RADIO CAROLINE, RAMSEY HARBOUR

Radio Caroline was an illegal "Pirate Radio Station" born in the 60's that used to broadcast offshore from several ships and international waters off the UK. When researching Ramsey Harbour I discovered, to my surprise, that one of these broadcast locations was Ramsey Bay, just off the Harbour.

Radio Caroline was founded by Irish music industry business man Ronan O'Rahilly in 1964, it 's first broadcast was 28TH march 1964 was from the ship Fredericia. The station( and remaned ship) were named after Caroline Kennedy, J.F.K's daughter after O'Rahilly read an article about the family whilst buying supplies in Dallas.

Radio Caroline merged with another Pirate Radio Station, Atlanta in 1968 and The Fredericia moved to Ramsey Bay, broadcasting as Radio Caroline North. A celebration of It's 4oth Radio Broadcast from the island is to be held later in the year in Ramsey.

Radio Caroline has had many incarnations and still exists today. With the advent fo BBC Radio One and later Commercial Radio the need for Pirate Radio Stations subsided. Caroline therefore is no longer docked in Ramsey, but for a short time The Isle Of Man, and Ramsey itself played it's part in the formation of the of the current radio structure we have now. Isn't it plesantly surprising what you find out about the place you live in when you undertake the City Daily Photo. What have you discovered about your place I wonder?