Christmas Day 2015 saw a small piece of history for three generations of the Bird family, descendants of renowned radio amateur Gordon ‘Dick’ Bird G4ZU.
Dick G4ZU was responsible for the design of several HF antennas, including the G4ZU Super MiniBeam and the ‘Birdcage’, an active DXer, and known for writing technical articles for publications such as Radcom and CQ Magazine. Dick passed away in 2005, aged 86 and living in the South of France.
Dick’s grand-daughter, Sarah Sipple (née Bird), carries on the family tradition, having gained her Foundation licence in 2011. With the permission of the family and Ofcom, the callsign G4ZU was transferred to Sarah’s husband Pete M0PSX a couple of years back. With the family gathered together for Christmas, the callsign of G4ZU was activated for the first time in the 10 years since Dick’s passing. Dick’s son, Chris Bird was able to pass a seasonal greetings message to his daughter Sarah via the G4ZU callsign. Sarah then in turn received a greetings message from Dick’s great-granddaughter, 8 year-old Kathryn, completing the four generation connection.
A review of several back-issues of Radcom, CQ Magazine and the RSGB yearbooks reveals that Dick Bird G4ZU has been responsible for the design of numerous antennas including:
- G4ZU Super MiniBeam
- Globemaster Panda Beam
- Multiple Image Reflex yagi (1958)
- Birdcage (1960)
- G4ZU X Beam
- The 7F Miniloop
- G4ZU “Jungle Job” also known as the “Bow-and-Arrow Yagi”
Sarah M6PSK is one of the Essex Ham team, and said about today’s use of the G4ZU callsign:
“It’s great that the historic G4ZU callsign is still active, in memory of Dick’s passion for amateur radio. Ten years after Dick Bird went SK, G4ZU was again on-air, connecting three generations of the family together using amateur radio – a nice Christmas present, and one for the Bird family scrapbook.”
How lovely, what a nice story xx merry Christmas to you all xx
That is brilliant
Nice story for Christmas
Brings back memories!
Thanks for the feedback everyone!
Hi, No mention of the fact that Dickie was a Radio Agency inspector, so well known to many licenced amateurs in the South of London.
I have Dickie’s signature in one of my old G3OQB logs, showing that he did a “routine” station inspection. That was not rare in the 1960’s!
Hi John,
We weren’t aware of that – another piece of the puzzle. Many thanks John. Be interested to know the date if you have the log handy
Pete, I wonder if you saw my further comments:-
Hello Pete,
You will recall that I encountered Dickie Bird many years ago, when he worked for the GPO. I think I may have said that he worked for the Radio Agency, but I can now see that his employment pre-dates the formation of the RA. The clue to this was the telephone number that he provided.
So here is the page from my old G3OQB logbook, duly signed by Dickie, and showing that he almost certainly had an office in the GPO building at St Martin Le Grand, right next door to St Pauls. The old CITY telephone exchange disappeared in about 1960, but I still remember many of the exchange names!
Some pages later I found another inspection and signature in my Log – that was a Mr. R. Roberts, and the same telephone number was given, so I guess they shared an office at HQ.
That incidentally is where I took the RAE examination, and then some years later the Morse Test.
I hope you find that link to the story interesting.
I have the signed log page if you would still like a copy?
Hi,
I have the log, but not with me right now.
As soon as I can get back to it I will scan the page, and send you a copy of his comment/signature.
John – G8MM
I remember this very well as I lived 2 doors away from Dick Bird in Shirley, Croydon. When we got our first television in the late 50s we would get his transmissions come over the programmes but he did fit a device in our aerial lead to try and reduce it for us. I could look out of my bedroom window and see all his aerials strung down the garden.
Oh happy times!
Thanks for the info Michael, much appreciated.