Edward Cole Born 20th April 1939 in London, Edward trained as a lawyer and worked in public relations for five years before joining Radio 390 in November 1965, soon after its launch. This rather sedate station which identified its daytime programmes as “Eve, the woman's magazine of the air” was based on Red Sands anti-aircraft fort off the coast of Kent. Edward became senior presenter and stayed with the station until its closedown in July 1967. He later became an announcer on HTV, BBC South, Radio 4, the satellite station QEFM and Premier, London's Christian radio station. He also devised the music quiz Counterpoint for Radio Four. After a long period of poor health, Edward died in June 2003. Offshore expert Hans Knot has provided this picture that he took of Edward a few years ago. (Check out Edward's Radio 390 photo album. The photo, above, has been kindly provided by George Morris. There is another recording of Edward on 390 in David Sinclair's tape collection and more pictures of him Roger Scott's and David Sinclair's photo albums.)

some short extracts of Edward Cole on Radio 390: starting From Me To You the lunchtime request show, leaving in the middle of an edition of Morning Melody, presumably to go on shore leave, reading the 9am news and presenting Spotlight. The news was kindly provided by Ray Andrews and the last recording is courtesy of Mick Thompson (duration 3 minutes 6 seconds)
Edward Cole closing Radio 390 down for the last time, just after 5pm on 28th July 1967, following the final court hearing. This extract is part of a longer recording available from The Offshore Radio Archive (duration 48 seconds)

Carl Conway Born in Ramsgate, Kent, Carl was educated at St.Lawrence College. On finishing school he became an actor, working in local rep. He also appeared in a number of television plays and films, as well as advertisements. He played alongside Charlie Chaplin in A King In New York and the Internet Movie Database also lists appearances in The Great Van Robbery, Idle on Parade, Nudist Paradise and The Safecracker as well as two BBC Doctor Who adventures. He joined Radio Caroline at its launch in March 1964 but did not care for life at sea and was mainly heard on the advertisements and interviews recorded on dry land. (Thanks to Colin Nicol for providing a better copy of this publicity photograph.)

Carl Conway presenting a show from the very early days of Radio Caroline. This recording shows the breadth of the station's music policy in 1964. The voice at the start of the clip is that of Simon Dee. This tape has kindly been provided by Mick Thompson (duration 1 minute 33 seconds)
a selection of Caroline advertisements featuring the voice of Carl Conway. They are taken from a cassette of Caroline commercials issued by Offshore Echo's and used with kind permission. Donated by Lynne Sims, the tape is from Martin Lynch's collection (duration 2 minutes 37 seconds)

Thanks to Ronnie Thorpe for this 1967 music press advertisement.

Ralph Cooper was an American soul jock who presented some very fast moving programmes on Radio City six days a week towards the end of the station's life. They were recorded in New York and produced by Gary Stevens. We asked Gary about Ralph's radio history: “When I contacted Ralph he was freelancing but at one time he was on (New York radio station) WLIB I think. Also, possibly WWRL.” Searching the web for more information, we came across references to a Ralph Cooper who was Master of Ceremonies for the R&B shows at the legendary Harlem Apollo Theatre. Gary was unable to confirm whether this was the same person but, bearing in mind Ralph's specialisation in soul music, it is quite likely. Writing about Ralph joining Radio City in January 1967, Radio News said: “The Cooper style is so individual that it is possible he could prompt a change in the approach of deejays all over the country. He uses rhyme to introduce the records and every show is full of catch-phrases and ‘hip’ talk. This will surely be the fastest moving show on British radio today.” Sadly Radio City closed down in early February so Ralph did not have time to build the predicted following. The Ralph Cooper who worked at the Apollo (and possibly the same man) died of cancer in August 1992. Even if he was not the same person, Gary thinks that the Radio City Ralph Cooper has also since died. He says “Ralph Cooper was no kid back then. He retired a long time ago and I believe he may have passed away.” There is a 1963 recording of Ralph on WHOM, New York, on the Northeast Airchecks site.

a short clip of Ralph Cooper from his last offshore programme, the evening Radio City closed down in February 1967. Tape kindly provided by Nick Widdows (duration 52 seconds)

