Radio Radio - or - Jim's Anorak Journey.. page 3 of 7
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 !
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 !
Click on the jukebox to hear an edited recording of the top five programme (this clip is 8 minutes long).
Again more by coincidence, I was listening to Radio Caroline in March 1980 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 !
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