In November 1897, a twenty-three year old Italian inventor visited the Royal Needles Hotel that overlooked Alum Bay on the west coast of the Isle of Wight. The young Guglielmo Marconi's proposal to rent rooms to perform his 'experiments' over the deserted winter months was warmly welcomed by the hotels proprietors. Marconi used some of the working capital of his newly formed Wireless Telegraph & Signal Company to convert the hotel's billiard room and install his equipment and spark transmitter. Several small ships were hiredand fitted with wireless aerials and receivers while moored at the...