Undoubtedly the "father of amateur radio" in Melton Mowbray was the late Syd Clark, who, as early as 1934 was a member of the RSGB as BRS1365 (British Receiving Station) living at 8 Clumber Street, Melton and licensed before WWII with the then "Artifical Aerial" experimenter's licence. He acquired the callsign G8CZ when licences were re-issued at the cessation of hostilities. During that war Syd was a Voluntary Interceptor (VI) at his home 125 Thorpe Road, Melton Mowbray and used his operating expertise to monitor radio frequencies nominated by the Security Services as being known to carry enemy code traffic. Syd's copies were collected by the local Police at regular intervals and used to help the war effort. He received a signed letter of thanks from Winston Churchill for his efforts. He was a very active member of the Civil Defence, particularly during the time of the "Cold War". For many years he was the Town Rep for the RSGB and carried out those duties to the full, visiting every amateur in the district either in his famous open top three-wheeler car or on his bicycle. He was an accomplished CW operator, preferring to use an old, large brass Post Office key to any other type, and he figured well in the BERU Contest, achieving his best result in 1936.
He spent his working life as a top-boot maker with Messrs. Rowell & Son who had among their clientèle many of the nobility and royalty during the height of the fox hunting era.
Syd died in Melton Mowbray in March 1989, missed by many for whom he had unlocked the door to a lifetime of enjoyment of amateur radio.
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