Hi…I remember Terry Thorpe..VK@TM, an Amateur Radio Operator, at work a TV and radio technician who built his own gear…his work was utterly precise and beautifully done Terry was one of three Mosman Hams I knew, two really lovely guys..Ted Barlow of Spit Road VK2GQ…right next to the group of shops at Awaba Street was so kind to me as ayoung feller interested in Radio.

Terry used a modified AWA..”AR8” Australian ex aircraft receiver down threre in Shadforth Street…something just jumped into my head that he lived at number 34…with wife son and daughter…and his own (Geloso front end) transmitter.

I can recall being there many times and listening for “scheds” up until midnight..shreewww crackel wheeeeoaw,,,wheeeee weeeerp…and the voice from say Antarctica. ” VK 2 TM shrrrrriiisssshhhhh ..VK2TM…VK2TM…pssswwssss isssss..this is VK shwarkdr 9 THIS IS…Vk9…something…maybe a W or an M or such calling on sked…come in Terry..come in Terry.

Unlike me I don’t think Terry was interested in CW (morse code) but old Ted Barlow, ex RAAF was…and his wife was so kind. Ted used a BC348 Aircraft receiver and a “bread board” mounted transmitter…mounted on rack… from the early 30s. The tubes were immense glowing objects of another era ..I wonder why he wasn’t looking at my X-ray’d skeleton every time he transmitted..maybe he was!!

Wally Kermond, a soldier who lived further down in the spur off Spit Road …near the lighthouse…was not Ham but I visited him too as I constructed my one valve short wave sets with “reaction” (feedback) and using 2 45 volt batteries and one post office tall round cell I scavenged from the Post office techo.

The third ham I haven’t detailed…I’d rather forget but can’t…but I learned about some aspects of life from him which I have included into my life by excluding them..all the same…all a part of what started at Barlow, went to Shadforth Street via my “NSW Amatuer Call sign book” I worked hard to buy and which included addresses..I’d go and knock on their door.

Interesting days as a young man in Mosman where we were all a community..”Oh..you must be a Clancy”...I can see that in your eyes”...a great place Spit Junction and where a lovely little lady went shopping for years with her downs syndrome son who grew taller than she…he carried her bag…but as the suburb changed she no longer fitted the image, nor did he and they vanished…..

Mrs Mc Gregor too, the fine Scotswoman who had the antique shop next to Dawsons, was 2 doors down from the council chambers in Military Road…who loved to see me..and I loved the antiques..over the road the old service station where the shops alongside what was then “Mosman Antiques was built..

Shadforth Street was kind of hidden…mostly accessed by a lane from Avenue Road then doglegging into Musgrave Street as I recall…losing the names…It was quiet….It has changed but managed to hold onto some of that sort of quietness even whilst losing property to some more modern apartments. It went down as I recall behind St Clement’s Church but was rarely parked out except during services or funerals..and back then people seemed to live rather than die…Because real road access was only from one end, down nearer the church Shadforth Street in a way, never seemed to exist.

Years later I wnt back to see Tery but he’s moved out..then I remembered he said he might…..and Shadforth Street went back into Camelot…

So…there you go…cheers Tony

— posted by Tony Clancy, Friday February 8, 2008, 1:33:45 PM   #