Karen
Karen in the Harbour Light
A song for Colin's wife and partner in the Waterfront, radio and camera story.
Original songs • Real family stories
Colin O'Reilly's music
Songs about Karen, the O'Reilly family and life beside Ramsgate's Royal Harbour. They are written from experience and played alongside the music Colin has loved throughout his years as a DJ.
Featured song
Babe Since Greenwich
Colin wrote “Babe Since Greenwich” for his wife, Karen. It looks back on the life they have shared since Greenwich and celebrates a relationship that now sits at the heart of The Waterfront Pub, Royal Harbour Radio and the harbour cameras.
Choose a music serviceEvery title has a person behind it
The O'Reilly family in song
These are not invented characters. They are Colin's family, remembered with affection, humour and pride.
Mum & Dad
Babydoll & Terry-Oke
Colin's mother and father are celebrated through the names and memories woven into his songs.
Brother & sisters
Leeroy, Mandy & Kelly
Family characters and shared history provide the heart of Colin's writing.
The whole family
Raise a Pint for the O'Reillys
A warm celebration of the family together, at home in a harbour-side pub.
Ramsgate life
Life's Better by the Harbour
The preferred rock 'n' roll version captures the energy of the Waterfront and the harbour life Colin and Karen built.
Irish roots
Irish folk songs
Colin's St Patrick's Day songs belong naturally beside the family catalogue. They add another colour without separating his identity into a different collection.
Versions & favourites
Keeping the recordings Colin enjoys most
Some titles exist in more than one musical version. The rock versions of “Sausages” and “The Storm, Dave” are the current preference, while final naming and version choices can be refined later without losing the originals.
Preferred versions
Rock and rock 'n' roll recordings lead where Colin has identified a favourite. Clear version labels will make future selection simpler.
Protected originals
Any duplicate or alternate recording is backed up before a playlist copy is removed, so a different version can be restored later if Colin changes his mind.
On Royal Harbour Radio
Mixed into the day, not played continuously
Colin's originals rotate randomly between 6.30 am and 6.30 pm alongside the station's other programme folders. Equal default weighting helps them appear naturally without dominating the day.
From the pub to the world
The music is one part of a bigger Ramsgate story
Visit the Waterfront, listen to the station and watch the Royal Harbour live. The three projects grew together around Colin and Karen's community.