had a very dry sense of humour and had the men eating out of her hand ! Lovely lady – sorry to hear of her passing away relatively young.’

Heart of the Country – Toby Horwood

This is on the set of Heart of the Country with Susan Penhaligan (who you can see on set). To be honest I can’t remember that much about the plot, other than it centred on the big carnival floats that were built for a festival in Somerset – hence the big gorilla. Barry Chatfield was lighting it (he’s stood on the right in the foreground). I was given the rare honour (for one so junior on the crew) of operating the camera on the Wilmac crane. I was swung high above the floor of Studio A. As long as you didn’t look down you were ok.

Toby Horwood

(Heart of the Country was a four part adaptation of Fay Weldon’s novel, set in Somerset. It was transmitted 25/2/1987-18/3/1987. Brian Farnham was the director and Roger Gregory the producer.)

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

Lesley Weaver: ‘I was the Make Up designer.. Filming around Shepton Mallet, Wells and Glastonbury in August 1986 lovely places …but it rained almost every day. Then back again around November in even more rain to do the tremendous fun Shepton Mallet Carnival scenes and then sitting freezing up on Glastonbury Tor during a night shoot. Don’t think I’ve ever been so cold. But it did have the gorgeous Christian Bale in! However he was much much younger! Kathy Ayehurst was the Costume Designer, we did have a laugh coming up with the costumes for the Stepford Wives Scenes …. Oh happy days where did they go? …’