Hans Knot's International Radio Report - November 2007
Hello everyone and
welcome to this edition of the report with a lot of e mails and
photographs, which have been sent in by the readers. Also the last
report before the Radio Day
and all the latest information of the program for coming Saturday can be
found at
http://www.offshore-radio.de/radioday/
You will see that we have made some final changes to the program. You
can find there which personalities will be there and I can tell you that
maybe some last minute ‘surprises’ will appear too. Hope to see a lot of
you people on the Radio Day in Amsterdam. Now we go to the emails:
First of all an e mail from a former Big L deejay and who is still
active in the radio world, Dave
Cash: ‘Hello Hans, Thanx for the newsletter. Excellent as always.
Regarding the Gary Walker/LV18 videos: I have the full set of videos on
my site www.davecash.co.uk plus
a full range of funky pictures on the ‘Pirate BBC Essex’ page. Hope all
is well with you and yours. Cheers Dave.’
Well Thanks a lot Dave and I know for sure the readers will find their
way to your site too!
Next one is from another former offshore deejay: ‘Hans -Thanks for the
latest HKI Radio Report. Some fascinating stuff. All good wishes for a
successful Radio Days event. I shall be drinking on your health from the
deck of a jazz cruise ship in the Caribbean! (Someone's got to do
it...). Regards Gerry Zierler and his mate
Guy Hamilton.’
Well thank you Gerry and on Saturday we surely will have some fun at the
Radio Day. Have a nice trip in the Caribbean and enjoy yourself!
Hans:
The write-up regarding the
Galaxy's antenna length was interesting. I don't have the answer,
but just as an aside, I met Tom Danaher (one of the Radio London
founders) in Dallas back in 2001 and we spoke at length about the
logistics of bringing the ship over from Miami. I got this info directly
from Tom ‘The antenna was erected on Galaxy after it had made its
journey across the Atlantic (which makes sense). I think Tom said it was
erected while in the Azores. Then the ship sailed up and into position
off the Essex coast. Unlike other radio ships, Galaxy's hull was not
poured with cement to create a counterweight for the antenna. Tom very
carefully established the ship's exact center of gravity and that was
where the antenna mast was positioned. Keep up your great work! Kind
Regards, Paul Mustill, Dallas, Texas.’
Thanks for the information Paul, good to hear you had a long chat with
Tom some years ago. Keep enjoying radio and the report!’
Another cartoon,
this time sent in by Robbie Dale. Both Harold Wilson and Mrs Mary Wilson happy after they won the battle
against the Pirates in 1967.
Another person reflected on the Big L mast too. Here’s
Paul Graham: ‘Hi Hans
Ian is quite right the Big L mast was about 180 feet in total with some
150 feet above deck level, the claim of 212 feet made by the station at
the time was more of a publicity stunt than reality much the same as the
75KW claim when this was only possible on positive peaks from the RCA
transmitter a maximum of 50 KW was generated into the mast. One of the
old Big L engineers told me the real height some years ago. Regards Paul
Graham.’
Peter Albronda originates from the Netherlands and wrote: ‘Hi Hans,
thanks for you ‘real radio’ report. Very nice to see all those memories
back. What a lot of romantic or is it that I’m getting to old or is this
a qualification of ‘sound and presentation’? Never forget Peter that
you’re as ‘young’ as you feel!
