Orkney Image Library

What about shifting her to the east side of no 2 barrier. Make a great breakwater

It is sad to see the MVC like this, I went out to see her several times in the days of "Laser 558" and then afterwards when she was in Lisbon, Portugal (she still looked good then)after Laser had closed. After she was used in Holland for a while and then lay doing nothing, it was a big job to bring her over to the UK and then up to Orkney - she still holds special memories.

Very good memories of this ship especially the programmes of top 40 music that were once broadcast from her as Laser558 during 1984 and 1985.
Speaking to the previous owner over the last month, , he stated that he was "glad to get the monkey off his back"! Or should that be monkeys(anoraks)?

Is She For Sale I Run Radio North Sea Gold And Would Like To Buy Her

She is in need of a great deal of work and any buyer will need deep pockets indeed to meet the maintenance costs.The current owner is only interested in scrapping the vessel. He has already removed generators and demolished some of the wooden wall coverings in forward cabin areas. Also the hatches have been removed so she is exposed to weather.

Shaun, I think the asking price is 2 empty Tizer Bottles and a Sherbert Dap.If you want to throw your money away throw it my way.........

Maybe she will be restored and used as a floating RSL or museum ... we live in hope.

Following an incident where the ship took on sea water, Dave Miller sold the ship for just 1,000 pounds. The Communicator is now 'beached' and the new owner plans to scrap the ship. The generators have already been removed by the new owner and the hatches have had their covers removed, exposing parts of the ship's interior to the elements. Some work has already been undertaken to remove wooden wall linings in forward cabin areas.

What a shame to see such an historic broadcasting ship in such condition, Remember this ship woke a lot of BBC/Commercial radio stations up in the 1980`s pity some folk don`t remember that, It`s to big to put in my back garden.

Shaun----buy it if you can raise the cash, we need big hearted people like you to keep history and radio alive.

its real sad to see the mv like this cant the metal be welded? as for waking up the radio stations in the 80s there are still alot of rubbish ones out there let alone the countless pirate stations around london i can count six of them and there rubbish too. come on get laser going again bring back the see wolf and the music. if only i had a grand to spend i would buy her insted of a classic car restoration lets have a ship restoration it can be done

Good to hear from some people for a change you really care about radio.I wonder why this radio ship did not return to Lowestoft after being refited out there a couple of Years ago, Wouldn`t it have been nice to have it there as a Tourists attraction instead of it being mindlessly scraped?.I guess the people who owned before only wanted it for the big bucks in radio.Unless other know different.

I saw her up close in Lowestoft. I felt very humbled and cryed

It's very sad to see the end of MV Communicator ;-( I was a big fan now I am in my 40s I look back to this fine times. I am making a website about the MV Communicator and laser so a hope a lot of people wil keep the memories alive ! look at www.laser558.nl it will be on air on 24-5-2007 white laser 558 audio files

Looks like the end for Communicator, only ship left is Ross Revenge, at least she is getting taken care of. Would be good if she was sailed round UK broadcasting as she went.

Now what a great idea that is for the Caroline organisation to do some special events around the Coast using the Ross Revenge so people could see just what offshore Radio really was like in there heyday.

As the picture of the MV Communicator is from September last year, it would be interesting to have an update? - it is sad to see her in this way.

Is there someone who nows what will the future of the mv communicator ?
In holland we heard that it will be scrapped, what is the latest news.

this picture is getting so sad to look at cant someone please stop her from being broken up and save her nothings imposible

Can someone please in Orkney not bring us some more positive news and perhaps an updated photograph of the MVC.

Im afraid the cost of doing thing with this old girl other than the scrap yard would be astronomical. I should imagine that both peaks and the tank tops would be absolutely rotton.---------------Allan.

I can't believe she's been taken away from us like this. I am so distressed. When I think about the life and hope that Laser 558 gave me I can't help bursting into tears seeing the MV Communicator in this awful state. Now I have no hope for the future. Soon everything will be gone. They'll pay for this.

tank tops?

Has anyone got a recent photo please?

Its a sad end to a a great part of radio history.

