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Good Evening,

I was just rummaging around the 'net a few minutes ago, looking for some information on the late Les Critchley, G3EEL. Last weekend, I attended the G-QRP mini convention at Rochdale, and I, and several other  people were talking about "What got you interested in Amateur Radio". In my case it was hearing a fairly loud voice, one lunchtime, on AM on the family radio, a mains operated "Sobell" in about 1956, [oh yes, we had everything then - mains electric, gas, running water, there was even a separate shed for the chickens and pigs, 'cos they didn't want to live with us lot!. Later, I found that it was Les on the radio, and that he lived about one and a half miles way. Coincidentally, he was a friend of my Dad. It started an interest that's been with me since, I was about 11 then, and in later years, of course, I took the RAE, and have been G8HWI since 1973. Back to the plot, what was said at Rochdale must have played on my mind, and I started to look for references to Les, although I know that he died a few years back. The search turned up pictures of various members of Peterborough Amateur Radio Society during the '60's at various functions, G3TGO, G3RED, G2NJ, all of whom I remember, and of course Doug. I stuck G3KPO into www.Qrz.Com and then found that he had passed on, a silent key. Very sad, it happens to us all of course, but it seems particularly sad when the person appears to have been around "for ever" Doug had been there for ever, or it seemed like that to me anyway; I don't recall when I first met him, but when I started associating with the local Amateur Radio fraternity he was just one of those people that were "always there". He was my tutor for the RAE at Peterborough Technical College, Sept 1972 to May 1973. By this time, I had left school, been apprenticed as an Electrician to the "Eastern Electricity Board", and when the RAE course started, I was working as a maintenance electrician at the local hospital. By the time the course ended, I had changed employer, and was with the Post Office telephones, later "BT", of course, [in 1980 I moved to Staffordshire, became an Instructor and lecturer with them, then an engineer for a Bank. The RAE? I passed first time, thanks to Doug - he was a clever old stick - must have been clever, he got into my mind, and then stuck things in there long enough to pass the exam, and no, like most of us, I don't think I could pass it now! A lovely man, and one to whom I owe a lot, he helped me to develop an interest, into a hobby that's still with me now, in my retirement.

 RIP Doug - and thank you!

John Simons G8HWI

The G3KPO Collection (PW January)

Dear Editor

I'm writing following your request to do so when I telephoned to ask for  help tracking down the premier television set I gave to Douglas Byrne G3KPO. I was sorry to hear about G3KPO's death, he came to my home on one occasion with an estate car loaded up with old radio's etc and collected the premier set from me. It was donated in 1983 and I also passed on the manual and Douglas told me that (at that time) it was the only example he knew of in the uk! I would be most grateful to know where the TV ended up, The premier set used an ex radar VCR97 green phosphor cathode ray tube and I had very good reception - although at the time I lived within sight of the Alexandra Palace transmitter. The reason why I want to know where the TV is now ? its so that I can get my children and grandchildren to visit the set when they're in the area- just to let them know I was once a dab hand with a soldering iron.

Dennis Kaye (MOCTF) Redbridge, Ilford, Essex