Thanks to Steve Cole for this article G3YOL

The History of  Weston-super-Mare Radio Society

 Weston-super-Mare has a history of association with long distance communication.  In 1885 the Commercial Cable Company was granted permission to bring ashore the first of their four telegraph cables “ for the purpose of transmitting messages exchanged with America ”.  This was the year when sixpenny telegrams were introduced, which resulted in good business in the Weston cable office (originally in two cottages).

            In 1897 Marconi demonstrated wireless communication between Lavernock Point in South Wales and Flatholm Island in the Bristol Channel and then Brean Down at Weston.  This was the longest distance ever covered until then – 8 miles.  It was celebrated by the Weston-super-Mare Radio Society 100 years later when members operated a special event station GB100BD on Brean Down.

            The Weston-super-Mare Radio Society was founded at the inaugural meeting on Wednesday, 3^rd January, 1923.  The speaker at the meeting was Mr.O.J.Carpenter A.M.I.R.E. who spoke about the “little understood Heaviside Layer” and its importance in long distance transmission.  He expressed surprise “at the amount of interference due to the improper use of local regenerative receiving apparatus” when listening in at Weston.

            Although Cable & Wireless closed their transatlantic operations at Weston in 1962, this was not the end of Weston’s association with cable communications.  On Wednesday, 22^nd June, 1988, the Radio Society operated a special station (GB0TAC) at Brean when the last section of a transatlantic fibre optic cable was brought ashore for Mercury Communications.  This cable was about to allow 1000’s of simultaneous telephone calls.  The 24-hour radio operation made 100’s of contacts world wide as well as arranging for greetings messages to be passed between Mrs. Judy Allen, Chairman of Brean Parish Council, Mayor MacInnes of Sea Girt and Mayor Winterstella of Manasquan in New Jersey , as well as Mayor Dismont of Hamilton , the capital of Bermuda .  In New Jersey the cable comes ashore at Sea Girt and terminates at Manasquan with a spur to Bermuda

           

Some founder members of WSMRS                         65^th Anniversary DF Hunt 

                                 

                  RSGB NFD 1984                        Mrs Judy Allen speaking with New Jersey