Radio Caroline News

Caroline Community

Caroline Main Ch

Caroline Flashback

Caroline North

23 Ross Restoration Videos
Caroline Shows on Podomatic

130 Radio Caroline Videos


Hundreds Of Caroline Photos

Southampton Support Group


Many Anorak page links

34 Presenter Interviews
by Roland Beaney

Radio Caroline North broadcast

The next Radio Caroline North broadcast is taking place this weekend the 16th-17th November, live from the Ross Revenge radio ship

You will hear as usual some great music from the 60s to early 90s – plus this month's competition winners will receive an Akai retro-style AM/FM radio, courtesy of Dean & Joy Chesterton from Unitrade Plumbing and Heating Engineers in Deal.

Listen on 648 AM across England, The Netherlands, Belgium and beyond, on 1368 AM in the North/North-West courtesy of their friends at Manx Radio, worldwide online here via the  Caroline North Player, on smart speakers and the Radio Caroline app.  

They'd love to hear from you during the broadcast via memories@radiocaroline.co.uk and remember, it's the only email address that gets you straight through to the 'North' broadcasters. Use this to enter the competition.

Presenters onboard will include Kevin Turner, Grant Benson, Ray Clark, Nick Jackson, Peter Philips and Johnny Lewis

Schedule and Podcasts are here

Caroline Southampton Support Group Meeting

Derek May report

Many thanks to all who attended the Southampton Support Group Meeting on 27 November 2024.

 It was the most successful meeting to date, with £865.60 being raised, after paying for the hall and buffet, which will go to the Ross Revenge Charity.

The evening was dedicated to the memory of Dave Foster. Thanks to the djs who attended: Johnny Lewis, Andrew Austin, Ray Clark, Phil Meek, John Ellery and Ray Copeland, and who gave amusing anecdotes in the memory of Dave Foster. Albert and Georgena were also there.

Thanks also to Alan Beech for being Master of Ceremonies, and to Steve Comer for running a successful auction which boosted revenue income.

There was also a dedication to Carl Kingston.

The next meeting is Wednesday 26 March 2025.

Photos are here

 Southampton Caroline Supporters Page

At a previous meeting a video was shown from Nick Carter (Bolland when on the Ross) showing excerpts from his days on board as a DJ in 1987, and from Easter 2024 during the 60th anniversary celebrations.  Click button below to view.


I'm helping Radio Caroline to raise money whenever I shop online - you could  do the same? It's very simple - just visit.....

Easy Fundraising

 ....to register and shop with over 2000 well known retailers like Amazon, Argos, M&S, eBay and many more. Whenever you buy something, the retailer makes a donation to Radio Caroline. No extra cost to you. It really does work.

 

 £25,083.59   

Raised so far (29-11-2024)

 


Message from Radio Caroline

Now Finished

80s Weekend Live Broadcast Special from Ross Revenge


"We go back to the 80s on Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th September when we celebrate Radio Caroline’s return to the airwaves from our new radio ship Ross Revenge in August '83.

Join us for a live broadcast from Ross Revenge with fabulous music and magical memories from the 80s. Hosted by past presenters from the decade, and some still on Caroline today.

Our great line-up features: Tommy Rivers, Paul McKenna, Stuart Vincent, Susan Charles, John Ford, John Dwyer, Carl Kingston, Chris Pearson, Peter Philips, Kevin Turner, Stevie Lane and Dave Richards.

The Dawn of The Ross Weekend – music and nostalgia from those who were on board Ross Revenge when it returned in the 1980s!

Listen on 648 AM, on 1368 AM via Manx Radio, or here via the pop-up player which will be available over the weekend."

Now Finished

Schedule and Podcasts are here


Dave Foster tribute

Sadly we lost our great friend and Caroline stalwart Dave Foster who died on Sunday 25th August 2024.

