The Radio Tower Project - Part 2
Issue : 7 Updated : 20th November 2019
The full and true story of the ill fated Offshore project to launch a Pirate Television Channel and Radio station from the Sunk Head Fort
Part 2 of the 6 part feature : Tower Television
Welcome back to Sunk Head with the often choppy seas around the Fort
The Radio Tower 236 Car Sticker produced in 1965
It's colour is accurately reproduced, measuring 46.1cm (18.25") x 75.cm (3") made of a polyethylene material it pre-dated the Britain Radio England sticker of the same type produced in 1966
Dave
Simser watches young Bill Rollins on radio test transmissions |
Dave Simser wonders if anyone can hear us? |
The Radio Tower Studio!
Friendly greetings from those on Sunk Head
Press report on planned start of Tower TV
Main photograph John Boulter on Camera and Dave Simser
Announcer Chris Gosling (Chris G) with the Sunk Head Fort right
Dave Simser, Chris Gosling and John Boulter
Audio |
Still
testing John Waters December 1965 |
Radio Tower on 236 metres with John Waters handing over to Graham London December 1965
With the project moving forward Eric Sullivan made contact with Robin Garton who ran Martello Studios from his families Martello Holiday Park at Walton-on-the Naze
Robin Garton (2004)
Robin was keen to promote semi-pro and amateur bands, he was to produced and host the Sounds Good Show a pilot was produced but the programme never aired
Robin gained the heady title of Advertising Manager, with his recording studio earmarked to make pre-recorded programmes and advertisements
Open reel tape master of Radio Tower Jingles (November 1965)
Robin an accomplished percussionist, produced the 'home spun' Radio Tower station jingles at his Martello Studios
Robin Garton performing
Acetate 7" record pressing
Pirate Radio being the story of the day: National and Local Press jumped on the Tower Tale
Tower TV on the deck of the Sunk Head Fort with Dave Simser, Chris Gosling & John Boulter on Camera
With Derek Massen now running the operations side, not wishing to do anything illegal getting cold feet over the test transmissions he pulled out of the project
Blowing a bit with Dave Simser holding onto his signature Big T 10 gallon hat with John Boulter on Camera
Meanwhile on-shore Peter Jeeves with salesman Bob Record sold advertising, said to include the News of the World Newspaper, Timex Watches and the 7th Day Evangelists
Locally advertisers included an Anglian turkey farm in Colchester, the Scotch Wool Shop and T.H.E. Estate Agents located in the same building as Radio Tower at 15 Trinity Street
Dave
Simser gets a grip on 236 |
Dave
Simser, Chris Gosling, Bill Rollins (headphones) John Boulter on Camera |
Tower Television the ultimate blag: TV transmissions were supposed to have begun on 9th November 1965 at a power of 10 watts, using equipment built by George Short with a home made antenna system 119'on top of the Fort
Dave
Simser, Chris Gosling with John Boulter on Camera, Bill Rollins wearing
headphones |
John
Waters with camera with the test card |
A follow up report in the East Essex Gazette said that a blurred test card was seen by viewers on Channel 5 (VHF 405 lines) at Walton-on-the-Naze, the reports are unsubstantiated, most likely part of the publicity drive by Tower Television themselves
Daily Mail (18th November 1965) (Click for large images)
Tower Television John Boulter focusing on the test card held by Dave Simser
Dave had come to England from native Florida with the USAF, as DJ Dynamite Dave Simser he saw Tower as a way of converting the English to American Country Music
He'd been managing Clarke's Newmarket General Store which he renamed The Tower Trading Post
New York Daily News (19th November 1965)
There's more detail on the actual Radio Tower transmitter in Part 5
Television was wishful thinking, with a very poor equipment the Tower project barely managed to produce a radio signal, other than the simple closed circuit camera and test card there was no television transmission equipment onboard
Fort Guard John Boulter by one of the big 3.7" guns
Originally Tower followed the example set by Radio Sutch, setting up a batch of batteries for broadcasting, recharged by a petrol generator when the station wasn't testing
But the idea made a cracking story just like Radio City and Caroline TV!
The tide's turned
On 28th November, Eric Sullivan wishing for more reliable tendering, contacted Kees Romas of the Offshore Supply Company
A meeting was hurriedly set up in Holland with the Dutch parent Company Wijsmuller, for a fee of £150 per month their 'Offshore 1' would make two visits each month, already the 'Offshore 1' was tendering the Mi-Amigo (Radio Caroline) the Galaxy ( Radio London)
Drama struck the 'Offshore 1'on an unofficial trip to Sunk Head with the Tower Crew hidden beneath tarpaulins on a ret run service of Radio Caroline's 'Mi-Amigo' and Radio London's 'Galaxy'
Arriving at Sunk Head strong currents dragged 'Offshore 1' into the Fort. Wedged between the legs the vessels masts became entangled with the platform, with lumps of concrete raining down from the Fort superstructure, and the likelihood of being holed below the waterline from the remains of the submerged landing gantry, 'Offshore 1' skipper Kees Romas eventually powered free in the process snapped off his rear mast
Press picture of Eric Sullivan
Steaming back to Holland, Kees was sacked by Wijsmuller, in turn Eric Sullivan declined paying Wijsmuller's extortionate tendering fee, made Kees the offer to come and work for Radio Tower
A jubilant crew prepare to welcome visitors
A wage of £5 a day (£35 a week, £140 a month) was tabled and Kees started working for Radio Tower
Searching Holland for a suitable tender vessel he turned up the 69' iron built ex-Icelandic Trawler SS 'Maarje', taken through the waterways of Holland to Ijmuiden, she was rebuilt at a cost of 17,000 Guilders
Sailing back from Holland in thick fog the vessel berthed at Parkstone Quay, Harwich
Fooling about on the deck as the supply boat circles waiting for the swell to calm
Dave Simser waves his 10 gallon hat as the tender leaves
We continue to explore Sunk Head and find out what went wrong for the Television & Radio project on the Fort in Radio Tower - Part 3
Sunk Head Tower Radio TV
Fantastic updates to your website, especially the Tower Radio series and the Sealand updates. I wish I had known about the"Three Forts Special" Boat Trip sooner as it really is the ideal one for me & I cannot get time to do it! Any chance of this one sailing in next years season? I know a few people who will be interested in sailing on the cruise
Best wishes and many thanks for a great website .... always look forward to the updates - Dave
See a brief history on all the Thames Estuary Forts navigate from Fort Fax