Thameside Radio Revisited

Part 1 of a live broadcast that went on to midnight. The first two hours are the Bob Edwards show - at the end of the recording Bob hands over to Dave. Because the pirates were monitoring the  radio channels used by the DTI they knew when they were being tracked and when there was no risk. The Sunday Civil Service overtime payments must have been great for the crews in teh detector vans!

Paul James stands in for Bob. This is the week after another Thameside Radio 90.2 party from Shepherds Bush. (The recording of that show is still being worked on). 

Bob Edwards has returned after his long break where Paul James filled in. There is a Thameside party again next week at the Shepherds Bush Village Hall. The station changes site every 30 minutes or so to keep the DTI on their toes. Not for the first time Bob says that Dave sounds miserable on his show!  Dave tells us about taking someone to Covent Garden to get their ear pierced and reads the amazing leaflet they were given.      

Bob finally gets to tell us about the funny things inside matchboxes that listeners have sent in. Dave sent Bob a flashing bit of jewellery - a heart with an LED in it. Bob describes the LED as "one of those modern things".  Andrew Shepherd of Poplar sent Jelly Babies. Chris Brown sent a fried egg! John of Maidenhead sent a tape of Bob Edward mistakes. Other entries included the secret of life, money, a pair of gerbils feet, some transmitter components, Debbie Harry's phone number (Mark Bramley from Bromley) and a brain pacemaker. The winner was the gerbils feet embedded in resin.  Mark Hawkins of Brentwood wins five singles in the phone competition! Listening to this broadcast shows how the Thameside Radio 90.2 superbeam easily covered the whole of London. The letters include  listeners in Maidenhead, Bromley, Brentwood and Boreham Wood. All lie outside what is now the M25. That's a radius of at least 17 miles: A quick bit of O-level maths shows the Thameside transmitter covered an area of over 900 sq miles

Bob is going to be giving away Easter eggs and having Easter themed events. There are no letters because Bob forgot to pick them up from 1 Grosvenor Parade W5. (Now a restaurant - at the time it was a printers.) It was a great address because it doesn't appear in the A to Z. Capital Radio had been giving plugs for Thameside Radio on their "Help a London Child" weekend. I know that at least one of the DJs used to listen regularly because he wrote in. It was Roger Scott I think.   Bob calls Alan Jameson from Hampton who correctly guesses that an egg thrown out of the studio window wouldn't break!  Dave is on the end of the radio mic having a sticky bun fight with the neighbours before having an egg and spoon race live on air with Bob. Dave (The Inrepid Birdman)  spends his show throwing raw eggs for Bob to catch. He has a great advert for the "self adjusting door knocker" which makes an appropriate sound for the person who is at your front door! Pirate Radio was such fun! Mentions for: Psychopath Kiev. John

A classic  show from Thameside Radio 90.2 - 3 hours with Bouncing Bob Edwards and a final finely crafted  hour with the Intrepid Birdman. One of the very early Birdman shows in fact. Bob tells us that accidents are Freudian - they all have a meaning if you think about them; later we discover he has lost his tortiose: I wonder what that meant? Bob phones listener Pete (for the mystery voice compettion) who is making a Welsh dresser! The write in competition this week  has a prize for putting something interesting in a matchbox. I think there were some quite unusual entries! We'll find out on next weeks podcast. Rupert of East Molsey won a prize for knowing that the Intrepid Birdman's favourite Spangles were the black ones. Someone proposes to Sarah from Kew in verse. Dave plays outtakes from an interview in the Laseraruim where Bob chatted with the laserist Howard Sachs. (The Laserium was a music and laser show at the London Planetarium). The superquiz is still fiendishly difficult. You'll have to listen...

I think that this is Thameside's first stereo test transmission. While the show is  still mono  the opening and closing "do you ever have difficulty" jingles are remixed and in stereo. I wonder how they did that? Paul James has a brand new Beatles spot. It's very hot in the studio and he assures us that Sarah is reading the dedications with her clothes off. (In our dreams!) Sarah mentions (amongst others) Thameside listeners at Hammersmith Hospital, Windy Miller, snoopy, cupcake, the copycats club, Robin Holbert. As well as more ILR outtakes Dave has CB dedications for Red Rooster, Blue Wheeler and Orange Club in the Rayners Lane area. He also talks about Steve Walsh from Radio Invicta (another fine London pirate) who is advertising Svenson hair weaving in the local press.