Dave joined Radio Caroline in April 1987 aboard the Ross Revenge and made an immediate impression with both his colleagues and listeners. His positive, can-do attitude to all things made him extremely popular and his infectious laugh could be heard throughout the ship.


Spirit Of The Seventies Weekend

A group of DJs who served on the Mi Amigo in the 1970's reunited for one more time with a broadcast on Radio Caroline, live from the studios on board the Caroline radio ship the Ross Revenge.

The theme of the broadcast was ‘The Spirit of the Seventies’. It took place the weekend of Friday 2nd, Saturday 3rd and Sunday 4th August.

The actual line-up was: Martin Fisher, Nigel Harris (Stuart Russell), Bob Lawrence (Richard Thompson) Stevie Gordon (Link up Only), Mike Stevens, Cliff Osbourne and Roger Mathews

Marc Jacobs and  Tom Anderson couldn't make it but linked up with the Ross on Sunday night.

Podcast will be here

Radio Caroline message

RADIO CAROLINE NORTH 60TH ANNIVERSARY

CELEBRATION - ISLE OF MAN

Radio Caroline North celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2024 and as part of the celebrations a special evening event was held on Saturday 3rd August on the Isle of Man.

The event at The Mitre Hotel in Ramsey started at 7pm and featured presentations by Radio Caroline experts Andy Wint (covering Caroline North) and Ray Clark (covering Caroline South). Both signed copies of their books. The evening was hosted by Radio Caroline's Chris Pearson.

All proceeds went to the MV Ross Revenge (Home of Radio Caroline) Charity Dry Dock Appeal, which is raising funds to get their radio ship into dry dock for essential structural repairs.


Caroline Community Radio changes

Well how about that for a big announcement! Caroline Community Radio has been rebranded to Caroline Coastal! You can hear all the new information throughout the broadcast this weekend, but announcements include their second frequency 104.7FM, their new website carolinecoastal.co.uk and an extended schedule! Welcome to a new era, the Caroline Coastal era!

Email onboard studio hello@carolinecoastal.co.uk  

 

Surrey Anoraks Society

Just to let you know that the Surrey Anorak's Society (formerly the Caroline Movement East Surrey Branch) still meets on the first Tuesday of every month. The sasradiogroup are now back at the Home Cottage, Redhill, Surrey .  Venue on Google

Ken James ran this branch from 84-90. They meet at the Home Cottage pub near Redhill railway station. Regular attendees included Graham Foy, Geoff Rogers, Ray Adams, Sue Buckle, Richard Buckle (Jackson), Gabe (Steve) Conway, Benny James and Dennis Jason. Happy days! Any queries, get in touch with Ken. email:- Webmaster 

The meetings have been held every month since January 1985. A chance to have a drink, meet old friends or new and talk about radio. Meet old land based pirate DJs, and a few of the crew of Susy Radio - Reigate and Redhill community radio).

They produce their own newsletter SAS Interference (formerly the SAS Home Pages.

The SAS now has its own website sasradiogroup.org    Info from Graham Foy and Ken James

Rick Wakeman unveils Radio Caroline train

Rick Wakeman CBE was at Mangapps Railway Museum in Burnham-on-Crouch on Sunday (1st October) to officially unveil a locomotive train dedicated to Radio Caroline.

Hundreds of people turned out to see the former Yes keyboardist and composer pull a red curtain back to reveal special Radio Caroline and Caroline bell nameplates.

After the ceremony, Rick drove the 126-ton Class 31 mainline train in original British Rail colours down the track, pulling coaches full of visitors.

Speaking at the event, Rick talked about his love for Radio Caroline and of the importance of the social and musical revolution that it caused. He was also critical of the current state of radio in the UK, saying that maybe many regional Radio Caroline's ought to be established to compliment the national service that the station currently provides!

Source "Radio Today"



Radio Caroline now available on Freeview TV

Radio Caroline is now available on Freeview compatible TVs, via the UK Radio Portal on Freeview Channel 277.

