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St. David's Headquarters.
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aka "The Sofar Station" |
SOFAR Through the Years - 3 photos supplied by Tom Graves that show the progression from 5 small unconnected buildings to it's eventual complex complex. (Yes, I meant to say that - adjective and noun!)
SOFAR in the early '50s. Photo courtesy of Tom Graves.
The very impressive radio mast. To the right is 1400, with it's radio mast, and an Austin A10 parked out front. Further to the right is 1407, which was for storage, and was the darkroom for developing film. To the left of the radio mast is 1401 - which housed everything else - Admin, scientists and recording room. To the left of that was another building that I never went into - probably storage.
In front of 1401were 2 more storage huts, with a connecting breezeway which was used as a bike shed, and way off to the right is a Morris Minor (Franks?!)
There looks to be some kind of excavation for the foundation of a building, but when the machine shop was built, it was placed further to the right (on top of Frank's car!!)
Any guesses what the 3-sided wooden contraption was?
Posted Aug. 2014.
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In front of 1401were 2 more storage huts, with a connecting breezeway which was used as a bike shed, and way off to the right is a Morris Minor (Franks?!)
There looks to be some kind of excavation for the foundation of a building, but when the machine shop was built, it was placed further to the right (on top of Frank's car!!)
Any guesses what the 3-sided wooden contraption was?
Posted Aug. 2014.
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Jan. 1958. Photo courtesy of Tom Graves.
The only addition from the previous photo is the large and impressive machine shop in front of 1400. SOFAR had, by then, acquired a truck and a jeep (parked to the left of the machine shop).
By 1960, the top sections of the radio mast (either down to the join just above the horizon or the one below) had been removed. Also, there had been an addition to the main building - the 2 windows on either side of the door on the front facade were replaced with larger windows, and a rain portico added at the front door. The building was also extended to the right with the addition of a store room (Pic's closet), a bathroom, an extension of the recording room, and Ham's office. This would have extended to about where the small white box is located in the photo.
Posted Aug. 2014
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By 1960, the top sections of the radio mast (either down to the join just above the horizon or the one below) had been removed. Also, there had been an addition to the main building - the 2 windows on either side of the door on the front facade were replaced with larger windows, and a rain portico added at the front door. The building was also extended to the right with the addition of a store room (Pic's closet), a bathroom, an extension of the recording room, and Ham's office. This would have extended to about where the small white box is located in the photo.
Posted Aug. 2014
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SOFAR in 1982. Photo courtesy of Tom Graves.
SOFAR from the East. There was no further building after this, as SOFAR was winding down in preparation for the move to Florida.
Posted Aug. 2014.
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Posted Aug. 2014.
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The End of an Era.
Supplied by Tom Graves. Posted July 2014
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Photo courtesy of Pegi Croucher.
This photo was taken from the top of the radio mast at SOFAR in 1959 by Bill Adams. The mast was dismantled shortly after to make room for an extension of the main building.
Posted Apr 2014.
Posted Apr 2014.
SOFAR Station, St. David's, Bermuda
SOFAR Station, Courtesy of Mark Morrison
This was it, in all it's former glory!! I guess this picture was taken in the
1970's.
Why was it all knocked down, and so soon after we left?
Were none of those building useful for storage, or industrial purposes (there
was a fully equipped machine shop and carpenters shop). Low Cost/temporary housing even. Strange.
Posted Nov 2013
I attempted to contact Mark Morrison during Oct. 2013 for permission to post this photo, to no avail. Mark has recently found the site, and has supplied some more information about his time at SOFAR, and will be sending more pictures in the future.
Posted Feb. 2014
1970's.
Why was it all knocked down, and so soon after we left?
Were none of those building useful for storage, or industrial purposes (there
was a fully equipped machine shop and carpenters shop). Low Cost/temporary housing even. Strange.
Posted Nov 2013
I attempted to contact Mark Morrison during Oct. 2013 for permission to post this photo, to no avail. Mark has recently found the site, and has supplied some more information about his time at SOFAR, and will be sending more pictures in the future.
Posted Feb. 2014
As it is today (October 2013).
SOFAR used to be on the green space beyond the houses, where the 2 casuarina trees are now. The white roof behind the telephone pole matches the roof of the red house in the picture above. The house to the left of the red house is either new construction since the picture above was taken, or was out of view in the picture above. The picture above was probably taken from the lighthouse or the Mount Hill BE Station (aka 2600, or the 'Sofar Tower' ). This picture was taken from the car park.
Posted Nov 2013.
