Radio Caroline was the world’s most famous pirate radio station during the 1970s.
Reporter ALAN WOODS learns about exciting plans to move the floating studio ‘Ross Revenge’ to Gravesend.
Gravesham Councillor Glen Handley initiated plans to bring the ship from its mooring in Tilbury Docks to North Kent two years ago.
A self-confessed Radio Caroline fan, Cllr Handley took things further in December by launching a petition to show Gravesham Council the benefits the ship could bring to the borough.
He said: “I’m of that unfortunate age group - I used to sit on the street corners and listen to the pirate stations back in the 60s.
“Unless you really dig into the Ross Revenge and Caroline as a radio station, people just don’t appreciate what an important vessel she was.”
Built in 1959, the Ross Revenge was a fishing trawler in Iceland and Grimsby before she was bought by Radio Caroline in 1983.
She was the third and final ship used by the station and for the next eight years was anchored in territorial waters, broadcasting to 23 million listeners daily.
BBC Radio Kent presenter, Roger Day, has fond memories of broadcasting on Caroline.
He said: “Working on board was just a dream, it was the best thing I’ve ever been involved with.
“It was such a buzz.
“There was a warm and friendly feel about the place. I just loved every minute and it was the saddest day of my life when it closed.”
Radio Caroline’s demise started in 1989 when the government amended the 1967 anti-offshore broadcasting law, banning the receiving of signals from offshore stations.
In August, Dutch officials boarded the ship, damaging and confiscating vital broadcasting equipment.
Although the crew struggled on, the Ross Revenge came aground at Goodwin Sands near Deal in 1991 and the end of the station was nigh.
Cllr Handley’s plans are ambitious.
He explained: “I think she would be a great attraction.
“You can imagine if I said to my grandchildren ‘I’m going to take you into Gravesend for the day, do you want to see the statue of Pocahontas or an old radio ship?’ - it’s no contest.”
The petition has 1,574 signatures so far, with people from as far away as Australia, Africa and Bahrain showing support.
The ship’s owner of 12 years, Peter Moore, backs Cllr Handley’s petition.
He explained: “You can’t go and look at Absolute Radio, Capital or Heart.
“You know it exists but you can’t actually see it and say ‘that is the radio’ - they exist but are invisible.
“We are the only visible radio because it’s a bloody big red ship with a big tower on top of it.”
Mr Moore believes moving the Ross Revenge from Tilbury to Gravesend would enhance the maritime town.
He added: “I love maritime history in Gravesend but all you can really see is evidence of where there used to be things.”
Talks are currently on-going for Radio Caroline to obtain an AM broadcasting frequency and there are plans to install a new mast on the Ross Revenge too.
The ship’s owner concluded: “We are going to make the tower as tall as we can but we kind of have a limit on how tall we could go.
“We really need to bear in mind that at some stage, we may have to get under the QE2 bridge - what a sight that would be.”
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