Linnet Clough (1)

Special event broadcasts... 1988 and 1990

TONIC FOR THE TROOPS!

From left: Andy Collier,

Graham Hart, Pete Hindley,

Mick Ryan, Bob Chanin,*

and Mike Wallbank.

* Beardless for the summer!

TIME to unwind for the 8 Towns team during the first ' hectic but fun' Linnet Clough broadcast in July '88.

Making waves over Mellor !

EARLY in 1988 Roadshow / Special Events

manager Mick Ryan received a phone call from

Bob Moores, a local Scout leader who was

planning a three-day summer rally for the Scouts

of Greater Manchester East (Tameside, Glossop,Stockport and Manchester).

Bob had heard of our

successful Roadshows

at local community events

and felt we could play a

useful role in the "Link 88"

weekend at the

Linnet Clough Scout Camp

in Mellor.

As many as 1,500 Scouts

and leaders would be

on site for the weekend

taking part in a variety

of activities and challenges.

Mick immediately saw the

potential for an on-site

radio station to report

on events around the site,

announce events coming up

and to get the Scouts

involved by presenting

their own news items, jokes,

chit-chat and music

requests.

The Home Office approved

our request for a Special

Event Radio Licence

and allocated the frequency

of 1602 metres Medium

Wave, with strict limitations on

 the strength of signal which,

we were told, must not exceed

the agreed coverage area, i.e.

Linnet Clough.

Link 88 was a landmark in

8 Towns' history, a mad, hectic

three days but very rewarding

for everyone involved. The radio

station - based in a log cabin

near the entrance to the site -

was well received...by those

who could hear it.

Despite everyone's best efforts

- which included shinning up

trees with aerial cable in the

early hours of Saturday - there

were numerous technical

hitches and reception was

somewhat limited.

After such a steep learning

curve, we were delighted

to be invited back to

Linnet Clough to do it all over

again at another county Scouts'

rally in July 1990, to celebrate

the camp's 21st birthday.

This time, we had a more

prominent and visible

location in a portakabin-type

building at the heart of the

campsite.

Everyone could hear us

 - loud and clear - and the

response from around the

site was fantastic.

Meanwhile, there were reports

that a 'new station' had been

heard on 1602 in the Hyde

area... surely not .....

PHIL HURST

in our improvised

Outside Broadcast

studio at Linnet Clough

Scout Camp, July '90.

Below: thumbs-up

from presenter-

engineer Craig Etchells

after many long hours,

assisted by

Marc Farr,

making it all work!

Use the arrows to

scroll up and down to read

the complete article

Wombling

  for free!

ALL in a day's work for Andy & Mick...

the Uncle Bulgaria Duo.