Time for an update on internet, this time
Bob Le-Roi: ‘Welcome to
the November Update. In conjunction with the release of our latest
documentary CD “Life Live on Red Sands Radio” a live look at the Forts
Southern Gun from sea level to platform top. Scrapbook has the 3rd part
of the Red Sands Radio feature. We’re forced to re-erect the antenna and
just about make everything good for testing on Friday 13th. ”One Subject
One Link” visits Ireland and finds out Radio’s lost it’s sparkle and
isn’t much different to here these days. Following on from our last
Laser 558 feature, look out for more coming, we launch another on-line
Auction this time for a very special framed photograph and the actual
Laser 558 kHz transmitter crystal. We also have opened a tribute page to
Dave Turner who sadly died recently. Better known as Dave the Fish he
was perhaps the most courageous and colourful of Caroline’s supply
skippers. In Equipment Sales you’ll find a neat little mixer, in the
Offshore Shop new posters and the Radio Essex Gift Set. Enjoy your
visits: www.bobleroi.co.uk
Ever dreamed to play the BBC
Radio One jingles with jingle machines? Go to the following site,
click on the carts and get them inserted in the cart decks. Then play
them and switch them around.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/established1967/feature/cartplayer.shtml
For those who remember that Radio City’s first name was
Radio Sutch here an
internet site where Lord Sutch his discography can be found:
http://koti.mbnet.fi/wdd/lordsutch.htm
Björn Quäck sent the next message: ‘I’ve read an article in the Leipziger
Internet Newspaper in which was told that a puppet theatre would have a
play about Offshore Radio. ‘Skurril! "Rust", Green Ginger is a Rock
Musical about two Pirate Offshore Radio Stations transmitting from
international waters off the South West Coast from Wales. The play was
part of the 16. International Festival for Puppets Plays and was held on
October 26th. See more on the next internet site.
http://www.greenginger.net/rust.html
Eric time in the report: ‘RTI LIVE video RTI has a LIVE video service on
www.rti.fm. Click on the Live image, you
can interact as a guest with RTI. RTI Radio for tomorrow, today! http://www.rti.fm
I expect chat messages tonight after 8.00pmCET (7.00pm UK).
Wo
uter
Verbaan has made a search in his loft and found many rare photos he
wants to share. In a few weeks time all will be published on
www.hansknot.com
Some of the photos are in this report. Wouter wrote:’ A second search at
the loft was very successful. I found photo’s I once got from Maarten
van der Harst, he was a friend of my late brother Hans. After Hans died
in 1988 I kept contact with Maarten. He worked on both radio ships from
Veronica between 1960 and 1970. He didn’t make the photo’s himself but
got them from other people through the years.
Anchor chain inspection Veronica
vessel, one of the many from the Wouter Verbaan archive.
I’ve forwarded the photos to some of the former Veronica people and
here’s what Tom Collins wrote: Hi Hans, very nice to see the
photo’s
again. Some summer pictures others with weather under severe conditions.
The photo’s with me were taken in the end of the sixties when I was
reading the news on 192. Very nice to see the pictures as they’re
bringing back a lot of memories. More lofts have to be cleaned.
Greetings Tom Collins.
Tom Collins in the messroom Norderney
(Archive Wouter Verbaan)
Then Martin van der Ven who spoke on the phone to Wolfram Bender, who
still is a fanatic follower of everything related to Radio Northsea
International. Just lately he spoke to
Edwin Bollier, who
celebrated his 70th birthday on November 4th. He’s still going strong
and most of his time he still worked on the Lockerbee Affair ‘to do
everything he can to prove’. He’s his own internet site on the subject:
http://www.lockerbie.ch/
Also he’s still very friendly and interested in the history of radio.
Since a few years he is remarried to a woman from Iran and was converted
to Islam some 20 years ago. In business he still has a lot of contacts
and in Libya his cooperation with Gadaffi’s son seems to be very special.
The Lockerbee process will be reopened and following the words from
Bollier is seems clear that the man from Libya is innocent. His Swiss
companion in MEBO Ltd., Erwin Meister, lives already for many years in
Singapore.
Time for another e mail, this time from Steven Allan and one reflecting
on a question in last issue: ‘Thanks for your last report. In it, you
mention a request from one of your readers, namely Ulrich Mittag from
Wuppertal in Germany, for the words of ‘Man's
Fight For Freedom’ by Johnnie Walker. There are probably quite a
few readers of your report whose first language isn't English, so I have
put the words on line for a few weeks.
In combing through it all, to make sure that I had got every last detail
correct, I was doing something which I had never done before and
consequently, after all these decades, I noticed a strange thing which
smacks of a mistake or a hurried bit of writing. Firstly, Johnnie Walker
refers to Robbie Dale, himself and Ross Brown leaving for the ship on 14
August. Then he says 'These three men'. Okay so far, but in the next
paragraph, when he wasn't even talking about any men, he inserts the
words 'These two men sound happy, but underneath they are sad'.
