# M.N. Marine Radio Museum



## freddythefrog

Hello everybody
I am a newcomer to this site and hope i have put the "new thread" in the correct place.
At FORT PERCH ROCK, NEW BRIGHTON, BIRKENHEAD. UK a new Marine Radio
Museum has recently been opened.
A small group of ex M.N.R/O's and helpers with maritime interests have managed to obtain ex Merchant Ships Radio Equipment that is now no longer in use due to the GMDSS regulations now being in force.
As everyone of us is a volunteer and we have all played various roles in
the realisation of this museum from scrounging radio gear to dismantling it from ships, donations of members own items, building of benches to support the equipment on display, painting, cleaning etc and has now finally come to fruition. We have managed to save this radio gear from the skip and from being kicked in the dock and thrown over the wall!!
We now have 3 yes 3 ex ships radio stations, 2 from the Marconi company and 1 from the Kelvin Hughes company, together with radio related items like telegram send/receive forms slt forms, lots of other radio related paperwork and a small library of reference books. We even have a genuine ships radio room clock with "silence periods" marked on it from the ship "Dart 8".
First Marconi station is a identical setup as for the ship "Lady of Mann" an Isle of Man ship that one of our volunteers was a Radio officer on her.
The second Marconi station is from the ship "FORTHBANK" of Andrew Weirs
shipping company, consolized station with a Commandant HS main transmitter donated from Belfast Radio college together with their Apollo receiver.
The 3rd radio station is that of Kelvin Hughes Main Consolized main and emergency radio station together with the Zealand Main Transmitter.
We also have a number of smaller units like a Marlin R/T set a Sailor VHF also Sailor Coastal telephony transmitters and receivers.We even have a few lifeboat radios with windy up handles!!! Also one from Russia!!
For transmitter lover "sparkies" we also have an STC 1400 TX and a rare
ITT Mackay 1500watt transmitter on display off the "Panamax Neptune"
bulk carrier.
A seperate room just nearing completion is a "Memories" room of things M.N.
a large chart with positions of torpedoed ships in WW11, a number of poems,
some stories of times at sea with some fine stories, plenty of pictures of ships of all types and ages that used to sail in/out of the river Mersey.
The radio room is situated in a round room with windows that look out on the river Mersey giving an excellent view of the shipping coming and going
and listening to Mersey Radio on VHF talking to the various ships in the river.
We are also soon hoping to have a live AIS display of the river in the near future.We also remember the coastal radio stations with a few pictures and articles about them as well.
Also each kid that visits can have a "go" on one of the morse keys and send his or her name in morse code. (Who said Morse Code is dead??) not here it isn't!!
Unfortunately the era of the Radio Officer is no more, they have been and gone and we have no more young ones coming up to take over from us
so our group will leave a "Radio Museum" so that people will know what a ships radio room looked like in the late50's/60's and 70's and in years to come and maybe people will realise that many, many lives were saved at sea because of Marine Radio and the Radio Officers who manned the ships and of our old friend Guglielmo Marconi who made it all possible.
The end of an era indeed.
The museum was opened by Captain Robin Woodall M.N. Ex Capt. QE11
and as shown on the plaque on the door the Radio Room is dedicated to all Merchant Navy Personnel.
The FORT is usually open every weekend from 1200 to 1630 sat and sun
and every day from 1200 to 1700 in the kids school holidays. If interested please pay a visit sometime. 
I have already posted about 5 pictures of the radio room under the gallery titled "ENGINES ETC" and will post more photos very soon.
Many thanks for your attention.
freddythefrog


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## sparkie2182

a great enterprise........ very well done indeed.

i think your museum will be receiving a visit from myself and my friends who are all retired radio/electronics lecturers from the fleetwood nautical college.

with your permission, i will let you know when we are thinking of making the visit, probably nearer to the warmer weather......

best regards and well done again.


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## K urgess

A great concept and well done for saving the gear before it's too late.
If I get across the other side of the Pennines I will certainly be visiting.
I'll bring my own Kleenex.[=P]
Salaams


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## Derek Roger

Excellent John Well Done mate .. Derek


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## Peter4447

Well done to all those involved
Peter4447


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## benjidog

Welcome to the site. I hope you will enjoy it.

I will endeavour to look your museum up at some future date.

Regards,

Brian


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## mikeg

Bravo!

Welcome also,
Mike


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## Santos

Freddy just to avoid any misunderstanding, New Brighton is *not* in Birkenhead. Birkenhead is a seperate town some miles away and is in no way connected, if anything New Brighton is adjoined to Wallasey. Sorry to appear pedantic but it could confuse people wanting to visit the Fort.

Chris.


