Posted: 4/10/2017 8:33:37 AM EDT
| Anyone ever been? I am going in about a month, staying at the Fairmont Southampton. Pointers? Things to avoid? |
| Many years ago. It's a very small island, the main part is like 10 miles long and a fraction of a mile wide. They don't rent cars, they rent mopeds. They also drive on the wrong side of the road. And it rains a lot. It's a nice place for like 3-4 days, but you'll probably get bored if you stay much longer. |
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Nice place.
This year will be out tenth visit. Without knowing anything at all about you, it is impossible to say whether or not you will like it. It is a very nice place, but a bit crowded, would be my summary. Meals are very expensive. All the bus drivers are nuts. +1 on the Swizzle Inn. There are two of them and we went to the Bailey's Bay one. I assume they are the same. Keep your wits about you if you rent a scooter. |
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Quoted:
I lived there for several years fun place get a scooter and explore the island Swizzle Inn is a great place to go this location is the best Swizzle Inn, Baileys Bay - 3 Blue Hole Hill have a great time I lived in Bermuda for 6 months at the Bermuda Biological Station. |
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I have been twice and loved both visits, not your typical island though..if you are wanting a wild and crazy nightlife and doing jello shooters this is probably not your island.
Second time we went we stayed at the Coco Reefs which for the price has one of the nicest beaches and there is a grocery at the corner where we purchased food for lunch and breakfast. Dining is expensive, it is one of the wealthiest countries in the world... Rent a scooter and use it to explore the island. There are some great snorkel sites on the island that you can scooter to.... Fairmont is classic Bermuda and will have everything you need...pool, private beach (which can get crowded) tennis etc...if you are a golfer there are some awesome courses. We did one of the around the island high speed boat tours...was really cool and not crowded at all. The dockyard area can get crazy if there are cruise ships in dock. The southside of the island is where all the best beaches are and a lot of them are public... Be sure to get over to St George near the airport and just walk around... |
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Check the America's Cup schedule. Things will be busy during some of the racing.
Go to the museums. Especially the governors house at the dockyard. Go to the caverns. Black Horse for lunch one day during a moped tour of the island. Lots to do. Some great restaurants downtown. Some are a bit pricey. For the most part very safe island but there are a few areas to avoid late at night. Don't put a purse or backpack in the basket on your moped. |
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When I was in Thailand we met two guys from Bermuda.
They were obviously extremely wealthy. They had hired two very top shelf looking girls to travel around with them and attend to every need. While we were talking with them, the girls were sitting next to them, putting grapes in their mouths. |
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Bermuda is an island fortress. There are so many fortifications it is ridiculous. From the North there is Fort St. Catherine. As cannons became obsolete they simply pitched them off the parapets onto the beach (or in some cases the keeps) below. You will find all manner of cannons on the island in various states of rusty disrepair.
My favorite bar is unfortunately closed, but it was the Gunpowder cavern in St. Georges. The cavern was an underground gunpowder storage facility. It had warnings on the doors reminding all who entered they had to wear rope sandals and IIRC silk clothing due to the fear of static discharge. All the doors had brass hinges for the same reason. On the grounds of the demolished Club Med was a fascinating site. It was where a lot of the international mail landed that was being ferried from the US to Europe. The US and Brits had an agreement to hush hush steam open the mail, look for microdots, and then send them on their way. Bermuda has a long history of spying, as some of our Navy friends will deny. There are no underwater listening facilities and these are not the droids you are looking for... A very small but fascinating bit of US history is in St. Georges. The Bermuda National Trust building houses a Confederate museum. Bermuda was a critical smuggling center for the Confederacy, and that building was the headquarters. It has been decades but IIRC a woman who was the ?wife? of the Confederate commander there gave birth in the building. She insisted dirt from her home in Virginia be placed on the floor so they child would be born on "Virginia Soil". Ferry Point Park is a great place to walk down the old Railway Trail. There is a Martello tower at the tip near a