Sailing By....Why?

Why does BBC Radio 4 play a bit of a song I think is called "Sailing By" every night just before closedown? Is there some symbolic purpose, or tradition...?

It's played either just before or after the inshore waters forecast for sailors, that's the connection.

Who is that man who's often the early morning announcer on R4?

His name is Jim something, but he has a fantastic voice. Warm, mellow with a slight hint of Yorkshire.

The Shipping Forecast is expected at 0048 precisely. The reason Sailing By is used is to act as a buffer - sometimes you don't get it, sometimes you get a bit of it, sometimes you hear it all. It's grown to become one of those Radio 4 traditions.

I love Sailing By - just listen to it late at night, preferably on a stormy night.

Its basic job is to fill time.

what with the "the bbc radio 4, uk theme"? played at about 05:30? Is that an old tradition as well?

Absolutely. It's a hang over from the old ways of a station theme tune played at start up. Most ITV regional staions had their own start-up theme tune too played before programmes began. Radio 4 is the only (AFAIK) station still to use a start-up tune. And of course, it is now the only station to play the National Anthem every night at closedown.

Who is old enough to remember Theme One by Cozy Powell played on Radio 1/2 when they opened up at 5am. Shame it was so early - you couldn't turn the volume up so loud!

Or, before that, Terry, the offshore closedowns at two or three in the morning when they weren't doing twenty-four hour.

The Pams Sonowaltz on Radio London; The Fortunes on Caroline; or, later, Les Reed's Man of Action on RNI.

Pirates were just before my time...but I do remember Man of Action because a fair few ILR presenters have used it since!

For the trainspotters out there (i've got my anorak on, and got the piece of music in question), it's by Ronald Binge

And, DAS, I wholly agree, It's a lovely piece of music that befits its place before the shipping forecast perfectly.

....or indeed members of the Light Music Society, and owners of his biography - also called 'Sailing By'. Thankfully life is not all television presentation!



...who also composed many other pieces of descriptive light music, probably the most famous being 'Elizabethan Serenade'.

And yes, the shipping forcast and 'Sailing By' are a fine way to end an evening