UK Radio Portal is an interactive TV service designed to deliver radio channels to the UK Digital Terrestrial TV Freeview network via an easy-to-use interface accessible from channel 277 on the Freeview Programme Guide. Radio Caroline currently covers only England.

The service works on compatible internet connected smart TVs, (such as Freeview Play), allowing listeners to access radio services without forcing them to leave the familiar surroundings of their main TV screen and Freeview menu. Freeview Play is built in to the majority of new TVs and available to viewers for free, with no monthly fees or joining costs.

To access Radio Caroline on Freeview Channel 277

Please ensure that you have the following:

A compatible Freeview TV or set-top-box

A broadband Internet connection

 A TV or set-top-box that is connected to the Internet

A TV or set-top-box that is connected to a UK Freeview/DTT (Digital Terrestrial TV) aerial

NOT AVAILABLE IN THE HAMPSHIRE AREA VIA THE ROWBRIDGE TRANSMITTER

 

Ross Revenge on "Yesterday" TV

Studio equipment from Radio Caroline’s former pirate radio ship Ross Revenge featured in an episode of a new TV show called Retro Electro Workshop on the Yesterday channel recently.

The ten-part series about the dying art of repairing electronics is fronted by super-fixer Rob Howard.

In the show he and his team find, fix, restore and revive ‘anything old with a plug on it’.

Report from Brian Bailey

Anyone tuning in the UK TV Play to the Yesterday channel, and viewing the new "Retro Electro Workshop"  series, would be transported back to those various past decades. When various items of household electronic gadgets were used daily, until they could no longer be repaired, or were thrown out to make way for all the modern gadgets. The second program shows Rob taking a trip out to the Radio Caroline's ship "Ross Revenge" to fix a few studio Items in the old studio. The first item was one of the turntables, which needed some general maintenance work, with the cleaning of the major mechanical parts. The idler wheel had built up a deposit of rubber and dirt after years of use. Like a magician, Rob pulled out from his "retro tool box" some cotton wool buds and a bottle of isopropyl alcohol to clean various mechanical parts, thus restoring the turntable back to its fully working state.  

The next item was a faulty "spot master" jingle machine, that had no audio output. This needed to be taken back to Rob's workshop as the fault was more involved, before leaving the Ross, Rob looked around in the transmitter room to see if there was another faulty "spot master" to use for spare parts. Rob was in luck, he found two faulty machines, so selecting the better one, Rob then headed back on the tender with the spot master machines. Back in the workshop, Rob started to dismantle the spot masters (which were built to a very high standard, typical of equipment made in the USA), after removing a shielding screen, the electronic printed circuit panels could be accessed. Each of the PCB's could be identified by the labels indicating what function they preformed. The audio PCB was swapped from the other spot master machine, which identified where the fault was located. Rob then went about locating which electronic component had failed by swapping over the various Integrated Circuits “Chips” that plugged into their respected sockets! After a short while, the faulty chip was located! Which no doubt could be still obtained from companies that specialized in retro components. Then another trip back out to the Ross with the repaired spot master jingle machine, helped by Dave Foster the machine was re-installed back into the retro studio and back in action!  

It was interesting to contrast the technology in for repair at Robs workshop, from a 1930s/40's Defiant Valve Radio, to the 1980s Radio Caroline "Spot Master" jingle machine to the Sinclair C5. The series is well worth watching.     Regards, 

 Brian Bailey

The episode featuring Radio Caroline is now available here on demand via "UK TV Play".

Ross Revenge live on ITV News

To help raise awareness of their Crowdfunder appeal to save the Ross Revenge, Russell Hookey came out to the former pirate radio ship for a feature on ITV News Anglia. No. 3 on the playlist link below.

Ray Clark and Josh Holmes-Bright helped him to understand the history of the ship and why it’s so crucial that the legend is kept alive - which can only be done through saving it!

Visit www.rossrevenge.com  to donate now and save the last true offshore radio ship.


