MONITOR SPRING ISSUE 1972            - Page Ten -

                                 ***   AUNTIE MABEL COLUMN  ***           NO. 1
                                       
           Greetings, Fans,
           Only the other day I was quietly demolishing a bottle of gin (for medicinal 
      purposes, of course) and slowly attaining a horizontal position when a letter 
      arrived from Mr. Pearson requesting a column for this wonderful magazine for all 
      you beautiful people who remember my outstanding broadcasts on Radio City. As I 
      was usually well and truly sloshed at the time I find great difficulty in remember-
      ing them myself. However, although the letter interrupted the important business 
      of sampling a new brand, it was most welcome and I will certainly be high. That 
      should read....I will certainly be highly delighted to oblige. Not only that, I'll
      be delighted to dash off the occasional column.
           Those two delightful young men, Ian MacRae and Alan Clark, who were responsible
      for many unfortunate incidents on Radio City, including my broadcasts to the nation,
      are now no longer working together.  I think the shock of days on end in my company 
      has had a lasting effect. Ian, who has since returned to the sunny shores of 
      Australia, found it necessary to get as far away fro me as possible. I...hic... 
      find this disappointing because Ian and I always had a close relationship. You 
      know what it's like to be at sea for weeks at a time? It'll drive even the most 
      sensible of citizens (such as myself) to drink, and worse! However, if by some 
      strange quirk this reaches the eyes of Mr. MacRae I can only say - Come home all is 
      forgiven. Furthermore, don't forget the fiver I lent you at Whitstable station!
      All the very best to you and your present programme director.
           Mr. Clark, as you may or may not know, left for Holland soon after our lovely 
      Radio City closed in spite of my efforts to detain him. He has been heard, it is 
      reported, on various old frequencies over the last few years, although I must add 
      he has never asked my co-operation on his programme, I shall have to severly 
      reprimand him next time we meet...if indeed we do meet again. This brings me to 
      the point of where I can be found these days. Well ...hic...if there's an exceptio-
      nally low tide in the Estuary I am usually visible in the region of Shivering Sands. 
      Regrettably, its a lonelier place these days, apart from the odd visit from I must 
      say, odd people under the impression that valuable equipment is still present there. 
      As anyone knows, there was never any valuable equipment there at any time, apart 
      from my personal cocktail cabinet which survived all manner of threats and take-
      overs.
           People often ask me whether I miss my very own broadcasts on the wireless. 
      Actually, I don't because these only interrupted ether important business which I 
      don't intend to go into here. On the other hand, a glove! Oh dear, I mean on the 
      other hand if any important programme directors read this and wish to obtain my 
      services (broadcasting or otherwise) I'm sure this mag. Will put you in touch. I 
      can assure you my voice hasn't changed a bit, in fact if anything, it's proved...
      sorry I'll type that again....improved thanks to frequent lubrication and lots of 
      sea air.
           Mr. Pearson tells me a regular column is required, and so I've decided to devote 
      this one to general greetings and other rubbish. In subsequent editions of this 
      wonderful magazines whatever it's called, I shall go into sordid detail of what life
      was really like during the days of the Auntie Mable Hour on 299. I shall also be 
      pleased to answer reader's questions concerning the programme, also I am prepared to 
      answer your personal problems in a friendly and helpful manner. Miss Proops has 
      nothing on me....or was it Poops...oh never mind.
           Anyway, I'll end this very first Auntie Mabel column with best wishes to all 
      you lovely boys and girls and the editor of this magazine who has been naive 
      enough to ask me to write for it. All the best, bottoms up and cheerio for now. 
      Love , A. Mabel".

      ODDS N'ENDS...New arrival on Mebo II, engineer Chicago Peter, who was recalled at 
      short notice to overhaul the main transmitter and iron out antenna problems ...... 
      10 Kw 270 transmitter still in pieces at time of writing...shouldn't Paul May 
      be renamed Please May (I)?..sorry!!...Alan Clark will be on the International 
      Service of Radio Rwanda (SW - 16, 19 and 25 M bands) between 0945 and 1045 daily 
      (except Sundays). Its a multi-lingual show (French, Swahili and English) and can 
      be heard throughout February...Congrats Alan - good show on Med. 3.2.72 (your third!) 
      Hans Verbaan would like to draw your attention to this year's trip out to see RNI, 
      Veronica, REM Island (July 29th). Please write to him for full details: - his address 
      Van Swietenstraat 123, Den Haag, Netherlands...We hear that Larry Tremaine and his 
      attractive wife Carolyn have just bought a 1960 Rolls Bentley S2 saloon, how about 
      taking out the Editorial Staff next time you're in the UK!!!!!...Sub-Editor would 
      like to thank Mr. Balk (RNI BUSSUM) for help given over the phone...great game of




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