Ray Cooper was born in Barbados and migrated to the UK in 1960 as a young man. He trained and worked as a psychiatric nurse at the Manor Hospital in Epsom, Surrey. After leaving nursing and doing a couple of office jobs, he learned to be a chef. Ray studied in London and Amsterdam and it was while living in Holland that he joined Radio Caroline South in September 1967. Ray was mainly heard on the overnight midnight-6am show where he was known by the nickname ‘Black Magic’. Ray recently contacted The Pirate Radio Hall Of Fame. We asked him about his time on Caroline. “I am not absolutely sure of the date I joined Radio Caroline but it was immediately after the government's legislation which affected pirate radio tremendously. I was living in Amsterdam and Radio Caroline was advertising for jocks so I went along to their office on one of the grachts (canals), met Jim Houlihan who gave me an audition and checked my capabilities turntable-wise. I was given the chance of a lifetime. I joined Radio Caroline. I travelled on a tender to the Mi Amigo and met Robbie Dale (Head Jock) and the rest of the team: Johnnie Walker, Roger ‘Twiggy’ Day, Stevie Merike and Spangles Muldoon. I started my broadcasting career at midnight just after Johnnie Walker came off his pitch. My stint with the station was quite brief but enlightening. Afterwards I wanted to get back into broadcasting so I did quite a number of discotheques both in London and Amsterdam. Meister and Bollier two Swiss businessmen started Radio Northsea International in 1970. (See The Pirate Radio Hall Of Fame ‘Seventies Supplement’.) Having some contacts, I managed to get a Sunday afternoon programme of reggae - the first reggae programme anywhere in Europe. That didn't last for very long as I found it quite taxing to travel for hours from Amsterdam to Scheveningen then on a tender to the ship to do a programme for such a short period once a week. After this short radio exposure, I had the bug and I eventually moved to Spain where I had a chance to work for a Spanish radio station, Radio Juventud in Malaga. I hosted a jazz programme Blackout at midnight three times a week. I eventually returned to Barbados some four or five years later and that is where it all came together. I was on the first FM station on the island, Liberty. And was the first, again, to take the AM station through the night from midnight to six. So then I was really busy, AM and FM radio and, to top it all, I had my own TV programme. I am a well-trained chef de cuisine so I took my catering skills to the TV. I did that until 2005. So that's it for the time being, I am still busy as I now have time to pursue a life-long ambition, painting.” Ray's real name is Ralph Pollard and his art can be seen at www.ralphpollard.com. There is a photo of Ray on the Radio London web site. He says that the photo identified as being him that can be seen on Sheridon Street's web site is actually somebody else. He doesn't know who. (Our thanks to Ray/Ralph for getting in touch and for his help.)

Tom Cooper was an American DJ on Radio England / Britain Radio. His real name was Tom Hatala. It has been suggested that he also used one of Larry Dean's WPTR jingles to broadcast for a while as Greg Warren although this can not be confirmed. (The suggestion came from Svenn Martinsen who has been carrying out extensive and fascinating research into Radio England and Britain Radio.) We asked if anyone could provide more information about Tom and John England got in touch from the USA: “I met Tom around 1980. He loaned me a collection of his collected radio publications and a box of audio tapes. The publications were quite amazing and they included the original full colour publicity material for RNI with its history going back to the Galaxy. I returned the collection but I hung on to the audio tapes. Sometime later I called him to ask if I could retain the audio collection a little longer. I spoke to his mother who told me that Tom had died suddenly. I believe it was a heart attack. She said that she gave a flag that had flown on Swinging Radio England to his girlfriend but all of the publications that I had returned, along with many others, had been thrown into the garbage because no one wanted them! I was quite upset about his death and how one man's treasure is another man's trash.” Our thanks to John for bringing us that sad news. He has also forwarded some of the recordings from Tom's collection and you can find them here.

