Radio le Mans: Which year did they start?

[Werner]

Here is one for the veterans amongst us: In which exactly did Radio Le Mans start?

[Lawnmower Man]

The first time I became aware was 1986 though it may have been 1987.  I'm basing that on I remeber an interview with Tom Wilkinshaw when he said it would be a three year job to win Le Mans I'm sure that was on RLM.  For sure it was around in 1988 when the Jag won.

t.  

[Werner]

Well , that doesn't answer my question exactly...

[mgmark]

1987 - according to an article about Radio Le Mans

[Rhino]

I thought it was 87.
Whatever happened to the playing of 'When the going gets tough the tough get going' for the most deserving pit crew?

[Werner]

yes, 1987 is correct. And I hope they will still be on air in 2087.

Cheers

Werner

[smokie]

Will you still be listening Werner???

[Mr. Rick]

Definitely 1987!  

[Auntie J]

I think it was 1986. I was there with a small team and went to the station with a little fun story, and without telling me, Neville Hay switched on the microphone, said I had something a story to tell and left me to get on with it! Some introduction to radio work - must have done OK, they asked me back next year to do the pitlane, and somehow I lasted 12 years, which still amazes me. And my first year in the pits was the one BEFORE Jaguar won, as they had the 'we'll be back' banner in the pitlane, which must be 1987. Here's one for all of you - a bit of a mystery. A group of regular Le Mans fans decided they wanted to 'adopt' me as their teeshirt theme one year. They came to see me at the station before the race, but at the time I was translating for Joe Bradley in the medical centre to have his twisted knee strapped up. Such was the welcome they received at Radio Le Mans, that no-one bothered to ring me, no-one got a name or number, and no-one took a picture of their teeshirts with the theme on ... so, sorry guys, don't know who you are and now I'm being asked for a picture of you for a book on 'Brits at Le Mans'. Can anyone give me the details and a pic? Reply here.

[Andy Zarse]

so, sorry guys, don't know who you are and now I'm being asked for a picture of you for a book on 'Brits at Le Mans'. Can anyone give me the details and a pic? Reply here.

Auntie, this book sounds interesting and I'd love to know who's writing it. There are members here on Club Arnage who have been going for donkey's years, one even goes back to the GT40 days. If you hadn't guessed it, this site is pretty much devoted to "Brits at Le Mans" and no book on the subject could possibly be complete without reference to Club Arnage. There are some extremely accomplished wordsmiths on here and some amazing and hilarious stories buried in the detritus that makes up CA. Put them in touch and I'm sure we'd all be delighted to help.

[Lorry]

I think that most aged CAers would be willing to chip in.  I go back to 1986, and have photos of the cars, with negatives! 

[Andy Zarse]

Lorry, we are very disimilar. I go back to 1988 and have various photos of drinks, drunkards doing drunken things (i.e. vomitting, falling over, breaking bones etc), chicken fights, strippers,  Noel Edmonds, goats, campsites, fans, ferries, flags, field fires, French food, French policemen and fine-feathered fools of all other descriptions. But I have no photos of any race cars as such...

[Lorry]

I only take pictures when I'm sober, and no way am I going to take pictures of Noel Edmunds.

[Matt Harper]

so, sorry guys, don't know who you are and now I'm being asked for a picture of you for a book on 'Brits at Le Mans'. Can anyone give me the details and a pic? Reply here.

Auntie, this book sounds interesting and I'd love to know who's writing it. There are members here on Club Arnage who have been going for donkey's years, one even goes back to the GT40 days. If you hadn't guessed it, this site is pretty much devoted to "Brits at Le Mans" and no book on the subject could possibly be complete without reference to Club Arnage. There are some extremely accomplished wordsmiths on here and some amazing and hilarious stories buried in the detritus that makes up CA. Put them in touch and I'm sure we'd all be delighted to help.

Curses! I've often thought a book of Le Mans anecdotes would make an amusing read - particularly if it focused more on the antics of the audience than of the artistes themselves. Sure, there would be a summary of each years track action, but the main jist would be what happens on the northern approaches to Le Mans itself, and then in the tribunes and campgrounds and general environs.
I'm envisaging a casebound coffee-table book with lots of colour plates, depicting today's antics, preceded by sepia-tinted shots of folks in straw boaters and stripey blazers. It'd be a NYT best seller, I'm tellin' yous!

[Matt Harper]

Hang on a sec - maybe we're onto something here. Seriously - how many of you would be interested in contributing to a book about the fans?
Not some shitty softback now - I'm talking about the full ming here. I have some publishing connections - and as Andrew points out, there are some very accomplished writers on this forum. We've all got a handful of really good people oriented shots from down the years that tell a story in themselves. I could get all giddy about this idea......