# Portishead remembered ...............



## Moulder (Aug 19, 2006)

After reading several posts from the Radio Room about Portishead, I am somewhat disappointed that no lasting references are present of the station in or around its' old site - which I believe is now made up of residential housing.

It is obvious, from the posts of many of the ex-GKA ROs, that it was a good place to work and all seafarers knew about it, used it and relied upon it back in the day.

Would any of the old hands that live on or in the vicinity of the old site think there is any mileage in approaching your local authority to get a road or area named after the station? 

I'm sure an overwhelming number of SN members would support such a campaign and it could even be co-ordinated from the pages of this website.

Just a thought .................... 

Steve.

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## hawkey01 (Mar 15, 2006)

Steve.

I will respond.

When it was muted that the old station was to be pulled down and a housing estate built in its stead there were moves and meetings etc regarding the naming of the estate and road names. Also a plaque was supposedly to be erected. Larry Bennett did a lot of work on this subject with various factions.
The Estate is called Mulholland Park after one of the old station managers and the roads are Mulholland Way.Marconi Way and Tesla Place. Initially names of coast stations were suggested. Larry will probably give you chapter and verse.

Hawkey01


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## richardwakeley (Jan 4, 2010)

There is a modern 'Marconi Road' in Portishead also. It's not exactly on the old transmitter site, but across Down Road and a little bit down the hill towards Nore Road, where I lived from age 4 until 20s. I think the dots and dashes coming out of our gramophone and TV etc may have had something to do with my choice of career.


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## BobClay (Dec 14, 2007)

I still can't quite believe that GKA has gone, which goes to show how out of the game I am these days. I browsed thru the airwaves on an old HF receiver a couple of days ago and was amazed at the scarcity of morse. Am I getting old ? .... or am I getting old ?


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## Graham P Powell (Jun 2, 2007)

GKA is a housing site. At the receiving aerial site at Somerton which was about twenty miles away, the buildings have been demolished and as far as I can see from the road it has been returned to agriculture. What is really required is a written history of GKA which Larry Bennett may know more about!. ( hint hint)
rgds
Graham Powell


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## Larry Bennett (Aug 28, 2005)

OK - I get your drift! Still got my 'draft' history of GKA on file plus boxes of memorabilia from GKA to plough through. Sadly personal cir***stances have precluded any further progress on this, as well as the GKA website which has been down for over a year. I can only apologise for this but I do promise things will be back soon!

With regard to the GKA site, the builders (Taylor Wimpey) contacted me in the first instance with regard to a name for the estate and associated roads - I contacted all ex-staff for their views and a list of suggestions was tendered and subsequently ignored. One of the more popular names was "Telegraph Park" with street names such as Cullercoats Road, Niton Place, North Foreland Close etc...but the planners went with names such as Tesla, Marconi, and a host of (un)familiar electronic pioneers. Original plans for the site depicted an area of trees (which were 'accidentally' knocked down) and an obelisk which was to have been used as a memorial to the ex-GKA staff. Needless to say this never happened. I did suggest the building of a wall at the entrance to the estate made out of the bricks of the original GKA building with a suitable plaque. Again ignored.

As it stands there is no plaque or anything to suggest the station was ever there. I did have a meeting with the local council a few years back but due to cuts etc the committee funding the plaque/memorial folded. I think the only way forward is to finance our own plaque and find a suitable place to mount it. I agree with the above sentiments that it is shameful that no recognition has been made for the site.

Hopefully I can be invigorated again to try to get things moving. Will keep all informed!

73

Larry +


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## Graham P Powell (Jun 2, 2007)

Its alright Larry, I know you have had your trials and tribulations of late. The thought suddenly occurred to me that there are various blue plaques around Highbridge. How would we go about getting one of those put up?. Just a thought.
rgds
Graham


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## trotterdotpom (Apr 29, 2005)

R651400 said:


> Do blue plaques not mean acceptance by the National Trust?


Run by "English Heritage" but they've lost their funding. Did anybody save some cardboard from Christmas?