Mike

With the BBC planning a broadcasting Museum - in London of course (!!) why can the various radio companies, etc, and 'Auntie' get together for once, establish a funding Trust, do this grand old lady up in the splendour she deserves and when completed sail her round Britain staying as a tourist attraction in certain holiday spots (allowing for suitable mooring) - if a decent admission charge was made and possibly a subsidy obtained she might well be worth the effort - if all we commenters joined together and did some real lobbying a travelling wireless/radio museum might be a far better future. But first she obviously needs a new caring owner - surely someone knows an organisation which would help.

Sadly nobody cares, look at the Ross Revenge.....Say no more

re tank tops posted 24 February. If you give me your e/mail I will send you a Ga plan of a typical coaster for your own use.-------Allan

Why don`t we all e-mail Tony Blair because I guess he must have listened to the offshore stations at one time or another.

it is a sad state to see the ship in such a bad state i drove down to lowestoft in suffolk to see her when she was there after spending much of her time in holand and was glad to see her back in the uk i can rember her back in the hay day i was only 12 at the time and rember listening to all europe radio lazer 558 as charlie walf used to say i can rember all the shops and cafe and market stalls playing the sounds it was lovley we now have hear in essex the sounds of big l on 1395 mw also we had rni radio north sea witch broadcasted on a light ship lv 18 of clacton on sea it would be nice to have a revival of lazer 558 it would be my dream to work on a radio station i used to have a go on the 49 meter band hi hi if there is eney one intrested in letting me have a go it would be nice my e mail adress is [email protected] many thanks lets hope some thing good will happen to the ship and to her memory of the great sounds of all europe radio lazer 558

Radio North Sea Gold has put in an offer . See the news on there website
www, radionorthseagold.net

Shaun & Graham both off us are making a off on monday 26th off March 2007, To get this classic bit off history back to suffolk & restore this boat to it full glory. We need all your support please.

Radio Northseagold will hope to be the New owners in the next couple off weeks

Andrew Banks (the man who owns the MV Communicator) says he's never heard of North Sea Gold and he's had no approach from them to buy the ship. In the meantime here's Bachman Turner Overdrive - Let's Rock !!

if we were to load all the comments written about this heap o scrap on board i think she would sink nicely at no 2 barrier. Save the council a fortune.

Hi if anyone knows Andrew Banks can they please email me with his contact details

Paul Graham

Not too difficult to get a hold of Andrew - as he owns a ferry company. www.pentlandferries.co.uk
But surely you chaps at North Sea Gold must know Mr Banks since according to your website you've made an offer for the MV Communicator already.

Hi i know the person who owns Radio North Sea Gold . He put a very large amount of money into laser 576 back in the late 80s . he does not do things by half and what he says he does . I do know he plans to use the ship for broadcasting and also hopes to have a coffee shop and let out some of the cabins for BB . We need to give this chap a lot of surport not abuse . John Willson

Ok now to the point who is saving the communicator from scrapping, Mr Banks will not wait to the end of the year, and de vessel is not in holland, so we can do nothing and i have not the money to buy it ... sorry.

such a shame about these rumours about the mv being saved someone out there must be able to do somthing other than scrap her(do we relly need more scrap metal this is not wartime 1940s theres enough rusty cars being scraped) so what if she has rotten parts its metal. panels can be made lumps can be cassed parts can be welded i wonder if charlie wolf knows what is going on would love to here from other people who care email me [email protected]

I still listen to those great radio stations on my Imp Magic Box internet radio which is programmed in from the reciva web site.

Hello orkney is there news about the communicator ???

hi there whats going on is she now just a pile of bits or is she going to be saved can anyone help

Like its predecessors, Laser 558 kicked the pants off commercial radio of the era. The American format of almost non stop music and the obvious pleasure coming from the D.J's made this a winner. It will be so sad if the ship is simply abandoned.

