Thameside Radio Revisited

9-11pm Dave hands over to Bob who has just turned 24 now and thanks the listeners for for all the cards and presents including an extra long moustache! The team have been on a 12 mile sponsored trail to raise money for Oxfam. The next Thameside Radio disco is on Friday Jun 4th at the Tabard pub in Bath Road Chiswick. Listeners are still writing in for copies of Time Out (50p) which had a feature about London’s radio pirates.There is also the official statement on the two Thameside staff who were fined £25 each for stealing 0.25p of electricity. They weren’t charged under the Wireless Telegraphy act though!Paul James tells us that he eats two packets of Maltesers a week (that’s almost £100 / year)

7-9pm with Paul James and The Intrepid Birdman show. Dave Birdaman (photo) has passed his motorbike test. Paul assures us that Radio Caroline will be coming back. He also tells us about a new film called Polyester (produced by John Waters). The exciting thing about the film is that it was released in in in Odorama so Paul got a scractch’n’sniff card to use at key points in the film. Sounds better than 3D. I wonder why it never caught on?We also hear from Ian the engineer. The news includes an item about 2 members of Thameside Radio staff who appeared at Marylebone court last Tuesday charged with stealing ¼p of electricity. The magistrate was more concerned at the waste of police time than the negligible theft of electricity. Thameside Radio listenerers mantioned include: Cindy of Ealing. Gary in Hillingdon. Martin Gould of Greenford and Janice. Jamie Witcombe in Colin Gardens NW9. Alan of Kingsbury for Francine. Nigel Collins from Muswell Hill.

Bob talks a lot about his upcoming birthday. He also discusses a new book called Alternative London which has a section on pirate radio and mentions Thameside

It is a sunny day and the show starts late because the Thameside Radio team were distracted by a girl walking past the studio. (It’s 1982 and sexism hasn’t yet been discovered yet).

Paul has passed his driving test thanks to Tony Gregory his driving instructor. Dave is about to take his test too. The Paul James competition asks for “Thameside” in the phonetic alphabet: (Tango, Hotel, Alpha etc) At the time Eric Gotts from the Home Office used to refer to Thameside Radio as “Tango Hotel”. The team are collecting sponsorship for a walk which they are doing for OxfamThe second hour comes from the Intrepid Birdman. The superquiz needs you to be in the bath!Bob starts the third hour and tells us that he is going to be 24 years old next week. The show was broadcast from the Arndale Centre in Wandsworth which has good coverage over south and east London but is not so good to the west and north so reception is a bit poor on this recording.

Two hours of Thameside Radio with Bob Edwards between 9 and 11pm this Sunday. He has a demo from South Side Dynamos, chats about how often we have baths and pays a lot of Status Quo. Sarah from Kew turns up. She’s been down the pub with The Birdman. (She’s definitely grown older while we’ve been listening over the last few years hasn’t she?) Dave talks about the new fangled Walkman radios – and mentions obliquely listening in to the Home Office radio channels on the Bernardphone. Bob chats with some of the crew about the favourite songs. We discover that: Dave’s favourite record is Grooving with Mr Bloe by Mister Bloe which he remembers from the juke box at The Macabre coffee bar in Meard Street in Soho. (Probably the coolest place in the universe in the 60s) Sarah’s favourite record is Follow you Follow me by Genesis. It reminds her of her 16th birthday party which ended in total chaos with broken banisters and broken doors. (How did she explain it all to her long suffering parents?) Bob’s fave is Dire Straits and Skateaway. Wow – I’m now right back to my teens – endless summer, endless music, no responsibilities and amazing parties.

After a major raid a couple of weeks earlier the Thameside Radio team are back with an extended broadcast Paul James is about to take his driving test. The Birdman tell us that story about a couple who were served their dog in a Chinese restaurant. He also reads out a pamphlet on the Dangers of Knitting in a public place.

The first 50 minutes of the show are missing from the archive - but may turn up yet.