Mark confirms that the photo above was taken from the top of the lighthouse.
Posted Feb. 2014.
SOFAR used to be on the green space beyond the houses, where the 2 casuarina trees are now. The white roof behind the telephone pole matches the roof of the red house in the picture above. The house to the left of the red house is either new construction since the picture above was taken, or was out of view in the picture above. The picture above was probably taken from the lighthouse or the Mount Hill BE Station (aka 2600, or the 'Sofar Tower' ). This picture was taken from the car park.
Posted Nov 2013.
Mark confirms that the photo above was taken from the top of the lighthouse.
Posted Feb. 2014.
The gate into SOFAR. Photo taken 20th. Oct 2013.
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View through the mesh of the gate, showing the driveway up towards the main building, with the parking outside 1400, and the retaining wall to the West of 1400 just visible. Photo taken 20th. Oct 2013.
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October 1965 - Roadworks
Photo courtesy of Tom Graves.
The view from near the main gate, looking approximately North-East. The buildings, (from L. to R.) are:-
Sonny Minors’ Carpentry Shop, with the 3 windows,
A very tiny corner of the Aluminium and Steel storage shed.
The main office block, which was originally just the section with the Bermuda roof, (that is the house where Sonny Minors was born), which was then added to on several occasions. The first addition was the section immediately behind the farther piece of construction machinery. The second addition was the section immediately behind the grader (the closer of the two pieces of construction machinery), and the third addition was the section on the right of the picture (with the black rafter feet).
3 new radio masts have been added since the earlier photo.
Posted Jan. 2014.
Sonny Minors’ Carpentry Shop, with the 3 windows,
A very tiny corner of the Aluminium and Steel storage shed.
The main office block, which was originally just the section with the Bermuda roof, (that is the house where Sonny Minors was born), which was then added to on several occasions. The first addition was the section immediately behind the farther piece of construction machinery. The second addition was the section immediately behind the grader (the closer of the two pieces of construction machinery), and the third addition was the section on the right of the picture (with the black rafter feet).
3 new radio masts have been added since the earlier photo.
Posted Jan. 2014.
October 1965 - Roadworks
Photo courtesy of Tom Graves.
The view from near the main gate, the same location as the picture above, but looking approximately East.
This shows more clearly the third addition (mentioned above) on the
left of the photo.
The small low building with the radio antenna in the middle of the photo is one of the original buildings – 1400 – with the later ‘1400 extension’ on the right.
The lean-to section on the left of the photo was where the Recording
Room was, with the 2-storey section behind housing the offices of Tom Graves, Peter Grayston, Miles Mayall, and Brian Patterson.
The space below them on the ground floor was occupied by the vault, Marvin Drake’s office and Ants Piip’s office.
1400 was – during the ‘60s – the electronics shop – work benches, the TCP radio (with the antenna on the roof) and the freight scales, around the walls, and a central cluster of cabinets and drawers which contained every kind of electronic component you could possibly want or imagine – resistors, capacitors, transformers, electrical wire, metal boxes and panels to mount the components in/on, etc.. In those days, we had to build everything from scratch. The 1400 extension housed more work spaces on the lower level, and storage on the upper level.
The squat ugly radio mast that used to be on 1400 has been replaced by a more aesthetic whip aerial.
Posted Jan. 2014
This shows more clearly the third addition (mentioned above) on the
left of the photo.
The small low building with the radio antenna in the middle of the photo is one of the original buildings – 1400 – with the later ‘1400 extension’ on the right.
The lean-to section on the left of the photo was where the Recording
Room was, with the 2-storey section behind housing the offices of Tom Graves, Peter Grayston, Miles Mayall, and Brian Patterson.
The space below them on the ground floor was occupied by the vault, Marvin Drake’s office and Ants Piip’s office.
1400 was – during the ‘60s – the electronics shop – work benches, the TCP radio (with the antenna on the roof) and the freight scales, around the walls, and a central cluster of cabinets and drawers which contained every kind of electronic component you could possibly want or imagine – resistors, capacitors, transformers, electrical wire, metal boxes and panels to mount the components in/on, etc.. In those days, we had to build everything from scratch. The 1400 extension housed more work spaces on the lower level, and storage on the upper level.
The squat ugly radio mast that used to be on 1400 has been replaced by a more aesthetic whip aerial.
Posted Jan. 2014
Click photos below to enlarge.
SOFAR 1962.
Copyright Government of Bermuda
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SOFAR 1973.
Copyright Government of Bermuda
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SOFAR 2013. Google Earth
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