Terry Powell – Page 3 – What Was Pebble Mill?

Vote for Them – cast and crew

This photo shows some of the cast and crew of the 1989, three part drama: Vote for Them, written by David Edgar and Neil Grant. The drama was shot on location in the UK and Egypt. Carol Parks was the producer and James Ormerod, the director.

Please add a comment if you can identify anyone in the photograph, or can add more information. I think it is Alastair (Duncan?) central in the white hat.

Thanks to costume designer, Janice Rider, for making the photo available.

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

Terry Powell: ‘Yes that’s me with hair and very bright shorts I loved the show so much with my dear friend Janice rider I have lots of pics and will look them out.’

Janice Rider: ‘Yes it is in Egypt and is Alastair in the foreground. Paul Higton profile in white shirt & long trousers. Me in headscarf and black & white long skirt, Karen Thomas in White vest & shorts on the extreme right. Back left in white hat James Ormerod the director and yes, dear Terry always stylish in the desert!’

Neil Grant: ‘Could be Billy Hartman, fourth from the right, in the foreground?’

Vote For Them – TX Card

Vote for Them was a three part drama, transmitted in 1989. It serial was filmed on location in the UK and in Egypt. Carol Parks was the producer and James Ormerod the director.

The serial featured Billy Hartman as Sergeant McRae, Simon Adams as AC2 Clarke, Jeff Rawle as WO Wilson, Andrew Paul as Sergeant Simpson, John Wheatley as LAC Atterley, David Quilter as Major Trapnell, David Cardy as Signalman Jacobs, Nicholas Day as Captain Carrington, and Patrick Pearson as Corporal Richardson.

Thanks to costume designer, Janice Rider, for sharing the TX card.

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

Terry Powell: ‘My god yet another show I worked on I seemed to have worked a lot with Janice and I have to say this one was a joy and I have never forgot it, a lot of people’s lives changed after xx’

Oliver Twist

Photo by Neil Wigley, no reproduction without permission

This publicity still is from the 12 part 1985 BBC adaptation of Charles Dickens’s Oliver Twist, which was a London production, hosted at Pebble Mill. The series was directed by Gareth Davies, and produced by Terence Dicks. Alexander Baron was the script writer, with Brian Wright the script editor. Bob Chaplin was the lighting director, Michael Edwards was the production designer, Al Barnett the costume designer and Alastair Askham the sound supervisor, with Mike Bloore the VT editor.

Ben Rodska played Oliver Twist, with Eric Porter as Fagin, and Michael Attwell as Bill Sikes.

Thanks to the BBC Drama Village for making the photo available.

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

Terry Powell: ‘Great show I looked after a young actor playing Olive who now is a pilot for Easy Jet with 2 grown up kids – time does fly’

Carole Haysom: ‘Make up assistant Carole Haysom……Made up Eric Porter, in fact I still have his Fagin teeth’

Carol Churchill: ‘Makeup designer was Susie Bancroft’

Witchcraft

Script front page and cast list for the BBC 2 drama Witchcraft. This was a two parter on BBC 2, transmitted in 1992, written by Nigel Williams and directed by Peter Sasdy.

It was a challenging production, with several members of the team left bruised by the experience.

Here is the BFI database entry for the drama:

Part 1:

A film school teacher chooses 17th-century witchcraft and adultery as the theme of his latest script. As shooting of the film begins, real-life events take on a menacing quality and events from the past seem to be being re-enacted in the present. http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/463201

Part 2:

As reality and fiction blur, the parallels between the 17th-century past and the present drive Jamie to a breakdown. He becomes possessed by the image of Ezekiel, the Witchfinder. Meg makes a bizarre discovery putting everyone’s lives at risk. http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/481195

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

Christine Houston: ‘(Film Unit) Made rare location visit to take replacement equipment. The set was a totally constructed medieval village in the middle of a field, complete with olde worlde long-horned cattle. Managed to watch about 30secs of filming before director “cut” to query authenticity of costumes for the period!! I had a catering services lunch with the crew while the exasperated costume dept tried to convince him all was good. Also remember being completely disorientated when Tim Everett put his headphones on me – thought there were people talking behind me when they were actually on the other side of the field. WEIRD!!’

Victoria Trow: ‘Oh blimey, Peter Sasdy, divide and rule merchant. The editing team was at the rehearsal rooms. The best advice we had was from the PA who said we should always write down any instructions from Peter to cover ourselves. John [Rosser] wouldn’t talk about Peter until he’d not only left the building but had been seen to drive away in his car – John was convinced he had bat hearing. Nightmare yes, intense yes, fun in some kind of crazy way, yes; was it worth it, was it a good film? No!’

Terry Powell: ‘The directer was a nightmare bully, sexist and just a complete —-. I think that covers that. Terry, costume.’

The Rainbow – Mail on Sunday Preview

This Mail on Sunday article from December 1988 previews Pebble Mill’s The Rainbow, a three part adaptation of the D. H. Lawrence’s novel. The drama was produced by Chris Parr, directed by Stuart Burge, with the screenplay adapted by Anne Devlin, Chris’s wife.

The serial starred Imogen Stubbs, Martin Wenner and Kate Buffery.

Thanks to Willoughby Gullachsen (Gus), for sharing the cutting.

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

Jo Mainwaring: ‘This was the first thing I remember being in production when I arrived in TV Drama – happy days.’

Terry Powell: ‘I looked after the male cast.’

John Greening: ‘And I was the location manager.’

Vanessa Jackson: ‘And I was the Producer’s Secretary!’

Dawn Trotman: ‘John Rosser cut it . I think Andy Netley was the assistant?’

Neil Roberts: ‘I synched up all the rushes! My first job at Pebble Mill.’