Celebrating Radio Caroline…
Signing up to work on a rusty pirate radio ship was a risky business – not least just as the stations were about to be outlawed. That did not deter Roger Day in July ’67. Off to Margate he drove to give the news to his parents and sell his Ford Cortina. They were hugely supportive – despite his risk of years in jail and a huge fine.
Next day, he boarded the supply ship at Felixtowe to journey to the Caroline South ship Mi Amigo to be greeted by fellow presenters Admiral Robbie Dale, Tom Edwards and Keith Hampshire.
“Not long after I jumped on-board, a tourist boat from Clacton pulled up nearby and I heard my name being called by some young listeners. The kind of response Boom Radio receives reminds me of those days. It warms my heart that people still want to talk to me about those magical days.”
Now, it’s easier than ever to launch a radio station – and that’s one of the reasons Boom Radio can exist. For that reason – and many others – Boom is to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the first UK pirate station Radio Caroline on Thursday, March 28th.
Roger Day says that being on Radio Caroline simply felt ‘where he should be’ – a sense of destiny. Whilst a flotilla of pirate stations emerged in the mid 60s, Caroline was at the heart. The first offshore broadcaster to beam programmes to the UK from a ship in international waters – a safe distance from the reach of our domestic law.
At last, we could listen to pop music when we wanted to – not just when the BBC decided we could have it, or just in the night-time from Luxembourg. The arrival of Caroline was the catalyst for change in British radio – one which would lead, in time, to the BBC launching Radio 1 – and eventually to commercial radio.
Caroline Celebration: Thursday March 28th
2.00 Roger Day – returning to his pirate radio roots, on board the LV18 moored by the pier in Harwich.
6.00 John Peters kicks off a special evening with your pirate memories and sharing what the stations meant to him.
7.00 Nick Bailey, who was on-board Caroline in 1966.
8.00 Tom Edwards who hosted programmes on Radio Caroline and Radio City in the mid ’60s.
9.00 Rosko The fast-talking American – and one of the names who was to appear on BBC Radio 1’s launch day – beams in his programme from LA. Rosko was on-board Caroline in 1966.
Listen out too for the press coverage of Caroline’s 1964 arrival – read by Keith Skues.
Read more about Boom Radio presenters’ pirate days in their books. Both Roger Day and Nick Bailey have written of those days.
