SAS Interference April 2025

So we are at the 50th anniversary of the famous or is it infamous London Stereo broadcast. Noted for hi power, multiband AM/FM and SW plus FM stereo.

Transmissions were to be across the Easter 1975 Bank Holiday weekend. A strong transmission was noted on 1331 kHz on the late afternoon of March 27th with a tremendous signal blasting out of my Bush Sandpiper radio. The strongest mediumwave LBP I had ever heard at my locale.

One fact that people don’t know is this wasn’t the first broadcast of the station. On Saturday 1st March in the afternoon  I picked up a very weak test transmission on 225 metres announcing tests on this channel “this is an engineering test transmission by the mediumwave frequencies of London Stereo on 1331 kHz and also stating that tests were to be made on 962 kHz which I never picked up. I wasn’t the only one as Ed in West London was tuning into Radio Concord late on a Saturday night when a strong blank carrier overrode it then continuous music was heard followed by the same test transmission announcement.  It appears that these were made from a different site than used for the Easter weekend.

London Stereo broadcast for three days at Easter 1975. This was well organised and consisted of the North Surrey Radio crew and various London stations including Aquarius, London Underground and Invicta. Most but not all programmes were live (London Underground was on tape). It is noted as the first AM/ SW and FM multiband pirate tranmsission. AM and SW together had previously been tried by Radio Kaleidoscope in Essex and Thames Radio International in south London. 

The authorities probably intentionally left the raid to the end of the broadcast, to try and catch staff dismantling the station. When the raid happened they caught five young men, They also thought the studios were in the building unaware that there was a link to the studio based in Merstham.

Transmitter site – this was at a building called Pilgrims Holt. This was on top of Reigate Hill. The AM/SW transmitter room looks like it in a room at the corner of the building some 22’ by 12’ wide. The FM was in the room above we think. They weren’t the only people interested in the building since there were some squatters there and the electrics were still working. Both parties ignored each other since the broadcasting engineers kept well away. At one point the pirates had to install the UHF link receive aerial on the roof. 

Official broadcasts commenced at 9am on the Good Friday on 1331 and 96.4 MHz. The station installation wasn’t complete as the stereo encoder wasn’t switched on and the shortwave sign on 6225 kHz was delayed. So that morning the staff were busy at the site as well as the studios. Mark Stafford was the first DJ on air and getting the know the equipment as off-air recordings prove. He also initially transposed the 4092 to 4902 for the first half hour or so. The on-air phone number 01 654 4092 was used by North Surrey Radio at Christmas 1974 and for their other bank holiday broadcasts. It became a well-known phone number and many people of my generation can still recall it. Mark wasn’t the only one getting it wrong so did Colin Pearce (we think aka Chris Miles on London Music radio) at lunchtime. In typical 70s live pirate radio fashion calls were collated and then rung through to the studio in Merstham at intervals. No transmission was heard on 962 kHz. It is unclear if this was to be from the same site or a different one picking up the feed from the FM transmitter. Rumour had it that 962 kHz would have been at 100 watts. There were stories that another pirate (Atlantis?) intended to use this channel, and they were to be in NW London or further away in that direction.

The studio was in a flat in Merstham in the same block where Susy radio subsequently housed their Merstham studio. Colin Pearce told me a while ago that he was the owner of the flat! Colin like others involved in the project are still quite reluctant to talk about it in detail. Here a studio was built. With 2 record decks, a six-channel mixer, VU Meters plus Ferrograph and Revox tape machines. ID’s were professionally made in studios at Denmark Street.

All this was linked on UHF to the site at Pilgrims Holt. According to Trevor Brooks this was deliberately designed as ultra wideband 6 MHz  to prevent easy tracking. The uplink aerial being pointed at Reigate Hill where there was a local relay for the BBC and ITV to reduce suspicion.

The AM transmitter was rated at 250 watts with two 813’s in the output stage.