nice beach at Whale Bone Bay. Be careful of Portugeuse Man O'War jellyfish on that beach, though. The winds seem to blow them in frequently. You may be surprised by the Prickly Pear cactus that is common there. The island is naturally very dry, so the cactus flourished. Also, wear surf shoes if you are wading due to the sea urchins. Along the rail trail keep an eye out for schools of huge parrotfish. They are so brightly colored you can't miss them. If the waves are not too rough get as close to the school as you can (on shore). Listen and you can actually hear them scrape the coral with their "beaks". A Martello tower is a now rare fortification dating to around the Napoleonic era. It was a very good design- A ring keep with a central round tower that allowed gunners to rotate their cannons 365 degrees. As you head over the causeway from the airport you will meet a crossroads that features the original Swizzle Inn. Go in and have a rum cocktail (Rum Swizzle). If you head to the right there is a small perfumery that is a neat stop for your woman folk. The island used to be where huge numbers of traditional Easter Lillies were grown for the US Market. The excess lillies were made into perfume. They still make perfume on the island at this spot, so check it out. The original method of perfume making was to use trays of lard packed into a container with an ungodly amount of flowers. Ever notice your butter in the fridge takes on a funky taste? This is the same principle at work- the fat in the butter absorbs the volatile oils. In this case it is flowers. The fat is then heated and the volatile essence of the flowers was essentially distilled off and retained. The island is riddled with caves. The geology of the island is basically a volcanic plug that was topped by a lot of coral reefs. The limestone that began as coral is riddled with caves. You can explore some of them at Grotto Bay and the Blue Hole. You may see traditional Bermuda houses being built or repaired. They cut the limestone with gas powered circular saws. Water is precious in Bermuda, and the traditional Bermuda house was meant to collect rain water. The tile roofs led to pipes that dropped down to a cistern that was the foundation of the house. This made a nice place for mosquitoes to breed, so zebrafish are put into the cisterns to eat the mosquito larvae. Every once in a while the cisterns are cleaned. The water is very sweet and soft due to the dissolved limestone. Bermuda has the highest incidence of kidney stones in the world due to this. Water is also distilled from sea water I believe at this point, but either way water is precious! Towards the "center" of the island (really islands) is the capital city of Hamilton. In the area is the Bermuda Aquarium and Zoo (good fun for kids- check out the size of the Moray Eel (I suspect he is still alive). If you or your woman are into flowers the Bermuda Arboretum is worth a visit. You will probably find a good number of species that are new to you. Unfortunately a major species is mostly missing- the Bermuda Cedar. It was what used to cover the island and was the preferred source of wood. It was knocked down due to an insect infestation. IIRC it was scale insects that did this grim work about the time of WWII. Hamilton is a neat little city, but there are a few places that are not savory. You have to work to find those places, but simply be aware and you will be fine. The bars are mostly along Front Street. There are lots of jewelry stores, wine merchants, and a few traditional English department stores. You can get your bermuda shorts there and a nice umbrella or two. Front Street is where the big cruise ships dock. There are tobacco shops that sell Cuban cigars if that is your taste. Source a grocery store and get some sundries for your beach time that way. Food is expensive as noted, but no reason you have to buy everything at a restaurant. The beaches near your hotel are famous for a reason. The pink sand of some of them is interesting. The color comes from ground up shells. The shelf of Bermuda is not far from shore there- it is a drop off that goes down thousands of feet. The ocean swells there can be strong, so be aware of an undertoe possibility. The diving is great if that is your bag. There are a lot of wrecks to dive on and the coral is fun to cruise among. One creature you should look for at the coast is called a Chiton. It resembles a trilobyte and it has an armored shell. It sucks onto the rocks and sticks there no matter how rough the tide is. They are odd looking prehistoric looking creatures. They are mollusks, I think. On the inside "bay" section away from your hotel is a small island. It was used to house Boer Prisoners of War. They put them out on these small islands, withdrew the drawbridge and pretty much let them rule themselves. The Royal Dockyards is worth a visit. More cannons is always better. Remember that Bermuda became critical for the Brits after the American Revolution. It was from the Royal Dockyards the cheeky beasts set sail to burn Washington, DC. So, there you have it. My longwinded take on a 26 mile long chain of islands. There are a lot more cars now than in the past due to the international banking concerns on the island. Scooter safe and keep your eyes on a swivel. |