Tom presenting the 6-11pm show on Swinging Radio England on 14th October 1966. This clip is part of a longer recording available to members from The Offshore Radio Archive (duration 3 minutes 24 seconds)
a short clip of Tom Cooper reading the news on Britain Radio. Tape kindly provided by Martyn Webster (duration 57 seconds)
Greg Warren on Britain Radio in July 1966. Is this the same man? Tape kindly provided by Stuart Russell (duration 1 minute 44 seconds)

Chris Cross While walking down London's “Tin Pan Alley” - Denmark Street - in September 1964, Chris passed number 7, the home of The King Agency. On the door was a sign advertising “Radio Sutch.” He walked in and offered his services as a disc-jockey. It was as simple as that. The man in the office, Reg Calvert, was a partner in The King Agency as well as “Screaming Lord” Sutch's manager and had just negotiated to buy the radio station from him. It was about to be relaunched as Radio City and Calvert needed some extra manpower. The very next day Chris found himself out on the fort, unpaid, on a week's trial. He was there for the end of Radio Sutch and, having passed his audition, was offered work on the new Radio City with a slightly more generous salary - £5 a week. He used Herb Alpert's Struttin' With Maria as a theme tune and was one of the station's main presenters during its first months on the air. After his time at sea Chris worked as a brush salesman before becoming a chartered surveyor. When interviewed by Offshore Echo's magazine, a few years ago, he was living in Hereford. (Photo by Eric Jay. For more pictures of Chris and his Radio City colleagues, see Eric's photo album.)

Chris Cross on the Sunday morning Basildon Request Show on Radio City. Tape kindly provided by Martyn Webster (duration 1 minute 49 seconds)
Chris Cross closes Radio City down for the night and plugs the various sponsored religious shows. This recording from 1965 kindly provided by Nigel Fell (duration 2 minutes 7 seconds)

The Pirate Radio Hall Of Fame needs your

Gordon Cruse was born in Calgary, Canada, in 1942. He joined Radio Caroline South as a newsreader in August 1966 before transferring to the Caroline North ship. Here he continued to read the news but also presented programmes. Gordy stayed with Caroline until March 1967 and then returned to Canada. We asked if anyone could fill us in on his later career and, in November 2001, we heard from the man himself: “Greetings to all! This is Gord Cruse from Victoria BC Canada! I am alive and well and just retired from a 26 years stint at the Victoria Youth Custody Center... and I was quite excited at finding me in The Pirate Radio Hall Of Fame. A brief history to update..left Radio Caroline North in March of '67, travelling back to Canada via London, Rome, Athens, Cairo, Kuwait, New Delhi, Hong Kong, Honolulu and Vancouver. I returned to CFQC Radio in Saskatoon doing programmes and commercials until March of '68 when I again travelled - this time to Australia. A year down under and back to Canada stopping in Victoria to see a broadcast friend landed a job at C-FAX 1070 as operations / music director in the summer of '69. In the summer of '76 I began work in the Victoria Youth Custody Center as a youth supervisor. As of spring 2002 I am retired and will be enjoying one of those great government superannuations and living life to its fullest.... Wonderful to be part of this.” Gordon hasn't been idle since retiring. He has written a book on the Canadian juvenile penal system, Juvie: Inside Canada's Youth Jails. Gordon returned to the UK in August 2002 to attend a DJ reunion and can be see on the Offshore Radio Guide and Radio London web sites. He was also at the First North American Pirate Radio Reunion in Vancouver, Canada. There are photos of that event here. (Many thanks to Gordon for getting in touch, bringing us up to date and providing the photo.)

Gordy Cruse reading the 5pm news on Radio Caroline North from 20th September 1966. It was the day of the on-air wedding of his fellow DJ Mick Luvzit to Janet Teret. The voice at the start of the clip belongs to Tony Prince and the bulletin also features Graham Webb who later provided a commentary to the wedding ceremony. With thanks to Steve Kirby for the tape (duration 2 minutes 4 seconds)