The FM transmitter approx power 400-600 watts  which was fed into a stacked turnstile omni directional horizontally polarised aerial. This according to the QSL card gave an erp of 1Kw. The aerial poked out of a fir tree in the grounds very close to the house a coaxial cable running from the building into the tree. In the mid-70s most of the Beebs VHF transmitters were fed into horizontally polarised antenna’s as it was thought people would mainly listen into FM on their home receivers. London Underground claimed to be in quadrophonic but there is no evidence to support this. 

Shortwave on 6225 kHz the transmitter the modulator used a KT88 for modulation and the output had two 807’s and according to the station an output of 100 watts.

After a mild winter (Dec 74 and January 1975) the weather took a turn for the worse over Easter with cold, frosts and a couple of inches of snow.

On the Sunday the North Surrey Radio transmitter was on-air relaying Radio Invicta on 1115 kHz 270 metres.  We think using 75 watts.  That Sunday Wonderful Free Radio London WFRL was on 266 metres with 60 watts from the Broadwater Farm estate.  WFRL got out well as the aerial was slung between two tower blocks

Broadcasts on the Bank Holiday Monday started at 12 midday. There is a story that broadcasts were to cease at 3pm but at the last moment transmissions were extended by one hour from 4pm The raid took place during this hour of Radio Aquarius presented by Nick Catford.  The authorities were under the illusion that this was being presented from the house and should have been surprised when he turned up by car after the transmissions had stopped. At the studio location realising a raid was taking place the link transmitter was switched off and removed to prevent tracking by Eric Gotts and co. In the house seeing the authorities arrive the crew switched off the transmitters. At first the AM was disconnected, then the FM and lastly the shortwave finally biting the dust.

In the raid five young men were caught including a young Bob Edwards

The Intrepid Birdman comments  “I have a vague memory of visiting that house… certainly of the many adventures of the Jackie crew and the post office raids.. the Jackie crew had a lot of photos of raids and such.. many of which were circulated among other pirates for the purpose of identifying the enemy … as it were…”.

Whilst the raiding crew turnen up at Pilgrim’s Holt at 4.10 the transmitter according to my logs went off air at around 4.30 pm. The AM quickly followed by the FM and lastly the shortwave. Radio Sheila broadcasting on 230 metres from SE London continued with live broadcasting. Sheila did not operate a remote studio site they tended to have them in peoples back bedroom and the tranmsiiter/aerial in the back garden. They were tipped off about the London Stereo raid and referred to it on-air. They bravely or rather foolishly decided to stay on at got done at 4.50 by a different raiding team.

In a recent posting on Facebook Nick Catford admitted visiting the Pilgrims Holt site that morning. Then he made his way to the studio. Part way through his programme the transmitter went off the air and, the studio notified that there was a post office raid. The studio UHF link transmitter was turned off and removed to prevent being tracking. Nick then decided to go to the transmitter site to ascertain what was going on and see if he could help. On arrival he recognised a number of Post Office engineers (including Eric Arthur Gotts and Brian Copsey). The police were also there. At the time the police were there to ensure there no a breach of the peace. Nick stood outside taking photos.

Nick Catford was summonsed for contravening the 1949 Wireless Telegraphy Act as was Tony Collis who stated that he had turned up at Pilgrims Holt after the raid. In court Eric Gotts said the Post Office officials had been monitoring the radio station and were very familiar with Nick’s voice. He said "I recognised his voice and have spoken to him many times". In my defence my brief said that I didn't arrive at the scene until after the transmissions had stopped and that the voice on the tape (which was played in court) was not mine and was "poles apart" from my own voice. Tony Collis said he had tracked London Stereo and it was nothing to do with him. Brian Horne appeared as a witness. He told the court that London Stereo was his "brainchild" and that he installed and tested the transmitters on the Thursday. This of course was a lie as London Stereo was nothing to do with him. Tony Collis was believed and being his first offence he was given a conditional discharge. Having been told I had four previous convictions the chairman of the bench said "We want to know more about you". I had to return to court a few weeks later.

