‘My old friend  Robin Adcroft passed away at the Leckhampton Court Hospice near Cheltenham on Sunday September 16th. I went to see him with Robb and Nickki Eden a fortnight before he died and we spent most of the day reminiscing about the adventures, narrow escapes and countless laughs we had together over the past 51 years. Despite being very weak and struggling with his breathing, he was the perfect host as ever.

During the last few days of Robin’s life, our small group of his oldest friends were in regular contact with each other and sending messages of support to keep his spirits up, Robb and Nickki, Brian McKenzie, Roger Kent (who also visited him two days before he died), Johnny Jason, A.J. Beirens, Michael Lindsay, Victor Pelli and Edwin Bollier.  But above all, the frequent visits and the love and support Robb and Nickki Eden gave to Robin and his partner Zac goes way beyond words.

I first met Robin in 1967 when we were both volunteering and anoraking at the Free Radio Association in Rayleigh, Essex. He was the Photographic Officer and had just returned from taking photographs aboard all of the remaining pirate radio ships. He was a wonderful character and we hit it off straight away.  Aside from his talent as a photographer, he was a great mimic too and would keep me in fits of laughter with tales of what went on in the  committee meetings.  One of his party pieces was imitating a rather eccentric and slightly deaf member of the committee. If she hadn’t heard a particular point which was being discussed she would exclaim rather loudly  “I didn’t quite hear you eeeeuggghhh”!! It became one of his catch-phrases and I’m sure many of his friends reading this will recall the countless occasions they heard those words flowing from his mouth in a high pitched scream.

As will those crazy days at 14 Addison Gardens which became the most disreputable flat in Shepherd’s Bush in the late 60s. It will bring a smile to the faces of all who shared that particular period of madness in Robin’s life. I’ll never forget it.

He began his offshore “pirate” radio career on the Mi Amigo in 1972/73 but is best known for his work on Radio Northsea International where he presented programmes using the name Robin Banks. Banks was the surname of his beloved grandmother, who like Robin, was a great character too. After R.N.I. closed, Robin continued to work for the MEBO organization, which took him to all parts of the world. It’s such a pity he never recorded the stories of his adventures in Libya which were every bit as exciting as his days on the “pirate” ships.

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Hans Knot

Sunday September 16th the sad news came in that in the afternoon Robin Adcroft passed away after a hard fought battle with cancer. It was around three months ago Robin wrote me that he had moved some time ago from Kent to Cheltenham in Gloucestershire and that he needed a little operation and would come back after that with some memories. However the situation around Robin was more worse than expected. Some days before his passing I was informed by some of the former RNI colleagues about the bad situation. Another star of the RNI family has gone.

 

Some more about his career here from the archive of Jon Myer at the Pirate Hall of Fame. ‘Robin was born in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire (birthday 23rd May), Robin was a fan of the sixties offshore stations and was lucky enough to visit Radio 390’s Red Sands Fort in 1967. Robin was fascinated by the place and in 1968, whilst working at Twickenham Films Studios, he encouraged director Dick Lester to film some of his movie Please login or register to see this link. (which starred Spike Milligan) on the fort. Unfortunately lack of finance prevented this.

 

There were also unsuccessful plans to use the fort as a discotheque or hotel. Robin followed his interest in radio by becoming involved with various landbased pirates and, in January 1973, joining Radio Caroline, soon after the ship had returned to the air. He was originally employed as an engineer but soon found himself presenting programmes too.

 

In August 1973 he moved to Radio Northsea International where he changed his name to Robin Banks (Robino Banco). He stayed with RNI until its closedown the following year and then worked aboard its ship, the MEBO II, preparing her for a planned future as Radio Nova International. When these plans were foiled, he worked with Spangles Muldoon in his electronics firm, with Robb Eden in Dutch clubs and as an engineer for Rank Xerox. He then moved to the Voice of Peace, the offshore station anchored of the coast of Israel, before returning to the MEBO II, which by this time had been sold to the Libyan government. In the eighties he worked as a transmitter engineer in Ireland and was involved briefly in the early days of (eighties offshore station) Laser 558. Robin has installed dozens of TV and radio stations in Central America, North and West Africa and in the Middle East. He was also one of the leading lights of the campaign to preserve Red Sands fort, Project Redsand. He was not the same ‘Robin Banks’ who has been heard on Virgin, Xfm, Kiss, etc..’

 

Thanks to Jon for the information

Hans Knot

Hans Knot International Radio Report October/November 20018

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Information source :

 

Pirate Hall of Fame glowing Tribute to Robin

CLICK here or on the Picture   Extract from the Pirate Hall of Fame : –   While continuing to work in the film industry, Robin got involved with land-based pirate radio, in particular Radio Free London which was based in his shared flat in Addison Gardens, west London. A number of former offshore disc jockeys were there too including Spangles Muldoon and Andy Archer. He also broadcast as ‘Roger Lane’ on a couple of other land-based pirates, Channel Radio and Radio Kaleidoscope.

 

• RIP Robin

  On following youtube link you can hear Robin closing down the station while in Libya/Benghazi in 1978