Category Archives: Pre-Hornby

Seeing Red

So…Red Robinson is retiring. Again!
In 1961, the year my friend Ron and I signed onto a Norwegian freighter and sailed to Japan. (another story) Red was DJing at a local radio staiton (CFUN, I think). He was definitely the Rock and Roll champ and catered to teenagers.
As we neared the BC coast on our return trip the radio in the workers lounge began to pick up Vancouver radio stations. Red was on one night and part of his program was helping High School students with their homework. The phone in discussion was about salt (nacl). One caller yelled into the phone “Hey Red, what about the salt on the end of your cock? How does that taste?”
Dead silence. This was before radio stations introduced delayed broadcasting. It might have been this call that started it. Red went to some music and never mentioned the call.
A few years later I was into photography and my good friend Diana Tchakalian who was working public relations at Red’s latest radio station hired me to shoot a promo shot of Red embracing something or somebody. Unfortunately by this time Red was cleverly conscious of Self promotion and required me to give up the negatives. So, I have no proof of my brush with fame and Red doesn’t have to worry about anyone else publishing his photo or asking about salt.

Greater Vancouver

Can you imagine being stuck in this lineup day after day?

Bring on the Seabus. I was long gone by the time this was operating.

Gas was cheap. Less than $1 a gallon.1969

Living on the North Shore I would stay late to avoid the long lineups heading for the Lion’s Gate Bridge. This is an evening view from Focus.