LV18 ship plans go to council
Posted: December 5, 2009 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Harwich, LV18, Maritime History, Pharos Trust Leave a comment »
Former lightship LV18 at Harwich for the Pirate BBC Essex event at Easter 2009
Interesting piece in the (Harwich local) press about the LV18, the lightship that has been used for a number of radio-related events over the years. Apparently there are some objections to plans to bring it to the quayside in Harwich permanently.
http://www.gazette-news.co.uk/news/local/harwich/4770247.Harwich__Disagreement_over_ship_plans/
Radio aside, I can’t think of a better attraction for a town whose existance is so entwined with British maritime history than a marine/lightship exhibit/museum.
I’ll watch this one with interest.
By the way, although the article says this is the only remaining lightship, there are examples of very similar lightsship still complete in Ireland – currently located at Arklow, Co. Wicklow, Kilmore Quay, Co. Wexford, and Dublin’s North Wall Quay.
Visit to Pirate BBC Essex
Posted: April 12, 2009 Filed under: BBC, Events, offshore, Radio Caroline, Shiprocked! | Tags: 1960s, 1980s, Balls, BBC, Harwich, LV18, Nostalgia, Offshore Radio, Paul Grahame, Pirate BBC Essex, Pirate Radio, radio, Radio Caroline, Roger Day, Shiprocked! 1 Comment »The BBC are celebrating the 45th anniversary of Radio Caroline‘s launch in 1964 by running a special “pirate” station from a former lightship at Harwich Pier all over the Easter weekend – see details and listen here.
Pirate BBC Essex from the LV18, seen on Good Friday
It’s great fun to listen to, they have got a lot of the original 60s presenters from the various offshore stations, and are drawing huge crowds down to the pier, and lots of listeners around the UK and further afield.
As part of my UK visit to promote the book I called in to the Radio Caroline sales stand that is nearby to deliver and sign more books, and was delighted to be invited on board the ship to be interviewed on Pirate BBC Essex about the publication.
I also caught up with many old friends from the Caroline days, including Roger Day, Albert & Georgina Hood who used to run tenders, and now run the sales stand, ex Caroline and Laser engineer Mike Barrington, Paul Grahame and the Balls brothers.
Myself with Roger Day and his Ronan O'Rahilly T-shirt!
Signing copies of Shiprocked at the Radio Caroline sales stand. In the background is Mike Barrington, former engineer for both Caroline and Laser
Don’t forget that Radio Caroline themselves have special broadcasts over the Easter weekend, live from the Ross Revenge, though sadly the ship i not accessible for visitors.
