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Radio Sutch & City in Pictures & Audio
Part 7
Shivering Sands from 1945 - 1967
Cuttings with never before published photographs & audio from Radio City
Extracts follow from the Merchant Seaman News Paper E.N. 58
The publication from January 1945 shows Shivering Sands receiving supplies
Smoke from coal burning ship alongside the Southern G1 Gun Tower that was to used by Radio Sutch
The editorial reported that since their construction the forts had:-
1. Guarded against magnetic-mine-laying in the navigable channels
2. Attacked German bombers approaching London up the estuary
3. Thrown up a barrage against flying bombs
4. Attacked enemy blockships endeavouring to close the channel
Whitstable Harbour in the 1950's a vessel that was to become a Radio Sutch/City Tender Harvester 2 moored left on North Quay
The tranquil harbour in 1963 the two Harvesters 1 & 2 centre
For Whitstable Harbour in modern times navigate from Harbour Days
By the end of May 1964 Radio Sutch had set up shop on Shivering Sands
The second Radio Sutch & later City studio which did become a little more organised. We did though live with the horrible holed stool & headphones for ages
DJ's 7" record signature tunes normaly in space behind turntable plynth. Tapes piled on shelf; 3" spools to left were adverts, & right pre-recorded programmes & religion. Racks of singles Top 20 later City 60. This picture taken from record library corner, in reality a few shelves of singles which really was City's Cobweb Corner
For a studio equipment list go to Radio Sutch & City 1
The government sent Marines but they were hastily recalled on the way to the fort, it could easily have ended with forceful eviction
By September 1965 Radio Sutch became Radio City & for a short time Screaming Lord Sutch was still heard on the station
Catwalk from gun Tower G1 looking towards the Control Tower
Dangerous even in the early days it was committed to the deep & replaced by a "Jungle Walk" built by Tony Pine
See Radio Sutch City 2 for pictures & detail
Control Tower from roof of G1 Gun Tower
Initially transmissions were for just 12 hours daily with a crew of just three keeping everything going was hard work
Johnny Evlin with Chris Cross in the transmitter room
Studio recordings now Radio City has two transmitters 1. Chris Cross gives the first trial wavelengths
2. Paul Elvey mentions Johnny above & pending storms
3. Commercials; Wheelers Oyster Bar - Barretts of Canterbury - Spanish Holidays
These adverts were recorded at Radio City's South Thames Whitstable office (The Record Centre) Don't get any idea's of studio grandeur these were made in the shop on stock tape recorders, Grundig TK14's, Philips, & Echo machines
4. Then Tom Edwards at night in 1966
Alongside Shivering Sands looking west towards the Bofors Gun Tower used later for storage inside always had a rather strange aroma
Elevation of Bofors Gun Tower
Bofors Gun Tower Bottom & Intermediate floor levels
Top level
Bofors Gun positions Lewis & 3.7's
Drawings by J A Posford the fort builders from "The Construction of Britain's Sea Forts"
There's an interesting illustrated article on the dismantling of the mast on Shivering Sands in The Pirate Hall of Fame
For more details on all the Thames Estuary Forts see Fort Fax
For a range of books on the building of the Army & Navel Forts go to Offshore
Unknown local boat below viewed from the G1 Gun Tower balcony bringing out engineers
Don Witts Radio City's first engineer in the transmitter room
Johnny Evlin contemplates beating the transmitter an hourly tuning check
The ritual was at the insistence of Reg Calvert who was worried about the stability of 299 & to keep in check any drift
This before any complaint from the PLA see Radio Sutch City 6
Cartoon impression of the City Studio from the pupils of Beauchamps School, who ask what's wrong with above? Sleep on that for a minute
In our luxury sleeping area behind the lounge, on old camp & metal framed beds left behind by the Army
The Answer!
1965 vintage set up Recording Radio City "Crew Change" Programmes
Philips transister radio, Eagle mixer, Grampian DB4 microphone, Garrard SP22 turntables, Clock from 1934 Austin 10, Civic tape recorder based on Collaro deck, Echo radio & out of view under desk Vortexion PA 50 amplifier similar to that on Knock John & Brennel tape deck
Beauchamps School request
Tony Pine had connected a rubber exhaust hose to the Lister generator which swiftly caught fire. Dick Dixon does his best to smother the flames
Superb picture of the Shivering Sands South Buoy & the forts taken in 1965 by Martin Stevens for a time a DJ on Radio City
Grateful thanks to Terry Vacani, Dick Dixon, & Martin Stevens for their contribution to this feature
The story will continue in Sutch & City Part 8
For a surname A-Z biograghy of the Radio Sutch & City Jocks The Pirate Hall of Fame
Oh how the memories came flooding back whilst browsing your pages! I started listening to offshore radio from approx 1965 (when I was 15). Lived in Bristol at that time, and was able to get Caroline N and S, Big "L", and Radio England very well, and then I discovered Radio City in 1966 when I believe the transmitter power was increased to 50Kw. City became my favourite station, I found it more even personal than the others, and I thoroughly enjoyed the antics of Ian Mcrae. I can remember a time when someone on the station caught a lobster, and supposedly let it loose in the studio when Ian was "on air", so many fun things happened and we, the listeners, shared it. I can still sing the Silexine (sp?) paint advert ! Those were the days! Such a shame radio isn't so exciting now. Thanks to the offshore broadcasters & Radio City in particular, I realised what I wanted to do for a living and at the age of 16½ I wrote to the Denmark Street office asking for a job on the station, a few days later Radio City ceased broadcasting after the government finally succeeded in deeming it inside territorial waters :-( What a tragic year 1967 was, all the pirate stations except Caroline closed down and life seemed very empty. With the ambition to get into radio, I started as a DJ in discoteques, which led to my meeting three of the DJ's I had heard on the pirates, Roger Day, Johnny Walker, Dave Cash and a few from Radio One, at a venue in Taunton where I was resident DJ. I was offered the chance to work for an agency in Europe and eventually ended up in Denmark in 1975. The radio situation there was very much like the UK before offshore radio, the state radio and nothing else ! In the mid 80's the Danish government decided to allow local radio stations, and I witnessed a situation a bit like the early UK pirate days, lots of little stations popping up, some good, some terrible. At last I was able to achieve my ambition, and managed to get a station started in our area in 1987. I bet, in those early days of offshore broadcasting, none of you guys realised the long lasting effect you would have on some peoples lives! Once again, thanks for providing such a superb & informative website. John J.
For all the Shivering Sands features navigate from Sutch & City Part 1
For Red Sands Forts & it's Radio Stations navigate from Red Sands Rendezvous
For the Navy Forts & their Radio Stations navigate from Radio Essex 222 & Sealand One
For details on all the Thames Estuary Forts see Fort Fax
Make sure you also see the NAB "Mystery Tower" the forerunner to Maunsell Forts in Sailing the Solent
For the range of documentary CD's in the Offshore Radio "Roaring 60's" collection, the Sealand VCD, books, & a video on the Army & Navy Forts go to Offshore Shop