Brian Cullingford was working for the BBC as an interviewer on Today and other programmes when his attention was grabbed by an advertisement for a new and different pirate station. It was King Radio, soon to be transformed into the mightier Radio 390. He auditioned, and was accepted as presenter. Initially he used the name Bruce Ford. He remembers: “when cutting our teeth on King, we were encouraged to adopt temporary persona and then re-invent ourselves on 390. The short lived and mysterious Bruce Ford was me!” When the programme controller, R&B expert Mike Raven, discovered that, in a previous incarnation, Brian had been a Merchant Navy officer, he invited him to take on the additional role of Fort Captain (offshore equivalent of Station Manager) adding mysteriously “bring your navy uniform, it may be useful.” The comment proved to be prophetic. Brian describes his new home as follows: “Red Sands fort actually comprised seven forts, former anti-aircraft installations linked together precariously by swinging catwalks. We were ferried from Whitstable in the tender skippered by our fisherman/agent and winched up singly to the towering towers above. The basic facilities were primitive (and included loos which were simply holes in wooden seats poised 65ft above the waves) but everything was soon improved. A magnificent transmitter was installed, an enormous aerial mast erected, and studio, record library and staff accommodation were all updated.” The broadcasting style of 390 was rather correct and formal, and Brian insists that the presenters were instructed to “speak like announcers on the BBC Home Service ten years ago”. Each of them presented up to six programmes a day, between 6.30am and midnight, with durations ranging from 15 minutes to 2 hours. Brian enjoyed the variety - trad jazz, country & western, popular classics, request shows, even programmes for children. Radio 390 quickly gained an enthusiastic army of listeners of all ages and fan mail began to arrive by boat, along with essential stores and relief staff. Brian tells us that “a few listeners actually came out (8 miles) to see us, and one sunny Sunday we were hailed by the crew of a power boat, who challenged us to go water skiing. Conditions were perfect, with the sea as calm as the proverbial millpond, and Mark Hammerton and I took grateful advantage of the offer and enjoyed showing off our aquatic prowess.” Brian goes on “Although the station was enjoying success and its unusual style and programming, including ‘Eve, The Women's Magazine of the Air’ was obviously meeting a need, we had to be aware of the Government's hostility to the pirates and there was even talk of the RN being used to close us down. One very foggy day I was called from my cabin with the cry ‘Brian, the Navy's here. You'd better come. Could you wear your uniform?’ Armed with peaked cap and gold braid, I peered into the gloom and saw the ominous grey shape of a warship slowly circling the forts. So this was the end. Well, we had been warned. As they came closer and closer, we began to hear the muffled sound of a loud hailer. What on earth were they saying? Was it ‘Close down your transmitter immediately’ or perhaps ‘We are about to come aboard. Do not resist’ or perhaps it was ‘Take cover, we are going to open fire’. They circled even closer and closer and at last we could understand the message. ‘Could you play us a record by the Rolling Stones?’” Brian also recalls the occasion when ITV's Danger Man, Patrick McGoohan, arrived on 390 with other actors and a film crew to make an episode about a pirate radio station. (Photos in Edward Cole's photo album.) He says “We couldn't resist teasing our visitors when they were spotted en masse exploring the one fort still not in use (allegedly reserved as a future weekend pad for the directors). Grabbing a loud hailer, I called out to them as sternly as possible ‘Gentlemen, you are in extreme danger. That fort is unsafe and strictly out of bounds. And the connecting catwalk has been condemned. I want you to come back along it extremely slowly and carefully, and ... one .. at .. a.. time.’ I am ashamed to say that we hardened Redsanders thoroughly enjoyed the spectacle of Danger Man and his quaking colleagues tiptoeing nervously and gingerly to safety.” He remembers “Offshore radio was regarded as exciting news and I suspect that some journalists imagined stationary forts in the Thames Estuary to be easier to board than pirate ships bouncing about in the North Sea. So we attracted a few press visitors and I was sometimes instructed by head office to show them round. I was horrified when the Daily Mail did a feature on me and described me as ‘the Gentleman Pirate’. I was proud of being a pirate, but who wants to be a gentleman?” In 1966 Brian was teamed up with Dominic LeFoe to produce The Voice of Business, believed to be the first ever radio programme devoted to commercial subjects. It was a great success and was on the air five evenings a week plus a weekend omnibus edition. Also involved in the programme was Leslie Mitchell, the first man in the world ever to be seen on television - in 1936! Following his Radio 390 days Brian worked widely for BBC television and radio and on ITV. Series included Night Ride, What The Papers Say, Movie-Go-Round, Songs of Praise, How About You? and Nationwide. When Jonathan Dimbleby resigned from BBC's regional current affairs programme Points West, Brian was chosen as his replacement. He is now Managing Director of Catalyst World Class Ltd. who provide speakers, entertainers and musicians for events around the world. Among the many radio and television personalities Catalyst have booked recently are Kate Humble, Jan Leeming, Alistair McGowan, Fiona Bruce, John Sergeant, Andrew Neal, Frank Gardner and Martin Bell so Brian still enjoys links with the stars of broadcasting. There are some more recent photos of Brian, taken at the Radio Academy Celebration of Offshore Radio in August 2007, here. (Our thanks to Brian for getting in touch, telling us about his offshore career and for his kind comments. He wrote “I have just come across your splendid Hall of Fame and am amazed by the effort obviously put in to keep alive the memories of an exciting, important and rather bizarre phase in the history of broadcasting. I guess we were true pioneers in changing attitudes of the public and, eventually, the government, to more creative use of the airwaves.”)

