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Red Sands Radio - Part 10

Page 1

Issue: 2 dated; 12th February 2023

Quick links 2 : 3

Whistable Harbour send off

Wednesday 2nd July 2008 Sandy with Whitstable Port Controller Graham waving us off with Whitstable Castle on Tankerton Hill behind

Red Sands Fort new antenna

July 2008 of pensionable age sunk between July & November 1943 the 65 year old Red Sands Fort comes out of the mist, a lovely sight the first glimpse of the new antenna

Red Sands Fort new antenna close up

Thwarted by gales & high seas, we just about made the erection in time!

Red Sands Fort new antenna close up underside

The four sectional mast fooled most people rather than metal it's fibre glass

Alongside platform

Robin on the landing platform

X-Pilot deck Tony down the rope

Tony Pine over seeing the installation can't wait to get ashore, sliding down the rope to the deck of X-Pilot he mutters "That's definitely my last antenna"

X-Pilot leaves Fort

X-Pilot scoots of ahead of a wild weather front

Calm seas around Forts

Calm before the storm

Windfarm in storm clouds

Not long before the storm begins

Evening sunset under mast

The evening clears away

Sunset across the Estuary

A wonderful Red Sands sunset

Phil & Ron

Phil Hadler MD of ICOM UK & our TV webcam & I.T man Ron Vansittart share a chuckle on the tender

X-Pilot leaves Whitstable

X-Pilot leaving Whitstable with the ICOM entourage

Laura & Emily

4th July 1st day on air Laura Beavis of ICOM (UK) Ltd & Emily Aldred of Sportsboat & RiB Magazine

We've been inundated for information about the Red Sands Radio theme tunes

At 06.30 the TX was warmed at low modulation to 23 minutes of original Radio 390

The daily opener began at 7 minutes to 7 with the Red Sands Radio mix of "La Femme D'Argent" the tracks from the album 'Moon Safari' by the French Band 'Air' which 1st came out on 19th January 1998, used extensively at Medway FM it became a top 10 album reaching #6 on 31st January 1998 & since the band has gained a massive following. It's interesting that "La Femme D'Argent" is still often heard in many clubs & bars throughout London

4 hours later at 11.00 we ran a stager, our own mix of "Offshore" by Chicane, originally a #14 hit on 21st December 1996 & as a remix #17 on 13th September 1997

4 hours after that at 15.00 hrs stager 2 was played the Red Sands Radio mix of Kinobe's "Slip Into Something More Comfortable". Mark Blackburn & Julius Waters as 'Kinobe' released their debut album "Soundphiles" in 2000 from which the track comes & saw the due develop into exponents of the chill-out genre after a major TV advertising campaign picked up on the track

We closed daily with a track that for years everyone believed was the Radio 390 dailey close down theme 'Frank Pourcel & his Orchestra' - "On A Clear Day You Can See Forever" from 1966

Finally we ended the whole broadcast with Radio 390's actual theme 'The Telecast Orchestra'- "Sentimental" from 1957


Audio

Radio 390 at 06.30 then Red Sands Radio opening theme @ 7.53

Winds through the masts

Then the winds decided to join in with the first of our gales

ICOM antenna whipping

The ICOM amateur radio mast testifies to the wind strength

Galley food store

Luckily foods no problem as the fully stocked Galley shows

Glyn Richards

Saturday 6th July Glyn Richards after dinner under the 3rd Radio City Thames Estuary Chart from the Shivering Sands Fort

Ammo room

Ammunition room, just about everything was thrown in here until we became organised

Jobs completed include extra wiring throughout Fort, cleared the water & made a drain out from the downstairs men’s sleeping so it doesn't continue to flood & hold water

Evening show with Printz

Evening shadows fall, Printz up to 22.00 hours closedown

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