In the 1970's a series of joint dinners took place, between OURS and its Cambridge counterpart, The Cambridge University Wireless Society (CUWS). At the CDXC Summer Social in July 2003, Stavros Tsiakkouris M0BBB/5B4AFM (currently doing research at Cambridge) and Dave Lawley G4BUO (former OURS member and contributor to this web site) discussed the possibility of reviving this tradition. The result was a dinner held in Cambridge at Gonville & Caius College on Saturday 5th June, 2004. In the picture, from left to right are: Chris Lewis G3NHL, Dominic Smith M0BLF, Martin Atherton G3ZAY, Stavros Tsiakkouris M0BBB/5B4AFM and Chris Wilson (callsign pending).

Around twelve former OURS members initially expressed interest but in the end, conflicting engagements and holiday plans meant that only two of us, Stephen Tompsett G8LYB and myself (Alan Simpson G3UMF), were able to attend. We were of course heavily outnumbered by the "local team" comprising both past and present members of CUWS, but we were made very welcome and all present had an extremely enjoyable evening. The picture (courtesy of Stavros) shows: Stephen G8LYB, Chris Lewis G3NHL, John Butcher G3LAS and Alan G3UMF.

It was particularly gratifying to have the opportunity to meet Professor Sir Maurice Wilkes, (ex G5VF and a former Chairman of CUWS) a pioneer of stored program computers starting with EDSAC, and inventor of many of the programming techniques we now take for granted.

Toasts were proposed . . . . Left to right: Stavros Tsiakkouris M0BBB/5B4AFM, Chris Wilson (callsign pending), David Holburn G3XZP (speaking) and Steve Ripley G4AVK.

. . . . and drunk. Left to right: Don Field G3XTT, Martin Atherton G3ZAY, Stavros Tsiakkouris M0BBB/5B4AFM, Chris Wilson (callsign pending) and David Holburn G3XZP.

The credit for organising the event goes largely to Stavros M0BBB/5B4AFM, who made all the arrangements for the dinner at Cambridge. Stavros took a number of photographs on the night and these were formerly available on the internet at: http://public.fotki.com/5b4afm/cuws_ours_dinner/ As of 2007-11-04, they appear to have vanished from this site. The one omission from the photographs is of course Stavros himself, rectified here with this picture of him, on the right in conversation with Martin G3ZAY. Thanks very much Stavros for all your hard work!