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 .....