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Quoted:
Bermuda is an island fortress. There are so many fortifications it is ridiculous. From the North there is Fort St. Catherine. As cannons became obsolete they simply pitched them off the parapets onto the beach (or in some cases the keeps) below. You will find all manner of cannons on the island in various states of rusty disrepair. My favorite bar is unfortunately closed, but it was the Gunpowder cavern in St. Georges. The cavern was an underground gunpowder storage facility. It had warnings on the doors reminding all who entered they had to wear rope sandals and IIRC silk clothing due to the fear of static discharge. All the doors had brass hinges for the same reason. On the grounds of the demolished Club Med was a fascinating site. It was where a lot of the international mail landed that was being ferried from the US to Europe. The US and Brits had an agreement to hush hush steam open the mail, look for microdots, and then send them on their way. Bermuda has a long history of spying, as some of our Navy friends will deny. There are no underwater listening facilities and these are not the droids you are looking for... A very small but fascinating bit of US history is in St. Georges. The Bermuda National Trust building houses a Confederate museum. Bermuda was a critical smuggling center for the Confederacy, and that building was the headquarters. It has been decades but IIRC a woman who was the ?wife? of the Confederate commander there gave birth in the building. She insisted dirt from her home in Virginia be placed on the floor so they child would be born on "Virginia Soil". Ferry Point Park is a great place to walk down the old Railway Trail. There is a Martello tower at the tip near a nice beach at Whale Bone Bay. Be careful of Portugeuse Man O'War jellyfish on that beach, though. The winds seem to blow them in frequently. You may be surprised by the Prickly Pear cactus that is common there. The island is naturally very dry, so the cactus flourished. Also, wear surf shoes if you are wading due to the sea urchins. Along the rail trail keep an eye out for schools of huge parrotfish. They are so brightly colored you can't miss them. If the waves are not too rough get as close to the school as you can (on shore). Listen and you can actually hear them scrape the coral with their "beaks". A Martello tower is a now rare fortification dating to around the Napoleonic era. It was a very good design- A ring keep with a central round tower that allowed gunners to rotate their cannons 365 degrees. As you head over the causeway from the airport you will meet a crossroads that features the original Swizzle Inn. Go in and have a rum cocktail (Rum Swizzle). If you head to the right there is a small perfumery that is a neat stop for your woman folk. The island used to be where huge numbers of traditional Easter Lillies were grown for the US Market. The excess lillies were made into perfume. They still make perfume on the island at this spot, so check it out. The original method of perfume making was to use trays of lard packed into a container with an ungodly amount of flowers. Ever notice your butter in the fridge takes on a funky taste? This is the same principle at work- the fat in the butter absorbs the volatile oils. In this case it is flowers. The fat is then heated and the volatile essence of the flowers was essentially distilled off and retained. The island is riddled with caves. The geology of the island is basically a volcanic plug that was topped by a lot of coral reefs. The limestone that began as coral is riddled with caves. You can explore some of them at Grotto Bay and the Blue Hole. You may see traditional Bermuda houses being built or repaired. They cut the limestone with gas powered circular saws. Water is precious in Bermuda, and the traditional Bermuda house was meant to collect rain water. The tile roofs led to pipes that dropped down to a cistern that was the foundation of the house. This made a nice place for mosquitoes to breed, so zebrafish are put into the cisterns to eat the mosquito larvae. Every once in a while the cisterns are cleaned. The water is very sweet and soft due to the dissolved limestone. Bermuda has the highest incidence of kidney stones in the world due to this. Water is also distilled from sea water I believe at this point, but either way water is precious! Towards the "center" of the island (really islands) is the capital city of Hamilton. In the area is the Bermuda Aquarium and Zoo (good fun for kids- check out the size of the Moray Eel (I suspect he is still alive). If you or your woman are into flowers the Bermuda Arboretum is worth a visit. You