The Newsroom

Pebble Mill is dying.

Picture of Pebble Mill\'s Demolition (August 2005)

This site closed in March 2021 and is now a read-only archive
TV
tvmercia Founding member
Mr.B posted:
One small example is that Pebble Mill had a nice large parking area. The Mailbox doesn't (unless you want to pay something like £5 a day).


its something like £8 or £10 for a day in the mailbox car park, however there is a bbc staff carpark at the horsefair, £1.50 for 5 hours or £2.50 for 12 hours.

there are still unfinished areas of the bbc's part of the mailbox on level 7
SP
Spencer
I'm guessing we'll also see some more photos like this of City Road, Newcastle soon. Sad
NW
nwtv2003
deejay posted:
What's happening to Lenton Lane? Demolition too? There were some similarly sad pictures on here some months ago just after closure and prior to the auction of the kit.


Last I heard it got sold off to the University of Nottingham, it's not that old to be demolished really, but certainately has a high amount of space available.
PT
Put The Telly On
Everytime anyone mentions Pebble Mill, I immediately think of Pebble Mill at 1 with Alan Titchmarsh and Judi Spiers. I grew up watching that as a young kid.
IS
Inspector Sands
nwtv2003 posted:

Very true, though the BBC needed to progress in the Midlands, it's a shame that Pebble Mill was sacrificed. It also seems odd that it took about 5 years to construct Pebble Mill and it probably takes them about 5 weeks to bring it down.


Isn't that the case with all buildings though? - it's always quicker to destroy somethign that make it in the first place

It's sad really that such a relatively young building is being knocked down, but that is quite common with 60's and 70's architecture - it tends to date very quickly. The use of asbestos doesn't help much either
NG
noggin Founding member
nok32uk posted:
Everytime anyone mentions Pebble Mill, I immediately think of Pebble Mill at 1 with Alan Titchmarsh and Judi Spiers. I grew up watching that as a young kid.


Wasn't it just Pebble Mill by then - as the One O'Clock News had launched by the time Judi Spiers was presenting it.

I think it was Pebble Mill at One further back than that, in the days of Marion Foster, Bob Langley and Donny McLeod...
IS
Inspector Sands
noggin posted:
Wasn't it just Pebble Mill by then - as the One O'Clock News had launched by the time Judi Spiers was presenting it.

I think it was Pebble Mill at One further back than that, in the days of Marion Foster, Bob Langley and Donny McLeod...


Yes, the original programme was Pebble Mill/ Pebble Mill at One which finished in the mid 80's (presumably at the same time that the One o Clock news started). It came back as 'Daytime Live' when BBC1 started doing daytime programmes (Open Air was at 11, Daytime Live at 12).

It was relaunched as 'Scene Today' when the BBC bought in 'Daytime UK' - which was branded continuity for the mornings with In-vision links by Judi Spiers in a side-office at Pebble Mill. Daytime UK didn't last because after a few months coverage of the Gulf War took over.

Then it came back as Pebble Mill, which was the Judi Spiers/Alan Titchmarsh era.
DE
deejay
Inspector Sands posted:
noggin posted:
Wasn't it just Pebble Mill by then - as the One O'Clock News had launched by the time Judi Spiers was presenting it.

I think it was Pebble Mill at One further back than that, in the days of Marion Foster, Bob Langley and Donny McLeod...


Yes, the original programme was Pebble Mill/ Pebble Mill at One which finished in the mid 80's (presumably at the same time that the One o Clock news started). It came back as 'Daytime Live' when BBC1 started doing daytime programmes (Open Air was at 11, Daytime Live at 12).

It was relaunched as 'Scene Today' when the BBC bought in 'Daytime UK' - which was branded continuity for the mornings with In-vision links by Judi Spiers in a side-office at Pebble Mill. Daytime UK didn't last because after a few months coverage of the Gulf War took over.

Then it came back as Pebble Mill, which was the Judi Spiers/Alan Titchmarsh era.


Open Air itself came from Manchester's studios I believe. And I think the in-vision continuity came from Pebble Mill's Presentation Studio.
NW
nwtv2003
Inspector Sands posted:
nwtv2003 posted:

Very true, though the BBC needed to progress in the Midlands, it's a shame that Pebble Mill was sacrificed. It also seems odd that it took about 5 years to construct Pebble Mill and it probably takes them about 5 weeks to bring it down.


Isn't that the case with all buildings though? - it's always quicker to destroy somethign that make it in the first place

It's sad really that such a relatively young building is being knocked down, but that is quite common with 60's and 70's architecture - it tends to date very quickly. The use of asbestos doesn't help much either


Well as you say that is true, I'm emphasising more on how long it took to build as it was a very big building and the years of planning that went into the building, as planning started as early as the mid 1960's for the BBC to have proper studios in the Midlands. Though as you say it is a common sight these days with many 1960's/70's buildings being demolished, so Pebble Mill is no exception, plus the BBC didn't own the land, it was leased from Birmingham City Council for 30 years or so and their lease was up.
HA
harshy Founding member
Sad to see the photos of Pebble Mill being demolished, what's going to be in it's place?
NG
noggin Founding member
nwtv2003 posted:
Inspector Sands posted:
nwtv2003 posted:

Very true, though the BBC needed to progress in the Midlands, it's a shame that Pebble Mill was sacrificed. It also seems odd that it took about 5 years to construct Pebble Mill and it probably takes them about 5 weeks to bring it down.


Isn't that the case with all buildings though? - it's always quicker to destroy somethign that make it in the first place

It's sad really that such a relatively young building is being knocked down, but that is quite common with 60's and 70's architecture - it tends to date very quickly. The use of asbestos doesn't help much either


Well as you say that is true, I'm emphasising more on how long it took to build as it was a very big building and the years of planning that went into the building, as planning started as early as the mid 1960's for the BBC to have proper studios in the Midlands. Though as you say it is a common sight these days with many 1960's/70's buildings being demolished, so Pebble Mill is no exception, plus the BBC didn't own the land, it was leased from Birmingham City Council for 30 years or so and their lease was up.


The lease wasn't up though - it had a significant time left to run - I don't think it was close to expiring... In fact I think there may have been a financial benefit to the BBC for returning the land before the lease ran out?
IS
Inspector Sands
deejay posted:

Open Air itself came from Manchester's studios I believe. And I think the in-vision continuity came from Pebble Mill's Presentation Studio.


Yes, Open Air was from Manchester.

As I rememer it, Judi Spiers used to sit by a window which was at right angles to in the long spur that could be seen in the background of the programmes in the foyer studio. Judi have a monkey 'puppet' type thing called 'Maximum Monkey'

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