About Me

About me (the radio me) - in a few words - I'm 67, married to Ann, & we have 3 children & lots of grandchildren! I am blessed with a wonderful family! My career was primarily building related & now in early retirement I am still building... (for the family), & I also now do a little bit of running...

I've been interested in radio & music for as long as I can remember - here's a brief summary of the early days of my radio hobby.

I'm not sure how my interest in radio started. I remember my great grandmother listening to the racing results on an old valve radio (a GEC 4650 - still in my radio room!) & in my dad's shed there was a large wireless up on the shelf. I can recall hearing two loud stations right next to each other on my titchy red 'Transwave Six Transistor' radio, so I guess this was Radios Caroline & London, but I was just too young to register what this was all about.

At junior boarding school in the 1960's, older pupils set up the aptly named 'Radio Prison', & I followed with 'Radio 290' & 'Mike Tape Two'. I won't make this out to be more than it was - simply a couple of speakers in the hobbies room & common room fed by a collection of old bits of equipment - 2 x tape decks, 1 x record deck, 1 x microphone & a valve amplifier, but, it was another start to my radio hobby. Interestingly, I do remember having only one listener when I closed down 'Mike Tape Two', & that was because he had been 'grounded' & wasn't allowed out! Perhaps this was a sign of things to come many years later!

In 1970 I was 13 years old, a good age to be impressed by a brightly coloured boat in the north sea playing pop music & playing cat & mouse with government jamming transmitters! My brother & I built an FM radio kit to be able to hear the broadcasts better, but I think we tuned up the day after the Mebo 2 had sailed back to the Dutch coast, so without success! RNI's closedown in September 1970 must have had an effect, because when they returned to the air in February 1971 I was hooked. At this time I was at boarding school in Ipswich, an absolute black hole as far as radio reception was concerned. The only way to get Radio 1 on 247m was to hold the radio next to the straining wire of the GPO telegraph pole! I remember listening to the test transmissions from RNI on 220m, & since I had been given a Ferguson reel to reel 4 track tape recorder for Christmas 1970, I was ready to record the opening programme & many others afterwards. I used to spend hours editing these tapes, cutting out the music & keeping the theme tunes, jingles & dj announcements - I was obviously a geek a long time before it was fashionable!

Throughout 1971 & 1972 I listened to RNI constantly, even the daytime dutch programmes, & often to their broadcasts on the 49m & 31m bands, especially the sunday world service broadcasts. In particular I enjoyed 'RNI goes DX' with AJ Beirens, which introduced me to the world of short wave listening & the history of the 60's offshore stations. I also collected as many pirate radio magazines as I could - Monitor, DeeJay & Radio Monthly, Script, SIRA, Caroline Newsletter..., & scrap books of cuttings from Disc & Music Echo & Record Mirror. Here's a small selection of free radio material from the early to mid 1970's...

In late 1972 my allegiance changed completely when the Mi Amigo sailed out & started Radio Caroline's second phase of broadcasting. Radio 199, Radio Seagull, Radio Atlantis, Radio Veronica, Radio Mi Amigo, & of course, Radio Caroline - how many stations could you fit into one boat ?! (although not all at the same time...). Their antics, determination, irreverence, & choice of music hit exactly the right chord with me at the time. I listened whenever I could, & even had my letter read out on Andy Archer's School's Out programme.

Purely by coincidence, my brother & I had arranged to drive over to Holland to see a school friend at the end of August 1974. On 31st August we drove to Scheveningen & managed to get on the Trip Tender to sail around the Mebo 2 & the Norderney on their last day. Obviously the Mi Amigo was far out of sight by now. I remember sitting in our Wolseley 1300 at Scheveningen harbour eating chips covered in mayonnaise & listening to 538m & the abrupt end of Veronica - with Capital Radio from London just audible underneath.

The following day we drove to Vlissingen harbour to see the Janeine (Radio Atlantis) tied up (we were too late to see her sail in). A depressing sight, but some consolation was the chance to have a quick chat with Dave Rogers. Further consolation was the fact that Radio Caroline continued, & I remained a constant listener whenever I could until the sinking in March 1980. I particularly enjoyed the Caroline daytime eras with Mark Lawrence, James Ross & Tony Allen, & the spirit of loving awareness.

I thought the Loving Awareness band were very good. I actually got to see them three times, twice at the Marquee Club in London & once in Manchester, & I still have the LA album signed by the band (& also signed by Tony Allen & Stuart Russell). It was at the Marquee club that I asked Ronan for a job, & was told to talk to Tony Allen. Unfortunately I made what Tony thought was a stupid remark & was suitably sworn at by him! I didn't pursue the request for a job, & knowing what I know now, have absolutely no regrets!

Fast forward many years from this time & here's a post I put on the 'Friends of Radio Caroline' Facebook page in July 2023. Funny how some things go full circle...

