I hear it is BIGL's big #7th birthday today. I only started to listen 3 years ago, but thanks to all for keeping BIGL going strong. Long live BIGL. Please share your memories of the early years for me.

Zitat von coastie

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As I slowly come across recordings I'll upload them and paste links on here.

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Nice Chris...

I was lucky enough to hear both the RSLs in 1997 and 2001 I think the next one was. I was only a kid at the time. My mum and Dad were big fans and listened to them. In 1997 we all went on a boat trip out to visit the team on the Yeomen Rose. It was fab! Got to meet the DJs including Ray Anderson and Mark Roman. In 2001 the RSL was based in a cabin on Clacton Pier... We visited a few times. Ray Anderson took me for a ride on the Ghost Train on the pier :) he was a lovely man. That's where my interest in pirate radio began. I loved the music! It's great that Big L is firmly back now and it's great to be a part of it!!! Long Live Big L!!!

Yes, who'd a thought it? I can remember where I was and what I was doing on that day 7 yrs ago. Working in the loft, doing some wiring and flooring (yes, I lead an exciting life), with the opening broadcasts blasting out from Sky in the room below. What a roller coaster ride it's been since then, but still going strong. Ray, Mike and all involved then and since have built an entity to be very proud of. Here's to the next 7!

I've only just read the sad news about the passing of Chris Gaydon, aka Elliot. I first met Chris during the Radio London RSL broadcast at St Katherine's Dock, aboard The Ocean Defender. It was Chris, who as Programme Director, gave me the wonderful opportunity to do a few shows on the ship. I will always be so grateful to him for this. We became good buddies after the broadcast and i made a few trips down to Kent to meet him for a drink and we enjoyed a couple of organised trips out to the sea forts. Unfortunately his relationship with Ray (Anderson) who he worked closely with on both the summer and winter RSL's in 1997/8 and also the book he wrote about the life of Radio London, had broken down. It was a deep rift that left Chris bitter and generally disillusioned with the state of radio and relationships with certain people. He lived alone and so prefered instead to listen to the music he loved and grew up listening to on Radio London back in the sixties thanks to his ever growing collection of cd's. He was always looking for another cd with a rarity track or two that you would probably only ever hear on Sounds Of The Sixties. He loved the show and for a while we would often call each other after the show on a Saturday morning to catch up and talk about the tracks that stood out. He also loved his model railway collection and had big plans to turn one of the rooms in his house into a huge display. Later his health became a concern to him and others. They were dark days but happily he had the inner strength and support to overcome this. Sadly as time went by we lost touch...not helped by my involvement with Ray and his Radio London (Big L) project in 2005. For me it was too good an opportunity to pass by and understandably Chris must have been suprised and hurt that i should have made this decision, especially after what he had gone through in the past. This is a regret i will always have whenever i think of Chris. In a perfect world it would have been great to have shaken hands and let bygones be bygones...but we don't live in a perfect world. Chris was a nice guy whom i'm glad to have met. My thoughts are with his family at this sad time.

Zitat von Ned

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I've only just read the sad news about the passing of Chris Gaydon, aka Elliot. I first met Chris during the Radio London RSL broadcast at St Katherine's Dock, aboard The Ocean Defender. It was Chris, who as Programme Director, gave me the wonderful opportunity to do a few shows on the ship. I will always be so grateful to him for this. We became good buddies after the broadcast and i made a few trips down to Kent to meet him for a drink and we enjoyed a couple of organised trips out to the sea forts. Unfortunately his relationship with Ray (Anderson) who he worked closely with on both the summer and winter RSL's in 1997/8 and also the book he wrote about the life of Radio London, had broken down. It was a deep rift that left Chris bitter and generally disillusioned with the state of radio and relationships with certain people. He lived alone and so prefered instead to listen to the music he loved and grew up listening to on Radio London back in the sixties thanks to his ever growing collection of cd's. He was always looking for another cd with a rarity track or two that you would probably only ever hear on Sounds Of The Sixties. He loved the show and for a while we would often call each other after the show on a Saturday morning to catch up and talk about the tracks that stood out. He also loved his model railway collection and had big plans to turn one of the rooms in his house into a huge display. Later his health became a concern to him and others. They were dark days but happily he had the inner strength and support to overcome this. Sadly as time went by we lost touch...not helped by my involvement with Ray and his Radio London (Big L) project in 2005. For me it was too good an opportunity to pass by and understandably Chris must have been suprised and hurt that i should have made this decision, especially after what he had gone through in the past. This is a regret i will always have whenever i think of Chris. In a perfect world it would have been great to have shaken hands and let bygones be bygones...but we don't live in a perfect world. Chris was a nice guy whom i'm glad to have met. My thoughts are with his family at this sad time.

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Thanks for sharing your memories Ned. Radio in the UK and Europe from the pirate days and beyond is so interesting to me and I appreciate when people share all these great stories with us.

Yes. A moving tribute Ned (Steve). Thanks for the posting. Great to hear from you even under these sad circumstances.

Zitat von coastie

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Zitat von coastie

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[quote="Elouise"]I was lucky enough to hear both the RSLs in 1997 and 2001 I think the next one was. I was only a kid at the time. My mum and Dad were big fans and listened to them. In 1997 we all went on a boat trip out to visit the team on the Yeomen Rose. It was fab! Got to meet the DJs including Ray Anderson and Mark Roman. In 2001 the RSL was based in a cabin on Clacton Pier... We visited a few times. Ray Anderson took me for a ride on the Ghost Train on the pier :) he was a lovely man. That's where my interest in pirate radio began. I loved the music! It's great that Big L is firmly back now and it's great to be a part of it!!! Long Live Big L!!!

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I worked with the Engineer of the Yeoman Rose, Charlie Smith, he is now a full time Coastguard Watch Officer in Shetland. Lovely man and there is a piccie of him and Mary Payne doing the dishes (I think) on the Yeoman Rose on Christmas Day 1997 available on the Radio London website. I'll see if I can find it.

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Here's the link ( Youo have to scroll down to the bottom)

http://tinyurl.com/7vjoy7t

Very many thanks to Mary Payne of www.bigl.co.uk



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Mary Payne of bigl.co.uk??????