The Internet Site
Wonderful Radio London used the technology of the 1960s, but we had the technology
of the 1990s available to us - the Internet. I first used it as a method of
disseminating our Press Releases via e-mail to all interested parties. One such
was Chris McWhinnie, an expert engineer and a wiz on the web. He suggested we
set up a web site for Big L, and offered to do it for us. He not only set up
a magnificent web site of information and photographs, but also using RealAudio
on the web had the sound of Big L available to the world within hours of us
going on air. In this way, we got reported with audio clips of the output on
the Voice of America, and various other international broadcast stations, including
Australia a friend tells me.
As a measure of the interest that Big L generated on the Internet, I can report
that the web site had 12,300 hits during the month on air.
Picture yourself on a ship on the North Sea
Then there are the two most relaxing things I can remember. Number one is spending
sunlit evenings on the deck talking to Paul Graham about anything and everything.
Paul is a natural conversationalist and can hold an intelligent conversation
on a very wide variety of subjects, not only, thank God, related to radio or
pop music. The other is, from the bow of the Yeoman Rose, seeing the sun rise
and being all alone with a cup of strong tea and a packet of cigarettes, and
my thoughts. I can understand why sailors fall in love with the sea and the
solitude of their way of life.
Esoteric element
So here we were on a ship on the North Sea. I remember the night the sky was
turquoise and the stars were red, the sea was calm and yellow, the land was
pink. Yes, it was all good, a sphere those on land would never know... John
the Mate asked, "What are you on?" I said, "1967, which you will never know!
Remember Dr Timothy Leary? 'Tune in, Turn on, Drop out', the anthem of the 60s.
You will never know, yer too young, mate!!"
The fuzz cometh
So there I was sleeping the sleep of the just in the News Pit, my so-called
room, in the forward caravan below in the hold, when cook shook me. "Get up
on deck the Essex Police are here and demand the name of all on the ship". Lucky
I was in a good mood after a prolonged breakfast news stint otherwise the Essex
police would have been told where to deposit themselves (hint, in the heads!).
I came up on deck to be faced with PC Sea Plod. "Are you part of this?" he asked.
"Yes", I said. What did they expect? We would sail out of the 3-mile limit and
up the power to 50,000 Watts and screw the radio authorities? I wish to God
we could have!!! Did we have visitors from Holland? Yes, via UK mainland (no
waccy baccy on offer). PC Sea Plod went away. HM Customs and Excise were still
interested. Did someone hate us or were they trying to stitch us up? Heavens
forbid - the very thought!
Final thoughts
Would I do it again?
Yes, at the drop of a word from Ray. Ray is a special person.
Final comments
Having returned to the world of PR and spinning in London, a colleague asked
me, "What does it feel like to be back in the real world?" I responded, "THAT
was the real world, out there in the North Sea. This is but a time in-between."
He did not understand!
I would like to pay special tribute to Ray Anderson, without whose commitment
to offshore radio and Big L, none of us would have had the chance to do what
we did, and without his very special commitment and ability to make people like
me respond, the Big L Summer of Love would never have happened.
Also worthy of special thanks is Chris Elliot. He's the tireless on-station
organiser as well as breakfast show pop jockey who kept the station and the
staff together in some pretty rough situations. I have no wish to embarrass
Chris Elliot, but I have to say he is one hell of a nice guy, and a thoroughly
professional broadcaster.
Here endeth the sermon of the Sea Poodle. Thanks guys for all the fun. Peace
and love to you all. "Woof, Woof," and I cock a back leg in tribute to you all!