It is interesting that Victorian / Edwardian Erith based arms manufacturer Sir Hiram Maxim was not only an inventor, engineer and very astute businessman, but his son, also rather confusingly named Hiram Percy Maxim (the upper photo above - click on it for a larger version) was also a very successful inventor, who created the first gun suppressor (often incorrectly referred to as a silencer) and also the internal combustion engine silencer for motor vehicles. What is quite remarkable is his uncannily close physical resemblance to famous modern day American car YouTuber Tyler Hoover, of the channel Hoovies Garage, whose photo is the lower of the two above, for comparison. In my opinion they look so alike they could be the same person, even though the two photographs were taken well over one hundred years apart. Interestingly, whilst Hiram Maxim senior moved to the UK and became a naturalised British citizen, his son stayed in the USA for all of his life. Maxim junior was one of the foremost figures in the early development of radio. The ARRL is the U.S.A. equivalent of the Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB). It was founded in 1914 from an idea of Hiram Percy Maxim earlier that year. Maxim wished to send an amateur radiogram from his home in Hartford, Connecticut to another station in Springfield, Massachusetts. His own radio transmitter did not have sufficient range to reach Springfield, and so he conceived the idea of having it relayed by intermediate station at Windsor Locks, Connecticut. There was nothing particularly unusual about this feat, even in the early part of 1914, as ships had been using the relay principle to get messages from mid - ocean to shore with the assistance of other ships for some time. The idea itself, therefore, had no particular significance. The application of the idea, however, had all the significance in the world. Maxim had for many months thought of starting a national radio organisation. He had not carried it further than the notional state because he could think of no prime moving force, no basic principle around which to build the structure: if an amateur organisation were ever to progress beyond the paper stage it must offer something more than one's name amongst the membership. In short, unless he could find something definite for such an organisation to do, he could not justify its existence. The morning after the Hartford to Springfield relay, while thoughts were harking back to the previous evening's success, the old ideas about the national organisation wandered through his mind, something clicked, and the problem was solved! For here, without doubt, was the idea around which the organisation could be successfully and strongly built. The missing block in the puzzle had been found and fitted. The organisation would be a relay organisation. It would have as its object the developing of relay routes over all the country among all the amateurs, so that by this means an amateur in one part of the country could send a message hundreds of miles to an amateur in another part; perhaps even send a message from one coast to another! Within a week, a name had suggested itself suitable for this new organisation, and a month later it was decided to start the ball rolling. In May 1914 Maxim, together with another Hartford amateur Mr. C. D. Tuska, sat down and wrote to every one of the amateurs listed at that time in the government call book, announcing the formation of the American Radio Relay League, (ARRL). The letter outlined the League's purposes, and solicited for membership; there were no subscriptions, as membership was free upon application. The response was immediate and very enthusiastic, with applications being returned in every postal delivery. In the early summer of 1914 the first publication was issued by the League, a little blue - bound call book listing the names, addresses, calls, radio transmitter power, range, Morse code receiving speed and operating hours of over 300 amateurs; it sold for 50 cents. Membership increased rapidly and in January 1915, the League was incorporated under the laws of the State of Connecticut as a non-commercial organisation with no capital stock. A second call book was issued in March 1915 and this time listed details of over 600 members. In the meantime attempts were being made to build up the relay routes for which the organisation had been formed, and some success was being achieved. During the late summer of 1915 a serious difficulty loomed and demanded attention. It was proving a real task to acquaint the membership with the plans and schedules by means of letters only. Increasingly it became evident that a bulletin of some kind was necessary. The League, however, had no funds; membership was still free and the call books were sold at cost. The answer came in 1915 when each member of the League received in the post a sixteen page magazine called QST. This first edition of QST announced that it was being published privately by Hiram Percy Maxim and Clarence Tuska, and was therefore the official publication of the League. Membership of the League continued to be free, but any member who wanted QST could obtain it by sending a $1 for a year's subscription. Response was again immediate and QST has been published on a regular basis ever since. Nowadays the ARRL has approximately 154,000 members. In addition to members in the US, the organisation claims over 7,000 members in other countries. The ARRL publishes many books and a monthly membership journal called QST. The ARRL held its Centennial Convention in Hartford, Connecticut in July 2014. The ARRL is the primary representative organisation of amateur radio operators to the US government. It performs this function by lobbying the US Congress and the Federal Communications Commission. The ARRL is also the international secretariat of the International Amateur Radio Union, which performs a similar role internationally, advocating for amateur radio interests before the International Telecommunications Union and the World Administrative Radio Conferences. The organisation is governed by a member-elected, volunteer Board of Directors. Each director serves a three-year term and represents the members within their particular region of the country. The national headquarters facilities are located in Newington, Connecticut. Along with the administrative headquarters, the 7-acre (2.8 hectare) site is home to amateur radio station W1AW. The ARRL Field Organisation carries out local and regional activities across the United States. All of this was down to the ingenuity of the son of local historical figure Sir Hiram Maxim. Comments to me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.
After being in business for over six decades, Sidcup based bespoke tailoring company Mold and Russell are closing down, as the owner, Philip Russell is retiring at the age of 81. His shop is located in Hatherley Road, Sidcup, and it will be closing its doors forever at the end of July. To my knowledge Mold and Russell are the only bespoke tailor in the borough. For 62 years, Mold & Russell has served the community, crafting bespoke garments and alterations for both men and women.
