It is with a little regret that we have to publish this page, but our former friend seems to have turned on us, not only does he now call himself PAULA and wear a dress etc. to give the appearance of being a woman, he has also adopted a silly effeminate voice to go along with it. Recent additions to the amateur radio ranks in and around Kidderminster seem not to know he is a man, and accept him as a woman, which is slightly preposterous and a denial of reality on their part.
Paul was, for many years, not an opponent of the LPWS but an actual supporter and sympathiser, no one here at LPWS HQ knows what has changed his mind, but something has. In the past we have made monetary donations for the upkeep of his equipment, and when our HQ at 142a Walter Nash Road closed, we also donated a great deal of serviceable radio equipment to him.
We don't and never have had any issues with transvestites, queers, gays, uphill gardeners, chutney ferrets, players of the pink oboe, or shirt-lifters (or whatever you want to call them), we have known about his gender reassignment since at least 1989, and it made no difference to our position whatsoever.
Until early 2014, we were still of the opinion that this was the case, and until quite recently he wrote in his blog about Nigel G1XYU (LPWS Founder and President For Life) in a humorous and non disparaging way. This all changed in April when several LPWS members who were in the habit of using Mr Paul Dowie's repeater GB3KD, were visited by OFCOM Spectrum Engineering Officers.
It seems Mr. Dowie had made treacherous claims of what we can only describe as "victimisation" because he was, as he claimed to OFCOM, a "woman". Also, another of GB3KD users had joined with Paul in the complaint, a geriatric sounding person called WT Waldron G4YGT, of Barke Street, WV16 6LQ. Mr Waldron habitually ignores the rules by addressing remarks to other than licensed amateurs or the stations of licensed amateurs. He is often heard attempting to use a frequency that is already in use, and habitually establishes his station without the benefit of a license by not giving his call sign at the commencement of transmission. It seems quite bizarre that complaints about operating practice should be accepted from people who ignore the rules themselves, but that has always been the case, both with the DTI and now OFCOM.
Waldron G4YGT had started calling George a transvestite over the repeater, quite amusing really when the repeater keeper actually is one!
He has now toned down the suggestion slightly, but still butts into conversations without establishing his station, and calls George by the "pet name" he has for him - Widow Twankey - presumably a reference to the cross-dressing female impersonator that appears in pantomimes, predominantly, but not exclusively, Aladdin.
OFCOM despatched staff to meet with Paul Dowie, and the officer was accompanied by a scary GOTH female, as they were led to believe they were going to interview a real woman. It is also understood that Waldron G4YGT was coerced by Paul Dowie G8PZT to be party to the complaint and that he was also interviewed by OFCOM
Whilst the OFCOM team were with Paul Dowie, no untoward transmissions were made by anyone at the LPWS even though both George, Nigel, and other LPWS members were communicating. Everyone used their call signs correctly, and the conversation was about Ismbard Kingdom Brunel and the Forth Bridge. Nigel, now is sadly quite unwell and completely blind, and uses GB3KD as his main source of communication with the outside world, unable to see a computer screen, he wanted someone to Google the Forth Bridge and find out who the original architect was. I am sure you'll agree, much more sensible that 99.99999% of conversations on repeaters anywhere!
(Sadly, Paul had recently begun to switch GB3KD off whenever Nigel, G1XYU tried to use it, presumably to deny the totally blind Nigel of vital communications with his friends and colleagues. A nasty, vindictive and spiteful act.)
The same OFCOM team then visited George, who being aware that they can do a station inspection "at any reasonable time", checked their ID and invited them into his radio room, sadly his radio was not working as it had an intermittent fault being an ancient ICOM bought only for keeping in touch with the blind Nigel G1XYU.