The Mancunium Chapter was formed in late November 1978, and consequently will be celebrating it's Silver Jubilee during the autumn of this year. (2003)
It's first certificate was called, appropriately, the Laurel Mancunium Certificate.

Mancunium is the roman name for Manchester, all of the chapter's original members being natives of the area. Although being a quite simple exercise in present day conditions; with the modest valved equipment of those days the enterprise was to occupy over two years before many stations were able to complete.

This first excursion into paper chasing as a component of the Amateur Radio hobby was based on the Roman Legions per se, ie as soldiers and civilian officials who were engaged in their attempt to conquer Britain.

This was the only certificate until 1989, when it had become static with about 700 members, so the chapter then issued a new one called the Roman Invasion, so called since the whole chapter was based on a Roman Empire theme, and Manchester was a major town when the Roman Legions were trying to occupy the whole of Britain.

This then had the major towns as their upgrades under their roman names; it was then extended with an advanced Roman Invasion Certificate called the Emperors based on the Roman Emperors who were involved in this conquest. However after a few years the members were once again looking for something new but connected to all the others, so they decided to issue another certificate to coincide with the year 2000.

This is the present certificate called the Millennium V.I.P.

This Certificate programme is based on following the route along the roads that the Romans constructed from their landing place to their final barricade, the Antonine Wall built across the country and dividing the Picts (Scottish Tribes) in the north and the English (Saxons) in the south. In this one you have to walk along these roads naming the towns as you go, and this is an ongoing one at the present, and hopefully will keep our members happy for a few more years. You also have to walk the walls, and name the forts constructed across England.

The connection of this one to all the others is that you must have completed all the others before you can start this one, and it has its own Certificate Manager G4PDR who controls it. The only other rule is that you must be a current member of Ten Ten.

Needless to say, it is now comparatively easy to complete the first three with all the present technology, but the Millennium is more exacting so it is a better challenge.©

Click on figure to enlarge

Millennium VIP Certificate The qualifications for the Basic Certificate of the Mancunium Millennium VIP, are that the other three Laurel Mancunium Chapter certificate programmes must have been completed, and you must be a current member of 10-10. In November 2002, being the second anniversary of the current Millennium Certificate programme - and the VIP members were in Scotland - the "Whisky Special" was introduced, featuring the famous Malt Whisky brands from the various regions. Details of this now completed special can be read in the "Laurel Special" record placed in the archive. The following sections will set out the requirements to earn each of these three earlier certificates. N.B. Click VIP below right to view information sheet and specimen VIP certificate.  Top  Read certificate requirements from navbar links.  VIP  NB All material reproduced in these sections remains the copyright of the Laurel Mancunium Chapter. ©