Charity donation card readers are being targeted by criminals - while contactless card donation readers offer a convenient way to support charities, a new twist on an old trick has emerged. Criminals are targeting these seemingly innocuous devices to steal financial information from unsuspecting donors. I took the photo above - click on it to see a larger view - in Bexleyheath Broadway Shopping Centre. The charity donation unit in the photo is not one that has been compromised by criminals; it is merely used for illustrative purposes. These card readers, often seen at kiosks or near charity collection points, allow donors to tap their cards for quick donations. However, in some cases, criminals have installed skimming devices over the legitimate reader. These skimmers capture card details, including the card number, expiry date, and potentially even PINs. This stolen information can then be used to create counterfeit cards or conduct fraudulent online transactions. How to Donate Safely:- Be wary of unattached readers: Scrutinise the card reader - If it appears loose or tampered with, avoid using it and consider donating through the charity's website instead. Look for security features:- Legitimate readers often have tamper-evident seals or holographic logos. Opt for contactless payments over chip and pin:- While chip and pin offers better security overall, if a skimmer is present, it will only be able to capture limited data from contactless transactions. Donate directly to the charity:- If you are unsure about the legitimacy of a reader, consider donating directly through the charity's website. This ensures your donation goes straight to the cause and avoids any potential security risks. Comments and feedback as usual to me at hugh.neal@gmail.com.
Former Crayford, and now relocated to a larger facility in Dartford, hand made sports car manufacturer Caterham Cars have just unveiled a bespoke, one off model that is to be auctioned of for charity. Sports car manufacturer Caterham Cars teamed up with the RAF to create a special edition Seven 360R, which was built using the skin, interior and other components of a recently decommissioned Puma HC2 helicopter. The money will also go to Mission Motorsport, a forces charity that looks to help aid the recovery of those affected by military operations through motor sport. It is hoped that the collaborative effort between the RAF, Caterham Cars, Mission Motorsport and the RAF Benevolent Fund will raise over £100,000 for the charities. For authenticity, the external skin of the car has been kept as it was when it was taken from the aircraft, with the remaining panels being painted a matching Nato Green and the chassis finished in Desert Sand. The car was unveiled at the Silverstone British Grand Prix and it also made an appearance at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. It will continue to tour events throughout the summer and will be auctioned off via the classic car auction site Collecting Cars in September. It was assembled by Caterham Cars and serving personnel at RAF Benson, the home of Joint Aviation Command, which operates the Puma. RAF Benevolent Fund official Neil Tomlin said the charity was delighted to have worked on the project. "The completed car showcases the engineering excellence of those who have taken part in building this truly unique Caterham while simultaneously raising awareness of both charities supporting serving and retired military personnel and their families. The money donated to the Fund through the sale of this outstanding car will enable us to provide a range of welfare support to our beneficiaries and helps ensure that no member of the RAF family will ever have to face adversity alone." Puma helicopters are used for a number of roles, including the tactical movement of troops and weapons, the extraction of casualties on the front line, and humanitarian and disaster relief missions. The car is set to be auctioned to gather funds for the RAF Benevolent Fund, which offers support to serving members of the RAF, their families and veterans.
The seemingly sleepy and quiet side street Pembroke Road in Erith has been the scene of four murders in recent years. As I have written in the past, 54 Pembroke Road was the scene of a barbaric triple murder back in December of 2015, when former Eastenders actress Sian Blake and her two young children were murdered by her partner, hair dresser and drug dealer Arthur Simpson-Kent in the house, and their mutilated bodies buried in shallow graves in the back garden. Sian Blake, 43, and their sons, Zachary, eight, and four-year-old Amon, after the actress, who was terminally-ill with Motor Neurone Disease, planned to leave Arthur Simpson-Kent and take the boys with her. Once he had killed the three, he buried their bodies in the garden of their bungalow. The bodies were not discovered by the Police for three weeks, when sniffer dogs were used to search the property. All three had been repeatedly beaten and stabbed in a series of frenzied attacks. Arthur Simpson-Kent was awarded the very rare sentence of a Whole Life Order – which means the only way he will ever be let out of prison is on the written orders of the Home Secretary, something that has rarely if ever happened. In his case, life really does mean life in prison, with no chance of parole. More recently a man named Kai McGinley was shot dead in what is thought to be a drug related murder. The 24-year-old alleged drug dealer was shot dead after the stolen car he was in was deliberately rammed on Pembroke Road last February. After an extremely lengthy court case held at the Old Bailey, his killers have now been sentenced. Bradlee Reeve, 34, of Chapman Road, Erith was convicted of murder, and section 18 GBH and was sentenced to life, with a minimum term of 33 years. Enriko Spahiu, 21, of Elmhurst, Belvedere was convicted of murder and section 18 GBH. He was sentenced to life, with a minimum term of 29 years. Kai Osibodu, 25, of Riverdale Road, Erith was convicted of murder and section 18 GBH. Osibodu was sentenced to life, with a minimum term of 30 years. Jalees Selby-Gangera, 19, of Woodfield Close, Erith was convicted of manslaughter. Selby-Gangera was sentenced to nine and a half years. Connor Brooks, 22, of Horsa Road, Erith was convicted of manslaughter and was sentenced to 12 years. Charlie Brabon, 19, of Byron Drive, Erith was convicted of manslaughter. Brabon was sentenced to nine years. Anthony Wallder, 21, was convicted of murder and section 18 GBH. Wallder was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 29 years. Detective Chief Inspector Stephen Payne, who leads one of the Met’s specialist major investigation teams, said: “The evidence gathered and presented during the trial left the jury in no doubt that these men were guilty of a sinister plan to kill Kai McGinley. We believe there was a dispute over a drugs deal and they decided the retribution for Kai should be death. It is extremely sad and senseless that Kai lost his life in this way. He was part of a close and loving family who miss him every day. Our thoughts and condolences remain with them as they try to piece their lives back together without him.”
The end video this week is a short tour around Bexleyheath Bus Garage. Please send any comments to me at the usual address - hugh.neal@gmail.com.
