February 04, 2026

#113 Radio Caroline and The Fleet's Lit Up

36 minutes

This special episode jumps out of our usual chronological retelling of British broadcasting's back-story, for the tale of pirate radio, especially Radio Caroline, courtesy of broadcaster, author and radio expert Ray Clark.

Ray's book Radio Caroline: The True Story of the Boat that Rocked is highly recommended - a fascinating part of cultural history that he's brilliantly researched and retold. Get it from his website or where you get books (link below).

Plus, as host Paul prepares for a new live show (Four Monarchs and a Mic: The BBC's Royal Engineer) on influential Outside Broadcast engineer RH Wood, this episode's bookended with some classic clips of Woody's broadcasts - coronations, state funerals, Churchill's war speeches, the Crystal Palace fire, the Boat Race, the first rugby commentary (re-enactment!)...

Oh and a certain drunken commentary - Tommy Woodroffe on how 'The Fleet's Lit Up'. Hear it as you've never heard it before, with the engineer's commentary of what came before and after - how and why Tommy ended up inebriated on air, and where he went next... What a tale.

Rebellion and rogueishness in the air then, and on it. Enjoy!

(And if you like it, share it? Thanks, pals)

SHOWNOTES:

Ray Clark's website is rayradio.co.uk - get his Radio Caroline book there

For more on pirate radio history, see offshoreradio.co.uk or offshoreechos.com

Paul's new live show on OB engineer RH Wood - if you're quick - is on at Leicester Comedy Festival on Sat 7 Feb - Four Monarchs and a Mic: The BBC's Royal Engineer. If you're not quick, would you like it performed near you? Get in touch with Paul. Details of this and other shows at www.paulkerensa.com/tour

Paul's Radio 4 drama about the first radio drama The Truth About Phyllis Twigg is very much still on BBC Sounds: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002ntmx

Original podcast music is by Will Farmer.

This podcast is not made by today's BBC. It's just about the old BBC.

Support us on Patreon (£5/mth - thanks if you do!), for bonus videos, writings, readings etc. All keeps Paul in books and web hostings - so this podcast is what it is thanks to kinds patrons there. Thanks!

Share/rate/review this podcast if you have a spare 5mins - it all helps.

Next time, Episode 114: The First BBC Armistice Broadcast of 1923

More on this broadcasting history project at paulkerensa.com/oldradio

...more

View all episodes

By Paul Kerensa

4.7

1111 ratings