We are delighted to present the first in a new series of Courtenay’s Columns, exclusive to Radiowaves.fm. Almost twenty years since the very first article, Pat is back with more musings, ponderings (and any other synonyms you can think of) along with memories from his radio past.
Pat currently presents ‘Afternoon Drive’ on Dublin’s Radio Nova, having returned to our shores in 2010.
In the first of this new run, Pat recalls an amazing incident from his time on Energy 103…
The Big Bang Theory
Most mornings I meditate for ten minutes. I can hear your derisive snorts from here – about as derisive as mine about gym bunnies. (Hey, I like to put muscles on my mind.) Anyway, one of my daily ‘affirmations’ is, “I make plans but I remain flexible and open to the surprises that I will meet along the way.” There are, however, some things that no amount of mental flexibility will ever prepare you for.
I was originally invited to Energy 103 in 1986 to run ‘Production’ but that was always going to end with me on air. Before long I was doing Breakfast as well as the rest. Bob Gallico, Fionnuala “Lisa Moore” Sweeney and I were The Breakfast Crew in the building opposite the well-patronised Leeson Lounge. The two of them were running the morning Newsroom. That was on the middle floor. On Air was top floor and my Production studio was ground floor, with a huge window looking out onto the street. (“Mistahr, are yew on da RayJoe?”) There was a security camera right outside with monitors in News and On Air.
The weight of a Citroen GS Club is around 900kg. That’s roughly nine (Rugby) hookers. They were also built like battleships. I had one. I used to park it outside my Production studio window first thing.
One Monday morning, I’m in full flow just after 7:00 when Fionnuala and Bob appear in my open On Air door. Unusual for two reasons: we weren’t planning anything, and they had faces like someone just killed a favourite pet and hung it off the letterbox. Wordlessly, they indicated the security camera screen which featured half my car. The back half. We couldn’t see the front half because it was inside the Production Studio.
First thought was had I left the handbrake off. Nope. A well-oiled load of Sunday night/Monday morning revellers had roared out of Leeson Street in Mummy’s Beamer, probably gone airborne over the Leeson Bridge, missed the corner altogether and ploughed straight into the back of my car. One enormous bang later, the Citroen had, in its turn, ploughed through the Production Studio window. Hasty change of driver, a reversing manoeuvre and the Beamer staggered off in the direction of Bray where, I believe, it was panelbeaten and repainted a different colour by about lunchtime. The right rear of my car was twisted metal and I could never fill the tank to the top again because it leaked. Due to the robust nature of vintage production equipment, the Studio wasn’t out of action very long. I think I only got a half-day out of it.
My biggest regret was not so much the damage but the fact that there’d been no tape recorder running when it happened. What a sound effect that would have been!
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© Pat Courtenay/Radiowaves.fm.
First published June 21st 2022