Radio Caroline has arrived on YouTube!

The official Radio Caroline YouTube channel is now up and running, giving you the opportunity to watch exclusive content including behind-the-scenes action from weekends on board the Ross Revenge, interviews with musical guests and members of the team, and much more! Check out the first video where Josh Holmes-Bright welcomes you to the channel and with the help of this months crew, shows you how they set up for North weekends. Don't forget to ‘Like, Subscribe and Share’ now!

Radio Caroline have applied to Ofcom

for a power increase on 648kHz

Radio Caroline have applied to Ofcom for a power increase on 648kHz from 4kw to 16kw and possibly 27kw at a later date.

For full details click here

Ross Revenge Dry Docking Appeal

Ross Revenge presently moored on the River Blackwater. You can help Radio Caroline secure the future of their much-loved radio ship for years to come by donating to the Ross Revenge dry docking appeal via their charity website rossrevenge.com Just hit the 'Donate' button. Donations of any amount are gratefully received and all money goes towards getting the Ross into dry dock for essential work

Woodley Net presents the Anorak Jukebox..

You can listen to all your favourite anorak songs and jingles on Woodley Nets Anorak Jukebox.

Songs include Caroline - The Fortunes, Man of Action, Because They're Young (Johnnie Walker theme), Peace - Peter. Also Caroline and Mi-Amigo jingles. Just added is a recording of the Caroline DJ's Xmas song from 1944 featuring Tony Allan.

Also features the 1972 Radio Luxemburg broadcast of an Elvis Presley special. It was called "The Elvis Presley Gramarathon". It was presented by Tony Prince and Mark Wesley and includes a rare interview with Elvis and also quite a few words with a young Todd Slaughter.


Cotswold Motor Museum

A Radio Caroline Retro studio has been a feature in the Cotswold Motor Museum for many years now. The studio was built for Caroline's 50th birthday party in Rochester and after the event it was donated to the museum. The display has been added to over the years with a number of iconic items from Ross Revenge and features a background soundtrack of Radio Caroline jingles.

Located in the picturesque village of Bourton-on-the-Water, the Cotswold Motoring Museum is a fascinating journey through the 20th century that the whole family can enjoy. The museum is packed full of great cars, quaint caravans, precarious looking motorcycles, enamel signs and an intriguing collection of motoring curiosities!

For more information visit cotswoldmotoringmuseum.co.uk


COTSWOLD MUSEUM PHOTOS

 

The Northern Radio Caroline Support Group

Our Meetings are now back on the first Tuesday in each month. So please turn up and have a good time.

The venue is at the Farsley Working Men,s Club.

Farsley WMC, Back Lane, Farsley, Pudsey, West Yorkshire. LS28 5EU

 Any problems ring Colin Liversidge 07814773197, Thanks.

The group have raised money for the up keep of the Restoration work on the Ross Revenge. Sometimes we have former personalities from offshore radio visit, DVD nights, but mostly it's a get together of Radio Caroline Supporters for a social evening of chat and news of the restoration of the Ross Revenge. All are welcome at the meetings which are on the first Tuesday of every month.

Caroline's Rob Ashard is a busy man

Why is Rob Ashard managing 19 mix-minus feeds while taping a British TV show? When COVID kept the audience out of the studio, Rob and his colleagues must go to them - in their homes and flats.

Rob Ashard was the lead audio mixer for The Graham Norton Show and Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway. Audience interaction was critical, and those shows found a way to make it happen. We’ll also discuss bringing a 60 year old portable tape deck back to life, plus learn about DE-RIG mixing kits.

View on Video Player 6th on Playlist

Alan Watts support for the RNLI

40 years ago, Radio Caroline broadcast from the Mi Amigo for the last time when a storm sank the pirate radio vessel.

Alan Watts was an avid listener and was so moved by the bravery of the RNLI Sheerness lifeboat crew who rescued his DJ heroes he became a lifelong supporter.

