Radio Caroline

Many may remember people speak of Pirate Radio. I certainly recall my father talking fondly of it. In the day it was an alternate to the BBC which then had a monopoly on the airwaves in the UK and played very little music. The only problem with pirate radio being it was illegal for anyone to broadcast in the UK without a licence and the GPO (the forerunner of BT) had the powers to close down any station that disobeyed and they frequestly did. The way round this was to broadcast from ships moored just outside UK territorial waters which of course had its logistical problems because as soon as the ship or the DJs returned to the UK, they were apprehended. The result was that the ship didn't return and was supplied regularly with essential from other sympathetic countries. This of course meant that the ship could only be maintained and repaired at sea. The station is now available for visitors and these photographs are from a visit on the 8th November 2025.  Enjoy this brief journey into history.