John T


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## Graham P Powell (Jun 2, 2007)

There are blue plaques around here which refer to local things. For instance not far away is a house which was mentioned in the Domesday Book. Things like that. GKA ought to be included. I think they were put up by a local charity so I will investigate further.
rgds
Graham Powell


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## Moulder (Aug 19, 2006)

Graham P Powell said:


> There are blue plaques around here which refer to local things. For instance not far away is a house which was mentioned in the Domesday Book. Things like that. GKA ought to be included. I think they were put up by a local charity so I will investigate further.
> rgds
> Graham Powell


Graham et al - thanks for responses and clarification of how the station is currently remembered in the area.

I would certainly contribute to a fund, if necessary, to purchase a suitable plaque/plinth and this could be co-ordinated via SNs' Radio Room.

All the best,

Steve.

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## endure (Apr 16, 2007)

I'll give a tenner.


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## Graham P Powell (Jun 2, 2007)

Hi Steve, I will certainly ask around as to who was responsible for putting up the other plaques. Watch this space as they say!
rgds
Graham Powell


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## BobDixon (Oct 17, 2008)

trotterdotpom said:


> Run by "English Heritage" but they've lost their funding.
> 
> John T


The English Heritage blue plaque scheme seems to be aimed at identifying buildings which have an association with some significant person. There are a lot of other schemes up and down the country, some of which seem to follow the English Heritage model, and others which offer a different focus. There's a list of plaque schemes across England at http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/content/imported-docs/p-t/plaques-register.pdf

I'd like to suggest that there might be merit in a scheme which looks to identify all buildings and locations in the UK which are of significance to maritime radio - such a scheme might come under an organisation such as the ROA. Or perhaps a larger scheme which looks to identify all buildings and locations in the UK relevant to the overall development of radio - this might be served through a collaboration of interested bodies (and there are possibly a few sites which are already identified in some way). 

The scheme run by the Royal Television Society is attempting to prepare a list of all UK buildings which have an association with television with the purpose of identifying those which most deserve to be identified with a plaque -http://www.rts.org.uk/sites/default/files/file/PDF's/Archive/TVgeogaddresses.pdf Perhaps a similar model could be used to identify all sites relevant to Maritime Radio and/or the development of radio.


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## Tony Selman (Mar 8, 2006)

As Chairman of the ROA I can say that we might be interested in becoming involved in such a scheme. As always with these hypothetical ideas I have to put in the comment in that it depends on the scale and cost of any project/s as we like most organisations have very limited funds. The concept is worthy of thought though.
You may be interested to know that the ROA is at an advanced stage to erect a mounted large plaque to commemorate the original LV station at Seaforth Sands. We expect the sign, which will be 800mm x 600mm, containing text and photos to be erected in March or April this year. This is the station where Jack Philips amongst many other well known early R/O's was trained and was, of course, subsequently moved to become GLV.


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## Moulder (Aug 19, 2006)

Hi Tony - involvement of the ROA would be brilliant. I do believe that financial feelers could justifiably be put out to our deck, engine and catering brethren who, I'm sure used and relied on the services of GKA in days gone by. Indeed everyone aboard ships I sailed on knew about Portishead.

Steve.

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## BobDixon (Oct 17, 2008)

Tony, the plan for the LV board sounds excellent. It sounds more to be in the form of a sort of an interpretation board, which I think is an excellent idea bearing in mind that many of the buildings/sites which are relevant to maritime radio have already vanished.

Finance is always an issue with projects like this but there may be opportunities in some ares to work with local historical societies and associations which may have their own ways of targeting finance.




Tony Selman said:


> As Chairman of the ROA I can say that we might be interested in becoming involved in such a scheme. As always with these hypothetical ideas I have to put in the comment in that it depends on the scale and cost of any project/s as we like most organisations have very limited funds. The concept is worthy of thought though.
> You may be interested to know that the ROA is at an advanced stage to erect a mounted large plaque to commemorate the original LV station at Seaforth Sands. We expect the sign, which will be 800mm x 600mm, containing text and photos to be erected in March or April this year. This is the station where Jack Philips amongst many other well known early R/O's was trained and was, of course, subsequently moved to become GLV.