He has since included the RNLI in his Will to support our lifesaving work – find out more about leaving a legacy here: https://rnli.org/support-us

Watch Alan's video HERE Number 8 on playlist


Radio Caroline's successful  oil rig lifeboat conversion

aptly named the "Ronan O'Rahilly"

Thanks to the generosity of helper the late Roland Beaney and his wife Viv from Romsey in Hampshire, Caroline now have their own lifeboat. They purchased an enclosed oil rig lifeboat, which was then brought by road from Aberdeen to Essex and taken to a work shed. Various helpers stripped out the boat and Steve Anthony and Peter Moore removed the top. Assisted in the later stages by Pete Crisp and Howard Beer, and rewired by George Johnson and David Noakes. The boat was then rebuilt as shown below.

In view of the sad passing this year of their founder and figurehead Ronan, the craft was appropriately named Ronan O'Rahilly.

She has now been launched.

 

 

Listen to Radio Caroline on Google Home Mini Device

Caroline are on Google Home and Mini devices, via tune-in. To listen simply say: "OK Google, play Radio Caroline 648" or "OK Google, play Radio Caroline Flashback" or even "OK Google, play Manx Radio" for Manx Radio weekends

A powerful little helper. Google Home Mini keeps you informed and up to date with instant news, weather and commute updates without lifting a finger. Master the kitchen: Google Home Mini helps with timers, step-by-step recipes, and conversions and substitutes.  By using your voice, ask for things like translations, calculations, nutrition information and unit conversions, or other information.

All the Mini needs is a mains supply and a Wi-Fi connection.  It is a brilliant Internet Radio, just start by saying, "Ok Google, Play (name of station)" No setting up presets. Just say what you want and its there. Control volume with your voice also.

Amazon devices first activate a Radio Caroline skill, say to your Amazon device "Alexa*, enable Radio Caroline skill." Thereafter, you'll be able to say "Alexa*, play Radio Caroline" or "Alexa*, open Radio Caroline" and your device will play Radio Caroline.


How to build a AM Frame / Loop Aerial

The picture shows a design for an aerial that was very popular in Radio Caroline's AM days when they were broadcasting from the North Sea and it pulled in a good signal over a wide area. Might be useful once more now Radio Caroline are on 648KHz AM

How to build a Frame / Loop Aerial /Medium Wave Aerial

This aerial replaces the long wire and is very compact and and can conveniently sit next to the radio and as long as the radio has its own built in ferrite rod aerial, no connections to the set are needed. It is directional and after tuning in the aerial, it can moved in different directions to cancel out interference.

Materials needed

6 ft. of 1 and a quarter inch timber 100 ft. of single plastic coated wire 1 x 400pf variable tuning capacitor 8 large rubber door stops screws, wire clips and solder

Assembly

Cut timber into two lengths of 25 inches and four lengths of 5 inches and assemble the frame as per the drawing. Where the wire goes round the corners cut 16 evenly spaced grooves (17 on the corner where the wire starts and finishes) the wire must start and finish on the same corner.

Tack the start of the wire onto the frame and start winding it on, keeping each turn nice and tight. When you have 16 turns of wire on the frame bring the wire back down the same leg you started on and make secure with tacks.

Solder the two ends of wire onto the two terminals of the tuning capacitor, it does not matter which one goes where just as long as they are well soldered.

The capacitor should be fixed with araldite or similar in the corner.

Fix the rubber feet as on the diagram.

The aerial is now ready for use. Try different positions for the frame as all sets have their ferrite rods aerials in different places.

Good luck with this, we would appreciate any comments on the construction.