will probably find a good number of species that are new to you. Unfortunately a major species is mostly missing- the Bermuda Cedar. It was what used to cover the island and was the preferred source of wood. It was knocked down due to an insect infestation. IIRC it was scale insects that did this grim work about the time of WWII. Hamilton is a neat little city, but there are a few places that are not savory. You have to work to find those places, but simply be aware and you will be fine. The bars are mostly along Front Street. There are lots of jewelry stores, wine merchants, and a few traditional English department stores. You can get your bermuda shorts there and a nice umbrella or two. Front Street is where the big cruise ships dock. There are tobacco shops that sell Cuban cigars if that is your taste. Source a grocery store and get some sundries for your beach time that way. Food is expensive as noted, but no reason you have to buy everything at a restaurant. The beaches near your hotel are famous for a reason. The pink sand of some of them is interesting. The color comes from ground up shells. The shelf of Bermuda is not far from shore there- it is a drop off that goes down thousands of feet. The ocean swells there can be strong, so be aware of an undertoe possibility. The diving is great if that is your bag. There are a lot of wrecks to dive on and the coral is fun to cruise among. One creature you should look for at the coast is called a Chiton. It resembles a trilobyte and it has an armored shell. It sucks onto the rocks and sticks there no matter how rough the tide is. They are odd looking prehistoric looking creatures. They are mollusks, I think. On the inside "bay" section away from your hotel is a small island. It was used to house Boer Prisoners of War. They put them out on these small islands, withdrew the drawbridge and pretty much let them rule themselves. The Royal Dockyards is worth a visit. More cannons is always better. Remember that Bermuda became critical for the Brits after the American Revolution. It was from the Royal Dockyards the cheeky beasts set sail to burn Washington, DC. So, there you have it. My longwinded take on a 26 mile long chain of islands. There are a lot more cars now than in the past due to the international banking concerns on the island. Scooter safe and keep your eyes on a swivel. |
| My wife and I were there for a work convention last spring. I really enjoyed the visit and it was well worth the visit. We were there four days and that was about long enough. Any longer and I would probably start to feel claustrophobic. We also stayed at the Fairmont Southampton as well - really nice hotel. |
| I used to travel there on business couple times/years. One of the nicest, cleanest islands I've ever visited...love the place. I stayed at the Hamilton Princess on the harbor which is the sister property of your hotel. You're staying at a great spot and I believe they'll shuttle you into town for for free. Good deals on watches & jewelry with no tax if you're in the market for anything. |
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Quoted:
Bermuda is an island fortress. There are so many fortifications it is ridiculous. From the North there is Fort St. Catherine. As cannons became obsolete they simply pitched them off the parapets onto the beach (or in some cases the keeps) below. You will find all manner of cannons on the island in various states of rusty disrepair. My favorite bar is unfortunately closed, but it was the Gunpowder cavern in St. Georges. The cavern was an underground gunpowder storage facility. It had warnings on the doors reminding all who entered they had to wear rope sandals and IIRC silk clothing due to the fear of static discharge. All the doors had brass hinges for the same reason. On the grounds of the demolished Club Med was a fascinating site. It was where a lot of the international mail landed that was being ferried from the US to Europe. The US and Brits had an agreement to hush hush steam open the mail, look for microdots, and then send them on their way. Bermuda has a long history of spying, as some of our Navy friends will deny. There are no underwater listening facilities and these are not the droids you are looking for... A very small but fascinating bit of US history is in St. Georges. The Bermuda National Trust building houses a Confederate museum. Bermuda was a critical smuggling center for the Confederacy, and that building was the headquarters. It has been decades but IIRC a woman who was the ?wife? of the Confederate commander there gave birth in the building. She insisted dirt from her home in Virginia be placed on the floor so they child would be born on "Virginia Soil". Ferry Point Park is a great place to walk down the old Railway Trail. There is a Martello tower at the tip near a nice beach at Whale Bone Bay. Be careful of Portugeuse Man O'War jellyfish on that beach, though. The winds seem to blow them in frequently. You may be surprised