Radio Hams on air for 60 years.

Front row far left, Mike Nancollas G6EGV, and right, Steve Small G4HJE. Back row, 2nd from left  Mrs Elsie Nutton XYL G6NU. 3rd left, MARTS Diamond Jubilee Chairman, Ralph Axford G4LHV. Far right, Basil White, G3LID.

Jubilee tribute to Founder Member

Radio hams celebrated the diamond jubilee of amateur radio in Medway at the week-end. Medway Amateur Receiving and Transmitting Society opened its doors to the public while it marked the jubilee with a non stop, six hour broadcast from the grounds of the Cats Protection League H.Q. in Bredhurst. MARTS as the group is know can actually claim to be older than the BBC. Many MARTS members regularly make contact with people as far away as Australia, Canada and Africa. Radio ham Mr. Keith Brooker G3OXH, who runs the Cats Protection League HQ with his wife, had a big surprise when a fellow radio enthusiast from Canada called in. Mr. John Gamlen who comes from Kent, but now lives in Toronto, regularly talks to Keith  over the air waves. He said: "I was visiting friends in Kent so I decided to drop in on the open day."   One sad note which marred the day was the recent death of the club's founder member and President Mr. Bill Nutton. Bill, who was 88 and lived in Gillingham had the call G6NU and was affectionaetly known as "Uncle" in the amateur radio world. His widow, Mrs. Elsie Nutton, who is known to Medway hams as "Auntie" was guest of honour on Sunday.

Extracted from KM Evening Post  Feb 1982.