# Portpatrick Radio/GPK



## King Ratt (Aug 23, 2005)

Check out this Youtube site at http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=XSdl7eIsD_o


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## Moulder (Aug 19, 2006)

Hmmm - not too impressed with the 500 KHz watch. Interesting and good video though - thanks for the link.

(Thumb)


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## Gareth Jones (Jul 13, 2007)

R651400 said:


> Newspapers on the operating console?
> Not at GND under Ken Foster!
> In reality, the GPO coastal radio service in my time, had a superb radio publications QSP service. Wireless World, QST, CQ magazine and others passed from station to station free of charge for staff enlightenment..
> When I say in my time, circa 1963 when monthly wages were brought to the station as hard cash in a brown paper envelope with pay slip, almost like paying off a ship...


 This brings back memories - just about this time I was an RO2 at GNF and our O/C (Jack Hayes of GKZ fame) used to arrange my monthly pay all in ten bob notes ! no doubt trying to make it look more, cos it wasnt a lot! Jack had been on watch the night of the great flood when GKZ got flooded - they ended the shift sitting on top of the consoles trying to keep out of the water!.


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## IanSpiden (Jul 18, 2008)

GPK under the watchful eye of Mr Graham Mercer and I cannot for the life of me remember who the R/T Operator was , In the days before DOC !!!!


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## steve Coombs (Sep 27, 2005)

Thanks


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## Mimcoman (May 18, 2008)

Spatz: it was Bob Hare (aka the rabbit) and if you watch carefully, you can see Mike Wilton crouching down in the transmitter room. Peter Howe was holding the camera; you can hear his voice now and again...


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## IanSpiden (Jul 18, 2008)

How could I forget Bob Hare , the grey cells are definately wasting away probably all the Morse and sitting under the RF , or maybe it was just the Grouse !!!


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## hawkey01 (Mar 15, 2006)

Ian,

You have not been out with that Mercer chap have you? I had a few memorable evenings with him when he was on DD at GKA. 

Moulder,
With regard to the 500 watch. He could hear a mouse f--t at 500yds. No problem with him not hearing anything.

Neville - Hawkey01


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## IanSpiden (Jul 18, 2008)

I spent a few days with Graham on a course in a hotel down in Hampshire and do believe we imbibed some alcoholic beverages , I also was at GPK for a while when we were fitting out DOC and testing all the equipment and had a number of evenings doing the same thing !!! Deary Me as Graham would say


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## King Ratt (Aug 23, 2005)

Not so many years ago both Graham and myself, both RNLI Hon Secs at that time, were attending a course at South Queensferry on the RNLI's new COACS system. (Communications and Call Out System). The lecture was being delivered by another ex RFA/GKA/GKR chappie. At the half way break in the lecture, Graham and myself decided that there were enough "non radio" types attending who really needed to know what COACS was all about. So we "escaped" and went to a local tavern in South Queensferry and partook of severial sherbets. It would appear that Graham 's lifestyle has not changed much. By the way, our lecturer was apparently the same fellow who had a major hand in the DOC system, initials were CC.


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## IanSpiden (Jul 18, 2008)

I lived in Dunfermline many years ago which is only nodding distance from South Queensferry , the most famous Hostiliery there is the Hawes Inn, famous from Robert Louis Stevenson's "Kidnapped" it is a very good resturaunt , there was someone who was pretty high up in the BT Aeronautical & Martime Division who left and went with the RNLI but again the grey cells escape me and I cannot remember what his name was , I'm pretty sure his initials were not CC, then only person who spings to mind would be Clive Caine he was ex GKA\GLD and he did work on the Distress side of DOC for a while


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## King Ratt (Aug 23, 2005)

For Ian. It indeed was The Hawes Inn we went to. The lecturer was Cecil Clark.


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## IanSpiden (Jul 18, 2008)

You have jogged the grey cells , yes Cecil Clerk was a level 2 manager in BT and was instrumental in getting the whole DOC thing going He left BT for the RNLI , no doubt saw the writing on the wall !!


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## King Ratt (Aug 23, 2005)

For Ian. Cecil did his first trip to sea when we were both on the RFA Oleander/GPBE in 1966. I next met him many years later when I was Hon Sec of the local lifeboat and he was the comms bod for the RNLI along with Brian Faulkner. Cecil is now the Reverend Cecil Clark and is retired from the RNLI as is Brian.

73 de Rab T


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