by the Prickly Pear cactus that is common there. The island is naturally very dry, so the cactus flourished. Also, wear surf shoes if you are wading due to the sea urchins. Along the rail trail keep an eye out for schools of huge parrotfish. They are so brightly colored you can't miss them. If the waves are not too rough get as close to the school as you can (on shore). Listen and you can actually hear them scrape the coral with their "beaks". A Martello tower is a now rare fortification dating to around the Napoleonic era. It was a very good design- A ring keep with a central round tower that allowed gunners to rotate their cannons 365 degrees. As you head over the causeway from the airport you will meet a crossroads that features the original Swizzle Inn. Go in and have a rum cocktail (Rum Swizzle). If you head to the right there is a small perfumery that is a neat stop for your woman folk. The island used to be where huge numbers of traditional Easter Lillies were grown for the US Market. The excess lillies were made into perfume. They still make perfume on the island at this spot, so check it out. The original method of perfume making was to use trays of lard packed into a container with an ungodly amount of flowers. Ever notice your butter in the fridge takes on a funky taste? This is the same principle at work- the fat in the butter absorbs the volatile oils. In this case it is flowers. The fat is then heated and the volatile essence of the flowers was essentially distilled off and retained. The island is riddled with caves. The geology of the island is basically a volcanic plug that was topped by a lot of coral reefs. The limestone that began as coral is riddled with caves. You can explore some of them at Grotto Bay and the Blue Hole. You may see traditional Bermuda houses being built or repaired. They cut the limestone with gas powered circular saws. Water is precious in Bermuda, and the traditional Bermuda house was meant to collect rain water. The tile roofs led to pipes that dropped down to a cistern that was the foundation of the house. This made a nice place for mosquitoes to breed, so zebrafish are put into the cisterns to eat the mosquito larvae. Every once in a while the cisterns are cleaned. The water is very sweet and soft due to the dissolved limestone. Bermuda has the highest incidence of kidney stones in the world due to this. Water is also distilled from sea water I believe at this point, but either way water is precious! Towards the "center" of the island (really islands) is the capital city of Hamilton. In the area is the Bermuda Aquarium and Zoo (good fun for kids- check out the size of the Moray Eel (I suspect he is still alive). If you or your woman are into flowers the Bermuda Arboretum is worth a visit. You will probably find a good number of species that are new to you. Unfortunately a major species is mostly missing- the Bermuda Cedar. It was what used to cover the island and was the preferred source of wood. It was knocked down due to an insect infestation. IIRC it was scale insects that did this grim work about the time of WWII. Hamilton is a neat little city, but there are a few places that are not savory. You have to work to find those places, but simply be aware and you will be fine. The bars are mostly along Front Street. There are lots of jewelry stores, wine merchants, and a few traditional English department stores. You can get your bermuda shorts there and a nice umbrella or two. Front Street is where the big cruise ships dock. There are tobacco shops that sell Cuban cigars if that is your taste. Source a grocery store and get some sundries for your beach time that way. Food is expensive as noted, but no reason you have to buy everything at a restaurant. The beaches near your hotel are famous for a reason. The pink sand of some of them is interesting. The color comes from ground up shells. The shelf of Bermuda is not far from shore there- it is a drop off that goes down thousands of feet. The ocean swells there can be strong, so be aware of an undertoe possibility. The diving is great if that is your bag. There are a lot of wrecks to dive on and the coral is fun to cruise among. One creature you should look for at the coast is called a Chiton. It resembles a trilobyte and it has an armored shell. It sucks onto the rocks and sticks there no matter how rough the tide is. They are odd looking prehistoric looking creatures. They are mollusks, I think. On the inside "bay" section away from your hotel is a small island. It was used to house Boer Prisoners of War. They put them out on these small islands, withdrew the drawbridge and pretty much let them rule themselves. The Royal Dockyards is worth a visit. More cannons is always better. Remember that Bermuda became critical for the Brits after the American Revolution. It was from the Royal Dockyards the cheeky beasts set sail to burn Washington, DC. So, there you have it. My longwinded take on a 26 mile long chain of islands. There are a