Perhaps he isn't including Ross Brown who, I think, was just the
newsreader? Perhaps Johnnie Walker reads your report and can answer this
query. Anyway, for the benefit of Ulrich Mittag and anyone else who is
interested, here is the link :
http://www.stevenallan.plus.com/Mansfight.html
Best Wishes, Steven Allan.’
Well Steven thanks a lot and ‘yes’ Johnnie Walker is reader of the
report and maybe he can reflect on your questions. Here’s the complete
text:
Man's Fight For
Freedom, written and narrated by Johnnie Walker MBE
This is the story of man's fight for freedom. The beginning is in the
past. The middle is now. The end is in the future. It is a story of
sadness and of triumph.
August the fourteenth, as disc jockeys Robbie Dale, Johnnie Walker and
Ross Brown leave Liverpool Street, London, spurred on toward the sea by
the hundreds of cheering people. See them now as they stand on the
tender. There are tears in their eyes as their families, their homes and
their loved ones are left behind.
Three O’clock on this Monday afternoon and on two six six, Big Lil is
heard for the last time. Caroline is alone. These three men prepare for
midnight for, in a few hours time, they are to challenge the might and
the power of the British Government. They will become criminals.
Midnight approaches. It is August the fifteenth. Johnnie Walker
announces that Caroline belongs to you, that she loves you and she will
continue. The Beatles sing 'All You Need Is Love'. These two men sound
happy but underneath, they are sad, for they now know that they have
passed the point of no return.
They are not sad for long. They are joined by other men who also gave up
so much to fight for freedom. The seas are rough and cool. Life is hard
but, as each day passes, the moment of triumph draws nearer. The British
people rally round. They send food, they send comfort and they send
their love.
'All You Need Is Love' and love overcomes. The British Government
relents. Caroline raises her anchor and heads for England. See her now,
majestically and proudly, sailing up the river toward the capital that
has welcomed so many victors in British history, but none as victorious
as these men. They stand on the deck, waving to the millions of people
who line the Thames. This time, the tears flooding from their eyes are
tears of happiness. The insurmountable odds have been surmounted. They
reunite with their families, with their friends, with their loved ones.
We are near the end of our story. London's skyline has a new landmark
pointed toward the heavens - Caroline's aerial, at last beaming out its
love and music to a free and peaceful nation. We have overcome. The
battle is over. Free radio becomes a way of life, but never taken for
granted, for no man will ever forget Monday, August the fourteenth,
nineteen hundred and sixty seven.’
I love
historical
radio programs. Thousands and thousands of hours are in my archive, to
relistening and sharing with other radio friends. But there are people
who have other interest in the media. Have a look on the following
interesting site.
www.marcelstvmuseum.com/
One we won’t see at the Radio Day, is our good friend
Nigel Harris as he has
other commitments during that weekend. He wrote me an e mail some days
ago: ‘Hello Hans. Just to let you know we went to Dave’s funeral today
in Sittingbourne. As well as his family, there were many of his offshore
radio friends there too. Some had come many miles to be at the service.
Caroline Martin, Coconut, Nick Jackson, Jerry Wright, Peter Chicago,
Steve Masters and Maria, Bob Mower, Peter Moore and Mel, Bob le Roi,
Fiona Jeffries, Albert and Georgina and so many more. Dave would have
been so proud to have seen so many of his friends there to support his
family. Sadly, I cannot be at Radio Day this year due to the fact I am
busy at work that weekend, and it’s Remembrance Sunday in the UK and I
have two big services to play for in church too. I will really miss it!
But, hope to see you all soon, Nigel.’
Indeed a pity Nigel that you won’t join us. But we will see each other
early 2008 at another occasion. Enjoy playing the organ and take care,
Hans.
http://go.to/nigelharris
Another dive in the Robbie Dale archive learns us the next: A Record
Mirror poll from November 1967. The Beatles were at the top the Male
Groups and Songwriters. And the top Jock was Jimmy Savile again. But
Pirate Jocks took twelve of the top twenty positions in the poll.