Clips from two programmes presented by Brian Cullingford on Radio 390. These recordings have kindly been provided by Dickie Bird (duration 1 minute 7 seconds)

Thanks to Hans Knot for this King Radio QSL card
(acknowledgment of reception report).

Jack Curtiss Born on 16th June 1943 in San Francisco, California, Jack had worked for the UPI news agency before getting into radio. He broadcast on stations KMPX, KWG and KONG, all in California, as well as WROV in Roanoke, Virginia, before heading for Europe. He joined the Britain Radio / “Swinging” Radio England operation in July 1966. Initially he was expected to broadcast as “Bruce Wayne”. This, of course, was the name of Batman's secret identity. The Batman TV craze was big at the time and Radio England had just bought a set of Batman jingles. Jack was not impressed: “They told me I would go on the air with this nifty jingle as ‘Bruce Wayne’. I did for one or two programmes and then told management that I had not abandoned a job I liked very much in Virginia and crossed the Atlantic in order to disappear under some bogus fad jingle and that I'd sooner head back to the States. Bill Berry, who arrived the same weekend I did, likewise refused to continue on the air as ‘Dick Grayson’ (Robin). I subsequently transferred over to Britain Radio and I seem to recall the Wayne jingle being used very briefly by Boom Boom Brannigan before he settled down as B-B.” He was not the last Bruce Wayne though. Someone else used the name during the last few weeks of the station. Jack moved over to Britain Radio full time and was promoted to General Manager in November that year. When Radio England closed down, he set up the Dutch station, Radio Dolfjin, that replaced it. In early 1967 Britain Radio was taken over. A new Managing Director, Ted Allbeury, arrived from Radio 390 and he relaunched the station under the new name of Radio 355. There was little love lost between the two and Jack, who had been quoted in the press making derogatory remarks about 390's “stone age” format, resigned. He returned to San Francisco and became programme director of KFOG-FM radio. He did a similar job for two other San Francisco area radio stations before moving to Puerto Rico in December 1968. He stayed on the island for five years, working in radio, TV, magazines and newspapers. In 1974 he moved to France to work as a radio correspondent for CBS news and was also heard on Radio Netherlands and the Voice of America. In 1978 he joined VOA full-time as Latin America Bureau Chief. This led to Jack becoming Latin America correspondent for ABC News. In 1982 he returned to the USA and settled in Florida. He was Health and Science Editor for WTVJ-TV in Miami before helping set up a public television bureau in Broward County, Fort Lauderdale for WPBT-Channel 2. He then worked as a writer and media consultant in south Florida but, in April 2004, we heard from Jack: “I am no longer in Florida. I left the Sunshine State last month after 23 years and headed west straight back to my home state of California where I spent 12 nostalgic hours on the ground before boarding Qantas for my final destination. I am now in South Australia preparing to make a lovely Adelaide lass my wife. It was she, by the way, who orginally made me aware of The Pirate Radio Hall Of Fame back in December 2001. I am working up a new internet journalism project.” In November 2004 we received an update from Jack: “Been meaning to drop you a line just to let you know I did get married in June and am deliriously happy with my bride.” (Many thanks to Jack for getting in touch and congratulations on the wedding. He has also kindly provided some fascinating items of pirate memorabilia. There is also a recent photo here.)

