Memories of Portishead Radio

[Larry Bennett]

Hi all,

I'm currently researching for an expanded and enhanced history of Portishead Radio, which closed 25 years ago last month.

No doubt many of you made radiotelephone calls or sent messages through the station, and I'd love to hear any memories or anecdotes about the station you can remember? I guarantee that I'll read all of them, and those that I do use will be credited in the final manuscript. Please send any memories (or indeed, any questions about Portishead Radio you'd like to ask) to my dedicated email address portishead.radio@btinternet.com and I'll make sure all are acknowledged.

I did write a book about the history of the station, published in 2020 under the name of 'Portishead Radio - A Friendly Voice on Many a Dark Night' which is still available through Amazon and other online retailers, but my new version will be over 3 times the size and include many more photographs, memories and stories, and go into great detail of not just the receiving station at Highbridge, but also the transmitting sites at Rugby, Ongar, Leafield, Dorchester etc. , and of course the one at Portishead from which the station derived its name.

You can also visit the Portishead Radio website at Portishead Radio - Home for more information.

Many thanks

Larry +

[Steve Singleton]

Hi Larry,

I have just stumbled across your posting on the Merchant Navy Old Friends Plus regarding Portishead Radio history and our memories of just what the station meant to us in the days of the Area Scheme.

The first time I head the term "Portishead" was in my first few days at the Radio School which was at Brooks's Bar in Manchester..... I was sure they were misprouncing "Port Said" in Egypt as I was familar with that name having passed through there emigrating to Australia & returning some 2 years later! I did a lot of head scratching those first few months, I can tell you!

But I was 16 years old, low on confidence having barely scraped into the school to start with! So I did not question the misconception for quite some time..... Obviously, it became clear enough for me to get my MPT Certificate!

I went to sea in 1970...with Blue Funnel Line (Ocean Fleets) a five month round the globe trip. A trip I never even dreamed about as a Secondary School kid in Manchester...A trip fraught with errors and misconceptions (again) thanks to a 1st R/O who took no interest whatsoever in my training. EG: It took me over half an hour to send our departure TR from Liverpool to Anglesey Radio (GLV) but they were very patient with me....obviously realising I was a First Trip R/O.

I do have a anecdote about a message I received as we left the Panama Canal.... Be pleased to share it with you if you are interested.

Cheers. Thanks for bringing back some almost forgotten memories.

Steve (Singleton)

Residing in Chile...just outside Coronel: Where a battle took place between British & German forces in the First World War.... The RN Got a severe bloody nose...but revenge came later, in the Falklands. Rather ironic really...don't you think?

[j.sabourn]

#2 Steve ref. Your referral to names. Your own surname Singleton is the name of my previous area of abode two miles north of where I now live in Mandurah . Singleton got its name from an early Sailing ship to arrive in these parts and also believe it was the name of an early governor British of course so you must have a noble background somewhere. Cheers JS.
Ref to Larry Bennetts post has just now returned to my screen as readable and answerable before it only came up in blog form which couldnt answer ,these gremlins get everywhere,or is it just my iPad causing mischief..JS.

[Harry Nicholson]

Hello, Steve. Blue Funnel! There's posh! Lucky lad. Your anecdote is keenly awaited.
Harry (Whitby)

[Larry Bennett]

Hi Steve,

Thanks for getting back - and yes please, I'd love to hear your story about Panama - you can either direct message me or send an email to portishead.radio@btinternet.com where I can pick it up.

Please feel free to visit the website at Portishead Radio - Home where you might spend a few hours trawling through all the photographs and documents!

Cheers

Larry