There was no further action taken against Brian Horne even though he admitted to the court that London Stereo was his "brainchild". Brian was lucky on this occasion.

Nick Catford had visited the transmitter site that morning. "Part way through my programme the transmitter went off the air and we were notified that there had been a post office raid. The UHF link transmitter was turned off and removed in case that was being tracked as well and I decided to make my way to Pilgrims Holt to see exactly was was going on and see if I could help. When I arrived I recognised a number of Post Office engineers (including Eric Arthur Gotts and Brian Copsey). The police were also there. Broadcasting without a licence isn't an arrestable offence but the police often attend raids to ensure there's not a breach of the peace. I didn't go into the house but stood outside taking photos".

By the time I arrived most of the transmitting equipment had been removed and was packed on the roof of the Post Office Land Rover. Although I had not been there when the raid took place I was issued with a summons for contravening the 1949 Wireless Telegraphy Act as was Tony Collis who also turned up at Pilgrims Holt after the raid. In court Eric Gotts said the Post Office officials had been monitoring the radio station and were familiar with my voice. He said "I recognised his voice and have spoken to him many times". In my defence my brief said that I didn't arrive at the scene until after the transmissions had stopped and that the voice on the tape (which was played in court) was not mine and was "poles apart" from my own voice. Tony Collis said he had tracked London Stereo and it was nothing to do with him. Brian Horne appeared as a witness. He told the court that London Stereo was his "brainchild" and that he installed and tested the transmitters on the Thursday. This of course was a lie as London Stereo was nothing to do with him. Tony Collis was believed and being his first offence he was given a conditional discharge. Having been told I had four previous convictions the chairman of the bench said "We want to know more about you". I had to return to court a few weeks later.

In my newspaper article archive the Surrey Mirror dated 30th October. This reported on a court case where both Nicholas Catford and Anthony Collis were accused of running the pirate radio station. Both pleading not guilty to their summonses. Stating that when they came into sight of the house that transmissions stopped. Upon entering there were five young men in the room used for transmission and that the equipment was warm to the touch. Nick Carford stated that he arrived on the scene by car after the broadcasts had ceased. Tony Collis stated he had tracked the station down and after knocking on the door was let in. Needless to say whe the authorities raided the place they had to get in through a window and then open the door themselves! Tony Collis was in the room at the time and was only assisting with dismantling of the station and claimed he wasn’t involved in its operation. Brian Horne appeared as a witness and claimed the station was his brainchild. Magistrates found both men guilty. As it was his first offence Tony Collis was given a conditional discharge and told to pay £10 towards costs. Catford was told to come back in November

The auathorites were getting rather annoyed with the profusion of hi-power broadcasts in 1974 up to Easter 1975  here is a brief rundown:

In 1974 Radio Kaleidoscope Bank Holiday broadcasts were hi power am with 200-300 watts, North Surrey Radio allegedly used 300 watts for the Christmas 1974 transmission and for the New Year's Day transmission from a site in Ripley, and the NSR February tests used 75 watts, and the London Music Radio Christmas transmission it was claimed 500 watts on 773 kHz into a balloon aerial. This I think was from South East London and a good signal at my locale. 

Postscript: was this the end of London Stereo?

JET remembers receiving a London Stereo test transmission on 96.3 MHz a while after. Now investigating this many of the North Surrey Radio crew were involved with City Sounds. City Sounds was first heard on 15th June on 1331 kHz 227 metres and ran from 10am until 2.50 pm in preparation for a move to 240 metres. A test took place here on 22nd June which was raided. According to the Radio Eric website Tony Collis hid the 1259 kHz crystal to prevent losing it.  This had been obtained in a frequency swap deal with Swinging Radio England who got the 1331 kHz crystal in its place. Regular broadcasts started on 3rd July, Later in the year they apparently moved to FM intending to launch a Sunday evening service and it is likely a test for this was made under the name London Stereo.

In 1976 I have a recording of a late night broadcast on 962 kHz which claimed to be London Stereo and the tape was being fast forwarded etc,