The AM Forum

Hi Mike,

I've just returned to the UK after a touring holiday in New England.  My wife and I were there primarily to tour the lake and mountain regions of New Hampshire and see the leaves change colour - an additional treat for me was to attend NEAR-Fest IV!  Ever since I first heard about Hosstraders in 1981, I have wanted to get to Deerfield.  I know you are doing NEAR-Fest your way and would prefer not to have any comparisons, but I want to tell you that I had very high expectations of what it would be like at Deerfield and NEAR-Fest IV more than lived up to those expectations.   I had a great time, and met lots of the AMers from New England that I'd talked to on 10m during the peak years of the last sunspot cycle.  I wish I could have met more but many left early on Saturday and I didn't get a chance to meet them.

I had the good fortune to meet both Todd, KA1KAQ, and Gary, W2INR, while wandering 'round the hamfest on Friday morning, but unfortunately didn't meet up with you, Mike, on either Friday or Saturday.  If I had had the presence of mind at the time, I should have asked Todd or Gary to point you out to me, but I didn't.  I wish I had, so that I could have thanked you personally for making it possible for my dream of attending a hamfest at Deerfield to come true.

So, to you Mike, and all the others who helped make NEAR-Fest IV the great hamfest that it was, thanks a million.

Dave.

Hi Dave -

Glad you made it home safely. Maggie and I had fun chatting with you.

I was trying to remember what you call a hamfest in the UK - I remember it was a British word for "tailgate" - in the same way you refer to a car hood as a "bonnet".

Just dug it out - Boot. Was it Bootsale?

Basil never mentioned it in Fawlty Towers.



Cheers!
Paul & Maggie

Hey Paul,
Do you still have Jingling Tingling Dingleberries in your call?? A thought from the past from the last great fester at Gaithersbrug. I think you bought my DX 100?

Fred

Hi Mike, Paul and others,

You're right Mike, I must come back for another visit.  In fact, one of the places my wife really wanted to visit couldn't be fitted into our schedule this time - the Shelburne Museum in Vermont - so we've got to come back.  I want to do northern Maine, myself.  So, we'll just have to make sure we stay around the Northwood area at the appropriate time between going from Maine to Vermont, or vice versa.  Hope I can get to meet you and thank you in person next time, Mike.

Paul, it was great to meet you, Maggie and the others at Deerfield.  Yes, 'Radio Bootsale' is one form of hamfest we have in the UK.  It's basically a load of guys in a field selling radio stuff from the back of their cars, the ground or a table they've brought along.  There's usually no shade from the sun, like there is at Deerfield, and even the biggest 'Radio Bootsale' in the UK is nowhere near the size of NEAR-Fest.  The other form of UK hamfest is the 'Radio Rally' which was originally just a meeting of hams in the early days, but gradually turned into a bigger event with vendors undercover, sometimes in permanent buildings or tents, and could have a small tailgating element to it.

I'm still suffering from lack of sleep, so can't think of a suitable Basil Fawlty quip to finish off. Sorry!

Dave