Bob Edwards plays Sailing by Rod Stewart for 'The boys sailing out to the Falklands.' The computer continues to tell the presenters what to say. Paul complains that he didn’t get a cup of coffee from the tea lady when he was doing a show. Dave says he was overcharged for his tea (55p instead of 20p). Where can you get tea fpr 20p now?Not many letters or dedications this week (apart from a very flattering note from Jo English in Teddington). No jingles either. The music is great though. This is part two of the Thameside Radio broadcast which went through until 11pm. There’s a lovely snatch of BBC Radio 3 right at the end. Goodness me didn’t the presenters sound stuffy back in 1982?

Paul James starts the show followed by Dave. Bob is apparenly installing a fully computerised system in the studio that will tell the DJs what to do on a digital display in the studio. All sounds very unlikely to me – surely it’ll never catch on! Dave says that all computers seem to achieve are inflated phone bills. Dave plays a fabulous selection of records – from the sublime to ridiculous, literally - as well as some great sketches. The tea lady also makes an appearance on the Intrepid Birdman show with her trick tea spoon. She pretty much steals the show really.The show was broadcast from a tower block on the South Acton estate which has since been demolished.

This is the first half of a 4 hour programme. The second half with a full Bob Edwards show is coming next week.

Bob chats with the lovely Buzby about the Kew Green OB a fortnight ago. (Whatever happened to Buzby?) and announces the Thameside Radio Pen friends / lonely hearts club. Mazzy gets box number 1. Later we hear Bob’s “Desert Island Discs” where Alex interviews him and we discover a bit more about his holidays and that beloved Triumph Spitfire. We also learn what started Bob (and his older brother) on being radio pirates. He talks about Thameside Radio’s early days when the station transmitted from Hampstead Heath for an hour each Sunday.

Dave’s DIY spot tells us how to make a nuclear fall out shelter out of sticky tape, vacuum cleaner tubing, and old cornflake boxes. (Protect and Survive anyone?)

The music is so perfectly early 80s. Motels, Silicon Teens, Gary Numan, Siouxie and the Banshees, Stiff Little Fingers, The Police (as well as Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin and The Who)

Listeners mentioned include: Graham Copeland of Cobham. Gary Williams. Mick Taylor. Alan Jameson. Basil of Harpenden. Jilly Newman. Mike Skinner.

Thanks to Basil (see comments) for additional information about this broadcast - he reports that "We got perfect reception in Harpenden, 25 miles (40Km) north west of London!"

Bob announces that there is a surprise outside broadcast – listeners meet at the Star and Garter pub at the north end of Kew Bridge where they will be escorted to the OB site. Alex is running the OB at Kew Green which is linked back live to the studio. He is joined by Bob Edwards, Sarah and Dave when they’re not actually doing their shows. There are games and competitions including a race to a mystery phone box with 20 people in the box. There’s fabulous music too. The Intrepid Birdman has a live superquiz. Someone made it from Brentwood in Essex. Pretty much the other side of London!There is an article about a new pub cinema called “The Hollywood Greats” in Acton – There was a Thameside listener visit there a few months later. The airwaves were busy that night with superbeams – There was a radio mic linking from Kew Green to the studio near Kew Gardens station, then the the studio linked to the transmission site (Trellick Tower) and from Trellick the signal was broadcast all over London. Thameside Radio listeners at the Kew Green OB include: Steve from Hayes. Victor from Ascot. Bamber from West Acton. Ian Buzwell, Peter Buzwell. Renata (who fancies Tom). Matthew from Greenford. Hilary (and Jeanette). Someone with a Thameside Radio sticker in Park Drive Harrow. Walthamstow Swimming Club. Pete from QEC. Tommy Graney from St Marks School Hounslow. Tim who works at Jayes. George Wood from Latymer. The wonderful Incognito (who sent a demo tape) comprising Sarah Connor, Andy Francis, Andrew Gibbons, Ian Grimble and Greg Shepherd. Cindy, Penny, Grace and Belle. Mick Taylor (who writes occasional jingles).