A non-stop castle activity for the Belgium Castle Award is planned on Saturday 18 May 12:00 UTC till Monday 20 May 14:00 UTC. Members of UBA section ODE will activate Castle De Ghellinck (BCA ref. OV-032) on all HF bands SSB & CW and on 2m FM, using the call OT7G/P.

The castle in Elsegem (JO10ST) goes back to the 16th century and became the property of the family De Ghellinck around 1718. Although the castle was surrounded with water, it was not really fortified. As so many castles, it was pillaged during the French revolution. In the 19th century there have been many structural alterations. During both World Wars there was a lot of damage. After the Second World War the castle wasn’t used any more and in 1973 the whole building burned down. The community of Wortegem Petegem obtained the castle and the park. The remaining buildings are being restored, but financial problems slow down the project.