Previous to the Cleddau ARS moving to the Men's Shed in Pembroke Dock, the club had been unable to take part in significant events such as World Radio Day. However, the move from their old headquarters in Neyland to the Dock, where they now have 24 hours a day access to the building, plus the advantage of using the outside grounds to operate from, means the group can run, not only their main club station, but several others at the same time without the fear of interference from each other.

Members were therefore more than delighted to have the opportunity to take part in their first World Radio Day.

World Amateur Radio Day takes place on April 18 each year, when radio amateurs worldwide take to the airwaves to celebrate the formation of the International Amateur Radio Union in Paris on that day in 1925.

Amateur radio experimenters were the first to discover that the short wave spectrum, far from being a wasteland, could support worldwide propagation. However, once they had discovered that it could be useful, the commercial companies became interested in the spectrum, and the amateurs were in danger of being squeezed out, so the Amateur Radio Union was set up to look after the rights of all amateurs worldwide.

When you consider the contribution they have made to the field of modern day communication, it was just as well the union was formed. As most of the modern day technical advances were first discovered by amateurs in their sheds, even Marconi could not conceive the use of voice for communication. He thought the only practical use of radio was for Morse Code.

While there is a slight dispute on who was the first to broadcast their voice over the airwaves, one thing is for sure, it was probably a radio enthusiast working out of his shed.

It was with regret that members of the Cleddau Amateur Radio Society learned of the death of Ian Cripwell GW0WGG/ 5Z4IC. Ian was a founder member of the Tenby radio repeater group, before moving to Kenya as CEO in overall charge of the Kenya health service. He was a keen supporter of all aspects of amateur radio. He could often be heard on the airwaves working a pileup (a lot of radio amateurs trying to work a station). As Kenya is a rare country to add to your logbook, if he heard a Welsh station calling, he would break away to have a QSO (talk) and catch up with his old friends back in Wales, much to the annoyance of the rest of the world, who were trying to add Kenya to their collection.

On his return to Pembrokeshire, and in between his work as a health consultant, which took him all over the world, he could be seen on the Ridgeway with a large 2m antenna next to his car, as he was a great enthusiasts for VHF contests.

The phrase 'he was a nice guy' is quite often overused, but in Ian's case it was more than justified. He will be missed on the airwaves.

On a happier note, congratulations must go to Scott McMurray MW0MST on passing the advanced radio exam. Scott certainly put an extraordinary amount of effort into it, as he had to travel down from Ammanford in order to organise and take the exam. However, the Cleddau Amateur Radio Society offers free foundation and intermediate classes, which you are required to take prior to moving on to the advanced licence. The usual length of time required to obtain a foundation licence is between two and six hours (two to six classes) and you could then be on the air. For more details, telephone Howard on 01348 874 236 or Heintz 01834 843 189.

Jolly Red Frog