Our company wanted to buy the ship and use it as a transmitter base for our 1ookw rigg, but the owner was in talks with IOM Radio at the time.
Tom

Just returned from Orkney where, sadly, I can report that the breaking up of this ship is proceeding and the chances of anyone saving her now is about zero.

i take it there isnt much left of her now what a shame (destined to become more ford ka s). note there is loads of interest in the caroline ship which was parked next to the mv in the knock deep why dont we have that one cut up too after all we need scrap metal realy dont we no one seems to care about history anymore. i feel like geting a realy big transmitter and broadcasting my tapes of laser over the top off radio 1 witch is still rubish. i think dave miller was a fool to sell her for scrap all because she had a leak. anyway lets keep the memories alive

hmm fatbloke thinks no one cares anymore. Thank you very very much. Even seen the sites like pirate hall of fame, www.offshore-radio.de www.radiolondon.co.uk www.hansknot.com www.soundscapes.info and did you ever heard about the radiodays which have been held for 28 years in a row and will be there again next november in Amsterdam. Next time it's better to mention your real name when you think to be very negative. A lot of people around the world do enjoy a lot the work all those people do so we care a lot! Hans Knot

[Hans has got the last word, as this correspondence has gone rather off topic for the site, and is now closed- Steven]

I see today (12/08/07) the great red and white mast has gone!!

[No need to ask, we have a picture coming soon...- Steven]

how sad - back in 1983(?) my sister, my mom, and I all traveled from around the US to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida to see my sister Jessie Brandon carry her duffle bag on-board the MV COmmunicator. I remember bumping shins and knocking my head peeking into the studio and the bunk room. It's hard to believe that thing made a transAtlantic voyage that summer, not too mention the gale force winds she endured out there in the Channel. Sad indeed.
Here's a link to a blog tribute I made to my sister last year about her career with a pic of the Communicator and the Laser 558 crew (this is a non-commercial personal blog)bbmyls2go.mindsay.com/its_not_just_a_job_its_an_adventure.mws

I read this week that she is no longer there, gone to the breakers?

Anyone in Orkney able to confirm this story please?

Thanks

[She's partially there- see picture #3715 - but going fast- Steven]

I have visited the Communicator severall times when she stayed in Holland.
First when she was used by Veronica on 828. The ship was in a reasonable condition then.
After Veronica the ship was demolosted bij Q-radio. When she came to Almere it even became worse.
I"ve visited the ship severall time when she stayed at IJmuiden, just before she left to England.

Hi from Malcolm I've got the lifeboat from her anyone interested?

[Hey Malcolm, Orkneycommunities is looking for 10% from any deal here...]

This is so sad. I served on the Ross Revenge for a time towards the end and heard wonderful stories about the period when the Ross and the Communicator were anchored just mile apart - trips between the two in rubber boats for parties, etc. Apparently, the Caroline organisation had friends within the DTI and heard about the Euroseige well in advance. When the Dioptric Surveyor parked between the two, the Ross had been fully stocked with a year's worth of food and oil. The Communicator had no such notice and was effectively starved off the air within a very short time. They thought the Ross would follow shortly afterwards, and DTI officials snuck accross at night to put chalk marks on the hull. To their dismay, the Ross was not getting significantly lighter as the weeks passed...

The above story about is a fairy tale. The Ross Revenge wasn't stocked up, the DTI didn't inform Caroline and they didn't put chalk marks on the hull.(chalk and seawater??)

I did the tendering in that very difficult period of radio Caroline and know exactly what happened.

best regards
Lane(Leendert Vingerling)

Well folks---the end is insight and the bickering begins. Fairy tales abound but the truth is always there to counter as our friend Lane proves.It's time to lay to rest this sad saga of a once proud ship which can never return.If there's a moderator on site, then nows the time to close this thread and move on, The Communicator is dead but the memories live on as a scan of the net will prove.
My Regards to you all.
The Grim Reaper.

[This correspondence is indeed closed]

Some 3 years plus on, and what is the state of the Communicator these days??

Unfortunately she has long gone now. but the memories haven't- just type in laser 558 ia search and you will see. I have my own collection I taped when i was a boy

May I suggest she is hoisted onto a mounting on dry land woodwork/metalwork correctly treated a la HMS Victory and SS Great Britain and then used as a tourist attraction, the history of radio/wireless in the British Isles should be properly and practically honoured and demonstrated, perhaps an approach could be made to the Lottery by one or other of the contributors to this thread.

[There's nothing recognisable left Rog- Steven]

Well, there ends the story. I trust all those contributing to this thread have written to their MP's asking them to support the moves in Parliament for a medium wave frequency for Radio Caroline http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=42175&SESSION=905
Surely this should be done.

Many more details of the life of the ship hosting ELEVEN radio stations on are in my book 'Radio Adventures of the MV Communicator', details at the website worldofradio.co.uk