lot more cars now than in the past due to the international banking concerns on the island. Scooter safe and keep your eyes on a swivel. Be aware, food is crazy expensive, so prepare for sticker shock! St. Georges (the town and the Parish) is awesome, although not as nice as it used to be. The cruise ships used to dock there along with Hamilton, but as the ships got bigger Town Cut couldn't handle them, The decision to widen Town Cut was put to a vote, and the citizens sided with the environmental turds, and said no. The cruise ships said, well, then, fuck you, and started docking at the Royal Navy Dockyard instead. Cruise ships rarely go to St. Georges anymore, and the town isn't nearly as spit and polish as it was, and a lot of shops and such have closed. The Royal Navy Dockyard on the other hand is booming again. St. Georges has a bunch of fortifications to see if you like that stuff...there is one of the old, original forts right near Town Cut, Gates Fort....there is Alexandra Battery Park, which is a more modern coastal defence fort and still has its breech loading guns in place, Fort St. Catherines, which is a large fort, and museum, WELL worth the trip to see...The Martello Tower on the West end of St. George....Fort Victoria, which the unfortunately built a now defunct and torn down monstrosity of an ugly hotel on...last time I was there, you could ride the trails to it and sneak around....Fort George which is at the highest point in the town is a gov't building, but you can still go up to it, and see the still emplaced 4 Rifled Muzzle Loaders in place...The town is beautiful to walk around, beautiful gardens and parks, and architecture if you like that. Good places to swim too around the island... The Royal Navy Dockyard too is a magnificent place to visit. There is a whole raft of things to do and see around there now that the ships dock there, but by far, IMHO, is of course the Keep and Comandants House....you have to pay to go in, but its worth it if you are into history... Forts dot Bermuda like salt on popcorn...if you really want to make the most of that part, you must buy this book... https://www.amazon.com/dp/0921560117?tag=vglnk-c102-20 By Edward Harris, one of the most esteemed Bermuda Historians....it is exhaustive, and fascinating. I bought it one of my first trips down, and paid nearly $100 for it, it is invaluable to me. Drinking....of course you must hit The Swizzle Inn several or more times....famous for their Rum Swizzles, which really sneak up on you....a buddy and I set the company record for downing 7 pitchers between us a couple of years ago...I don't remember getting back to the hotel....There are two now...the original, which is just off the causeway coming from the Airport (on St. Davids) to the Main Island....there is the second one which is on South Shore Road, and stumbling distance from where we stay.... 
You will have to either rent a scooter, or depend on your feet or public transportation...you have to be a Bermudian to drive a car...the scooters can be DANGEROUS, drive on the LEFT, don't forget...and watch out for Bermuda drivers who are nuts in general. Now some pics.... Coming into Bermuda... Attached File Martello Tower Attached File Ferry Island from Martello Tower Attached File House in St. Georges Attached File Beach.... Attached File It is a magical, and wonderful, and beautiful place, I never get tired of it.... |
| Went last year with my wife for a work conference. Had a great time. Very friendly people and a very safe place to go. We stayed at the same hotel you are going to. There is some good shopping in the main city along the waterfront if you are so inclined. We also get a sunset cruise. Public transportation is plentiful and cheap so hop a bus and definitely do a tour of the island. |
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Oh, and in regards to what Cheesebeast said about the perfumery, it is no longer near the Swizzle Inn, it is now on St. Georges, or St. Davids...I forget which, not really my bag so I didn't pay close attention... I didn't know the perfumery had moved. It has been too long since I visited Bermuda. I will have to get that book on Bermuda fortifications you mentioned. I don't know if you got a chance to go into the Gunpowder Cavern but I got a behind the bar tour once of the tunnels that honeycomb that facility. I really wish someone would open up that facility, at least for tours. Too much history to let it just stay idle! |