Thameside  always had amazing birthday parties. But this had to be the best. Bob presented to first section from the studio - the  second half was presented by Dave  with Alex live from a boat filled with listeners sailing up and down the Thames. So Thameside Radio 90.2 holds the record for the first  pirate radio broadcast from inshore waters! The weather was so snowy we had to leave from Kingston Pier rather than Richmond Pier. The captain  really didn't believe that anyone wanted to have a boat party in the mid winter in such attrocious conditions. Then he headed upstream away from Brentford where the main transmitter was located. We worried about losing the link signal between the boat and the main site but couldn't exactly explain to him why it was so important that we went towards Brentford, especially as it was dark, cold, snowy and there was absolutely nothing for the passengers to to see. He turned round though - thank goodness. An unforgettable evening. Many many thanks to Radio Eric for

The first part of the show is presented by Bob Edwards from the studio. The second part, hosted by Paul James, was recorded earlier that evening at the Thameside Radio 90.2 party in the Shepherds Bush Village Hall.

Sarah is off with a throat infection - so Bob is standing in for her. There are some technical problems at the start of the show - I edited about 15 minutes out as there isn't much to hear.  There is a Thameside Radio  Valentines Day party at the Shepherd's Bush Village Hall next week. And the team tell us they will be broadcasting from a new studio that week as well. Aidan Schulkes of Hammersmith wins the Paul James competition (did you know that Ready Salted was the most popular flavour of crisps in 1980).  Bob interviews Sarah with a squeaky voice in her sick bed. Dave has some recordings from the cutting room floors of various radio stations - including a Guinness advert which assures us that  "not a lot of women like it". He also plays a a few tracks from the the new Eddie Grunt album. Well - bits of tracks to avoid the language! There's a CB spot too - Dave sets up the  Thameside Breakers club.

Two hours with Paul, Sarah and Dave. Paul is eating the Spangles that  Thameside gave out as prizes. Paul chipped his tooth at a party last night! Eddie Grunt is in the Thameside Charts (do you remember him?) There are some slick site changes with great Birdman Jingles - the first one is 30 minute in. Dave Sarah has a report from the Chinese New Year. Dave has a CB section. He reads an article from City Limits (a competitor to Time Out) about Eric Gotts whose job it was to close down the pirates. There are also some more bloopers from other radio stations. Dedications include: Les Keely, Mike of Chalfont, Mazzie, Aidan from Rent-a-rabble,  Simon Marlborough from Chiswick, Brother Illiano Pertrowich, St Paul's School in Barnes, Wolfie in East Croydon, Mark Unwin, NESCOTASS at Espsom RAC club. 

A two hour show from Thameside Radio 90.2  The first hour with Paul James and Sarah from Kew, the second with the Intrepid Birdman. Bob is clearly still away. The opening by the massed Thameside Listeners was recorded at an Outside Broadcast in Hyde Park as far as I can rememeber.  Paul reviews "An American Werewolf in London" which was recently released. Sarah tells us that there is going to be a Valentines party on Feb 14th. There's a pretty neat transmitter change when Dave pulls a plug out. Reception was a bit rough after this though. Listeners mentioned include Steve Scribbler. Eddie Grunt. Gary Bearnd. Les Keely. Andy from Hillingdon. Paul Deacon. Neal Stoddard (who won the competition).  Radio Alpha (Mondays on 90.2 VHF). Gary Steele.

Paul James is standing in for Bob again in this two hour show. The first 30 minutes has techincal problems - all is resolved after the transmitter change in time to listen to Sarah reading out dedeications. There's an interview with Tony Fletcher who runs the Jamming Records and Jamming fanzine. Dave plays Henry at Rawlinsons End, tells us about heroic failures and plays some bloopers from other radio stations. The Intrepid Birdman Superquiz asks which record has been in the charts the longest (122 weeks).  Thameside Radio listeners mentioned include. Carnelia who has been on holiday in Goa where a meal costs 70p. Alan Murrel in Hackney.    

Sarah interviews Rat Scabies fron The Damned at the beginning of this Interpid Birdman Show. Dave tells us that there is a new voice on Thameside Radio: While Bob Edwards is away Paul James (ex Radio Floss) presents the first hour. Dave still has the second hour. Paul (see photo) became a regular Thameside presenter.  

Following a mammoth New Year's eve broadcast Thameside Radio has decided to go down to  two hour shows. Bob is going away to somewhere he describes as "a bit like Colditz" (true - see photo) for a couple of months. This week the first half hour has Dave running the show playing Bob's favourite songs - with chat from Bob. Something like Desert Island Disks.  Sarah then has a 30 minute show for dedications etc.  The second hour is a full Intrepid Birdman Show. Dave has even reintroduced the Superquiz. Next week there is an interview with Rat Scabies from The Damned. This is a replacement for the pervious podcast which was linked to the wrong file.

