A short time after the formation of the Stranraer Amateur Radio Club two new comers to the area paid a visit, they were Mr Charlie Kelday and his wife Hilda. Charlie was employed as a line inspector with British Telecom and had been posted to the area and not only was Charlie well versed in the routing and maintenance of telephone land lines he was also a class "B" radio ham. Charlie and Hilda decided to become members of the club and were soon very active and supportive in all the clubs activities. At this time the founding Chairman and founder member Gerry Maxwell decided to run a morse class for those who wished to sit for the full class "A" morse test of 12 WPM, or for anyone wishing to increase their speed and operating skill.

Charlie joined this group and sat the morse test at Portpatrick Radio/GPK and was issued with call letters GM4LQB. During this time there was a lunch time net on 145.800Mhz with GM3DZG, GM3DEA, GM3OFT and GI2BZV plus several other stations which the old grey matter has failed to retain and GM4LQB became an active participant.

In the following September Gerry Maxwell and Jim Hopkins GM4LPT took on the responsibility of running an RAE class for those wishing to obtain their licence. Tommy Grattan GM3TGG had taken the first class the previous year. Hilda joined the class and I must say she was greatly admired by both Jim and myself for her tenacity with the various subjects within the syllabus. Hilda was Austrian and her native tongue was German and this resulted in her having to translate the technical names from English to German to understand the full meaning of what it was all about. Hilda worked away for two sessions of the class before attempting the City and Guilds exam, which she passed with flying colours and gained the call sign GM1JXQ.

The club had a very active net again on 145.800Mhz and needless to say GM1JXQ was an ardent participant. Unfortunately some four to five years later Hilda developed a terminal illness which deprived her of the power of speech. Most people would have communicated by pen and paper but not Hilda. She had been studying morse with a view to sitting her "A" licence morse test so Charlie and she communicated by morse code. To those members who knew Hilda this just typified the determination and pride she had in being a Radio Amateur.

Soon after Hilda's death the club instigated The Hilda Kelday Trophy. A very early morse key was gifted by John GM0ZTO to be presented annually as an award to the club member who, in the view of the committee, has carried out a service or achieived something which warrants recognition.

Before I conclude this tribute to Hilda I should record that Charlie was involved in a fatal accident a short number of years after Hilda passed away.

I consider it an honour to have known Hilda.

Gerry Maxwell GM4BAE.