Halley audio cassette, June 1972

by Norman Eddleston


There is always something hiding in the closet. About twelve years ago I found that I had Ian Bury's self produced Antarctic cassette tape in my collection. I made multiple copies and sent them to various FIDs, including Ian. At the time I also noticed that I had a different tape which I recorded on and just after Midwinter, 1972, but at the time I had no easy way to edit it down from a jumble of noise, lasting 90 minutes, to something more intelligible.

Well now I have edited it and the result is now available on Google Drive. The running order is as follows:

Tape side 1
00:00 - Midwinter's Day 21st June 1972 Halley Bay.
00:07 - General chat.
01:59 - Met Office/Balloon Launch with Sonde/Ditting (Dave Habgood).
06:16 - Midwinter Lunch/Speeches/Telegrams/Presents.
17:06 - The Lounge/games after lunch.
Tape side 2
18:00 - Walk along corridor, through door, Met Office, up ladder, genny noise.
19:31 - Pre Midwinter Play conversation in the Lounge.
21:34 - Midwinter Play (selected audible bits only).
24:36 - Radio darts match with Palmer Station.
29:47 - To the Beastie Hut (Brian Jenkins).
31:10 - Pup recuperating in the Met Office.
32:40 - Brian Jenkins again then walk to Met Office shaft and down the ladders.
33:49 - End

~50MB in all

I have edited out the raucous inaudible bits and the long tedious sections and what is left is quite interesting. There is hum, caused by the transcription, which I have left for the moment. The noises specific to Halley are there - fire doors opening and shutting, the genny noise on the surface, descending ladders, ditting (grau sonde morse) etc. Fair brings back memories...

The link is: here

You mention in your Midwinter speech that I was recording it for posterity. Well, posterity is here.

[5 Sep 2014]

See also a second tape.

31 August 2015
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