The Bromley and District Amateur Radio Society Web Site

Bromley Radio Amateurs Help Celebrate VE-Day
by Richard G8ITB

The Victory Social Club of Hayes, Kent, was formed after a VE-Day Children’s Street Party organised by a group of Fire Watchers and it is now celebrating its 60th Birthday.

Among other events they held a Diamond Jubilee Children’s Party in the Club Grounds on Saturday, 7th May 2005.

A number of groups were present to help the Victory Social Club celebrate; the Beckenham Concert Band provided a full programme of music to match the mood. Older guests were treated to favourites from the war years and many famous film scores provided a lighter touch.

The Bromley & District Amateur Radio Society ran a Special Events Station at the Party to celebrate the day’s events. The special call sign of GB6VSC was allocated to the Society for the day.

The Society set up a shortwave Amateur Radio demonstration station and members were on hand to answer questions about Amateur radio from visitors to the Party. The members were able to demonstrate that Amateur radio is still alive and well and is a corridor for entrants to the technical industries as well as playing a part in many subjects in schools.

Radio Amateurs provide communications assistance during times of disaster, great and small. The two most recent major events in which Radio Amateurs provided assistance were the New York Twin Towers attack and the recent Asian Tsunami.
Many visitors were surprised to learn that Radio Amateurs now build and launch their own communications satellites and that most astronauts and cosmonauts are Radio Amateurs and that there is a full and well used Amateur Radio installation aboard the International Space Station.

A number of visitors took the microphone and passed greetings messages from the event to Radio Amateurs across Europe.

The Mayoress of Bromley, Mrs. Anne Manning attended the Party and visited the Bromley & District Amateur Radio Society’s demonstration. She was greeted by members of the Society’s committee who took the opportunity to answer her questions with regard to the hobby.

The Bromley & District Amateur Radio Society meets every third Tuesday evening of the month at the Victory Social Club in Kechill Gardens, Hayes. Further information about the Society may be found on the web site at www.bdars.org or via their voicemail/fax on 01689 818582.

As well as meetings, both general and technical, the Society provides training for the OfCom Foundation and Intermediate Amateur Radio licences.