2-Day Book Launch Introduction
The Telecoms Coast tells the story of telecommunications in Cornwall from 1830 through to the present day, spanning the earliest days of the terrestrial telegraph network, the laying of subsea cables from 1850 onwards, high-power long-distance radio from 1900 and satellite communication from the early 1960’s. The author of this book, Geoff Varrall, will be taking part in four tours over the 2-day Book Launch.
Telecom Technology Tours
The book is being launched over two days, with a visit to the Lizard Wireless Station on Friday, 24th April, and the Marconi Centre on Saturday, 25th April, to coincide with International Marconi Day. The first of (what we are hoping) will be a series of Cornish Telecom Technology tours.
Note: All tickets are free, but both sites have donation boxes, so please bring cash. Ironically, cell coverage is poor at the Lizard, so card machines do not always work. The Marconi Centre can usually process card payments.
Friday, 24th April 2026 – Lizard Wireless Station
Owned by the National Trust, this is the site from which Marconi proved in 1900 that over-the-horizon propagation was possible, with a radio link established between the Lizard and the Isle of Wight. This provided the foundation for Marconi’s maritime radio business. It is also when and where the high-power radio story starts, hence the logic of adding in the visit before the event in Poldhu.
Booking – Lizard Wireless Station
Space is very limited! We have two tours but only 12 tickets available for each tour, so it is essential to book a free ticket via the Eventbrite website, rather than just turn up without one.
Book here for Tour 1: (11.00 am start) – (new tab)
Book here for Tour 2: (2.00 pm start) – (new tab)
Notes: If you have accessibility requirements, please tick the box on the booking page, and we will contact you with alternative access options.
Additional Information for your Visit
This is the Lizard Car Park on the North side of the village.
Click here for Google Map directions (new tab).
This what3words address helps you find the specific location:
https://w3w.co/clipped.overdrive.trickles (new tab)
Itineraries for the two options
Tour 1 – 11:00 am Start Itinerary
- Before 11:00 am: Arrive and park in Lizard Village Car Park.
The car park is free, but there is a donation box. - At 11.00 am: A National Trust Guide will lead us on a ten-minute walk from the car park, via the Housel Bay Hotel and along the South West coastal path to the Lizard Wireless Station.
Tour 2 – 2:00 pm Start Itinerary
- Before 2:00 pm: Arrive and park in Lizard Village Car Park.
The car park is free, but there is a donation box. - At 2.00 pm: A National Trust Guide will lead us on a ten-minute walk from the car park, via the Housel Bay Hotel and along the South West coastal path to the Lizard Wireless Station.
At the Lizard Wireless Station
Geoff Bate, amateur radio callsign G0FHT, a long-term volunteer at the Wireless Station (and Committee member of the Cornish Radio Amateur Club), will be on hand to answer questions on the radio artefacts.
The station equipment has been recreated from contemporary photographs.
Saturday, 25th April 2026 – Marconi Centre
We are delighted to be doing the second day of the book launch at the Marconi Centre in Poldhu Cove from where, in December 1901, Marconi’s young team of engineers summoned sufficient radio power to send the letter S (three dots no dashes) to Marconi on a windy headland (Signal Hill) in Newfoundland ushering in a new age of long distance radio, an achievement that came to be known as the Atlantic Leap.
Booking – Marconi Centre
Space is limited! (although not as much as with the Lizard Wireless Station). We have two tours, but we still request that you book a free ticket via the Eventbrite website:
Book here for Tour 1: (10.00 am start) – (new tab)
Book here for Tour 2: (12.00 noon start) – (new tab)
Notes: If you have accessibility requirements, please tick the box on the booking page, and we will contact you with alternative access options.
Additional Information for your Visit
Our Marconi Centre Poldhu website (maintained for visitors to the centre) provides two pages that may well be useful for you, if you have not been to the centre before:
- How to Find Us (new tab). A map and directions, with help getting here using Google Maps or What3Words.
- Visiting the Marconi Centre(new tab). Maps and details of our car parks (one for disabled visitors) and how to travel to the centre by bus from Helston.
Itineraries for the two options
Tour 1 – 10:00 am Start Itinerary
- 10:00 to 11:00 am: Arrive and park in our Marconi Centre Car Park (Normal or Disabled).
You can take a wander around the centre and radio site. Only the foundations of the four giant radio towers remain, but it is still a magical place. - 11:00 am: The Author in conversation with James Woolford.
After a 34-year career at Goonhilly Earth Station working on satellite and subsea cables, James is one of the volunteer team at the Poldhu Amateur Radio Club who run the centre on behalf of the National Trust. The chat will be followed by a question-and-answer session. - 12.00 noon: Free coffee or tea, and sandwiches.
Tour 2 – 12:00 noon Start Itinerary
- 12:00 noon: Arrive and park in our Marconi Centre Car Park (Normal or Disabled). Enter the centre for Free coffee or tea, and sandwiches.
- 1:00 pm: The Author in conversation with James Woolford.
After a 34-year career at Goonhilly Earth Station working on satellite and subsea cables, James is one of the volunteer team from the Poldhu Amateur Radio Club who run the centre on behalf of the National Trust. The chat will be followed by a question-and-answer session. - 2.00 to 3:00 pm: There will be guided tours of the centre and radio site. Only the foundations of the four giant radio towers remain, but it is still a magical place.
International Marconi Day (IMD)
IMD is organised by the Cornish Radio Amateur Club every year in April. You can read up on the event’s history on their website here:
International Marconi Day: History (new tab)
The Poldhu Amateur Radio Club, take part as a registered radio station for the event. Radio amateur club members will be operating most of the day in our radio rooms in the Marconi Centre on Saturday, 25th April 2026.
Between 3.00 and 4.00 pm, attempts will be made to send a Morse code message from Poldhu to Signal Hill (St John’s, Newfoundland) using the 10 metre (28 MHz), 15 metre (21 MHz) and 20 metre (14 MHz) bands (5-watt CW transmission).
In the spirit of the original transmission, success will be dependent on the propagation conditions on the day. You can read about Marconi’s first transmission across the Atlantic to Signal Hill (St John’s, Newfoundland) on our other website:
History of the Site (new tab)
Thanks from the Author
Porto Press
A big thank you to Diana and David Page of the Porto Press for supporting this event. The Porto Press now owns Whittles Publishing, the publishers of The Telecoms Coast.
Alan Renton
One of their other authors, Alan Renton, a past curator at Trinity House and PK Porthcurno (formerly the Cable and Wireless Museum), will also be joining us on the Saturday. Copies of Alan’s resounding book about fog horns, Lost Sounds, will be available to buy, or you can order a copy here:
www.whittlespublishing.com/Lost_Sounds (new tab)
National Trust
Also, thanks to the National Trust for facilitating the visit to the Lizard Wireless Station.
If you are looking for somewhere to stay, there are excellent National Trust Holiday Homes nearby, follow the link for more information.
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/holidays/cornwall/cottages/west-cornwall (new tab)