Two hours of Thameside Radio with Bob Edwards between 9 and 11pm this Sunday. He has a demo from South Side Dynamos, chats about how often we have baths and pays a lot of Status Quo. Sarah from Kew turns up. She’s been down the pub with The Birdman. (She’s definitely grown older while we’ve been listening over the last few years hasn’t she?)  Dave talks about the new fangled Walkman radios – and mentions obliquely  listening in to the Home Office radio channels on the Bernardphone.

Bob chats with some of the crew about the favourite songs. We discover that:

Dave’s favourite record is Grooving with Mr Bloe by Mister Bloe which he remembers from the juke box at  The Macabre coffee bar in Meard Street in Soho. (Probably the coolest place in the universe in the 60s)

Sarah’s favourite record is Follow you Follow me by Genesis. It reminds her of her 16th birthday party which ended in total chaos with broken banisters and broken doors. (How did she explain it all to her long suffering parents?)

Bob’s fave is Dire Straits and Skateaway.

Wow – I’m now right back to my teens – endless summer, endless music, no responsibilities and amazing parties. 

After a major raid a couple of weeks earlier the Thameside Radio team are back with an extended broadcast

Paul James is about to take his driving test.

The Birdman tell us that story about a couple who were served their dog in a Chinese restaurant. He also reads out a pamphlet on the Dangers of Knitting in a public place.

The first 50 minutes of the show are missing from the archive - but may turn up yet.

Bob Edwards plays Sailing by Rod Stewart for 'The boys sailing out to the Falklands.'  The computer continues to tell the presenters what  to say.  Paul complains that he didn’t get a cup of coffee from the tea lady when he was doing a show. Dave says he was overcharged for his tea (55p instead of 20p). Where can you get tea fpr 20p now?

Not many letters or dedications this week (apart from a very flattering note from Jo English in Teddington). No jingles either. The music is great though.

This is part two of the Thameside Radio broadcast which went through until 11pm. There’s a lovely snatch of BBC Radio 3 right at the end. Goodness me didn’t the presenters sound stuffy back in 1982?

Paul James starts the show followed by Dave.   Bob is apparenly installing a fully computerised system in the studio that will tell the DJs what to do on a digital display in the studio. All sounds very unlikely to me – surely it’ll never catch on! Dave says that all computers seem to achieve are inflated phone bills. 

Dave plays a fabulous selection of records – from the sublime to ridiculous, literally - as well as some great sketches. The tea lady also makes an appearance on the Intrepid Birdman show with her trick tea spoon. She pretty much steals the show really.

The show was broadcast from a tower block on the South Acton estate which has since been demolished.

This is the first half of a 4 hour programme. The second half with a full Bob Edwards show is coming next week.