Forty years after Radio Caroline North was silenced, a convention was held on the Isle of Man to celebrate the achievements of this hugely successful but sometimes ignored, station. As many of the delegates
pointed out, the media - mainly based in the south-east of England - have usually preferred to focus on Caroline South. But the story of the northern sister station is every bit as fascinating.
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Cover of the convention leaflet.
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Wally Meehan at the Friday night dinner.
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The delegates began to arrive on the island by ferry and plane during Friday and most of them gathered for dinner that evening at a restaurant in Douglas.
The next morning it was an early start to catch the coach to Peel to see the excellent Pirates Of The Irish Sea exhibition at the House of Manannan.
This free exhibition was originally planned to close in February but was so successful that its run was extended until the end of August 2009. Other museums have also expressed an interest in taking it so it is possible
that it will move elsewhere later.
Among the former Caroline personnel visiting the exhibition on the Saturday morning were newsreaders John Aston and Nick Bailey,
disc-jockeys Martin Kayne, Alan Turner and Wally Meehan, engineer Trevor Grantham and
station founder Ronan O'Rahilly.
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Convention organiser Andy Wint welcomes delegates outside the House of Manannan.
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A collection of Radio Caroline promotional T-shirts and Christmas annuals.
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A model of the Radio Caroline North ship, mv Fredericia.
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The bell of the Fredericia, used in the famous ‘ding ding’ Caroline call-sign, loaned to the exhibition by the family of Harry Maddrell, skipper of the
tender Essex Girl.
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The facsimile radio studio, as it was when the delegates arrived.
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The studio a bit later - with a second Spotmaster cartridge machine added, courtesy of John Aston.
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John Aston and his wife Christine in front of a giant photograph of Jason Wolfe.
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Andy Wint deep in conversation with Caroline founder Ronan O'Rahilly.
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The first record played on Radio Caroline, the station theme, 'Round Midnight from the album I've Got A Woman by Jimmy McGriff.
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Martin Kayne alongside a poster advertising a 1968 gig remembering Caroline.
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