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indexRadio Sutch & City - Part 9
More Shivering Sand Radio & Whitstable History
Don Witts at the Pearson's Arms Whitstable in anticipation of his customary Worthington White Label being poured! The picture dates from the late 1950's before Dons time as Transmitter Engineer on Shivering Sands
Island Wall Whitstable as it is today picture taken on 28th October 2004
Numbers 17 & 15
Number 15 "Pine's General Stores" run by Sue & Tony Pine from where most of Radio City's general supplies came
Tony was the stations longest serving electrical & general engineer
Communication was made to the fort from a TX/RX at the Stores, & sometimes by handheld from Tankerton slopes after closedown at the end of the days broadcasts. On the fort the old Radio Sutch transmitter, & sometimes the main 299 TX was employed to reply
In a planned raid on Island Wall the GPO were unable to find the TX or its antenna
With hard evidence Tony couldn't escape prosecution for use of an illegal transmitter. With the summons duly issued, tea was served & during the ensuing banter Tony revealed the TX/RX bricked up in a fire place, & it's antenna feed cemented into the chimney breast. It's probably still there to this day
The full story can be heard in the Tower of Power CD available in Offshore
Whitstable Harbour mouth being dredged on 28th October 2004 was a hive of activity as small supply fishing boats bound for both Shivering & Red Sands left here in the mid-60's
Audio Break |
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| Listen to Martin Stevens in 1965, Phil Jay in 1966 who pre-recorded his Discomania show on shore & never ventured out to the forts, Gary Stevens 1967 who supplied taped programmes from his native New York | |
Martin Stevens on the West Quay by one of his Tugs the TiD 164 at Whitstable Harbour on 6th August 2005 Harbour Day 2005
Early lash-up of gear late 1964 unbelievable but this set up produced tender tapes Bush Radio with line input, Grampian Microphone, Garrard SP22 & 23 & Civic reel to reel
The first tapes were made in a stop-start fashion using an old Collaro record player plugged into the Civic, after the record was recorded an Acos Mic was plugged in & so forth
Kit was built into a plinth & carted around to fill between live sets at the infamous Radio City Dance Party's Sutch & City - Part 7
Our CD Documentary Radio City 2 has recordings of bands made on the Civic!
Extract of letter left behind on the fort
Shivering Sands pictures in late 1967
View from G1 Gun Tower roof to Bofors Tower
Above notes discovered on the fort in 1969 believed to have been written by Penny Townsend-Jones see Radio Sutch City Part 6
27/06/08 - My names Abe, I'm Dennis & Penelope Swinnertons son. Yes they are definatly my mums letters, thats her writing. Its really nice to see the memory of my father living on in this site as he sadly passed away some time ago as you may or may not know.
I just happened to type in my mothers name on google & was amazed to find these letters she wrote, very fascinating to me of course.
Thanks for sharing the photos & letters on your site, I had never seen any of these of my Father as a DJ before so again this was fascinating! I hope to one day visit the Forts.
The site is great, keep it up! Thanks again. - Abe
Control Tower from the roof of G1 Gun Tower overlooking the Jungle Walk
Vic Davies gets the point on a trip out to Shivering Sands
After the Offshore Stations were closed & Caroline silenced in 1968, many land based pirates appeared. Part of a studio set up pictured above at Stour Street Canterbury during the 1970's
Custom built valve mixer & Vortexion PA 25 & 50 power amplifiers of the type used by Radio Essex
Quad off air tuner on top with monitor amplifier to right. Phillips & Grundig tape machines
This equipment was used for recording & relaying the Diocesan Conferences at Canterbury Cathedral but was pressed into action for clandestine broadcasting. Programmes were pre-recorded & put out in the evenings & weekends
On one occasion the splatter from the hand made transmitter caused interference to BBC TV channel 5 local transmitter on the water tower at St Thomas' Hill
Shivering Sands from the SS Balmoral in August 2003
Painting of the SS Balmoral off the Avon with Clifton Suspension Bridge background
Standing Mark Sloan, Radio City's Tom Edwards, Dave Lee-Travis, Duncan Johnson, Carolyn Bristow of Caroline House now with Coty, Keith Hampshire & Johnny Walker
Tom celebrated his 60th in 2005, the boys pictured above at his birthday party on 17th April 2005
Tom Edwards - Duncan reminded me of the day he came on board Radio City when there were plan's for it to become UKGM. Apparently I greeted him when he reached that platform 90 feet above sea level with the words "Hi I'm Tom Edwards but everyone calls me Mother on here!"
Tom & "Mothers Minders" in Gran Canaria 20th March 2005
SB Greta passes the Dolphin at Whitstable Harbour on 28th August 2004 retuning from one of our Thames Estuary Sailings often taking in the Forts, for more details see Boat Trips
The story continues in Sutch & City Part 10
Grateful thanks to Tom Edwards for his party pictures & Terry Vacani for the notes & letters
Web Site Message from: Mike Craig (aka Mike Watts, Herr Vont's Kutting, The Castaway on Radio City)
Excellent stuff on Radio City a station I fondly remember, being my first experience of offshore radio at the age of 15. Having nicked a boat from Whitstable's Tankerton beach & getting stranded on the fort for three days. Somewhere there's a recording of me on-air having been put on during a test transmission after the 'gods'. Tony Pine may remember this it was my very first broadcast on radio, the bug bit - Best Regards, Mike
For all the Radio Sutch & City features navigate from Sutch & City Part 1
For all the Red Sands Army Fort & it's Radio Stations navigate from Red Sands Rendezvous
For the Navy Forts & their Radio Stations navigate from Radio Essex 222 & Sealand One
For a brief history of 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
Trips to the Maunsell Sea Forts are arranged throughout the summer from Herne Bay & Whitstable in Kent
For details of cruises to see the sights of the Thames Estuary & North Kent Coast see Boat Trips