About Us

www.g6fsp.com

About Dave and Pam Helliwell

Last Updated 12 December 2005

We live in Barton, which is suburb of Torquay in Devon located in the South West of the United Kingdom.

We first met in 1979 through a scout trip to Switzerland. After drifting apart we got together again at another trip to Switzerland in 1989 and we were married in 1991. We have no children but we have three nephews, Steven, Thomas and Rowan.

Dave Helliwell

Born in Amersham in Buckinghamshire in the early 1960’s. After living the first few years in High Wycombe the family moved to Winnersh near Wokingham, Berkshire. After School I joined British Rail as a designer in the Signalling Department at Reading. When the money was saved I bought my own flat in Swindon. Following relocating to Exeter in connection with the Job that I was doing I moved to Heathfield near Newton Abbot, where I stayed for 17 years. Moved to the current address in 2002.

I am employed as a Testing Engineer for Amey Infrastructure Services, based in Bristol. I am involved Testing and Commissioning of new and altered railway signalling systems in the UK and Ireland.
I started as a designer in September 1978 in Reading. In 1983 I transferred to the West of England Testing Section based in Bristol where we commissioned the signal boxes at Westbury and Exeter. In 1985 I transferred to the signalling maintenance department in Exeter moving to Plymouth and Par, back to Plymouth and finally back to Exeter. In 1996 I became involved in Train Performance, monitoring delays to trains following incidents on the line. I was made the Planning and Resources Manager in 1998. In 2004 Network Rail took maintenance back in house and I then transferred back to Testing and commissioning rather than work for Network Rail

I am also the Signal Engineer for the Paignton and Dartmouth Steam Railway on a part time basis. I have been involved with the Steam Railway since 1987.

I was licensed as a Radio Amateur in 1981 and hold the call sign G6FSP – thus the Web site domain name. I have been a member of the Reading, Bracknell and Torbay Radio Clubs. I am the editor of TARS TALK, the magazine of the Torbay Amateur Radio Society. Following Pam’s involvement with the Radio Society of Great Britain I became the RSGB QSL Sub manager for the G8AAA – G8ZZZ call sign series in 2005.

I have helped with the Finchampstaed Scout Group since 1980, first as an Assistant Scout Leader, but latterly as a Volunteer Assistant for Scout Camps. Pam and I have done the Catering for the Scout Summer Expeditions for the last 10 years, including two successful trips to Switzerland in 2000 and 2005.

Pam Helliwell

Born in the centre bedroom of Nan’s house in Reading, Berkshire in the late 1950’s. Moved to Southcote (a Suburb of Reading) and stayed there until moving down to Devon in 1990.

I have worked for Huntley and Palmers in Reading for a while then got a job at a Photo Laboratory.

Passed the Radio Amateurs Examination in December 1993 and received my validation document the following July, obtaining the Call sign G7SME. I joined the Torbay ARS and in 1995 was co-opted as secretary dealing with minutes, letters, arranging guest speakers, annual dinner dances and inter club quizzes for six years

Joined South Devon Raynet, then became Assistant Controller, and eventually in February 2005 took over as Controller.

I’ve assisted the Scout and Guide Associations with amateur radio events including spending a week with GB4FUN at an International Camp in Windsor Great Park in the summer of 2003.

I became Deputy Regional Manager for the Radio Society of Great Britain Devon in 2003 and was co-opted as Regional Manager in September 2005. I was elected the Regional Manager in December 2005

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