I started today’s show by a little bit of reminiscing since today marked the 56th anniversary of the day, which for many people was the day the music died.
Yes it was on this day, Monday 14th August 1967 that the then government had just succeeded in passing the MARINE etc., BROADCASTING OFFENCES ACT which had been designed to shut down all the offshore pop commercial radio stations that for the previous 3 and a half years had been providing British audiences with their first taste of being able to listen to pop music all day long on the radio.
The law was to become effective from midnight that day although one of the biggest stations operating at that time, RADIO LONDON – THE BIG L, would actually throw in the towel and close for good at 3pm that afternoon.
After midnight just one company intended to carry on regardless, RADIO CAROLINE, which continued to broadcast from both its ships and, of course that station, albeit in a somewhat different guise is still on the air today.
The other aim of the legislation was to allow the BBC to regain their radio monopoly, which for a time they did.
Nevertheless things later changed which is why we are able to be with you today.
Turning to local issues it seems that a since February a man has been roaming around Harlow stealing dummies out of the mouth’s of babies.
Well I can only say from experience that I wouldn’t have rated his chances of getting away with it if my son had been involved. In the days when the only way we could keep him quiet was to shove a dummy in his mouth any attempt to remove it would have been met with extreme force and a blood curdling yell.
The suspect is described as slim, white, aged in his 20s, with light brown eyes and yellow teeth – probably by sucking on too many dummies. A picture of the suspect taken from the rear, shows a person in a black hooded top and carrying a black Nike bag with a white logo.
The bag might contain several of the nicked dummies. Who knows?
Chief Inspector Paul Austin, district commander for Harlow, said: “I want to reassure the people of Harlow that we have detectives dedicated to investigating these incidents.”
It’s encouraging to hear that a team of detectives is being so usefully employed in this investigation, although that might, of course mean that they won’t be available to look into other issues such as breaking and entering!
In the second hour of today’s show we heard about Peggy Jones a woman from Texas who whilst peacefully mowing her lawn came under joint attack from a snake and a hawk!
The snake seemingly fell out of the sky before wrapping itself tightly round her arm.
Unfortunately waving her arm in the air to try to dislodge the serpent attracted the attention of a hawk which promptly swept down clawing at her arm whilst attempting to take the snake.
Not surprisingly Mrs Jones started yelling and screaming which attracted her husband to see what the commotion was all about.
Although not actually bitten by the snake, she clearly had a narrow escape as snake venom was found on the lens on her glasses and of course, she had to be treated for the cuts inflicted on her arm by the hawk.
Following hospital treatment Mrs Jones returned home to finish off the mowing, under the close supervision of her husband, who presumably slipped back indoors to watch TV or whatever he was doing at the time of the incident!
Hopefully unless I’m attacked, I hope to see you again tomorrow,
Scott
