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 « « « to the previous page to the next page » » » to the "Monitor Originals" index page ... or ... to the Monitor Magazine home page