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## Tony Selman (Mar 8, 2006)

Bob, an interpretation panel mounted on solid oak supports is exactly what it will be. We have researched almost the exact spot that LV was located and the panel will go as close as we can get - a security fence is very close by but we have had a long (very long) discussion with Peel Ports and Sefton Council over a suitable location and this has now been agreed. We have also acquired 5 photos of the station and surrounds and had these professionally refurbished and I am sure everyone will be happy with the end result.
I have to say that it has been a fairly costly exercise but the station itself is iconic not least for some of the famous R/O's that it trained in the early days of radio.
We regard this as something of a one off, certainly cost wise, but we are certainly prepared to consider involvement in commemorative plaques as a memorial to our Maritime Radio history. Portishead being the obvious choice of course.
If this theme develops and there is something resembling consensus then I will raise the issue at the ROA annual meeting in April and get members opinions, several of them will have read this before we get there.


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## david.hopcroft (Jun 29, 2005)

Humber/GKZ still exists in private ownership. It sits sadly neglected waiting for development into a caravan site or whatever planning permission can be obtained.. 

David
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## Graham P Powell (Jun 2, 2007)

Gentlemen, This morning on our local news website it would appear that the town has been given a lottery grant towards the setting up of a heritage trail. 
As a result of reading this, I have emailed the local town council about the omission of any form of plaque/information board in the ex GKA area. I did mention that a certain amount of funding help might be available for this. With cash strapped councils I thought it might be a good idea to dangle a carrot!. 
I will keep you posted as to further progress ( or lack of it!).
rgds
Graham Powell


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## Moulder (Aug 19, 2006)

Encouraging news Graham - thanks.

Steve.

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## Larry Bennett (Aug 28, 2005)

Graham P Powell said:


> Gentlemen, This morning on our local news website it would appear that the town has been given a lottery grant towards the setting up of a heritage trail.
> As a result of reading this, I have emailed the local town council about the omission of any form of plaque/information board in the ex GKA area. I did mention that a certain amount of funding help might be available for this. With cash strapped councils I thought it might be a good idea to dangle a carrot!.
> I will keep you posted as to further progress ( or lack of it!).
> rgds
> Graham Powell


Nice one Graham. 

I saw the article too and had the same thoughts as you. If the council require any support or any do***ents/photos of the station please point them in my direction!

Cheers.... Larry +


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## Graham P Powell (Jun 2, 2007)

Larry, Hawkeye, I contacted the council via the form on their website
( Burnham and Highbridge Town Council).As a suggestion , I think it might be a good idea if you wrote to them in a similar vein. Don't think it would do any harm anyway.
All the best
Graham Powell


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## Larry Bennett (Aug 28, 2005)

As it has been a few years since this thread ceased, thought it prudent to bring everyone up to date with the current situation regarding a GKA memorial at the Highbridge site.

1. There actually was a blue plaque erected by the "Highbridge Heritage Trail" but this was stolen some years ago and not replaced. As there is nothing to see on the site the station has now been removed from the Heritage Trail map.

2. There is an ongoing boundary dispute between the housing developers and the district council, which means the land cannot be handed over to the council until this is sorted. This has been going on for a few years apparently. Until the handover has taken place the council are unable to release the funds put by for a memorial.

3. There is a significant amount of money held by the council for a suitable memorial. I have seen some draft ideas which include an aerial-shaped climbing frame for the park at the front of the housing estate, a plaque mounted on a large rock (granite?) at the entrance to the estate, and an information board with photographs and historical details about the site. As above, nothing can happen until the land is handed over.

4. I have lobbied both the town and district councils for the area and also obtained the support of our local MP, who to his credit has been very pro-active. 

I am currently awaiting a response from the housing developers with regard to the current situation, although the district council say there has been no recent progress. Rest assured that as soon as the handover is complete I will ensure things will progress quickly.

Larry +


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