Apprentice Scheme more than half a century ago.

Retired Chief Justice Sir James Astwood, a shipwright, was one before pursuing law and Finance Minister Eugene Cox was another.

Mr. Cox, who trained as an engine fitter in the late 1940s, will be the guest speaker at the reunion.

After the Dockyard experience, Mr. Cox studied in Canada where he obtained a degree in engineering from McGill University. He also taught mathematics locally before joining the Bermuda Electric Light Company in 1962 as a technical assistant to the Chief Engineer, working his way up to assistant Production Engineer in 1967 and then Production Engineer in 1975.

Mr. Cox also held posts of Deputy General Manager and was Chief Engineer of Operations and Production when he retired in 1993 after 31 years of service.

He also served on the board as Director before stepping down in March 1999.

Recently, four apprentices who made the journey to England as teenagers got together back at a much changed Dockyard to speak of their experiences. As they took a trip down memory lane, visitors strolled around nearby, oblivious to the history of the tourist attraction.

"It looks a lot better than when we left 50 years ago,'' says Allan Lister who served for 25 years as a Policeman upon his return, retiring at the rank of Chief Inspector in 1981. His trade was an engine fitter.

"The Naval control went all the way out to Watford Bridge. When I came into the Dockyard I thought I was here for life, my father and grandfather both worked here.

"But things changed rapidly as far as the repairs of ships was concerned.

They were changing over from steam turbine engines which required a lot less maintenance to smaller ships that carried much more firepower than the bigger ones, so the yard was closed.'' Added Mr. Lister, the older brother of MP Walter Lister, chairman of the board at the West End Development Corporation: "My grandfather was a labourer and my father reached skilled labourer status. He wanted me to become a full-fledged mechanic and he encouraged me to come into the Dockyard.

"I wanted to go to university but there was no chance I was going to be able to leave Bermuda to do any studying until the Dockyard was closed. My grandfather came up here in 1904 and now in the year 2000 my brother is in charge of Wedco. It has taken the family 100 years to move from labourer status up to CEO!'' Another Somerset man, Hilton Wingood, a shipwright, remembers working on the last British warship built in the Portsmouth Dockyard, the HMS Leopard , along with another Bermudian, Braxton Simmons.

Mr. Wingood and Mr. Lister also did some work on the British submarine, HMS Affray which came into the Portsmouth Dockyard for emergency maintenance. She sunk in the English Channel soon after, killing the whole crew, which Wingood admits came back to his memory following the recent sinking of the Russian submarine.

"My initial training was on a small floating dock which was brought here from Italy from after the War,'' said Mr. Wingood.

"I spent my first year as an apprentice, at 14 years of age, on this floating dock. The ironic part is after I went to England to complete my training I came back and worked on that same floating dock. I was one of the few Bermudians who came back from England and worked in my trade at Dockyard.'' Mr. Wingood came back after three years to a still very segregated Bermuda.

And even when he joined the Police Service in 1955, two years after returning, the new Policeman still faced discrimination.

"Bermuda was going through a recessionary period and they were calling for Policemen,'' said Mr. Wingood who retired as a Chief Inspector after serving for 32 years.

"At that time Bermuda was still a segregated colony and it was difficult for Bermudians to rise to dizzy heights in the civil service. They told me in an interview I would never rise to a rank higher than constable. I went straight into traffic after just three months' service which was considered the elite in the Police Force.'' Colin Gladwin, an engine fitter, admits he was "very anxious to get back to Bermuda'' after his England experience, though he has some fond memories of the experience.

"We all stuck together and were very supportive of each other,'' says Mr.

Gladwin who worked in insurance for many years upon his return to Bermuda.

"I was glad to get back because I didn't enjoy the weather over there. I wanted to get back to Bermuda and I'm glad I did because after I left there in December, in January papers arrived for me to serve my time in the British Army.'' Mr. Gladwin was another young man who followed his father into the Dockyard in search of a trade.

"My father joined the Dockyard in 1922 as a shipfitter and retired from the British Navy here in 1972, putting 50 years at Dockyard,'' said Mr. Gladwin.

Four men look back Unfortunately, a planned trip to Britain will prevent Mr. Gladwin from attending the reunion.

"I planned the trip to England in January and wasn't aware of this function until May. I have a little family left over there from my parents.'' It was mandatory at the age of 21 to sign up for national service and Mr. Lister recalls Brian Bean of St. George's serving in the British Army for a couple of years.

Jack Fraser, a plumber by trade, worked in his trade for five years after returning to Bermuda before joining the Prison Service in 1961 after replying to an advertisement from that department seeking tradesmen to be instructors.

Mr. Fraser rose to the rank of Assistant Commissioner before retiring in 1988.

The building that would serve as the Casemates Prison, where Mr. Fraser worked for many years, was then a school for the apprentices. It was also used as a wireless communications station.

"I think the rest of the guys will support me when I say that we are very grateful to the UK Government for allowing us to enter the Portsmouth Dockyard and finish our trades,'' said Mr. Fraser.

"Without that I don't know which way we would have gone.''