Easter Weekend was a blast, with our visiting celebrity DJs and BBC Essex’s live broadcast from the ship on Easter Saturday, as well as the show at the Electric Palace on Easter Monday.

We were marking the 60th anniversary of UK offshore and independent radio and were delighted that we could have Keith Skues and Roger ‘Twiggy’ Day in our studio during the weekend.

Roger is reading Keith’s latest book

Our thanks to Keith & Roger for agreeing to spend the weekend with us.

Otherwise we had shows from Stephen ‘Foz’ Foster (formerly BBC Suffolk, Radio Orwell and more!), Garry Lee, Chris Cooper, Paul Windsor, Rick Marks, Olly KInvig, Dave Kent, Jim Fourniadis and Duke Anthony.

Duke was in Harwich on holiday when he heard about the fire and offered to help put the studio back together. A day or so later he was presenting a show!

The Easter celebration of radio had been planned for many months before the devastating fire and it was only due to hard work by many people that we were able to proceed with the weekend.

With the generosity of the New Bell Inn, Electric Palace Trust and Scruton Wyatt Media we have added a substantial amount to our regeneration fund.

The following was sent to the Harwich & Manningtree Standard for the 5th April 2024 edition.

Radio Mi Amigo was broadcast from historic light vessel LV18 in Harwich Harbour over Easter Weekend, with fans flocking to Harwich to help mark the 60th anniversary of offshore broadcasting. Radio Caroline started the radio revolution in 1964 just off the coast of Harwich, and were soon joined by other ships. The guest DJs, on board the LV18, for the weekend included Keith ‘Cardboard Shoes’ Skues and Roger ‘Twiggy’ Day who were both on Radio Caroline, and other ships, in the mid 1960s.

Radio Mi Amigo was also supported by visiting DJs Stephen ‘Foz’ Foster, Garry Lee, Olly Kinvig, Paul Windsor, Chris Cooper, Rick Marks, Dave Kent and Duke Anthony. Duke had arrived in Harwich to help put the studio together but ended up in the studio chair hosting several shows!

One highlight of the weekend was when Keith Skues and Roger Day shared the studio to talk about their lives afloat sixty years ago, before they headed to the Electric Palace as guests of BBC Essex presenters Steve Scruton and Ian Wyatt. The proceeds of that show will be donated to the LV18 Restoration Fund, along with a donation from the Electric Palace Trust from film revenue over the Easter Weekend’s 1960s film festival.

BBC Essex was broadcast live from the LV18 on Easter Saturday, with Steve Scruton interviewing the DJs, fans who had gathered on the quayside and members of the public.

The Pharos Trust, which owns and operates the LV18, also hosted a visit by three member of the Tendring District Council Economic Development team, which has been working with the Trust on a community radio project over the past six months.

It is hoped that the ship will re-open to the public by the end of May, once the immediate restoration work and clean-up have been completed. A further live radio weekend is being planned for August.

The Pharos Trust thanks everyone who helped put together the wonderful weekend in the LV18’s floating studio and would especially like to thank those who helped raise money for the continuing Restoration Fund.