Halley Bay - 1977

<-1976
1978->

Notable events/features of the year

  • Name of base changed from Halley Bay to Halley, 15 August.
  • VLF plateau station deployed 130 km south of base, February 1977

People

LaxK.C.(Ken)BC
+BradfordW.J.(John 'JB')Geophysicist
ChambersS.B.(Steve 'Ting')Ionosphericist
DaviesM.C.B.(Mike 'Honk')GA, Tractors
EdwardsP.(Pete)GA
EmeryS.(Steve)Electrician
ForsythT.H.(Tom 'Fosdyke')Radio Operator
GardinerB.A.(Barry 'Roger')Met. physicist
HartP.M.(Phil 'Mogden')Meteorologist
HoggD.G.(Dave)Ionosphericist
+HoulcroftM.E.(Michael 'Bunny')Tractor mechanic
LevackI.D.(Iain 'Leeches')Doctor
MatthewsJ.P.('Harry')VLF Scientist
MorganG.G.(George 'Ratbag')Meteorologist
OliverJ.B.(Jim)Cook
PinnockM.(Mike 'Tiger')Ionosphericist
QuinnA.J.(Andy)Physicist
+RutherfordI.(Ian 'Geordie')Builder
SomertonI.W.(Ian 'Pedro')Geophysicist
WittyP.R.(Pete)DM
WrightJ.(John 'Youth')GA
+ Deceased

Dogs

Brae, Muff.

Pictures

Base photo:
Halley Bay base photo, 1977
Picture supplied by Tony Jackson
Back Row: Bunny - Gladys - Honk - Dave - Jim - Youth - Ratbag - JB - Geordie - Nibs - Ting - Leech - Pierre - Andy - Pedro - Tom - KCL - H -Tiger
Front Left: Phil - Roger
Brae - Muff
Translation (courtesy of Barry Gardiner & Mike Pinnock):
Back Row: Houlcroft, Witty, Davies, Hogg, Oliver, Wright, Morgan, Bradford, Rutherford, Emery, Chambers, Levack, Edwards, Quinn, Somerton, Forsyth, Lax, Matthews, Pinnock
Front Left: Hart, Gardiner
Brae - Muff

Oral History Recordings

Other information, anecdotes etc.

Reunion 2007

Reunion 2009

Reunion 2013

Reunion 2015

Reunion 2017

Reunion 2019

Reunion May 2020

Midwinter meeting 2020

Reunion Oct 2020

Reunion Nov 2021

Reunion Nov 2022

Visit to old IGY base (Halley I) by John Wright

Steve Chambers writes:

I must say that a Halley site is a splendid idea. Anecdotes of Halley ..now that could be a problem ..There's not enough bandwidth on the Internet. Some of the funniest stories included how we got our nicknames. Some nicknames I'm sure can still cause embarrassment with wives and girlfriends. For instance, why was Ken Lax called rent a cockerel ? How ever did Barry Gardiner end up with the nickname Roger , and one of the most embarrassing, how did Mike Pinnock end up with the name Tiger ? I think the rapport on this site over the coming months could be very entertaining! [12 May 2002]
John Wright:
Followed the year at Halley with an unplanned Winter at Belgrano. [15 November 2001]
Mike Pinnock on "Streaking":
In 1977, John "Harry" Matthews (VLF physicist) did several streaks from Halley 3, taking the same route as Graham Chambers records. He certainly did one during midwinter week. However, this was not an event that involved any other base members so I don't think we can claim to have invented the midwinter streak. I seem to recall that the first time Harry did it he wore no footwear and removed a lot of skin on the metal rungs of the gash shaft ladder! It didn't happen in 1978, so I guess Mick Roscoe's recording of the 1979 base streak may be the first "base-wide" event? [2 January 2004]
* See also contributions by Mick Roscoe, Dave Cruse and Tim Elvin.
John Bradford:
I'm the Stanley beastie man now, so I get a regular visit to the Falklands - if anyone wants to drop in, there's always tea on in the ionosonde hut if I'm there.. [21 April 2009]
Ken Lax reports the death of Michael Houlcroft:
Michael Houlcroft was our tractor mechanic in 1977 and we were all saddened to learn of his death. He died peacefully in hospital in May 2019, but we only found out about this in July 2020. Bunny was popular on base. He had a great sense of humour and contributed much to the general welfare and morale on the base. [19 June 2020]

Links

Summer 1976-77

LawrenceS.J.(Stuart)Captain, Bransfield
SmithA.J.(Andy)HQ Physicist
+SwithinbankC.W.M.(Charles)Visitor by ship


12 Mar 2023
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