The Bittern DX Group are putting on special event station (in conjunction with Holt Town Council) GB0GFH to celebrate the 300th anniversary of the Great Fire of Holt, in Norfolk. See brief history below.

The dates for the event will be 3rd, 4th, and 5th May 2008.

Operation planned is on all bands 160m to 10m, and 2m.

The challenge is to contact as many stations from places called HOLT worldwide as we can over the 3 day event. So if you live in or near a town or place called HOLT, give us a call.

We have our own email gb0gfh@bdxg.co.uk

Brief history of the great fire...

On 1st May 1708 the town of Holt in Norfolk, was devastated by a fire which destroyed most of the medieval town in the matter of just 3 hours.

Local reports of the time state that the fire spread so swiftly that the butchers did not even have time to rescue their meat from their stalls on the market. The fire started at Shirehall plain and quickly spread through the mainly timber-framed houses of the town. The thatched roof over the church chancel was destroyed and the melted lead from the roof had fallen cracking the floor stones with the heat.

A royal brief asked Churches throughout Britain to collect money for the homeless town folk of Holt, and many small donations arrived from hundreds of tiny congregations. Holt gradually rose from the ashes to become the delightful Georgian town we know today.

QSL cards will be available upon receipt of 2x $1 bills or 2 IRC's. UK stations need an SASE. QSL's will be available from mid June.