One Sunday evening in July 2020, I sent this Facebook message:
The name Richard Elen rings a far-off bell to days in the early 70s when I met someone running a pirate in SW London, with « progressive » music. I had the same tastes. I think ithe station’s name included the word ‘underground’. I visited its recording studios in a top floor flat. It was run by someone with a same/similar name. He was a recording studio engineer and I also met him at work. At the time I was either at the French Lycee or at Kingston College of further education – before going to University of Sussex – which led me to BBC then LBC / IRN and a career in broadcasting…. Now could it be the same Richard? Long shot but some times a message in a bottle is successful. Thanks for listening!!

Reply from Richard the follwing morning:
Goodness me! Hello there!

I think when we met, or not that long after, you were at BBC Radio Brighton (and was it BBC Oxford? Or was that with Andy Finney?) You led us on a trip to Hilversum to visit NOS and we also saw the « Caroline Guest House » in Scheveningen. I would say we met/knew you around 1971-74 or so. You did a voiceover for one of our projects, a satirical radio news take-off. The pirate station was Radio London Underground on 94.4 FM with the « London Transmitter of Independent Radio » and we were doing that from 1971 to end 1974.

Today I’m semi-retired haha. My main paid activity is transferring vintage production music tapes to digital for EMI Production Music / KPM Music Recorded Library. I’m also running an internet radio station, « Virtual Community Radio » https://vcradio.org https://www.facebook.com/virtualcommunityradio providing eclectic programming to listeners in virtual worlds (« the Metaverse » to you) and on the wider internet – something I’ve been doing since 2007 (though VCRadio has only been going a year). I also co-host a web TV show, « Designing Worlds », about design and designers in virtual worlds – https://vimeo.com/user1996042

I’m based in Forres in NE Scotland and have been here for a little over 4 years.

Looks like you found me just before you dropped out of sight from Facebook!

BTW, we have Orbex just the other side of town.
Very nice to be in touch again. I wondered from time to time whatever happened to you…
…and my wife Leona and I have un chat noir…

EXPLICATION : un Orbex est un site de lancement de fusées. https://orbex.space/
Situé à Forres en Ecosse

De leur site : « Europe’s leading private launch services company
Founded in 2015, Orbex is a UK-based private, low-cost orbital launch services company, serving the needs of the small satellite industry. Orbex has developed one of the most advanced, low carbon, high performance micro-launch vehicles in the world ».

I replied :
Really great ! It conforts me that deep in our memories we can store a name, never think about it for 40+ years, and then tickle-tinkle little bell one discovers it on FB and it resurfaces with a few memories. And now you add that of the trip to Scheveningen. Yes, I was at Radio Brighton for a year or so then joined LBC for the start as one of the three AM show with Douglas Cameron, John Snow etc. In 1975 I moved to France (chercher la femme!) and worked on Sud Radio (broadcasting from Andorra, studios in Toulouse) and continuing as correspondent for IRN. Created my consulting company with clients in space business, notably Arianespace (commentator for some 15 launches), European Space Agency, very exciting activity. Now retired in SW France, two children and four grandchildren. Really nice to « meet up » again. More later. Let me have your other coordinates. Keep well. Martin

Richard : What « other co-ordinates » you would like?

My reply :
My FB page (which I use very little): Martin-Olivier Ransom — Email: trescols@gmail.com — personal website (reflexions, news, interests, bilingual) : https://au-trescols.net — will probably add an article about long term memory and this renewed contact. M

Richard : On Facebook you can find me at https://www.facebook.com/richard.elen/ – by all means add me as I don’t see an add button on yours; email relen@brideswell.com; personal web site https://brideswell.com (not particularly often updated); some projects with some colleagues are at https://cehproductions.com