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## Stan McNally

Hi There,

This is fantastic now we are on the Web in your great group - we will deffinately get a wider audience.
Will be going to the Fort this afternoon to show the Flag!

Many thanks,

Stan McNally
Fort volunteer.


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## John Leary

Freddy
Congratulations to all involved in saving the equipment and putting the museum together and to you personally for posting the pictures which I and many others were delighted to see.

I hope that 2008 is a great year for the museum.
Regards
John


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## freddythefrog

*Stan The Man*



Stan McNally said:


> Hi There,
> 
> This is fantastic now we are on the Web in your great group - we will deffinately get a wider audience.
> Will be going to the Fort this afternoon to show the Flag!
> 
> Many thanks,
> 
> Stan McNally
> Fort volunteer.


hello everybody
stan the man is the man with the original idea of the museum and has chivvied all us volunteers on through goodtimes and bad-----we have eventually made our dreams come true-----THANKS STAN----Freddythefrog


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## freddythefrog

*BIRKENHEAD or WALLASEY----who cares!!*



Santos said:


> Freddy just to avoid any misunderstanding, New Brighton is *not* in Birkenhead. Birkenhead is a seperate town some miles away and is in no way connected, if anything New Brighton is adjoined to Wallasey. Sorry to appear pedantic but it could confuse people wanting to visit the Fort.
> 
> Chris.


hello chris
who cares where it is----i know where it is-----you know where it is
why try and confuse people who DO NOT know and come from other areas of the country??? At least its on the correct side of the river anyway. been going there for last few years and know its in new brighton opposite the fairground. Always get one don't you!!
Maybe you could put signs up for us saying FORT PERCH ROCK THIS WAY.!
freddythefrog


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## tedc

freddythefrog said:


> hello chris
> who cares where it is----i know where it is-----you know where it is
> why try and confuse people who DO NOT know and come from other areas of the country??? At least its on the correct side of the river anyway. been going there for last few years and know its in new brighton opposite the fairground. Always get one don't you!!
> Maybe you could put signs up for us saying FORT PERCH ROCK THIS WAY.!
> freddythefrog



Can one get here on the overhead railway?


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## Robinj

This is great as you are not far from me I will definately visit some time early next year.(K)


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## Stan McNally

Hi There, I am sorry you wont be able to come and help us at the Fort - its humans that bring the place alive, especially for the youngster when you tell them stories of the sea and our life out there, We are the last of the Moicans and when we go it will all be forgotten unless we can get the younger generation interested. With regard to "Frediethe frog" - life is made up of all kinds of people and that makes it interesting - I understand what you say but compounding it I think makes it worse not better. Try and make it to the Fort - its open all this week and I am sure you will enjoy the visit. A Happy New Year to you and yours, Best regards, Stan McNally


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## Christopher Knight

Hi everybody,
I only found out about shipnostalgia today, so I joined! I actually come from the wirral, so a trip down is long overdue, as the last time I was there was 2005. I trained at Riversdale Naval College 1971 to 1974 doing MRRT and marine electronics diploma, before the UK MN faded away about 1977, so I changed to Marine engineering & naval architecture in 1979. I have been living near Otterburn and generally in the north east since getting married to my Geordie wife in the late 1980's. Where exactly is the museam located, because I still know my way around the wirral and merseyside, better than the NE, my not so new home. 
Cheers everybody,
Chris Knight


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## norman.r

The museum is based at Fort Perch Rock at New Brighton, Wallasey, and is well worth a visit should you get the chance. 
Norman


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## bert thompson

Must try and visit real soon
Sounds wonderful
Best wishes
Bert.


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## ian fears

i found it easy to find when i was visiting my son in thornton a few weeks ago ,but i never checked the opening times and as it was a monday it was closed what a idiot , better luck next time , looks good well done .


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## Chas York

erm... Fort perch Rock is at New Brighton WALLASEY, not Birkenhead! sorry to be picky, but anyone wanting to find it would be well off course if searching in Birkenhead


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## harryredvers

Would like to visit. Can you supply details for this year?


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## freddythefrog

*Fort Perch Rock*

HarryRedvers
Hi Harry
If you look on our website you will find the opening days/times.Look under "our Location".
www.fortperchrockmarineradiomuseum.co.uk
Its closed on a MONDAY--ALL DAY!
cheers ftf


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## holland25

I was over there last summer and after a visit to the Lady Leverhulme museum. decided to have a go at Fort Perch. I knew roughly where it was but since I havent driven on the Wirral for a long time tried to put the address into my Tom Tom gps. The only New Brightons that came up was one in Yorkshire and another in Wales. I did get there eventually but parking was hopeless and I was under pressure from my companions so in the end didnt make it.


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