By Rob Jones:

How weird it is, going back to buildings that formed such a key part of your life. Past and present connect in an eerie way.

I first walked down the corridors of the Villa Louvigny almost fifty years ago – as I joined Radio Luxembourg which broadcast from that towering building on the site of the old City fortress.

As listeners, that huge station become part of our lives – an amazing feat bearing in mind it broadcast from a land seemingly faroff – and only provided programmes at night-time! For around sixty years, it pumped out music to an eager UK audience, starved of ‘proper’ music radio stations. Many people thought it was a pirate station – but it wasn’t - it was fully licensed and operating on-land, albeit in a different country out of reach of the UK laws which had limited commercial radio.

The station was just part of a huge media conglomerate, housed in the building – and there was even a wood panelled theatre that was home to the Luxembourg Philharmonic Orchestra  - and hosted The Beach Boys, Grateful Dead and the Eurovision song contest!

I’ve been invited to visit the building again, although the broadcasters are no longer there. It’s an experience I shall treasure. I spent so much of the ‘70s and ‘80s there - so was aged in my twenties as I first sat in the studio I’m seeing for one last time. It’s emotional.

The station closed its powerful 208 medium wave transmitter on December 30^th 1991 – and the English service ended completely the following year.  I haven’t been back to its home since those days – but to mark the anniversary, I’m returning to broadcast one last programme from the old building. And – just like the olden days – that will be in the dark hours. I’ll also be joined by Janet Alldis, daughter of the great Barry Alldis who broadcast on Luxy as far back as the 1950s.

Do join me and let’s enjoy one final night together on the ‘station of the stars’. We’ll try to make the reception quality a little better. Or maybe we won’t. Just for old times’ sake.

Rob

Rob Jones on 208 – December 30^th 10pm