08-08-2017, 11:13 AM
"Big L time is three o'clock and Radio London is now closing down."
Tuesday 14th August, 1967. I was going to post this next Monday, the actual anniversary but have found something else much better for that day that might interest others, so this is to give you advance warning!
On the run up to the 40th anniversary, nobody seemed particularly interested in remembering the event. But somebody had other ideas: Steve Scruton, a presenter at BBC Essex, put together a cunning plan which was accepted by his boss at BBC Essex (who, presumably, had to seek higher authority before doing so).
And thus the BBC took to the high seas for 14 days with Pirate BBC Essex! Well, it wasn't really the high seas as the ship was a preserved lightship, the LV18, moored off Harwich and, of course, the transmitters were BBC Essex's land based AM transmitters.
However, the project obviously triggered a lot of interest: watery wireless favourites flew in from around the globe to board the LVI8 and be a part of something very special. John Kerr, Norman St John and Graham Webb came from Australia, Gord Cruse and Keith 'Keefers' Hampshire travelled from Canada and Bud Ballou and the Emperor Rosko, from California. They joined former 'Wets' Mike Ahern, John Aston, Dave Cash, Ray Clark, Ian 'Wombat' Damon, 'Tatty' Tom Edwards, Roger 'Twiggy' Day, Guy Hamilton, Duncan Johnson, Keith Martin, Keith Skues, Ed 'Stewpot' Stewart, Johnnie Walker and Mark Wesley.
Several of these, alas, are no longer with us, some, like Dave Cash I note, passing in the past 12 months. So another 24 hours a day for a fortnight celebration would probably be rather ambitious this time. However, until yesterday, I'd heard nothing about anybody anywhere doing anything at all.
Helen was listening to the Dave Monk programme on BBC Essex yesterday afternoon during which he trailed a special programme for next Monday. It is Steve Scruton to the rescue again!
Only 6 hours with Ray Clarke following it with an hour long programme on the Caroline ship Ross Revenge. (Ray broadcast from the Ross Revenge back in the days when it was illegal, so used an alias, but I can't remember what it was!) However, it should be seven hours of pure nostalgia for anyone who remembers the pirate era.
I should point out, before anybody else does, that some of the pirates did stupid things that could only hasten their demise. It was idiotic in the extreme and just as annoying to me as it was for the foreign stations affected but we have to face the fact that this era changed the face of UK broadcasting for ever.
Tuesday 14th August, 1967. I was going to post this next Monday, the actual anniversary but have found something else much better for that day that might interest others, so this is to give you advance warning!
On the run up to the 40th anniversary, nobody seemed particularly interested in remembering the event. But somebody had other ideas: Steve Scruton, a presenter at BBC Essex, put together a cunning plan which was accepted by his boss at BBC Essex (who, presumably, had to seek higher authority before doing so).
And thus the BBC took to the high seas for 14 days with Pirate BBC Essex! Well, it wasn't really the high seas as the ship was a preserved lightship, the LV18, moored off Harwich and, of course, the transmitters were BBC Essex's land based AM transmitters.
However, the project obviously triggered a lot of interest: watery wireless favourites flew in from around the globe to board the LVI8 and be a part of something very special. John Kerr, Norman St John and Graham Webb came from Australia, Gord Cruse and Keith 'Keefers' Hampshire travelled from Canada and Bud Ballou and the Emperor Rosko, from California. They joined former 'Wets' Mike Ahern, John Aston, Dave Cash, Ray Clark, Ian 'Wombat' Damon, 'Tatty' Tom Edwards, Roger 'Twiggy' Day, Guy Hamilton, Duncan Johnson, Keith Martin, Keith Skues, Ed 'Stewpot' Stewart, Johnnie Walker and Mark Wesley.
Several of these, alas, are no longer with us, some, like Dave Cash I note, passing in the past 12 months. So another 24 hours a day for a fortnight celebration would probably be rather ambitious this time. However, until yesterday, I'd heard nothing about anybody anywhere doing anything at all.
Helen was listening to the Dave Monk programme on BBC Essex yesterday afternoon during which he trailed a special programme for next Monday. It is Steve Scruton to the rescue again!
Only 6 hours with Ray Clarke following it with an hour long programme on the Caroline ship Ross Revenge. (Ray broadcast from the Ross Revenge back in the days when it was illegal, so used an alias, but I can't remember what it was!) However, it should be seven hours of pure nostalgia for anyone who remembers the pirate era.
I should point out, before anybody else does, that some of the pirates did stupid things that could only hasten their demise. It was idiotic in the extreme and just as annoying to me as it was for the foreign stations affected but we have to face the fact that this era changed the face of UK broadcasting for ever.