Lil's Sixties Mini-memories Page 5

First of all I would like to congratulate you with this marvellous website. It has all you have wanted to know about Big L (and other stations) and would like to thank you very sincerely for all the work you have done and hopefully still will do in the future.

Our home during the years 1965, 1966 and 1967 was a bit of a "pirate-home". In the living-room the radio was tuned on Caroline; in the study room on London and in the bedroom on City; our radios were never turned off, not even when the stations were closing down in the evening or in the night, so that at 5.30 or 06.00 the following morning, the happy sounds of music could be heard again from the start.

I have made lots of tapes in those days, but unfortunately I had to share the recorder (and the tapes) with three younger brothers, who (silently and secretly) "borrowed" these tapes to overrun with football reports. I still have these football tapes! So can you imagine what a lot of interesting Caroline/City/London stuff got lost?

Ed Stewart presenting the Fab 40 (I believe in February 1967) with Kenny Everett on the news and (I believe it was beginning of June 1967) on the Pete Drummond morning show (09.00 - noon) where Lorne King was saying goodbye and returned to Canada and there was the funeral service for "Frankie the Fly", Chuck Blair on the news.

Some songs which are flashing through my mind: Pyramid with 'Summer of Last Year', Nirvana with 'Pentecost Hotel', Gibsons with 'Magic Book', John's Children with 'Just What You Want', Dubliners with 'Black Velvet Band', Sorrows with 'Take a Heart' and so many others.

Above memorabilia courtesy of Hans Knot

'Good ole Buni – The Best Captain a Pirate Radio Ship Ever Had!'

Ron Buninga was kind enough to donate some of his father Bill's memorabilia from his years of service as the Galaxy's captain, to the Radio London archives. A large photo of the rubber stamp used aboard the ship is here.

We do not know who hand-lettered the water-damaged sheet of paper on the right, or on what occasion it was presented to Captain Buninga, although it is possible he received it at the same time as the ship's bell. (The fantastic story of the ship's bell is here!)

As the captain had kept the document for the rest of his life, it is clear that it meant a great deal to him.

Below, photographs signed to Ron, from Duncan Johnson and to Captain Bill, from TW.

Did you attend Radio London motor racing events?

Pink Floyd researcher Chris Leith, was looking for any photos (or other memorabilia) from a Radio London motor racing event in 1967, where he believed the band had made a guest appearance. Chris wrote:

"It transpires that after all my searching, the Floyd didn't appear, but I have found two more press articles that you may not have seen on this event. They are from the Maidstone-area 'Kent Messenger' from '67 – one in the general, and one in the sports section. The other advert (left) is from the Chatham Standard"

This event encompassed the LMC Radio London Car Races, which took place at Brands Hatch racing circuit on Sunday, 18th June 1967.

Brian Long does write extensively in 'The London Sound' about the event, where he records that the DJs in attendance were Mike Lennox, Ed Stewart and Mark Roman and that chances for attendees to win prizes were offered by Tony Blackburn, who was broadcasting the Fab Forty from the Galaxy.

Bands participating in the live show are listed as Chris Farlowe and The Thunderbirds, Shell Shock and Episode Six. Also present were Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky Mick and Titch, David Garrick, The Moody Blues and 'Tristram the Seventh Earl of Cricklewood' who was the vocalist with the New Vaudeville Band.

Many thanks to Chris for scanning the cuttings for us.

We have a full feature on the two major Radio London motor racing events in 1966 and 1967, which includes many photos and legible versions of the press clippings above. Thousands of people must have attended both of them, so if anyone has photos, souvenirs or simply memories of any of the Radio London racing or stock-car racing events, please get in touch.

The Pirate Radio Hall of Fame has a major feature with photos of Big L racing cars as they look in the 21st Century, (yes, unlike the ship, the cars still exist!) but there must be someone out there who has a colour photograph of them as they were when they were memorably painted in the Team Radio London colours – purple and white.