Handle: - The RockAJock. First Personal: - Tony
20: - Springboig, Glasgow.
The Handle was derived from the Red Pom-Pom, or Toorie, which is a feature of Scots caps and is called, at least in the area frequented, a Jock. When the stitching securing the Toorie to the cap comes loose it
baubles all over the place and became a 'rocky jock'! Needless to say, his Toorie was permanently loose!
Like many people, Tony was introduced to CB radio because of his two sons. They had a couple of Walkie-Talkies and badgered him to get them this new-fangled item called a CB. A set was duly purchased, which, in the terminology of the day, was deemed to be 'legal to possess'. Nobody bothered to mention that it was illegal to transmit!
The boys soon tired of it and it sat in the garage on the workbench. While working on the car or messing about in the garage, Tony used to switch the box on and flick through
the channels. Eventually, he was compelled to lift the mike and press the PTT button
- and he was hooked! That was in the late 70s.
So it was that when Legalisation came in November '81, he was already an established breaker, albeit on AM. A legal set,
a Sapphire X4000 was duly purchased on day one and the rest, as they say, is History. In his own words: "I was really surprised by the change that FM made. On AM, I had to telephone my brother, who lives about 3 miles away, and tell him which channel I was on. On that first day on FM my brother was hitting me 30 plus. The only thing I had changed in my setup was the box!".
As an established user, it was common practice for new converts to be told: "Shout out for the RockaJock and he will get you set up properly". Soon there was a great circle of contacts and every day it grew bigger. As the number of user increased, so did the number of Wallies! A means of trying to control these idiots brought the rest together and from that point, Tony got involved with administration.
In June of 1982, he and his Club, the 2nd City Breakers, Glasgow, were involved with the National Foster Care Week. As the Club's spokesperson, Tony
travelled all over Scotland promoting the Foster Care message and creating many contacts, which were to
develop into lifelong CB friendships. Almost every area of the country had problems with abusers and in an effort to combat the mis-use the Scottish Association Of CB Clubs (SACBC) was born.
With the support of 17 of the foremost Clubs in Scotland and the backing of the MEP for South Scotland, Alasdair Hutton, TD., SACBC set out its stall. Contacts were soon made South of the Border and approaches were made to the Radiocommunications Agency. SACBC joined forces with NATCOLCIBAR and progressed through the British Breakers Association, the
National User Group Association and eventually, when it formed, with BCBC. Sadly, SACBC is no more! Contacts are still maintained but dwindling numbers have played havoc with membership.
On a personal note, Tony took the RAE in 1984 (GM1FTE) but has never used Amateur frequencies. That was not what he wanted from radio. Not the formality of the amateur bands but the informality and
camaraderie that CB offered. No frills, no airs and graces! Just plain talking!