TV Pop Diaries
Pop Music on British Television 1955 - 1999

Pop At The Mill was a series of open-air concerts at BBC's Pebble Mill studios located at Edgbaston, Birmingham, in front of an audience of about two-thousand.

The shows were recorded on Saturday night, about four weeks ahead of broadcast, also on Saturdays. Hosted by Pete Murray it featured The Rubettes, Showaddywaddy, Mary Hopkin, The Bachelors, Joe Brown, Linda Lewis, Guys n Dolls among others. Each show seemed to have a mix of one recent chart act and a performer from the sixties.

Gilbert O'Sullivan and Bert Weedon were among the first acts to play, but a downpour meant that the show was cancelled, instead of being broadcast as the first show on 23rd July as intended. Producer Roy Ronnie said "The weather never let him do any rehearsal so I'm afraid Gilbert's fans are going to be disappointed."

Phil Sedley Head of Network Production centre told the Birmingham Evening Mail "The programmes will be recorded, but there will be very little editing. We would like to do them live - but we can't trust the weather."

A greenhouse and a mini-farm behind the studio were demolished in order to make way for the outdoor stage.

It lasted just one series.

POP AT THE MILL

BBC1

23rd July 1977 - 27th August 1977