On 28th September 2014 a number of former offshore radio presenters and listeners joined the other passengers on the historic paddle steamer Waverley as the ship made its regular trip from Tower Pier in London, via Gravesend and Southend, out to see the Thames forts. On this occasion the route took in the Shivering Sands and Red Sands
fort complexes, very fitting in the fiftieth anniversary year of their first use for offshore broadcasting.
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Red Sands fort. The aerial mast and walkway are recent additions, built by Project Redsand |
Red Sands fort. Photo courtesy of Gerry Zierler. Kevin Turner tells us the mast was installed for the Red Sands Radio broadcast in 2008 and he thinks the walkway dates from 2012. |
Shivering Sands fort. |
Shivering Sands fort. |
Phil Martin, left, and Martin Kayne. Photo courtesy of Gerry Zierler. |
Martin Kayne, left, and Guy Hamilton. Photo courtesy of Roma Zierler. |
Tower Radio DJ Bill Rollins, left, and Ray Clark (Caroline eighties DJ “Mick Williams”). Photo courtesy of Gerry Zierler. |
Woolf Byrne, left, and Dick Dixon. Photo courtesy of Gerry Zierler. |
Left to right: Guy Hamilton, Woolf Byrne, Bill Rollins, Dick Dixon, Alan Turner, Phil Martin and Caroline eighties DJ Kevin Turner. Shivering Sands in the background. |
Left to right: Ray Clark, Dick Dixon and Alan Turner. Photo courtesy of Gerry Zierler. |
See also pictures from a similar trip on the Balmoral and one on the barge Greta, both taken in 2003.A couple of days later, on 30th September 2014, the Waverley made a trip along the River Blackwater, passing Radio Caroline's ship, the mv Ross Revenge. Ray Clark took this photo of the two vessels from St. Lawrence Bay, aka Steeple Stone. Thanks to Ray for the photo. |