In 1975 I was still at school in Ipswich, & interested in the new ILR station Radio Orwell, opening on 28th October 1975 - the date of my 18th birthday! A few discussions with receptionist Katie Glass & I handed over a letter with my personal top 5 records listed, & these were played by Andy Archer on the opening day school's programme! My number one was the Doobie Brothers - 'Another Park, Another Sunday' - obviously a Caroline influenced track. That same evening a friend & I were given a guided tour of the Radio Orwell studios, once again meeting Dave (Keith) Rogers, & ended up having a drink with Andy in the Crown & Anchor pub! The following day we guested on the school's programme, & were given free tickets to the upcoming Barclay James Harvest concert at the Ipswich Gaumont!

From Radio Orwell Day 1 - Andy actually played the wrong track for No.4 & I recall the America track was not quite what I had chosen because they didn't have the album in the studio! - I forgive him!

In March 1980 - more by coincidence - I was listening to Radio Caroline on the night the Mi Amigo sank, so heard the end of 'Europe's Voice of Loving Awareness'. Whilst sad, this event had far less impact than it may have done years before. I was now about to embark on married & family life, so my priorities quite rightly changed! I still received the excellent Monitor magazine so read the trials & tribulations of Radio Caroline's attempts to return, but never believed it would happen. The pictures in the East Anglian Daily Times in 1983 thankfully proved me wrong!

We listened to Caroline's return sat on the beach at Walton on the Naze, & whilst disappointed at the very low key return, I was happy to have my station back. The 1980's Caroline was far more regular than the previous decade, & I remember feeling confident enough to set the clock radio to 319m or 576kHz knowing the station would be there to wake us up.

Whilst radio tended to take a back seat during the 1980's, there are still moments I remember well. The dynamic, brash sound of Laser 558 was interesting & I noticed that for the first time in a long while a pirate station was listened to in mainstream areas - I heard Laser on building sites & in shops. I thought Laser's Eurosiege broadcasts were over the top & totally opposite to Radio Caroline's normal low key way of dealing with such problems, but I remember Charlie Wolf's nightime programmes keeping me awake & being fascinating & characteristically close to the edge - exciting radio again!

When Laser sailed in & 'parked' in the River Stour, Ann & I with the kids made the trip to Harwich & then to Parkeston to get closer to the 'Communicator' vessel. Undeterred by 'No Entry' signs, we ended up the wrong side of customs at Parkeston Quay with a group of people leaving a North Sea ferry! Thankfully one of the Parkeston staff seemed to understand my anorak nature & persuaded the customs officials that we were only there to try & see a rusty old boat! Another fine mess I got us into for the sake of my hobby!

We listened to Caroline's 25th birthday celebrations on short wave whilst on holiday in North Wales at Easter 1989, so it was quite a shock to listen to the raid developing in August 1989 as we were driving back to North Wales for our summer holiday along the M1 / M6. The transmissions cut just before we were out of earshot. We were suitably annoyed enough to go to the Caroline Movement rally a few weeks later in London - the only protest rally the family has attended!

I listened to Caroline from their return to their inevitable (offshore) end in 1990, & in 1991 I made the trip on the 'Whitstable Navy' out to the Ross Revenge to see the ship for the first time. What a mess! But - I guess this just confirmed the dedication of those who wanted to keep Radio Caroline alive at whatever cost, so they have my respect. We have visited the Ross Revenge a few times over the past years, & all credit to those who have worked to restore this radioship.

A more recent trip to Ross Revenge in 2017 - linking the anorak in me to the radio ham!

My 'anorak journey' took a different turn in the late 1990's & 2000's+ from being a listener to an actual broadcaster. From early beginnings with putting the Caroline Movement magazine & Offshore Echoes on to tape, through cassette tape programmes for a couple of clandestine stations, to 'Optimod - The Monthly Media Magazine' & the RSL / community station 'Chelmsford Calling' & then 'Radio Emma Toc'. I am also a radio 'ham' - callsign 2E0RMI. These latter projects are detailed elsewhere on this website.

I'm still fascinated by the radio hobby & today there are different aspects to get involved with, either through amateur radio or the many broadcast & listening opportunities now available. Who knows what's next?

Footnote... I sometimes wonder if my interest in radio is purely by coincidence, & a couple of things make me curious. A few years ago I was researching for a radio talk about broadcasting history & the BBC World Service, originally known as the BBC Empire Service, & found the information below. First thoughts were that this was interesting - my dear Mum was born in 1932... actually my Mum was born in December 1932... in fact - she was born on the 19th December 1932 - the day the BBC Empire / World Service began broadcasting!

...& on a far lesser note, one of the longest running BBC Radio 4 programmes - the Today Programme - was first broadcast on 28th October 1957 - hang on a minute - that's the day I was born!

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