Thanks to Robbie Dale for this poll
Radio Caroline has left
the old studios at Maidstone and have a brand new studio at a private
place. Johnnie Lewis has taken some photos which can be found to go to
his site and scroll down to see the latest pictures.
http://www.roundsandsounds.co.uk/radio/radio5.htm
Updating again, this time for Jon at the
Pirate Hall of Fame, who
wrote:
I have just updated The Pirate Radio Hall of Fame. New this month:
• Radio City's chef shares his photos, memorabilia and memories;
• Radio London's Marshall Mike Lennox visits Australia:
•
a radio production company is looking for memories (and recordings, if
possible) of gigs at the Chislehurst Caves, a regular venue for the
Caroline Night Out events during the sixties. Can you help?
• and we have a sad update on Radio Scotland's Eddie White.
http://www.offshoreradio.co.uk/
Another picture from the Wouter Verbaan archive:
Captain Arie de Ruiter, José van
Groningen and Maarten van der Harst
Also Tom Mulder was
reflecting on the fact I sent him the old photographs: ‘Thanks for the
nice ‘old’ Veronica photos. I think many of them are taken during the
period 1968 and 1969. In thoughts I see the chops in to fat juice. And
afterwards as a sweet there was a plastic bucket filled with whipped
cream. Just as there was so much boredom we could eat all day. Of course
that was when you had the ability not to get seasick. Bull Verwey
thought there had to be always enough to eat and drink on the ship. When
I got the job as deejay on Veronica I asked, just to get the thrill of
‘how to work on a radio ship’ Bull Verweij if I could get out to the
Norderney. Lucky enough he thought it was a brilliant idea.‘
Jan Sundermann from Germany has a story and a question related to the
MV Emma, once used by the
ill fated project Radio Condor. ‘Hallo Hans, in July 1974 I was on a
sailing vacation in Enkhuizen. In a local discotheque one evening I
thought to hear a familiar voice ,when the deejay was on. I later gave
him some requests and talked with him, frankly asking if I might know
his voice from the radio." Which station do you think?" he replied. " I
think on WMR" , and then he turned his Spotmaster cassettes around, and
on the backside was printed WMR. It was
Theo Verstraaten ( Boe
kel),
the operator of WMR , that was raided a year earlier. Later in the week
I could visit his home one evening, it was on the way to Schagen in
Nieuwe Niedorp. There was his studio, and the former transmitter
location. Among the photos he showed, was also one picture of some WMR
people on board the former Condor ship, when lying in summer of 1973 in
the harbour of IJmuiden. So station WMR was also one time interested in
that boat for coming back with transmissions in the 49 m band. But as
with many enthusiastic projects, they probably found soon, that it was
not financially of a realistic chance. I saw Theo Boekel some weeks
later in Scheveningen again, just before August 31st 1974. I was in the
1990s again in the area of Schagen, and a lady from the neighbourhood
said, that she believed Theo had moved to New Zealand . Maybe he is
nowadays a reader of this report? Jan.’
Well thanks a lot Jan Sundermann and surely one or more readers can tell
you more about today’s world of Theo Verstraaten as few of the former
people involved in World Music Radio are reading the report. Everyone
can reflect by writing in at
hknot@home.nl
Caroline’s Office ladies from the seventies were Kate and Elija. The
latter one wrote to me: ‘Hi Hans, we had a small reunion and was in the
Hare and Hounds Hotel in Westonbirt, Gloucestershire on the 3rd of
November, I attach pictures. I have a signed menu by Andy Archer, Johnny
Jason, Robin Banks and Robb Eden and would like to raffle it off for the
memorial fund if I may, I might be able to get Johnny Walker etc to sign
it too and raise even more money that way for the Tony Allan fund at the
Radio Day in Amsterdam!’
Surely there will be some space in the program to do so!
