Another year ends – have you read our review of 2024 on Radio Mi Amigo?
We’ll be on the ship and in the studio at Midnight when the quayside fireworks and our lantern light up the Harwich Harbour sky. Maybe the ship’s bell will be rung as well? Yep, that is the ship’s bell!
We have music for you:
1800 US Artists Playlist
2000 Fluff On The Radio – with John Cavanagh. First broadcast on Radio Mi Amigo in 2016. John takes on the persona of Fluff Freeman for two hours.
2200 Steve Jenner takes you through to midnight.
0000 Duke Anthony’s New Year Party
0200 12″ Singles Playlist
0300 Fluff On The Radio (rpt)
0500 Mi Amigo Rock Playlist
0700 Radio Mi Amigo Daytime
Keith Skues (left) and Stephen Foster (right) in the LV18 Studio at Easter 2024
What a year!
Retreating back into 2023 briefly: We had been able to refit our studio in mid to late 2023 and this persuaded the team that a 24/7 online radio station was viable. That launched with a live event at Christmas 2023.
Neon Nancy in the studio
Just two months later an arson attack on the LV18 caused havoc and our fledgling station was off the air. We were then faced with writing off the entire studio equipment having only just managed to configure it how we wanted it.
Almost two weeks later we established a temporary studio off the ship and put Radio Mi Amigo back on the air.
Somehow we managed to clean the ship so that a planned Radio Caroline 60th Anniversary event at Easter went ahead.
The studio equipment that had been running from a temporary location was rebuilt on the ship just a day before the studio was broadcasting live shows.
We were joined in the studio by Roger ‘Twiggy’ Day (top, left) and Keith Skues, both veterans of Radio Caroline in the 1960s
Steve Scruton did a live BBC Essex broadcast from the LV18 on Easter Saturday.
A special live event was held on 23rd June, hosted in the Mi Amigo studio by Garry Lee. This was the first time anyone had openly discussed the arson attack on our station.
We reconvened in the studio for our August live event. This was held the weekend before the 14/08 anniversary, and ran 9th to the 11th.
On the 11th, however, Keith Skues received a call from Johnny Walker during his Sunday afternoon show. That call has been recorded and is available on this site.
There were a number of special radio shows during the late summer and autumn, including an August 14th special and a themed Halloween night which included a show from Stephen ‘Foz’ Foster.
One of the biggest events of the year was the Radio London 60th Anniversary in December. This took several months of planning in order to secure all the relevant permissions.
Radio Mi Amigo was one year old at Christmas 2024 but remains focussed on providing the best music content of the 60s and 70s whilst remembering the important role that the pirates played in UK media.Station personnel at December 2024:
Station Manager – Tony O’Neil
Programme Director – Heather O’Neil
Studio Engineer – Shiraz Turvey
Email studio@lv18radio.uk
The studio sleeps – all quiet the night before the long weekend
Friday 20th December 2024
Almost a full page in the weekly local newspaper
Duke Anthony (left) interviews Tony O’NeilA BBC record case, what could that possibly mean?Dave Kent takes the late shift on Friday night
Saturday 21st December 2024
Keith Skues checks his scriptOlly KInvig (left) at the desk, Heather O’Neil producing and Keith SkuesOlly KInvig (left) at the desk, Heather O’Neil producing and Keith SkuesChris Cooper after darkShiraz Turvey (studio engineer) in the ship’s mess.Rick Marks at the desk
Sunday 22nd December 2023
The production team for Keith Skues’ Sunday show – Shiraz Turvey (left, engineer), Olly Kinvig (obscured, at the desk), Heather O’Neil (producer) and the legendary Keith Skues.Shiraz Turvey at her laptop monitoring incoming emailsOlly Kinvig (left) Heather O’Neil & Keith SkuesDuke Anthony sports a genuine Marquee t-shirt for his Sunday teatime show.Duke Anthony (left) interviewing Keith Skues. The Duke had just played a message to Keith from former Radio London colleague Norman St John.,At our Xmas dinner Keith was asked to send a visual message back to Norman St John, but was a little surprised. Heather O’Neil assists.Dave Kent takes the late shift again
Monday 23rd December 2024
The final live show of the extended long weekend was managed by Duke Anthony (left) with a few studio guests: Chris Cooper (centre, bottom), Tony’s O’Neil, Heather O’Neil & Keith Skues.Duke’s final t-shirt of the anniversary weekend includes the words “back to the boozer”. This t-shirt was owned by the late Dave Cash, and gifted to Duke by Dave’s widow Sarah Cash on 14 August 2017 in Harwich (the day when Dave Cash’ ashes were spread in the River Stour next to the LV18 & Ha’Penny Pier by Sarah and Johnny Walker).
Many thanks to all the presenters and the support team who made this event a success.
The Pharos Trust also wishes to thank Ray Anderson (radiofab.com) and Chris & Mary Payne (radiolondon.co.uk) for their kind assistance and support – without whom this radio event wouldn’t have been possible.
And, many many thanks to everyone who contacted the station during the weekend – we have never had so many emails or messages!
