In 1967 I was a lowly television engineer and night-time club DJ .

I'd just finished running a club called Pheonix City in Blackpool (yes, I know Phoenix is misspelt - but that's how it was!). I was a part-owner of this club.

By some accident I bought the Peter Dee Mobile Decks unit - which were origionally built for Johnnie Walker (who is those days was known as Peter Dee). I made an audition tape and took it to Caroline House in London. There I met Chris Moore who listened to the tape and, under pressure at that time to find DJs, offered me a job on the South ship.

This was on August 14th 1967. I arrived at Harwich after all the furore of that memorable moment when Radio Caroline moved into the realms of illegal broadcasting. There I met Ray Glennister, who was going out to the ship as an engineer. We reached the ship at tea-time to be met by Johnnie Walker, Robbie Dale and Ross Brown.

On the Offshore 1 tender I'd spotted a Mullard tube carton, which I instantly recognised having changed hundreds of them during my TV apprenticeship.

Once on board I think Robbie and Johnnie were a bit disappointed that I wasn't a big name DJ whom they could recognise; what they got was this blond-haired git from Blackpool. All was saved when they enquired about the TV tube - and had it arrived? I felt a little akin to this piece of kit, and lovingly carried it to the mess-room table and suggested that I could change it for them and get the TV back on. It was agreed I should, and one hour later the mess-room television was back up and running.

Well at least I'd proven that I could do something. So they fed me, and kept me on board. I was shown to a cabin - and told to report on-air at midnight. I was only a kid, and was terrified that I'd suffer from sea-sickness.

At midnight I was duly woken and led to the on-air studio, where Jonnie and Robbie had just finished their memorable closedown. The record playing was 'All You Need Is Love' as they marked the end of the era at Midnight. Johnnie showed me how the desk worked and said 'just play back to back music like this..and throw in the odd jingle until the morning... then if you're a good boy you can have some toast.....'

Over a period of time I plucked up the courage to make the odd announcement. I just generally experimented, until I was in full flow.

I then moved to the Lunchtime show, and did many doubles for Johnnie whilst he was on leave.

This was probably my biggest break, as Johnnie's was the Number 1 radio programme in Britain at the time.

It was always natural that whoever presented the Breakfast Show
(6 -9am) doubled up on the Afternoon Show (3-6pm) and whoever presented the Lunchtime (12 - 3pm) also presented the Evening Show (9-Midnight) and the newest on-board presented the 'overnighter'.

So that's why I got to do the Johnnie Walker show.

Later that year we were joined by Andy Archer, Stevie Merricke, Roger Day and Karl Mitchell.

The only advertisements I remember running were for Bulova watches and Milroy Ward Cars (Norwich). For what it's worth I can still recite, after nearly 40 years, the scripts.... In my own admission I was never really any great shakes as a radio entertainer, but I was fairly handy with a screwdriver; and could think out of the box on a good day!

I had it in my head that I should migrate to the North ship, as that was the only Radio Caroline I'd ever listened to - and that's exactly what I intended to do next - unfortunately both the ships were towed ashore before I got the opportunity. . I didn't rejoin the Mi Amigo until 1970. Basically I came back with Peter Murtagh (Chicago) to relaunch the service.

I have to say that I am extremely proud to have been part of the legend that was Radio Caroline.