The fans' memorabilia

Correspondent André de Raaij has very kindly sent us part of a programme log he kept for Radio Caroline South. It covers the last few months of 1964 and the start of 1965.

Although the working pattern later settled into a regular two weeks on / one week off rota, at this early stage in the station's life things seem more random with some people doing short stints on the ship, others enduring extremely long ones. Bryan Vaughan appears to have spent at least six consecutive weeks at sea during August/September 1964.

During this period the disc-jockeys did not “self-op” (operate the equipment themselves). Someone else sat the other side of a window, spinning the records and balancing the audio levels. However, when Australian panel operator Terry Saunders left the ship to return home in November 1964, the DJs decided to introduce a self-op system - although not all could do it. Some of the presenters still needed a colleague to drive the studio desk for them.

November saw the return to the ship of Simon Dee. The station's first star DJ had fallen out with joint Managing Director Allan Crawford - Dee didn't like playing cover versions of the hits released on Crawford's record labels - but, when Keith Martin fell ill, Simon was invited back to the ship to fill the vacancy. Chris Jonns was only on Caroline South for one stint. He later became known as Ric Jonns on Caroline North.

Paul Noble had joined the station's technical team in September but got his big break on air in December.

January saw the return to the ship of Keith Skues - last aboard in October, when his stay had been cut short by an injury. During rough seas a metal splinter had lodged in his eye. He had been rushed ashore for medical treatment and had to spend time in hospital.

Bryan Vaughan writes: “I am amazed that someone took the trouble to list the programmes with so much detail. I have always had a memory that, in the early days, I once spent about six consecutive weeks on the Mi Amigo. I know that there were extreme weather problems at one stage and that we sometimes lacked enough staff, so that might explain it. Some DJs could not stand the conditions at sea and did not last. Terry Saunders did a lot of the panelling for people like Simon Dee, Mike Allen, Eddie Anthony and others and I also helped out at times. Keith Skues, Tony Blackburn, Errol Bruce & Paul Noble could certainly ‘self op’. It is a fascinating glimpse of ‘a pirate's life’ in 1964. Cheers.”
 
At some point Radio Caroline South attempted late night programmes on 199 metres but André was not able to monitor them. He says: “I don't know about them. Reception must have been awful in winter. Radio Moscow already starting blasting in at 4.30pm during what was arguably (to me) the most interesting programme, together with Downbeat.” Can anyone supply information about late night programming?

With grateful thanks to André.
 
Return to the fans' memorabilia index.