Radio Caroline legend dies

Cyril Nicholas Henty-Dodd (28 July 1935 – 29 August 2009), better known by his stage name Simon Dee, was a British television interviewer and radio disc jockey who hosted a twice-weekly BBC TV chat show, Dee Time in the late 1960s. In 1964 he joined Radio Caroline, a pirate radio ship broadcasting pop music from outside UK territorial waters. On 30 March, Easter day, his was the first voice to be heard on the radio station, welcoming listeners and handing over to the only other DJ on the ship at the time, Chris Moore, for the opening programme. After moving from the BBC to London Weekend Television (LWT) in 1970 he was dropped and his career never recovered. He succumbed to bone cancer on 29 August 2009, leaving three ex-wives, four children, and four grandchildren.(Wikipedia)

So sorry to hear that my old friend Simon Dee has died.I was out on Radio Caroline with him in the 60's and loved him.He was a brilliant broadcaster who threw it all away sadly because he couldn't handle fame. I appeared on his very successful Dee Time Saturday night TV show, people forget how big he was. My memories of Simon will always be haappy ones. (Tony Blackburn, Facebook)

ARC Newsflash: Radio Caroline special broadcast

531 Radio Caroline will be broadcasting live from the Ross Revenge on August Bank Holiday weekend, August 28 to 31, on 531 - which should be audible in Tilbury and the surrounding areas of south Essex and north Kent - as well as their usual outlets. The team on board for the weekend is made up almost entirely from staff who served on two of their radio ships, the Mi Amigo in the 1970's and the Ross herself in the 1980's. More details: http://www.radiocaroline.co.uk (Mike Barraclough via MWC e-mail news 17.8.2009)

Pirate BBC Essex now on the air!

Today it's Good Friday. I wonder what Jesus would have said about choosing such a name for the day? I suspect his Friday felt like a quite long one….

Forty-five years ago today the BBC monopoly in the UK was challenged as Radio Caroline started broadcasting from a former Danish passenger ferry off the Essex coast. Since that day British broadcasting was changed forever and one "pirate" after another took to the airwaves. During the three years which the stations were on the air British listeners got accustomed to a continous diet of music 24 hours a day and the BBC had to follow suit by establishing its own pop channel, Radio One.
The m/v Caroline, previously Fredericia, home of Radio Caroline in 1964.

Forty-five years later BBC Radio Essex is celebrating the memory of the start of offshore radio by special broadcasts from the former lightship LV18. Many wellknown names from the golden days of offshore radio are participating. At the time of writing I am listening to good old "Cardboard Skues", Keith Skues, who in the 1960s could be heard on both Radio Caroline and Radio London (BigL).

If you want to enjoy some real radio nostalgia you can listen in to Pirate BBC Essex over the web. You may also be able to pick up the signal on MW 729, 765 or 1530 kHz although these frequencies are pretty crowded. The transmissions will continue until April 13. Incidentally, the LV18 is also featured as a broadcasting vessel in thed current film The Boat that Rocked the World.
Tune in and turn on!