I wrote back in June that I was making good progress toward working 100 countries since moving to Lichfield in September of 2008. Well I can now report that coming out of the CQWW CW contest this past weekend I have now reached that milestone - 100 countries worked from this location.
The details are 100 countries worked with 74 on CW, 66 on RTTY and 60 on SSB. This includes 8 all time new ones in the form of Anguilla, Desecheo Island, St. Maarten & St. Eustatius, Bermuda, United Arab Emirates, Alaska, Montserrat and the British Virgin Isles.
This brings the overall numbers to 170 worked with 119 on CW, 122 on data modes (RTTY & PSK31) and 111 on SSB. Here’s to the big push towards 200!
Dean Amateur Radio, Blog CW, DXCC, G0RIF, Lichfield, RTTY, SSB
…as they say (for those of you who remember The Generation Game) are, since moving to the new QTH in Lichfield, 83 countries worked with 6 all time new ones (Anguilla, Desecheo Island, St.Eustatius, United Arab Emirates, Bermuda and Alaska) - not bad considering the pretty feeble excuse for an antenna I was using up until about a week ago.
I’ll be ticking them off now as I move towards getting the first 100 countries logged from this location. I look forward to reporting that little milestone here.
Dean Amateur Radio, Totally random G0RIF, Lichfield
Today I attended my first Lichfield Bower. The Bower is well known in Lichfield and nearby areas. It is a festival held each spring on a bank holiday. It is about 800 years old. A statute of Henry II of England (1134-1159) ordered that all men capable of bearing arms should be inspected by the magistrates. To enable him to do this Henry set up a Commission of Arraye which had every year to submit to the king, a return of all the men-at-arms available throughout the kingdom.
Bower morris dancers
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Since there was no standing army, this was a way to find out how many men could fight in a war. The men would then march through the streets and retire at a ‘Bower House’ for roast beef and spirits. This ensured a good turn-out. These musters were known as the Courtes of Arraye, and in Lichfield the Courte of Arraye was always held on Whit Monday.
The Lichfield Bower parade was (and still is) accompanied by morris dancers with drum and tabor and by people from the churches carrying figures of saints garlanded with flowers (known as ‘posies’).
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After the Reformation, the figures of saints were replaced by the tableaux representing different trades, but the term ‘posie’ was still used to describe them.
By the time of James II the country has a standing army, famous regiments such as the Coldstream and Grenadier Guards and the Royal Scots were already in existence. It was decided that the Commission of Arraye was no longer needed and it was abolished in 1960. At this time the Courts of Arraye ceased to exist throughout the country, except in Lichfield where the inhabitants decided that as they enjoyed Bower Day so much they would continue to observe it, which they continue to do to this day.
Most of the ancient features of the Bower still survive – the Court of Arraye is held in the Guildhall, when the Mayor inspects the ‘men-at-arms’, the procession through the streets includes the morris dancers and military bands, and the place of the posies has been taken by the tableaux mounted on lorries and trailers. But, as in the past, the principal feature of the Bower is a jolly good day out for all.
Dean Blog, Pictures bower, Lichfield
The forecast certainly promises clear blue skies for both Saturday and Sunday. I have fingers crossed they’re right. I’m not one to make plans based on the forecasts but having made plans it’s nice to see a favourable outlook. It’s off out to the Barr Beacon for some portable amateur radio activity on Saturday and a BBQ with my folks planned for Sunday, at home in Lichfield.
Sad to say the forecast isn’t too good at the moment for bank holiday Monday when it’ll be the start of the Lichfield Bower (of which more in a later post) so fingers crossed for better than forecast weather on that day!
Dean Life..., Totally random bower, Lichfield, weather