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Neat photos!! I didn't know the perfumery had moved. It has been too long since I visited Bermuda. I will have to get that book on Bermuda fortifications you mentioned. I don't know if you got a chance to go into the Gunpowder Cavern but I got a behind the bar tour once of the tunnels that honeycomb that facility. I really wish someone would open up that facility, at least for tours. Too much history to let it just stay idle! The Gunpowder Cavern has been closed for quite a while now, they make noise of re-doing it and re=opening, but it hasn't happened as of yet, although I will check in a couple of weeks... Like I said, if you haven't been to Fort St. Catherines, definitely go if you can, its a big museum, lots of things to see, lots of areas to explore.... The book is excellent, not only does it tell the history and the timeline progression of ALL the forts on Bermuda, it is nice to use to plan your attack...and as you know quite a few forts are on islands with no land access, so if they aren't private property you have to figure a way to get to them. Although I have found that there are more than enough to see that you don't need to go out of your way... Another sad thing...if you went to the Royal Navy Dockyard, which was almost abandoned up until about 8-10 years ago (they had the Museum, and a few shopping areas, but the dock section were empty) on every wall, building, shed there were crests of all the ships that made ports of call at the base, painted by the crews...a lot of US and Brits, but German, Dutch, etc too....they have pretty much demolished all of that history...the WEDC (West End Development Company) who essentially owns most of it now are real dicks, and just tore them down...luckily I had taken photos of petty much all of them before they were destroyed... Attached File Attached File St Davids Light, which they copied on Coney Island for the movie The Deep (they didn't want to blow up the real one!) Attached File 64 pounder rifled muzzle loader in Moncrieff Disappearing Gun Mount, at Fort Scaur... Attached File Row of 32 Pdrs at the Royal Navy Dockyard... Attached File |
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Here is some info on the now gone crests....
"2-17. April 10. The last of Dockyard’s historic naval emblems have been painted over as part of the major renovation project on the South Basin. For decades navy crews proudly painted their ships’ crest on the concrete walls surrounding the South Yard where the vessels berthed. Between 1951 and 1995 scores of vessels from across the world passed through Bermuda and left their mark in the West End. Over the years the crests have faded away and many of the emblems have been repainted by volunteers. However, last week the last of the crests were whitewashed as part of the upgrade. Edward Harris, director of the National Museum, revealed that all the crests had been photographed and were available on the museum’s website (since 2009, available on our website at www.bermuda-online.org/rndshipscrestswalls.htm). “Some dockyard heritage has been lost in the clearing of the South Yard of the old Royal Naval Dockyard for the erection of buildings for the teams competing in the America’s Cup and the last of the unique ships’ crests have now been painted over,” Dr Harris said. “However, all of the crests have been professionally photographed and will eventually be available for viewing on the National Museum website. In addition, Moresby House, the old headquarters of HMS Malabar of the North American and West Indies Station is being saved and renovated and will soon overlook the South Yard and all the America’s Cup activities in considerable splendor, thanks to a grant from the Government. “It is hoped that other legacy projects in Bermuda will result as part of the America’s Cup events at Bermuda.” The South Yard was built in Dockyard between 1901 and 1910 to accommodate the larger ships that were becoming more commonplace across the world. Between the 1920s and the 1940s the yard was used for basic repairs on passing naval ships. This continued throughout the Second World War while Bermuda was used as a base for the Allied forces. The South Yard remained the Royal Navy’s base in Bermuda for the next four decades. In 1985 the South Basin was dredged to allow nuclear submarines to come into the South Yard and ten years later the Royal Navy left Bermuda and the South Yard was handed over to the Bermuda Government. Scores of naval ships left their mark in the South Yard between 1951 and 1995 including well known vessels such as HMS Brilliant and HMS Londonderry that have since been decommissioned. And even before then in April 1943 HMS Argonaut famously called into the South Yard for repairs after having her entire stern and part of her bow blown off by an Italian submarine. Now ended forever is this former unique cultural aspect of Bermuda. See http://www.royalgazette.com/article/20121017/NEWS/710179937. " Also, I don't know if you knew, but you know Ordnance Island in St. Georges? It is the small island right next to town, you cross the small bridge to get to? That is where the cruise ships docked...anyway, in WWII Ordnance Island was a US Navy submarine base.... Oh, and he talks about HMS Malabar...this was HMS Malabar last year, it had fallen into bad disrepair... Looking out front doors... Attached File Attached File Casement Barracks, and Magazines at Dockyard.... Attached File |
