Ian Douglas, G7MFN – 6 May 2023

Ian had held both RSGB Regional and District Representative positions for many years as well as being a GB2RS News Reader for the Northeast of England until recently when ill health forced him to stand down. Ian was our local Aerial Planning resource and had great success in persuading local planning departments to allow many people to keep their aerials up so they could remain on the air.

He was very active in both organising and attending many special event stations across Region 4 and explaining Amateur Radio to both members of the public and staff present at these events. International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend would find Ian at Roker seafront helping raise funds for the RNLI and more recently he has been helping raise funds for the Great North Air Ambulance Service. When Railways On The Air appeared in the calendar he would be at the Locomotion Railway Museum in Shildon operating GB4SRM.

During recent British Science Week events he enthralled both Staff and Pupils at several local Junior Schools with tales of the history of radio including Marconi, the Titanic and Tim Peake on the International Space Station. He was heavily involved in the STEM Events at Beamish Open Air Museum and had hoped to organise a permanent special event station in the grounds of the museum using the callsign GB4BM.

He helped to found Wearside Electronics and Amateur Radio Society and held the position of Chairman as well as assisting in examination invigilation for many students both at WEARS and other clubs in the region.

A regular visitor at many Amateur Radio Clubs and Societies he will be missed by many.

Ian Bowman, G7ESY
RSGB Regional Representative 4

Category: Silent Keys