The Bridge (BRFM) Sheppey
With some Island & Radio History
Issue : 6 Dated : 20th December 2020
Page 1 of 3
From time immemorial the Isle-of-Sheppey has suffered jibes, isolated from North Kent by the Swale it's own inhabitants long ago dubbed themselves 'Swampies'
A simple bridge known as the 'Tremsethg' first spanned the Swale, lost in a tidal wave it was replaced in 1860 with an Admiralty pattern crossing to carry rail & road traffic
In 1908 a rolling lift bridge was built & finally in 1960 the Kingsferry Bridge lifting road-rail bridge was built, here which has since taken a secondary role with the 2003 multi million pound Sheppey Crossing which was completed in July 2006
See pictures of the bridges in Old Ships : Greta 3 : UCL Charter
Infrastructure investment, home building & commercial development continues, some believe the island will gain its own airport though environmentalists & a good many engineers have shunned the idea
The islands relationship with radio go back to the 1960's when from time to time supplies were ferried to & from the Offshore Radio Forts
This practice continued in the mid 1980's with Murray Tugs tendering Laser Hot Hits & again in the Min 1990's when Murray Tugs supplied the Yoman Rose for Radio London's commemorative broadcast off Clacton-on-Sea
BRFM is co-owned by Murray Tugs
Where am I?
The BRFM studio cabin is perched on a cliff top site at Minster
Looking North East towards Red Sands & Shivering Sands Forts beyond from the Minster Cliffs on 18th May 2007
The closest landfall from Red Sands is Leysdown 5 nautical (5.75) miles the BRFM location has been accurately christened 'Windy Ridge'
Police Newspaper 'The Relay' of November 2007 reports Kent Police Chief Constable visit to BRFM
Remnants of the Thames Boom from the cliffs with tower blocks at Southend beyond
The defence boom was built across the Thames Estuary from Minster (Sheerness) to Shoeburyness to control shipping movement in the early years of the Cold War
Note offshore dredged Channel Buoys
It replaced a similar World War II the surviving sections of the Boom extend seawards from the beach
Wreck remnants of the Thames Boom from the cliffs
Three pictures above from December 2007 there's more in the Thames Boom feature
The World War II Mulberry Harbour section off Essex photographed in August 2007
This section can be readily seen from Essex & the Thames Estuary this 'Phoenix' caisson has a broken back, it's on the West Knock sandbank about 1.8 km off Thorpe Bay it was to form part of a temporary 'Mulberry Harbour'used for the fast supply of troops in the Normandy landings following D Day
Extended 3.5 km along the coast & around 1.75 km out to sea, formed at Arromanches they played a crucial role in the landings
This caisson photographed again in October 2008
Was being towed from Immingham, on the Humber, to Southsea in the run up to D Day, when it sprang a leak so was brought into the Thames Estuary & sunk
Aerial picture of Port Ramsgate where Murray Tugs are contracted to assist shipping movements
Murray Tug Nore Challenger at work
The small motor boat is used by Port hands to take ship bow lines
Tug is used to aid safe docking of ferry's onto Ramsgate's jetty arm exposed to prevailing westerly winds
Details of the former Sally Line ships in use by TransEuropa Ferries Larkspur & behind the Primrose
Movement complete the tug remains on standby 24/7
Above three pictures from 3rd February 2008
12/10/09 - Hello, my Name is Stefan. I am modeller from Poland. I am looking for a tug design. The tug was built in 1958 in T. Mitchison Ltd Gateshead Newcastle on Tyne Shipyard (or P.K. Harris & Sons Ltd, Appledore / Devon /) and was named Tur, a Polish name. Orkan (and Lew) was another one. Unfortunately there are not any designs or documentation in Poland. I would like to make a tug model. These tugs are very interesting because they very different from another Stefan Poland?
Demolished in 1959/60 the Nore Fort is no more but a legacy of WW11 remains on the Great Nore Sandbank; The wreck of the liberty ship SS Richard Montgomery
The Montgomery pictured in the mid 1980's
The Montgomery on 7th August 2007
In three sections the Montgomery remains partly laden with explosives off the Isle-of-Sheppey close to the approaches to the River Medway, you can just make out the BRFM Minster antenna on the island
See the SS Richard Montgomery feature
The tenuous radio link with the island continued into the late 1960's as Murray Tugs supplied Red Sands Development Seatribe as they made their ill fated attempt to convert the Red Sands Forts into a leisure complex
In Mid-1980's Murray Tugs supplied Laser Hot Hits on the MV Communicator, mast sections for their antenna were shipped out from Sheerness, the unused mast sections eventually went back to be stored in Murray's yard
The Swale Sound Promotion Boards looked quite like house 'For Sale' boards
In August 2002 a group was formed known as Swale FM, they began campaigning for a local community station for the Sheppey & Swale area
Swale Local Radio had been running Sittingbourne Hospital Radio, the group fragmented SLR ran their own Restricted Licence Station (RSL) now a granted Ofcom licence for Sittingbourne & negotiated a Digital arrangement on the Capital Radio Multiplex
Kings Ferry Sticker
The other group members similarly did their own thing & opened an RSL under the call sign Kings Ferry FM
The early antenna
Made quite a sight installed on a full extended 'Crane Lorry' jib
View from under jury rigged antenna
Link Sticker
Link Headed Note Paper
This was followed by the Link, using the same transmitter & antenna arrangement
Original BR 'idge' FM Sticker
Finally the 'Bridge' shortened to BRFM again they used the same antenna arrangement