Robb Eden, Johnny Jason, Elija van
den Berg, Andy Archer, Robin Adcroft
More photos to come this time from
Stuart Clark: ‘Hi Hans,
thought you might appreciate the attached photo of (L To R) Tom Ha
rdy
(ex-Caroline, now PD at Today FM Ireland); 2XM's Mark McCabe; Chris
Cary; and RTÉ's J.P. Coakley. The occasion was the 'Future Of Radio'
debate, which took place as part of the Music Ireland '07 event run by
the magazine I work for, Hot Press. Chris was in excellent form,
suggesting that: "What I would like to see abolished is automated radio
and music schedulers. Let the presenter/producer select the
music-for-the-moment." He also said that, should the right opening
present itself, he'd consider going back into radio as long as it was
either digital or internet.
I also had the pleasure of interviewing
Tony
Blackburn a couple of days beforehand who said it's his ambition to
programme a digital oldies station. He also mentioned that he's still
waiting for Ronan O'Rahilly to pay him the £100 he promised him in the
'60s for climbing the Radio Caroline mast! All the best, Stuart Clark’
Tony Blackburn and Stuart Clark
Do you remember a readers e mail in the early August edition from a lady
who’s ambition was to get into radio. I met her at the Sugar Reef in
London at the Convention of the Radio Academy and published her e mail.
She’s back with a follow up: ‘I am really looking forward to it and of
course Radio day too. I have been meaning to write to you for some time
but have been so busy recently with Radio work. Last weekend I was away
again on the Ross Revenge, I'm now part of Alan Beech's regular work
party that goes out there every 2nd weekend. It's hard work but great
fun too. I was also asked to submit a 2nd demo for Radio Caroline. I
wonder if you heard me on
Radio
Caroline last Saturday evening. I did a little guest presenting which
seemed to go well and it was mentioned that I may be joining Radio
Caroline. I am also doing work for other radio Stations. I have enclosed
some photos of me at work on the Ross Revenge and more can be found
on...
http://www.geocities.com/woodleyuk/index3.htm
I am sure you must be very busy at the moment but I just wanted to say
thank you for your regular reports, which I always find interesting. I
will be leaving on Wednesday for Amsterdam, travelling with Elija and
Mark Dezzani and have received a charming email from Don Stevens saying
he is coming to the Radio Day too and I met many other Caroline people
on the Ross who told me they will be travelling over, so I don't think
it will matter that Nigel is not attending, I suppose he must have some
other commitment. Greetings, Mandy
Mandy on her way to the paint
roller on the Ross Revenge
Another person I was meeting for the first time in my life was a deejay
who I used to listen to in the sixties on ‘242’,
Ben Healy: ‘Hi Hans: It
was nice meeting you in London, I would liked to have spoken to you for
much longer but time did not allow, I know
Rosko likes to be
mentioned
in
your newsletter but that is not the reason I am writing this. I was at
Rosko’s party in London and I like most other deejays from the pirate
days have always admired Rosko as a DJ but to my pleasant surprise he is
a genuine nice person and went out of his way to be nice to Kenny Tosh
and myself. I have had my picture taken with George Bush Snr, I have had
my picture taken with Irelands prime minister Bertie Ahearn, Mick
Jagger, John Lennon and many other big names but my biggest thrill was
my picture with Rosko. He is The Man. All the Best, Ben Healy, Radio
Scotland
Emperor Rosko and Ben Healy
toasting in London
Well thanks a lot Ben and maybe on another occasion we do have more time
to share memories. This was, by the way, for the first time in three
months, Emperor was on a photograph in the report. Maybe an early winter
sleep for the Emperor?
Next and last update in this issue is for Mary and Chris Payne: ‘Dear
All, the presentation of the USS
Density bell to the Nimitz Museum on September 21st was a very
special and moving occasion. I'm pleased to say the reunion pages are
now finished and on the Radio London website for the world to see.
www.radiolondon.co.uk
Best wishes, Mary’.
That ends up this early November edition of the Hans Knot International
Radio Report. All news, memories, questions and so on to
Hknot@home.nl
Greetings,
Hans
Offshore Radio Programme Names - Programmanamen Zeezenders 1958-1990
Read Hans Knot's former report