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Hi everyone

Lawrie, myself and others enjoyed a blast from the past last night (Thurs 18 March).

Cray Valley had a Zoom lecture given by Nick Bradley G4IWO from the Denby Dale club .? Nick turned out to be a former Clifton member.

One of Nick's slides featured the old white field day which became known as the 'Agincourt? Special' due to its timeless medieval design. It was a square shaped bell tent with a central and very substantial wooden pole which sorted a magnificent finial ball on the top which presumably stopped the rain from going down inside.

Nick reminisced over those outings with Jakey at the helm and remembered that we used a farm on the North Downs but could not recall the name. Yours truly came to his rescue with, of course, 'White Hill Farm' above Shoreham Village.

I did not overlap membership with Nick despite doing quite a few HF NFDs up there.? My memories were mainly of Jakey, Peter G3RQZ, Dave G3JJZ and Cyril G3DIC as the principal operators with myself and Alan Broadstock G3XTO (who joined the club as Bill Martin's protegee and took the morse test with me) as apprentice operators/loggers. The many G8s at the time (APV, AQD, CCL, DDW, DIU) plus Norman Moore, Dave Reed and Mr Fletcher (Steve's Dad)? formed the logistics department. Apologies to any I may have forgotten to include.

Frank G3WMR

As soon as I sent that message I realised that I had left out Bob G4DBW from the list of operators. how that could have happened escapes me as I have sat in the Agincourt Special alongside Bob and witnessed his very capable operating, way above my skill level. Apologies, Bob.

As a group newbie I had to wait to be moderated so am now able to submit the apology.? 73 Frank

Sorry Frank - I didnt notice there was a message in the moderator's pot. I obviously dont pay enough attention!

73
Steve

No worries, Steve.

Everything comes to him who waits and I certainly don't live an? 'always on'? internet life.? The most reliable way for anyone to get me fairly quickly is still SMS text on 07757 643 756 (dumbphone with no Whatsapp or multi-media messaging but normally switched on wherever I am).? Pre covid I was seldom at home much so no broadband or landline contract,? only ad hoc tethering/wifi.? ?? I can go several days without checking any mail but now this group is up and running I look forward to keeping in touch with old friends and also to learning more about Cliftonaires from other decades who I have never met in person.

Clifton ARS? was a great club to belong to and lives on in the current form because we all have such good memories of those days.

73 to all,? Frank G3WMR

Hello Frank,
No need to apologise .... my memory fails me from time to time ... it was a fair while ago. ? Your memory of former members corresponds closely to mine, a few others that come to mind are Harry G3UAD (who taught me Morse Code) and from the "logistics" ? team Reg Hinton, who was club secretary during my time at the Clifton.? Don't recall meeting Nick at any of the forays to Whitehill Farm,? which was then used for both HF and VHF NFD's. If I recall you were often on 4m as GJ3WMR.

Memories of the Agincourt Special include forgetting to fit the finiall on the top of the main pole before heaving into the vertical position, and failing miserably to get the wooden pegs into the flinty soil at White Hill Farm. A substantial tent made originally by Henry V in 1415 ?? ....... they dont make 'em like that anymore!?

73

Bob G4DBW