AN AMATEUR radio ham operator from Hutton who has been taking to the airwaves since the 1920s has celebrated his 100th birthday.
Fred Crockford, who turned 100 today (Wednesday), still spends two hours a day speaking to amateur radio operators all over the world, including in New Zealand and Australia.
The grandfather-of-three and great-grandfather to a one-year-old girl, was born in Chertsey, Surrey, and began his lifelong love affair with amateur radio in 1926. He said: “We didn’t have licences in those days – it was just a number and two letters.
“But from that it just went on and on. It was governed by the Post Office in those early days.
“I have always been interested in amateur radio.
“I passed my first exam in 1967 and got my full licence in 1983 and have been at it ever since.
“The licence enables me to use equipment and speak to anyone on any band.”
>> Samuel Morse was inspired to explore a means of rapid long distance communication after suffering a personal tragedy in 1825. While at Washington DC, Morse had received a letter from his father about his ailing wife’s... Read more
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