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Quoted:
Here is some info on the now gone crests.... "2-17. April 10. The last of Dockyard’s historic naval emblems have been painted over as part of the major renovation project on the South Basin. For decades navy crews proudly painted their ships’ crest on the concrete walls surrounding the South Yard where the vessels berthed. Between 1951 and 1995 scores of vessels from across the world passed through Bermuda and left their mark in the West End. Over the years the crests have faded away and many of the emblems have been repainted by volunteers. However, last week the last of the crests were whitewashed as part of the upgrade. Edward Harris, director of the National Museum, revealed that all the crests had been photographed and were available on the museum’s website (since 2009, available on our website at www.bermuda-online.org/rndshipscrestswalls.htm). “Some dockyard heritage has been lost in the clearing of the South Yard of the old Royal Naval Dockyard for the erection of buildings for the teams competing in the America’s Cup and the last of the unique ships’ crests have now been painted over,” Dr Harris said. “However, all of the crests have been professionally photographed and will eventually be available for viewing on the National Museum website. In addition, Moresby House, the old headquarters of HMS Malabar of the North American and West Indies Station is being saved and renovated and will soon overlook the South Yard and all the America’s Cup activities in considerable splendor, thanks to a grant from the Government. “It is hoped that other legacy projects in Bermuda will result as part of the America’s Cup events at Bermuda.” The South Yard was built in Dockyard between 1901 and 1910 to accommodate the larger ships that were becoming more commonplace across the world. Between the 1920s and the 1940s the yard was used for basic repairs on passing naval ships. This continued throughout the Second World War while Bermuda was used as a base for the Allied forces. The South Yard remained the Royal Navy’s base in Bermuda for the next four decades. In 1985 the South Basin was dredged to allow nuclear submarines to come into the South Yard and ten years later the Royal Navy left Bermuda and the South Yard was handed over to the Bermuda Government. Scores of naval ships left their mark in the South Yard between 1951 and 1995 including well known vessels such as HMS Brilliant and HMS Londonderry that have since been decommissioned. And even before then in April 1943 HMS Argonaut famously called into the South Yard for repairs after having her entire stern and part of her bow blown off by an Italian submarine. Now ended forever is this former unique cultural aspect of Bermuda. See http://www.royalgazette.com/article/20121017/NEWS/710179937. " Also, I don't know if you knew, but you know Ordnance Island in St. Georges? It is the small island right next to town, you cross the small bridge to get to? That is where the cruise ships docked...anyway, in WWII Ordnance Island was a US Navy submarine base.... Oh, and he talks about HMS Malabar...this was HMS Malabar last year, it had fallen into bad disrepair... Looking out front doors... https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/374866/20160521-132818-185139.JPG https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/374866/20160521-132333-185141.JPG Casement Barracks, and Magazines at Dockyard.... https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/374866/20150522-123250-185144.JPG The ordnance island in St. George's was a sub base? I had no idea. I did get to go to Nonsuch island at one point when David Wingate was the caretaker. The island is too cool- a sunken ship was used as a dock. German spies were kept there during the war. Before the war Otis Barton and William Beebe used it as a research station for their deep water dives. The lab there was where Beebe made his sketches of deep sea life. The Cahow bird nests on the island, so they are restrictive on access. David Wingate spent a bit too much time on the island alone. I remember when I met him he was sitting in a lawn chair with a side by side shotgun at his side. He used to blast non-native species. He was committed to the restoration of the endangered Cahow bird, and in the process probably came close to being committed. 
The bird was thought extinct for a very long time before one hit the lighthouse you pictured in 1951. They nest on the ground, so rats, cats, etc. do a number on them. Hazy memory here but I came across some odd remains of what I suspected may be a leather cannon- barrel hoops and degraded pieces near Gates Fort. I can't be positive that I THINK it was around Gates Fort in St. George's. This was a long time ago (1991) and I wish I could say exactly where I was when I came across it. I was all over the island and spent a lot of time mucking about in the forts, so they kind of run together. Anyway, have fun on your next trip. I am certainly jealous! |