The title was devised by John Perdrix by arranging pieces of cardboard, each with the letter of a suitable word, until an appropriate acronym was found.
In the early years, the four-day holiday provided sufficient time for attendees to travel the long distances involved, mostly by car or train.
The convention usually began with a welcome reception on the Friday evening and ended on Monday morning with two days of technical sessions in between.
Instead, the event has expanded in recent years to include additional workshops and symposia, and to encompass most of the four-day holiday.
This arrangement worked surprisingly well for many years, due mainly to the dedication of a small number of regular attendees from the various amateur societies.