The show after the 4th Birthday boat trip - which was the first ever pirate radio broadcast from the inshore waters on the Thames. The Thameside Radio 90.2 Christmas party is next Sunday 27 December 1981 at the Shepherds Bush Community Hall. Were you there? There will also be an extended Thameside broadcast on New Year's Eve (which only just kept me awake as far as I can remember). Bob Edwards plays records from the year for listeners to vote on for a chart on New Year's Eve. Many of them have  definitely stood the test of time. Sarah has a spot at 8pm. She reads a couple of the 10 letters that Mazzy wrote this week. Dave Birdman tells us about the trip. It really was quite unreal being on a pirate ship in the snow on the Thames playing music - he had a driving test which was cancelled due to snow. Dave plays Christmas in Dredland by Judge Dredd and wishes he hadn't. Loads of new sketches too. There are some snippets from the boat trip - including Mothball being given the bumps for his birthday. There are a n

First half of a 3 hour show. Last week Tony Lloyd was cut off in his prime during a live broadcast from a listener's house (Julian and Vebecca in Meon Road Acton) where the crew ate spaghetti on air. That was the first of many shows from listeners' homes like Tatty's party a couple of months later. This show has loads of musical jingles by Dave. Elton John, B52s, The Motels, Supertramp,  Queen .. what a varied musical selection. Bob calls more listerers with the long running Thameside Radio mystery voice competition. Steve Petherick of Hayes doesn't win tbut  thinks the authorties should return the transmitter they nicked. Later we hear from Ruth Leaper of Harrow who also also doesn't win. She has dedications for her brothers Adrian and Clive also cousins David and Jeremy. Ruth supports Chelsea who are in the Second Division! Richard Jones of Hornchurch and Jim Stockwell contribute local news. This show does illustrate that Thameside Radio 90.2 had  a lot of  listener involvement. No wonder there are so many

A 1 hour show from Bob Edwards with a totally over the top intro. Jingles at every opportunity. Music news from Tony Lloyd. This is the Thameside Radio 90.2 that Time Out had featured in its article on pirate radio stations on March 23rd (iss 466, price 35p). where it described Thameside Radio as  "Very slick pop/rock with competitions. Highly regarded and consistent, this is the nearest we have to US-FM presentation. All over coverage. Usually from the west." Bob has asked for funny shaped letters - one even came on a rotten banana another others on an elastic band, a record sleeve and some writtten on brushes. A listener requests some pirate radio themes - Bob plays the Radio Dublin theme, The Pirates Lullaby amongst others.  Although the Intrepid Birdman Show hasn't yet been introduced Dave has already released the Ron Nasty songs - This week Bob plays  "Nobody Loves Me (just 'cause I eat worms)" Thameside Radio 90.2 namechecks include Robert Dudley of Hampton Jeff Fatherin.  Rob Allen of SW15.  Tim Pe

Bob Edwards remembers that it's The Intrepid Birdman's 30th Birthday and tells us that he is very old.  It's also Sarah's 18th birthday on Wednesday. She thinks that that's quite old too. Bob gives Dave an amazing rare limited edition Thameside Radio mug (see photo). There were only 11 of these made. There are buckets of letters coming in. This week Mark is meeting listeners at Wembley Central tube, Barnes railway bridge and High Street Kensington Tube and selling tickets for the forthcoming boat trip.  Alex Wright tells us about the listeners social last Tuesday at the smallest pub in the UK (the Hole in the wall in Kings Cross) and that next weeks social event for Thameside Radio listeners is at "The Film Location" in Acton Vale. (A tiny cinema / restaurant / bar).  Last week's show was raided just before the end so the crew are back to transmitter changes. In the past Thameside Radio didn't talk about the problems of being a pirate station on the basis that if they behaved professionally the autho

A classic Thameside show. There is great music and the jingles archive has been resucitated. Bob Edwards phones up some listeners including  Margaret  from Brooklands College. Dave tells us about a bit of "SFX" which was was a music magazine published on cassette - what we'd call a podcast now! There's also has a very obscure Billy Connoly B-side.He spots the similarity beteen "The Pappadom Song" by The RJ Wagsmith band, "Toast" by Paul Young and "Car 67" remember those? Dave (The Intrepid Birdman) is in fine form. There's the first of Dave's short stories about Al Puck - the character later developed into a major series called "Return to the House of Puck".He also does a full over the top production on one of Mazzy's letters! And just before the end of the show - Thameside Radio is raided again by the DTI. Loads of letters this week including ones for Thameside Radio listeners in Queen Mary College. John Shakespeare. Richard Pomford. Bamber in Bristol. Students at City Univerity.