Tony Prince and Mark Wesley Podcast

In 1942 Radio Luxemburg broadcast an Elvis Presley special. It was called "The Elvis Presley Gramarathon". It was presented by Tony Prince and Mark Wesley and includes a rare interview with Elvis and also quite a few words with a young Todd Slaughter. I put my Akai reel to reel tape on at the time and left it recording the show and went down the pub for an hour. Luckily Luxemburg reception was pretty good that night and I got a fairly good recording. Its been on Podomatic for quite a few years now, so I thought I'd give it a bit of a plug. Here's the Podomatic Link Or listen on the Woodley Net, Anorak Jukebox

 


ioLight pocket professional digital microscopes

 

 

Portable microscope 1mm field of view

- 1 micron resolution images shared to your phone

- High magnification, views animal and plant cells clearly

- Highly portable: Used in The Amazon, The Antarctic, Kazakhstan and on Mount Everest

 

Portable microscope with XY stage,

- 1mm field of view 1mm field of view microscope as above with XY stage

- Suitable for methodically scanning slides

- Ideal for counting cells and other small objects

- Robust and easy to clean

Portable microscope 2mm field of view

- Designed for counting applications, compatible with most counting chambers

- Perfect for vets and parasitologists counting worm eggs in the field

- Wider field of view and longer working distance

- Also works well with opaque samples

 

Portable microscope with XY stage,

- 2mm field of view 2mm field of view microscope as above with XY stage

- Suitable for methodically scanning counting chambers and slides

- Ideal for worm egg counts

- Robust and easy to clean

 

ioLight Microscopes

 

 

Mini Caroline "Ships"

One of Caroline’s faithful listeners, Ron Hubbert commonly called Narrowowboat Ron, is the proud owner of a  narrowboat called "Caroline" complete with bell.

Tommy Gerrard (R.I.P) also had his own boat on a canal in Cheshire. Tommy is seen doing a bit of "rust bashing" on his boat which has the same name as Caroline's old ship Mi Amigo. But it looks like there is a bit of piratical activity going on as he finds another canal boat with the same name as our famous station and it also has its own mast proudly reaching for the sky. He was looking forward to meeting the owner of this other vessel.

Message from Tony Lake (doughnut)

Tug boat Challenger 1990Hi There,   Some of your group maybe aware of the Tug Boat Challenge that is now in Southampton? There is a big link to offshore Radio of the 1960s, in that she helped to tow all of the Sea Forts into place in WW2. She is the Tug in the picture of the Twin Legged Mansell Fort, I have been part of a team who have spent their Saturdays in Shoreham helping to put it back to sea. She is now next to the Shieldhall in Southampton Docks.  Back in 1990 I was lucky or unlucky to spend 5 weeks on the Ross Revenge on the North Sea. and then worked on her in Dover and then Blackwater, Regards Tony Lake (doughnut) Click thumbnail for larger photo

http://www.stchallenge.org/timeline    


Harry makes the news...

from the Sunday Times By Jonathan Leake and Jack Grimston 15 August 2010

From pirates to poltergeists. A ghost called Harry has apparently been haunting a ship that once housed Radio Caroline at sea and still does in more recent years in the River Blackwater. The spirit is said to have been seen flitting upstairs and has been blamed for pranks such as tapping crew members on the shoulder and stealing their tea.

The antics have been reported by enthusiasts restoring the MV Ross Revenge, from where Radio Caroline made its final offshore broadcast in 1990. The ghost stories have been logged by Kimberley Peters, a researcher at Royal Holloway, London University, who will present her findings next month to the Royal Geographical Society.

One crew member told Peters: "I've had several encounters with Harry. My first one goes back to 2004. Having finished work, we were sitting in the studio having a beer when we heard footsteps.

"I looked up just in time to see someone coming round the landing and going round the next set of stairs to the bridge. When we went to investigate, no one was there and downstairs the doors were still bolted."

Peters believes the hauntings could be a psychological reaction driven by the nostalgia of the restorers for the ship's history. "I cannot say whether such ghostly experiences were real, but they were real enough for the crew members who experienced them," said Peters. "Underlying it is a very real sense of seeing apparitions, conveying something else, like lost heritage."