0700 Paul Ross
0800 Neon Nancy
0900 Gordon Bathgate
1000 Chris Morgan
1100 Jeff Martin
1200 Pete Nightingale
1300 Paul Windsor
1400 Gordon Bathgate
1500 Kevin Dinnigan – Australian Sounds of 70s
1600 Mi Amigo Dutch Playlist
1700 Olly Kinvig
1900 Paul Windsor – When Tamla Motown Came To The UK
2000 Mi Amigo Christmas Playlist
2100 Kevin Dinnigan – UK Number 1s of the 1970s
2200 Mi Amigo Rock Playlist
Christmas Day
0000 Mi Amigo Christmas overnight
0700 Chris Cooper
0800 Olly Kinvig
1000 Jeff Martin
1200 Paul Windsor
1300 Rick Marks
1400 Kevin Dinnigan – Burt Bacharach
1500 Jeff Martin’s Old Fashioned Christmas
1600 Radio East Boys
1700 Kevin Matthews
1800 Chris Morgan
1900 Robin Dee Offshore Special
2100 Mi Amigo Dutch Playlist
2200 Chris B & Friends
Boxing Day
0700 Mi Amigo Rock Playlist
0900 Norman Barrington – Radio, Radio, A Personal Perspective
1200 Mi Amigo Rock Playlist
1400 Paul Windsor – When Tamla Motwon Came to the UK
1500 Mi Amigo 12″ Playlist
1600 Mi Amigo Dutch Playlist
1700 Mi Amigo US artists Playlist
1900 Chris B At Christmas
2100 Norman Barrington – Radio, Radio, A Personal Perspective
December 27th
0000 Rick Marks
0100 Reverend Rabbit
0300 Robin Dee
0400 Chris Cooper
0500 Paul Windsor
0600 Garry Lee
Our usual weekend schedule takes over!Please note that the above Christmas schedule may need to change at short notice.
1200 Duke Anthony
1400 Olly Kinvig
1600 Chris Cooper
1800 Steve Jenner’s Big L Fab Forty Top 3 Hits
2000 Rick Marks
2200 Diamond Dave Kent
Midnight – Radio Mi Amigo overnight
Saturday 21st December
0700 Olly Kinvig
1000 Steve Jenner’s Big L Fab Forty Top 3 Hits
1200 Tim Wardley Sound of the 60s
1400 ** Keith Skues **
1600 Chris Cooper
1800 Robin Dee’s Perfumed Garden
2000 Rick Marks
2200 Duke Anthony
Midnight Keith Skues 23 July 1967 “The Radio London Story”
0200 Keith Skues last Radio London Show (25th July 1967)
0400 Chris Cooper
0500 Paul Windsor
0600 Chris Morgan
Sunday 22nd December
0700 Olly Kinvig
1000 Rick Marks
1200 Chris Cooper
1400 ** Keith Skues **
1600 Duke Anthony
1900 Paul Windsor – Radio London at Christmas
2200 Diamond Dave Kent
Midnight – Radio Mi Amigo overnight
Monday 23rd December
0600 Olly Kinvig
0900 Big L with Mandy Marton & Big Al
1000 Duke Anthony
1200 Ian Chambers December ’64
1300 Ray Anderson
1400 Big L with Mandy Marton & Big Al (rpt)
1500 Radio London Story with Keith Skues
1900 Ian Chambers December ’64 (rpt)
2100 Ray Anderson (rpt)
2200 Radio Mi Amigo
This is a live radio event. The above schedule may need to change at short notice. Last updated 1330 23rd December 2024.
The Ha’Penny Pier Christmas Tree will be lit this afternoon and we’ll be lighting our lantern to mark the event. Radio Mi Amigo is providing music alongside local groups, including Shanty singers performing carols! The visitor centre and LV18 will be open. 4pm onwards.We last lit our lantern on 6th June 2024 to mark the 80th anniversary of D Day.
Did you know that Radio Mi Amigo became a 24/7 station from the LV18 studios on Christmas Eve 2023 so we’ll be marking our first anniversary during the festive season this year – and what a year it’s been!
Aside from that, we will be broadcasting a number of special shows during the Christmas and New Year period with some guest presenters.
Don’t forget we are live from the LV18 20-23 December with our Radio London event!
2024 has been a multi-anniversary. 60 years since the start of British offshore radio, 50 years since the loss of the Benelux offshore stations. It also happens to be 50 years since the Caroline Stonehenge festival, and the year I said finally farewell to the dear old Mi Amigo for the last time, after an eventful two years. Thus it is a significant anniversary for me too.
I am producing a special three hour program to mark the occasion. Likely the last program I shall ever make. It traces the early years, the influence of American radio on European radio especially through the ‘pirates’, with particular focus on 1964-1974, and of course my time which I know about the best.
I have called it “Radio Radio – A Personal Retrospective” it features the sounds and music of a golden age. Including the voices of Tony Allen, Chris Cary, Andy Archer, Robin Adcroft, Mike Hagler & Brian Anderson. Jingles galore of course.
It will be broadcast by Radio Mi Amigo on Boxing Day 26th December 0900-1200 repeated 2100-2400 GMT/UTC. This is a shared broadcast with Radio Seagull.
I will play a guitar montage during the show, at 1030 & 2230. You can replay this montage below.
I shall provide the answers here on December 31st.
