Radio Phoenix

The offshore radio project that never made it to air

The sinking of the Mi Amigo on 20 March 1980 marked a dramatic low point in the long and turbulent history of Radio Caroline. Yet, as so often in offshore radio history, the loss of one ship immediately sparked new ambitions. Within weeks, a small group of people associated with Caroline began planning a fresh station of their own. Paul Graham, Stuart Russel (Nigel Harris), Richard Thompson (Bob Lawrence), Peter Moore and Chris Cortez are said to have been directly or indirectly involved in the planning. The project was given a suitably optimistic name: Radio Phoenix.

Early ambitions

By May and June 1980, several vessels were inspected as potential radio ships, but all proved too expensive. In August, a breakaway group was formed by Roger Mathews and Stuart Russell. Mathews managed to raise around £10,000, intended to cover the purchase of a ship and a transmitter.

Crucially, Mathews entered discussions with Freddie Bolland, a well-known Dutch businessman with experience in offshore broadcasting. An agreement was reached under which Bolland would supply a Dutch daytime service, broadcasting between 07.00 and 16.30 under the name Radio Monique. A number of former Caroline and Mi Amigo DJs were recruited, including Marc Jacobs and Herman de Graaf.

Studios were to be built in the Netherlands for programme production, while some output would be broadcast live from the ship. Mathews assured Bolland that a suitable vessel and transmitter were already secured — a claim that later proved to be untrue. Nevertheless, Bolland agreed to advance £5,000 as prepaid rental for the use of the transmitter.

The Birchlea gamble

In September 1980, Mathews toured several British ports in search of a ship. Eventually he found the Birchlea, a 350-ton former trawler, lying in Aberdeen, and purchased her for £5,000. Although structurally sound, the ship was in poor mechanical condition: the main engines were not operational, most generators were missing, and much of the electrical and mechanical equipment had been removed.

That same month, a transmitter was acquired, believed to deliver 5,000 watts. Later testing revealed its true output to be only 2,000 watts.

Mounting delays and financial strain

By October, the Dutch consortium was told that broadcasting would begin that month, though internally it was clear that February 1981 was the earliest realistic target. Two 60-foot masts were purchased, along with a 20,000 VA generator to provide basic power for lighting and heating aboard Birchlea. A second generator, required to power the transmitter, was still only a plan.

In November, Dutch confidence began to evaporate. With no signal on air, they were told that technical problems had delayed progress and that transmission might begin by Christmas. The response from the Netherlands was blunt: they would not wait that long.

Money was now critically short. Unable to approach the Dutch investors again, Mathews turned to Paul Graham, who was himself planning an offshore operation from one of the Thames forts. After visiting Aberdeen, Paul agreed to divert his available funds into the Radio Phoenix project.

A change of ship: Cedarlea

In December 1980, a marine diesel engineer spent two days inspecting Birchlea’s engines. His verdict was decisive: several key components were missing, repairs would cost several thousand pounds, and towing the vessel to an offshore location would add further expense. Radio Phoenix appeared finished.

Moored just a few yards away, however, lay Birchlea’s sister ship, Cedarlea. Her owner was in severe financial difficulty and keen to sell quickly. An agreement was reached under which Cedarlea would be rented, with payment to follow once broadcasting began.

Unlike Birchlea, Cedarlea was in excellent mechanical condition. Almost all equipment was operational, including two generators capable of supplying enough power for a 100-kilowatt transmitter. With Christmas approaching, no immediate departure was possible, and the project paused for the holiday period.

The final voyage

In January 1981, final preparations were completed. Cedarlea’s engine was tested and found to be in perfect working order. At 12.00 on 19 January, she left Aberdeen, bound south for Kent, where the transmitter and aerial system were to be loaded and assembled at sea.

Meanwhile, a studio was under construction in Leicester, intended for pre-recorded programming.

Sailing down the east coast, Cedarlea encountered severe weather 20 miles off the Suffolk coast. Dense fog developed, and the ship’s radar failed. With the hazardous sandbanks of the Thames Estuary ahead, the captain made the prudent decision to divert to Ipswich.

At 21.00 on 21 January, Cedarlea arrived safely. Shortly afterwards, internal disputes among the backers escalated. Crew wages failed to materialise, and the crew abandoned the vessel and returned to Scotland. Planned work on the anchoring system was never carried out.

Collapse and disappearance

By February 1981, the Dutch consortium learned that Cedarlea was stranded in Ipswich. Furious, they demanded the return of their money. Roger Mathews disappeared to Ireland, attempting to avoid both Dutch and British creditors.

Arguments continued on both sides of the North Sea. Paul Graham made a final attempt to salvage the project by meeting Freddie Bolland, but negotiations failed. By the end of February, Radio Phoenix was abandoned, with losses estimated at £20,000 or more.

Cedarlea remained laid up in Ipswich for some time, during which rumours circulated that Radio Caroline might acquire her.

An unexpected epilogue

In September 1981, the story took an unexpected turn. The environmental organisation Greenpeace purchased Cedarlea for just £2,500 from her financially distressed owner. The ship would soon embark on a completely different career — one that would give her a lasting place in maritime and broadcasting history, albeit far removed from the offshore radio dream that had briefly been known as Radio Phoenix.

Martin van der Ven, January 2026

Source: The Encyclopedia of Offshore Broadcasting