To many people of a certain age, the very mention of the “Radio 1 Roadshow” brings back memories of long hot summer days, spent in the company of friends, cueing for hours for a glimpse of the UK’s favourite DJ’s as they present their shows and entertain the crowds.

 

For devoted fans, the start of the roadshow meant the start of summer, throughout the 70’s, 80’s and into the early 90’s, the roadshow toured the UK’s popular seaside resorts and here in the South West of England, countless thousands of visitors descended to some of the roadshows most famous locations, including the Esplanade in Exmouth, Torre Abbey Meadows in Torquay and The Hoe in Plymouth!

 

The Radio 1 Roadshow was always met with great excitement from the towns and locations it visited on the summer tour, not least of course because of the chart topping acts that used to appear on the roadshow stage along with the nations favourite DJ’s.

 

Who could forget the legendary “Bit’s & Pieces” competition or “Smiley Miley’s Mileage Game” or the practical jokes the DJ’s played on each which at times were more memorable than the roadshow tour itself!

 

By the late 90’s, the BBC decided that enough was enough and brought down the curtain on the summer tour replacing the roadshow with a series of one-day pop festivals in cities around the UK.

 

In the early days, the Radio 1 Roadshow comprised of a small caravan with a drop down stage which was towed around the UK by specially converted, 6-wheeler Range Rover.

The roadshow progressed from the early days to the first of three articulated, trailer mounted stages which featured a drop down stage and two off-stage areas for hospitality and for the technical equipment that was used with the live broadcast.

 

At the end of its working life, this roadshow was pensioned off to BBC televisions, Saturday Superstore where it effectively continued life as a roadshow style element to the show until it was later sold on to a private concern where it continued taking centre stage at events around the country until finally being mothballed by the roadshow’s operators in 2008 and allowed to fall into a state of disrepair…

 

In September 2008, on the look out for a purpose built mobile outdoor stage for hire, North Devon Businessman, Steve Clarke OBE (MD S.E.L. Clarke Plant Hire Limited) discovered the old roadshow in an advert on a leading auction website! After making several enquiries about the mobile staging system, he discovered that the stage was in fact one of the original Radio 1 Roadshow trailers that was used on the tour in the early 80’s!

 

The roadshow was purchased and taken to North Devon where it underwent months of repair and renovation and on the 31^st December 2008, it was finally launched to thousands of party revellers, taking centre stage at Bideford’s New Year’s Eve celebrations!

 

Speaking about the launch Mr Clarke said: "I bought the original Radio 1 Roadshow stage back in September 2008. It has been in the workshop being reconditioned with a new DJ booth, lighting rig and drop down stage.”

 

"I am very excited about it all. A lot of hard work has gone into it but it will be worth it."

 

Since that time, the mobile stage has featured in a BBC Two documentary, ‘When Moyles Met the Radio 1 Breakfast DJ’s’, has featured at countless events up and down the country and undergone extensive renovation works to the main road wheels, converting it from a single axle to a twin axle trailer with air suspension and now boasts a fully integrated light show which comes as part of the standard package!

 

For more information about Stage Hire, The X Radio 1 Roadshow, its history or for a detailed quotation, telephone 01237 476375 or email, admin@stagehire.info and we will be only too happy to assist with your enquiry.

 

In the meantime, thank you for your interest in Stage Hire and The X Radio 1 Roadshow, be sure to explore our website fully where you will find up to date pictures of The X Radio 1 Roadshow trailer, Stage Hire’s current brochure and of course our blog where you can add your memories of the former Radio  1 Roadshow, or comments about anything to do with The X Radio 1 Roadshow mobile outdoor concert stage for hire.

 

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