Roger, G3PVU, has been sorting through notes written by the late Colin, G3MUL, and has written in detail ‘A Brief History of The Lincoln Short Wave Club’.  Unfortunately due to lockdown and not being able to get to the club Roger has only been able to write the history up to 1961 as later records are at the club.

By the year 1921 more and more people were becoming interested in the new phenomena, wireless. A group of eleven such enthusiasts met at the Spread Eagle Hotel in Lincoln. (The hotel was located at the lower end of the precinct on the east side). At the meeting held on February 10^th 1921 the formation of an Amateur Wireless Society was discussed. It was agreed that the group should be known as the Lincoln and District Wireless Society. During the meeting Mr. A.R. Cooper was nominated as President, Mr. A.J. Yeates  as Chairman. It was also agreed that the society should be affiliated with the Wireless Society of London. (The forerunner of the R.S.G.B.) Maintained right through to the present day.

Future meetings of the Society were held at the Technical School and by March 1921 the Society was becoming well established. Meetings were on Mondays 19.00hrs. to  21.00hrs. In the Electrical Engineers Shop and on Tuesdays 19.00hrs to 21.00 hrs. In The Electrical Engineers Lab. Lectures on all topics eg  circuits, aerials, insulation and thermionic valves.

The secretary of the Society was asked to make the necessary arrangements to obtain the PMG’s  licence  for transmission and reception. Mr. C.W. Cotham was to be nominated operator as he already held a licence and the call 2UL  The subject of the Society  obtaining a transmitting licence was discussed during the AGM held in February 1922 a deputation was appointed to approach the Newark Wireless Society in order to secure their cooperation needed as part of the application.

It’s September 28^th. 1922 and a great day for the Society. It was disclosed that a letter had been received from the Postmaster General authorizing the Lincoln Wireless Society to commence transmitting.

Mr. Herring, a member of the Society was delegated to check availability and prices of ex WD equipment. We tend to think of ww2 equipment but this was in fact ww1 wireless equipment.

The callsign 5FZ was eventually issued but the records do not give the date, however Mr. Cotham was to be the operator. On May 10^th. 1923 the PMG authorized Mr. C.H. Friskney ( 5NT) and Mr.R.Bates   (5OD) to transmit in addition to Mr.Cotham . The first contact using the Societies equipment occurred on June14th. 1923 communication was made with 5GS in Grimsby. Prior arrangements had to be made for this contact.

The name of the Society was changed in January 1924 to the Lincoln Wireless Society

There are little or no records of the society after 1924.

On the evening of August 31^st. 1939 the BBC announced that all full and artificial aerial amateur transmitting licences had been ‘determined’  and from early the next morning Post Office officials were engaged in impounding transmitting equipment.

Following ww2  new licenses were issued from January 1946 it proved to be less restrictive than before the war

A notice appeared in the local paper, the Lincolnshire Echo asking any person interested to attend a meeting at the YMCA on Wednesday September 1^st. 1948 to form a Short Wave club.  Some 30 people attended the meeting and a committee was formed consisting of J.R.Charleswoth, C.A.Fletcher, J.Otter, J.R.Dales and G.C.Newby. Mr. Charlsworth offered accommodation for the next meeting at the Lincoln Technical College. During the next meeting Mr. Charlsworth was elected Chairman,  Mr. Mullins (G3XM) secretary and Mr. Draper (G4BU) treasurer. It was agreed a subscription of 2/6 for the rest of 1948. The annual subscription would then be 10/- for the subsequent year. A set of club rules were formulated and accepted by members on October 10^th. 1948. The Lincoln Technical College was used for regular meetings.

The first Annual Dinner was held at the Bridge Hotel in Saxilby on December 7^th. 1949 24 people attended.

Mr. Draper (Dick G4BU) still treasurer in 1952 told members at the AGM held on January 9^th. That the club was in a ‘healthy’ position . The balance at the beginning of the year was £10/18/9 and that by the end of the year it was £23/19/00

The first ‘Hamfest’ held in Lincoln was in May 1923 when the Lincoln and District Wireless Society held an exhibition in the City School. The event was open to the public for three days and was attended by 322 visitors. In addition 108 school boys attended. The event was regarded a great success and the society made a profit of £3/19/6.

The first recorded Hamfest after the cub reformed in 1948 was held on Sunday April 29^th.1951 at the Great Northern Hotel on Lincoln High Street, there were 73 visitors.  The 1953 Hamfest was held on Sunday May 10^th. This was at the Welcome Café on Lincoln High Street. There was a demonstration by Panda radio and a surplus equipment sale. 80 visitors attended. In 1954 157 visitors attended. A lecture by BTH in Lincoln was followed by each member getting a packet of transistors.

At the 1959 Hamfest Mr. Farley of Siemens-Edison-Swan  presented a lecture on VHF for amateurs There are no records of the1960 event other than that Mr. W.R. Metcalf (G£DQ) President of the RSGB attended. A picture appeared in the October 1960 bulletin.

A change of venue came in 1961, the Hamfest was held at the North Kesteven Grammar School. There are no records of attendance.     (although I was there G3PVU!   And so was J.Birkett of Lincoln. Maybe his first rally appearance)

The Lincoln ‘Hamfests’ continued and to this day the club hosts an annual event although under the new name of ‘National Hamfest’

 Information researched by Colin G3MUL  SK    written by Roger  G3PVU