Category : 91Èȱ¬
Essex
Date : 29.03.2004
Printable version
More original
pirate radio presenters are signing up to broadcast on Pirate 91Èȱ¬
Essex - the 40th anniversary celebration of offshore pirate radio
this Easter.
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Pete Brady, Roger 'Twiggy' Day, Paul
Burnett, Mike Ahern and Ian Damon will all be returning
to the ocean waves to broadcast shows on Pirate 91Èȱ¬ Essex, live from
the LV18 ship off the Essex coast this Easter.
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They join fellow pirate colleagues Dave Cash
and Keith Skues and the broadcasts will be heard across the world
via the internet.
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91Èȱ¬ Essex Programmes Editor Tim Gillett says: "We're
pleased and privileged that these pioneers of radio are coming aboard.
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"It's great they're still so excited about the
broadcasting history they made that they want to be part of this important
anniversary.
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"Millions of listeners originally tuned in to these
presenters on Radio Caroline, Radio London, Swinging Radio England and
Radio 270, which broadcast from the North Sea.
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"Radio Caroline was the first on air on Easter
Saturday 1964."
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Pirate 91Èȱ¬ Essex is marking the anniversary by broadcasting
from the LV18 ship off the Essex coast from Saturday 10 April to Friday
16 April.
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It will be broadcast 24 hours a day on 729,
765 and 1530MW and across the globe on .
The studio equipment aboard the LV18 will be similar to that used by
pirate presenters of 40 years ago with record players, cart machines
and a special reverb unit which will help re-create that special pirate
sound.
The station will be playing music from 1964 to 1967, the golden heyday
of offshore pirate radio.
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"We've a playlist of fifteen hundred special musical
memories for the week, some of which won't have been heard for 40 years,"
says Tim Gillett.
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"The world renowned 91Èȱ¬ Gram Library in London
has been dusting off some of its old vinyl for us."
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But the pirates will also have to familiarise themselves
with some modern equipment - listeners will be able to email the presenters
during the week at essex.pirate@bbc.co.uk.
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Pirate 91Èȱ¬ Essex will broadcast regular news updates,
as well as retro-news from the original pirate era.
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"There's an air of excitement as it gets closer,"
adds Tim Gillett.
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"We're getting calls and emails from pirate radio
fans across the world reminiscing about those days 40 years ago and
waiting to relive some of it this Easter."
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The LV18 ship in Harwich Harbour is owned by the charitable
Pharos Trust, which is hoping to turn the former lightship into an educational
and tourist attraction.
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The trust is working as a major partner with Pirate
91Èȱ¬ Essex.
Biographies
Pete Brady
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Pete was the first Breakfast presenter on Radio London.
He was already an accomplished radio presenter, having worked for Radio
Jamaica. Among his theme tunes on Big L were Walking With Mister Lee
by Lee Allen and the theme from TV's Danger Man. Pete compered Radio
London's Star Scene 65 tour which included the Everly Brothers and Cilla
Black. He also went on to become one of the presenters of Magpie on
Thames TV.
Roger Day
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Roger 'Twiggy' Day was one of the original broadcasters
on Swinging Radio England before joining Radio Caroline South where
he got his nickname Twiggy for being as thin as the well known Sixties
model. "Roger Twiggy Day your thinner record spinner" remained
on the Caroline Mi Amigo ship until 1968. Roger has worked on numerous
commercial local radio stations, and on the present day Radio Caroline
which broadcasts via satellite. Roger has also been presenting on 91Èȱ¬
radio in the southern counties of England.
Paul Burnett
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Paul first broadcast while in the British Forces in
Aden. He enjoyed it so much he left the RAF and presented the Breakfast
Show on Radio 270. Paul went on to present for Manx Radio, Radio Luxembourg
and Radio 1. It was at Radio 1 that he got together with DLT and they
became Laurie Lingo and the Dipsticks to record Convoy GB, and it made
the top five. Paul can still be heard on UK radio on the syndicated
UK Top 20 Rewind and has been working on a major film about pirate radio
called Making Waves.
Mike Ahern
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Mike became the housewives' choice when he was transferred
from Radio Caroline North to Radio Caroline South in 1965. "Your
DJ Mike A" left Caroline in 1967 to join the team that was first
on air with the new Radio 1. In recent years Mike has broadcast on Essex
Radio and Capital Gold and currently broadcasts on North Norfolk Radio.
Ian Damon
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Ian started broadcasting in Australia before arriving
in the UK in 1966. He met the Radio London team at a club in Hertfordshire
where he was the resident DJ and was persuaded to come aboard. He became
well known for his trademark "Hi there, you there" and theme
tune Big Deal by the Tony Osbourne Orchestra. Ian went on to work for
Radio 2 and Capital Radio during the Seventies.
Tom Edwards
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Tom Edwards was a journalist who became the senior presenter
at Radio City on the Shivering Sands sea fort after joining them in
September 1965. He earned the nickname Tatty Tom for his immaculate
dress code. After Radio City's demise in February 1967, Tom joined Radio
Caroline South and broadcast until the Marine Offences Act became law.
He has presented shows on Radio 1 and Radio 2 and is well known to television
viewers in East Anglia. He was recently heard presenting a show on New
Year's Day on 91Èȱ¬ Radio Norfolk.
Pirate 91Èȱ¬ Essex schedule
Easter Saturday 10 April
9.00 - Ray Clark (& on 95.3 & 103.5 FM to noon)
11.00am - Ray with Roger
Noon - Roger Day
1.00pm - Mike Ahern
3.00pm - Paul Burnett
5.00pm - Tom Edwards
7.00pm - The Double Decade Show with Tim Gillett
10.00pm - Steve Scruton
Easter Sunday 11 April
1.00am - Alan Thompson
3.00am - Garry Lee
6.00am - Ray Clark
10.00am - Roger Day
Noon - Paul Burnett
2.00pm - Ian Damon
4.00pm - David Clayton
6.00pm - Ian Wyatt with the Top 20 Easter Sunday 1964
7.00pm - The Double Decade Show with Tim Gillett
10.00pm - Steve Scruton
Easter Monday 12 April to Friday 16 April
1.00am - Garry Lee (The Magic Carpet Ride Rock and Blues Spectacular
on Monday)
5.00am - Oliver Rogers
6.00-9.00am- Ray Clark (6.00-10.00am, Tue-Fri)
9 am - 11 am Pete Brady (Mon only)
11.00am-1.00pm Dave Cash (10.00am-1.00pm, Tue to Fri)
- Friday guest Duncan Johnson
1.00pm - Steve Scruton (& on 95.3 & 103.5FM)
4.00pm - Ian Wyatt
7.00pm - The Double Decade Show with Tim Gillett
10.00pm-1.00am Keith Skues - across the East
Saturday 17 April
9.00am-noon - Ray Clark and the Pirates Live from Ha'penny Pier, Harwich
