Radio Pubs 1974-79

The Black Dog

This was the nearest pub to the Feltham studio, located at the junction of Shaftesbury Avenue and Staines Road. It was rarely frequented by radio staff though, as it was an early 1970's new build (at the time) devoid of any character and selling Watneys beer. If we used it at all it was for late off-sales, the Crown & Sceptre further along Staines Road was also used for buying a bottle of vodka when the off license at Minimax Corner was closed.

The Black Dog, Staines Road, Feltham

Railway Tavern

This was the main venue for meetings of Skyport, Radio England and Uptown staff, it was a 15 minute walk from the studio across the Glebelands fields and was adjacent to Feltham railway station. Like most pubs in the 1970's it only served keg beer, in this case Courage. The best bitter was passable at around 30p a pint, but our favourite tipple was Pernod and lemonade, we were very young at the time.

The Railway Tavern, Bedfont Lane, Feltham

The Kings Arms

This large venue in Hampton Court serving Ruddles and Sam Smiths ale was the weekly meeting place of the Radio Jackie crew and their supporters. Many pirates from all over London could be found there on Sunday evening after the days broadcasts had ended. Being a Sunday it closed early, around 10:30pm for last orders, and so an "afters" pub was found in Church Street, Hampton, which had a lock-in until 1 or 2am. The White Hart was hosted by twin brothers, who, let's be kind, were rather eccentric. It had a vast selection of drinks from all over the world, but the brothers were insistant that if you wanted to stay locked in that you sample their many cocktail concoctions. One I recall was an "Alaskan Ordeal", vodka (lots) apple juice with ouzo floated on the top. The brothers apparently retired to the coast, the building has now been converted into flats

The Kings Arms, Hampton Court

L-R Ken Moule, Mark King, Peter Dollimore, Michael Barrington, Alan Lawrence and Dave Cliff

Brian Horne at his birthday party

L-R Dave ?(standing) seated Ollie Frost, Ken Moule, Mark King, Peter Dollimore

The Ballot Box

This was located on Horsenden Hill and was very close to our transmitter location for Uptown Radio and West London Radio, so we sat in there until closing time with a radio on low volume monitoring our broadcasts before going back to the site at 11pm to retrieve the transmitter and cassette tape decks.

The Ballot Box, Horsenden Hill

The Eclipse

Located on Egham Hill this pub was used to monitor our Uptown Radio transmitter located nearby in the grounds of the Royal Holloway College.

The Eclipse, Egham Hill

The Bells of Ouseley

Located in Runnymede this pub was used to monitor the Uptown Radio transmissions from the Kennedy Memorial acre on nearby Coopers Hill. It was probably the poshest venue we used, it served game dinners had a good selection of cask beers, it's one of the few still in business today.

The Bells of Ouseley, Old Windsor

The Milford Arms

The last one on the list, as the technical side of things, and indeed the operation of Uptown Radio was taken over by Dave, my colleague at Hounslow Borough College which was adjacent to this venue. Another pub which is still in business today, no doubt in part to the renamed West Thames College on London Road, Isleworth.

The Milford Arms, London Road, Isleworth

Mark King - 2026

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