A very short recording of Jack wishing the listeners of Britain Radio a Happy Christmas in 1966. This clip is from a recording of a Phil Martin Morning Serenade programme available to members from The Offshore Radio Archive (duration 21 seconds)

Cliff Cuttelle was born in Whitstable, Kent, in 1945. After finishing his education, Cliff started a six year apprenticeship with the local printing group, Elvey Bros., Cross and Jackman. While at school he had got to know Eric Martin's daughter. Eric (not the DJ of the same name) was Radio City's General Manager as well as owner of The Record Centre shop in Whitstable. Cliff says: “I seem to remember that I had done some small printing jobs for Eric and he knew that I was an apprentice and, as such, did not earn much money. He asked me if I would like to go out to the (Shivering) Sands at Bank Holidays and the like, when they sometimes had staff shortages”. Cliff agreed and for the next year or so would make occasional visits to Radio City. He remembers his first visit: “I was supposed to go out just as a general assistant, grease monkey, cook and bottle washer. However, that was not to be the case. On the first trip to the forts, within a couple of hours, I was on the air. I remember sitting there, knees knocking, not knowing what to say but I got through. I had some help from the others but I was really thrown in the deep-end and must have lost a couple of pounds that afternoon in weight!” Cliff's memories of the fort are that it was “cosy, warm, food was not bad, had most of the home comforts. A lot of work had gone in to setting up the internals and it was still on-going. Due to the station's hectic days, food was taken on an as-and-when basis. To sleep, we had old army bunk beds. I got the bottom one which was not a healthy place to be, as I found out!” Cliff remembers going out to the fort for the long Easter weekend of 1965 - and getting stranded: “I went out on the Thursday for four days. It was Easter and someone had to work and money talked. Got out there OK but the seas were running quite strong and we knew that we were running into a gale that night. Everyone got on and off the Sands, as well as all the supplies. The boat was due back out on the Monday afternoon and I should have been back working in the print shop on Tuesday morning. No way. The seas were too high for anything to leave Whitstable harbour, so we would have to wait. Well that did not go down too well with the print shop foreman. He could hear me on the air but could not get his hands around my neck! By Wednesday we had run out of water so had to go on to all the roofs that we could get to, to see if there was any fresh water available. We found some but it had to be boiled and boiled. We still got ‘the trotts’ which did not help. The boat finally got to us on the Wednesday evening. I got a right *******ing on the Thursday morning.” In 1965 Radio City's boss, Reg Calvert, decided to investigate taking over another Thames fort, Knock John. Cliff was asked if he would help board the fort. “Eric asked me if I would go out for two weeks to clean along with a guy called Jerry. £30 per week in 1965 was, to me, good money so you did not have to ask me twice.” His memories of this trip, along with some photos, can be found here. Cliff parted company with Radio City at the beginning of 1966. He says: “I was coming to the end of my apprenticeship and was preparing to leave the UK to find another job. With the Government laws and changes, the writing was on the wall for all and sundry. However, it was an enjoyable time for me, being very part time, I got to know some new faces and saw something that other would never, ever see.” Asked if he can remember any funny incidents from his time at sea, Cliff says: “I remember on one occasion, a 45 gallon drum of diesel fell off the rack one night. I remember saying it was a ghost from the war but did not realise that one of the guys did not have a sense of humour and was bit nervous! Then we had the night when someone asked if we would like chips with the dinner. Big YES. What we did not know was that he had put the two chip pans on the cooker full belt. Then started to cut the chips, throwing them into the bucket of water. This went on for about 30 minutes, finally he finished, took a large handful of wet chips, threw them into one of the pans. We heard a big scream from the kitchen. We went in to find the ceiling covered in oil and uncooked chips!” After being based in a number of different countries, Cliff currently lives in Dubai, where he has been for the last ten years. He also has a home in Thailand where he spends as much time as possible. Two pages of Cliff's photos can be found in Cliff Cuttelle's photo album. (Many thanks to Cliff for his fascinating photos and for writing about his time on Radio City.)