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Martin Green

Issue: 6 Date: 12th August 2020

Radio City's Dutch DJ Martin Green got his radio break in the mid-1960's

this feature includes additional photographs from Martins own archive and details of the studios

Ready for crew change over 'Harvester II' goes about, little Bob by mast (March 1965)

Martin Groenhorst taking time out from studying in his native Holland visited the UK in 1965

The Control Tower from base of Bofors Tower

An avid radio fan he ventured to the then sleepy seaside town of Whitstable in the hope of becoming a Radio DJ

'Harvester II' pulls back from Fort

'Harvester II' lays off

Whitstable had already been rocked by the exploits of David 'Screaming' Lord Sutch when he set up Radio Sutch on the former WWII Maunsell Anti-Aircraft Defence Forts out in the Thames Estuary at Shivering Sands

Tony Pine, Chris Cross, Alexander Dee with Martin Green on 'Harvester II'

Control Tower catwalk & legs from G1 walkway

Radio Sutch had been taken over 'lock stock and barrel' by the initiator of the scheme Reg Calvert, who'd recognised the value of radio publicity for acts signed to him and his partner Terry Kings London 'Tin Pan Alley' King's Agency, 7 Denmark Street, London (WC2H 8LZ)

Martin in the Galley; Butler Sink drained through floor, with Baby Belling Cooker right

Living accommodation/sleeping area (can't place the face, anyone know who?)

Note: Some of the original WWII beds were pressed into service

'Pigeon-Blackbird' shore-link in Living area

Note: The list on the wall is the NATO Phonetic Alphabet, the Chuck Berry LP sleeve was stuck on wall in 1964 & remained!

The renamed station Radio City had already received a number of demo tapes from Dutch & Netherlands 'wanna be' DJ's

Studio had the Pirate preferred AKG D12 had a piece of foam over the front annotated with 'Aim Here'

Note: The original Radio Sutch comprised 7" turntables and was a lash-up of bits and pieces, the above studio was the second build used by Radio Sutch and City

Note: The foam over mic, DJ themes behind consul, 3" spools of tape above radiator are the few home produced jingles & Ads

The young Martin struck the South Thames Station Manager Eric K Martin as being worth a try. Radio City was always short of DJ's and money, so those with some ability were sent out for trials receiving nothing or at best a token £5

Martin Green signed photograph (1965)

Right click to on letter image to download full size version

Engineer Phil Perkins who built the last Radio City Studio

There are very few pictures of many of the Radio City team largely because owning a camera was a luxury, whilst inexpensive models were available developing and printing was expensive

Note: The intermediate studio with Collaro turntables jacked up with pieces of wood, a home built passive mixer, the ever faithful Ferrograph Series 4 with a Brennel 1958 MK5 tape machine, in advance of the new studio being turned 45 degrees to left

Martin in a temporary 'lash-up' studio

Note: Reg Calvert designed 1st Radio City (red) poster over window through to TX room. Current singles in rack, top NME 50 on wall later became the City 60. The headphones went on for years, everyone used them in advance of DJ's owning their own 'ears'

A Dutch DJ a novel idea, Martin was dispatched and as Martin Green soon became one of listeners early favourites DJ's despite his limited command of English

Control Tower & Gun Tower 3 from the Bofors Tower Walkway

Note: The dilapidated condition & sag of the Control Tower Gun Tower One Catwalk

N.B Tony Pine begins his plan to replace the Catwalk with a Jungle Walk

After his short time at Radio City in 1965 he returned to his studies, later became manager of a rock band & set up their fan club

Final Radio City Studio

Swung 45 degrees under the window, the infamous 3" commercial, jingle tapes above the Phil Perkins built mixer and mixing board, three Goldring turntables and a pair of Brennel tape machines

Note: Shivering Sands was the busiest of the Forts, since abandonment by the MOD in 1958 paint trials were conducted hence the apparent better appearance than the Towers at Red Sands Forts

Trinity House regularily servicing the buoys. The Port of London Authority visiting to service the tide gauge on the Searchlight Tower, and later remove the remains of Gun Tower 4 in 1966. The Fort was raided by Roy Bates of Radio Essex who took away the the lights from the crane jibs. Marines staged training exercises on the Bofors Tower; remnants of their scramble netts can be seen in many early photographs. See Radio City Sutch & City - Part 1 : Radio Sutch & City - Part 2 : Radio City Sutch & City - Part 3 : Radio City Sutch & City - Part 9

Alexander Dee in the final Radio City 299 Studio

Rock Group Q65 (Muziek Express)

Note: The Dutch Rock Band took to a tiny rubber dingy & made for Shivering Sands in June 1966,they were permitted to board the Fort & were interviewed on-air

Leaving Shivering Sands on 'Harvester II'

Martin Green Drive-In-Show press advertisement

Martin organised concerts and Discotheque Shows, in Dutch radio speak 'Drive In Shows and in between Social Work still found time to present the occasional live gig

Downlaod Martin Green 'Dutch' Press Cuttings 1 : 2

Martins self printed card

Martin at the time of publishing (December 2016) works at Zelfstandig Ondernemer

In early May 2016 Martin had a serious accident on his motor scooter in Rotterdam, as a result was in a coma

Seriously ill for 5 months he returned home in September and has since gladly made a steady recovery

With grateful thanks to Luuk Meuwese, Francois Lehote, Hans Knot, Jerry Pitcher and Harm Koenders who provided the colouration to the old monochrome images

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