Thameside Radio Revisited

More birthday celebrations with Tony Lloyd and The Intrepid BirdmanThe Birdman hasd made a show around the making of the birthday cake.Tony Lloyd calls more listeners, shares recordings of Bob Edwards fluffing his lines when reading the music news and plays impeccable music ranging from Pink Floyd to Ian Dury. Whatever happened to the Tony Lloyd fan club (TLFC - see picture)? Mentions on the phone for John of Dulwich, Dave / Barry Banson from Alleyns School, GM Roberts of Woolwich,  Rory of Hayes, Malcolm Mcintryre from Sidcup, Miller and Mariosa from Earls Court.Technical note:  The FM reception wasn't perfect, the cassettes are showing their age and the azimuth isn't quite right, but it's really great to hear the show again.

An early live extended broadcast. Bob Edwards plays music from 1978 and phones listeners who wrote in over the last 12 months live on air.Bob tells us about a guest appearance from the Intrepid Birdman (who later became a regular presenter and a key part of Thameside). Loads of jingles mostly created by the Birdman many of which seem to have disappeared since. Music news from Tony Lloyd. Loads of people mentioning their mum and dad. There is discussion about whether Thameside should extend hours - this 4 hour extravaganza was quite a contrast to the usual 1 hour shows. The team are drinking Light Ale (can you still buy that?)At the end of Bob's show there is a 30 minute retrospective on the first year - Thameside had put out 52 shows uninterrupted and were basking in the glory.Thameside Radio 90.2 listeners mentioned in the phone calls include Dave Williamson from Hendon, Robert of Chelsea, Debbie Wooley, Simon Michelsberg from Barnet,  Martin Smith of Pinner, Jim Stockwell, Graham King from Orpington and Ric

Bob Edwards is in a laid back mood. Moody Blues, 10CC, Paul McCartney, Led Zep, Stevie Wonder. Loads of dedications. A listener gives advice about fixing the big end on a BSA motorbike. Steve Scribbler offers to organise a squash tournament - Bob is sure that he can thrash anyone. During the show there is a "meet the listeners" do with some of the Thameside staff at Hammersmith station.The Thameside Radio 90.2 Good Bite Guide comes from from Pizza Hut in Ealing (£3 for a 13 inch pizza). In 1981 takeaway pizza is a bit of a novelty! More messages from the the Curly Man's answering machine.  Dave Birdman plays a wide variety of stuff including "Sir Henry at Rawlinsons End" but he can't find "Poisoning Pigeons in the Park" as it's in the old studio.Both Bob and Dave plug the Thameside Radio mystery trip (to Brighton) leaving from Turnham Green next week. Bob says he might drive down but needs to get back in time to start the show. Oh the joys of live radio. Great messages from  Midnight Cinderella, Richard Bradf

Back to regular broadcasts. Bob introduces a big "meet the listeners" evening. Thameside Radio staff go out all over London (Ealing Broadway, Liverpool Street, Wimbledon, Harrow on the Hill, Barnes, Uxbridge, Chiswick, Elephant and Castle, Richmond, Earls Court, Notting Hill Gate and the dolls house shop on the corner of Rossmore Road) giving out stickers, collecting dedications and selling tickets for the Brighton trip. The Thameside listener charts have Kim Wilde, Motorhead, Depeche Mode, Killing Joke and Kate Bush.The fast food survey comes from Burger King in Leicester Square followed by an evening watching the fireworks in Hyde Park.The Curlyman has a phone-in section. Dave reads out a letter from a listener saying that she has started The Intrepid Birdman Appreciation Society. At the end of his show he switches the transmitter back on with a scream it has timed out. After the  transmitter finally goes off you can hear the clipped voices and melodic gentle tunes of Radio 2 in the background and quite und

 It's 14 hours after the extended broadcast started and the crew are sounding tired. Dave calls in from home on Alex's show, Bob has the final shift and is excited because the pubs are open until midnight. Haven't times changed?   Namechecks for Stephen King for Krishna, and BBC Shift 1 video tape who were dealing with the royal wedding (Nice to know that the BBC were listening to Thameside Radio while working). They wanted something to do with walking or mountaineering.     Next week it's back to normality - another finely crafted 3 hour Thameside Radio show which was broadcast on a Sunday evening at 7pm. Al.

More from Dale "The Supersmurf" (see photo) who is a great 80s disco DJ. Dave sets up a a listener hunt for Alex who is "inconspicuous somewhere on  Shepherds Bush Green". Toby from Notting Hill finds him wearing a white coat and hat! Name checks for Rupert from Barnes, John Brennan, Andrew Simpson

3:30 to 6:30pm. "Captain Cosmos" (Garry) who is station announcer at Paddington station phones in from work for a chat with Bob and makes a live announcement about Thameside Radio to the whole station. Andrew calls from St Ursula Road in Southall where they are having a street party while listening to Thameside. He asks for "Win a Night Out With a Well Known Paranoiac" which is still one of my favourite songs. Ever. (Yes I do have a copy and, before you ask, the answer is "yes you can" - just leave a comment or drop me an email). The surprise after the fast food survey was a listeners trip to Hyde Park to see the fireworks. There's a clip in Alex's show. Name checks include: Ian Hobbs, Andrew Beck, Anne Sergeant, Max Hamster and Paul Gander.

The Intrepid Birdman show.  Phone lines open. It's a lovely warm sunny afternoon. Dave is wearing sunglasses to keep the evening vibe - which sounds like a scene out of "The Boat That Rocked". It works though as he plays some very offbeat records. There is the usual great 80's stuff which might get you looking at your singles collection again as some of it can't be found for download anywhere.    Loads of name checks. Far too many to list but those with surnames include Ian Buzwell of Etham,  Paul Cambridge, Mazzy of Byfleet, John Simmonds, Margaret Owen, Andy Cooper, John Brennan, Dave Booth, John Briory, Alan Dolby, Alan Aldwych, Jordan Lee and Kojak of Acton. What were you doing that day? Do leave a comment or mail al(at)fmthen.co.uk Al

The wedding of Charles and Di. It's a Wednesday Bank Holiday. Bob starts the show at 10am and phones Dave on air to wake him up.  There's a black and white TV in the corner of the studio so we get the occasional comment on the royal procession. Dave's "superbike" broke down so it took him quite a while to get to the Thameside studio in Acton. This podcast takes us up to 12:30 when Dave finally arrives.

This Sunday show was the week after a live outside broadcast from Hyde Park and 3 days before the wedding of Charles and Diana. Bob plugs the extended broadcast for teh royal wedding the following Wednesday which starts at 10am. There are also tickets for the Thameside day trip to Brighton on August 16th which cost £5. Alex had Thameside Radio "fast food surveys" from  Spud-u-Like in Shepherd's Bush and Huckleberry's in Oxford Street. The report also featured the Birdman's "No-one Loves Me (Just 'Cause I Eat Worms).   The Birdman has a really great beginning to his show.   Loads of dedications on Bob's show. Some by letter, some on the Curlyman's number. I've tried to pick out ones that might get spotted in a Google search:   Francesca from Putney for Tony Fletcher from Apocalypse, Francine, Nick, Xani, Carl, Jeff Jim, Nick and Fran. Moira for the Whitton Skipsters. Mothball for Dandelion and Photon Brick. Toby from Notting Hill for Daniel Abdab, Charlie and Cathy. Carrie for Ian Day and the Paranoid Android