Mayor visits club celebrating 100 years of amateur radio

Mayor Jim Gartside with Mike Capper busy on the radio

The Radio Society of Great Britain was established 100 years ago in 1913. To create awareness of this, hundreds of affiliated radio clubs and societies around the UK have the opportunity to use a special call sign for just one day during 2013. Friday 4 January was the turn of the Rochdale and District Amateur Radio Society.

They started at 7.00am, operating from their headquarters in the Old Library in Norden. From the very first few moments of switching on, many other amateur radio operators from around the UK and Europe were clamouring to make contact with the club. By midnight, many countries around the world had been in touch with the Rochdale club, by both voice and digital means.

The club was privileged to be visited by the Mayor, Councillor James Gartside, during the morning, and was given a tour of the premises. He was pleased to learn of the educational benefits that the club has to offer, by teaching others up to examination standard, so that they can become part of the growing amateur radio fraternity, receiving their licence on successful completion of the course.