Radio Ship Back On Air For 60th Anniversary of Pirates
The LV18 will be able to take part in the 60th anniversary of offshore broadcasting after a mammoth effort by contractors and volunteers to prepare and repair the ship following the horrendous fire on 2nd February, The work has been gratefully supported by the community and businesses, including the New Bell Inn and Electric Palace, who have raised money for the Pharos Trust to help the ship’s restoration.
The Radio Mi Amigo studio was ready on Thursday to ensure that shows will be able to be broadcast from the LV18 over the Easter weekend. This weekend marks the date 60 years ago when Radio Caroline started a radio revolution just off the coast from Harwich.
Two original 1960s pirate DJs, Roger ‘Twiggy’ Day and Keith Skues, will be broadcasting from the Mi Amigo studio over the weekend, and will also be appearing at the Electric Palace on Monday for a live show about pirate radio, hosted by Steve Scruton and Ian Wyatt of BBC Essex. Other DJs taking part include Stephen ‘Foz’ Foster, Garry Lee, Paul Windsor, Olly Kinvig and Chris Cooper.
BBC Essex will be also be broadcasting live from on board the LV18 on Easter Saturday with Steve Scruton and Ian Wyatt between 2 and 6. Steve is also hosting a fundraising show for the LV18 restoration at the Electric Palace on Bank Holiday Monday. The cinema is also showing a dedicated weekend of 1960’s films, including ‘Dateline Diamonds’, some of which, was filmed in Harwich and on board the Radio London pirate ship in 1965. The cinema is donating a proportion of the proceeds to the Pharos charitable trust, which owns and operates LV18
Tony O’Neil, chairman of the Pharos Trust, said he was delighted that the ship’s studio would be available for the weekend, and this was a testament to the efforts everyone had put in and to the enormous support the charitable trust has received from voluntary efforts and community involvement alike. There is still much work to be done to finish the restoration work and a crowd funder has been set up to assist in this. It is hoped that the unique heritage vessel will shortly be reopened to the public.
