MONITOR SPRING ISSUE 1972 - Page Two -
eventually Radio 390 as we were informed that they were definitely inside the limit
and Shivering Sands were boarded.
I went on the towers a few weeks after transmissions started and was petrified
by the climb up the ladders. Occasionally I used to go out in the boat but never
went on board again until Good Friday, 1966. Meanwhile things had slowly improved
but I wasn't very involved with things until my second visit. Reg had asked me to
take over administration of broadcasting while he still handled the technical side.
On that trip there was a hoist to go up to the towers, that absolutely terrified me
and how I managed to hold a conversation with Ian MacRae afterwards, I don't know.
After talking to Ian while he was on the air and watching the procedure and then
going over with Tom Edwards how things worked, I went back and literally thought up
Format Radio. Having been in the pop world so long was a big help in understanding
what I felt was required of pop radio and luckily it worked very well.
Of course the event that really put Radio City on the map was my husband's
death, the news flashed round the world but my world was shattered. If Radio City
had disappeared at the same time I think I should have completely lost my mind but
in the face of such a tragedy other people's welfare just had to come first. Radio
City had to go back on the air and I was determined that no one else should take
over. The people around me at that time were wonderful, I expected them to give of
their best and they were determined to make Radio City the best. We immediately
extended the hours of transmission and "Auntie Mabel" was born. Ian MacRae and
Alan Clark really worked over that programme and everyone was pulled into the Christ-
mas pantomime. If we had had more time I wonder just how far we would have evolved.
Time was short, it hung over my Christmas and in January I was served with a summons,
what a waste of talent. What a travesty of justice, what an indictment of Britain
when in the two cases I was personally involved in such a mockery was made of every-
thing I believed that British Justice stood for. How I wish now that I had used
Radio City to expose the truth of those events but if I had tried I wonder what
would have happened. I am still here and working hard but how and when would I have
been silenced if I'd spoken out then.
By the way, Candy was the first girl disc jockey, she was thirteen at the time,
and she went out over the air in the May 1964 - she did broadcast after that from
time to time during her school holidays. She sends hereregards too, to everyone
that she has met. Tamara is now married and has a baby boy".
SIGNED: DOROTHY CALVERT
Over now to Alan Clark:
"When asked to write something on Radio City I was requested to make it an "in
depth" account, I'm not sure that this will match up to that requirement, but I do
hope it proves interesting to people who used to enjoy the often erratic, but always
friendly Tower of Power. Of the five radio stations I've worked for, City was
certainly the most enjoyable and so this article will, at least, give me a chance to
sound off on one of my favourite subjects! Of course there were one or two unfortu-
nate, even tragic incidents during City's history, but I'll start with how I became
involved with the station on Shivering Sands.
I had left school in July 1965, and in September that year happened to hear an
announcement over Radio City asking for would-be DJs to send in audition tapes. For
some reason, possibly visions of fame and fortune I decided to apply. I had never
done any Disc Jockey work of any kind, and didn't know the first thing about radio
deejaying. However, a tape of sorts was produced on domestic equipment and hopefully
submitted. Imagine my surprise and delight when the letter replying mentioned my
possible "suitability" and "would I come out to the station for a trial period"?
I arrived at City's local office in Oxford Street, Whitstable and met American
DJ Rick Michaels and the owner of the record shop which served as City's Whitstable
base, Eric Martin (not to be confused with DJ Eric Martin). This was the beginning
of sixteen months of thrills and spills on 299!
Later, Idiscovered that it was City's policy to augment the crew with "trial
DJs" from time to time who were hauled out for a couple of weeks and then paid off
with expenses. The same thing happened to me. After a period on the fort, Reg
drove me back to London, gave me £5 for expenses, and said goodbye. But, having
had a taste of life on the ocean wave, I pestered the London office - Reg Calvert
and his secretary Jill Wileman, almost daily until they gave in and gave me a regular
job, probably just to keep me quiet. Luckily for me, but unfortunately for others,
Reg had just carried out a series of sackings, and so the vacancies were there. Ian
MacRae, later to be part of the notorious Auntie Mabel team was also brought in
shortly afterwards.
The DJs on City when I first went out were Alex Dee, Chris Cross, Paul Elvey,
Dennis the Menace, Rick Michaels and a newcomer by the name of Tom Edward, who soon
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