Radio Caroline North - Midnight Surf Party (2)

More of the Midnight Surf Party from the MV Caroline
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If you can remember Radio Caroline North and have any special memories of the station and its "stars" then Manx National Heritage seeks your help for a new exhibition, planned for this summer (2008) in the Isle of Man.
Click on this link for more stuff:
http://www.gov.im/lib/news/mnh/mnhradiocaroline.xml
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From 'Who's Who in Pop Radio':
http://www.paulplu.demon.co.uk/whos_who/index.htm
Wavelength: 199 metres.
Situation: Ship 3½ miles off Ramsey Bay,
Isle of Man.
Broadcasting Hours: 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.
and 12 midnight to 2a.m.
Reception area: North of England, Midlands, Ireland, Scotland and North Wales.
Station Music Policy: The same as for Radio Caroline (South).


The vessel which is now Radio Caroline (North) was the original ship to drop anchor off the Essex coast and pioneer commercial radio from the sea in 1964. Its transfer to the present position happened like this . . . The first Caroline began broadcasting on Easter Sunday, 1964, but was joined almost a month later by the second ship to start pop radio, Radio Atlanta. Atlanta-as most of us know-hit the airwaves on May 9. However, though the ships were initially rivals, there was much to link them-particularly the fact that they had both been equipped at the port of Greenore in Southern Ireland. Behind the scenes talks were going on to make the links stronger-in fact, effect a merger. This took place in July of the same year, and a little while later Caroline steamed off to the Isle of Man to tap an as yet untouched audience, while Atlanta lost its identity and became Radio Caroline (South). For those interested in ships, Caroline in the north ~ a 763-ton vessel, 188 ft. in length and propelled by a 1,000-h.p. diesel engine (not that she moves much!), while her sister in the south was formerly known as the M.V. Mi Amigo and was used by the Swedish station Radio Nord until 1962. She weighs 470 tons, is 150 ft. long and has a 200-h.p. diesel engine. Both ships are fitted with special anchoring equipment-and are the d.j.'s thankful when a storm gets up! Normally there are two anchors in use, but when the weather turns bad only one heavy-duty anchor is used and the ship can then sail out the storm, circling the anchor. And that's one spin the boys say they can well do without!