multi-use park, it retains an old world atmosphere. The old stone buildings, wharfs and fortifications of the 19th century brings you back to the era of the British Empire.

H.M. Dockyard served as the bastion of Royal Naval power in the Western Atlantic from the early 1800s until 1951, when the gates of Dockyard opened to the public.

"But Dockyard was historically the Gibraltar of the West,'' said Mr. Ed Williams, development manager at the West End Development Corporation (Wedco).

"It was an extremely important naval base. And many Bermudians learned their trades in the Dockyard during that time,'' he said.

The former Chief Justice, Sir James Astwood, attended the Dockyard Technical School as an apprentice. He said: "The Dockyard I once knew no longer exists.

It was formerly a naval station but it closed down after 1950.

"The only historic interest there nowadays is in the Maritime Museum and the Commissioner's House,'' he said. "Everything else is far from what I remember as Dockyard. But the restorations in the area are excellent and I commend Wedco for what they've done.'' Sir James, like many other Bermudians who attended the Dockyard Technical School, left secondary school early. "I had no money to pay for my education,'' he said, "so I attended the Dockyard school.'' He spent a further six years in the Drawing Office working on the naval/architectural side of shipbuilding. And following his apprenticeship at the Dockyard school, he went abroad to become a lawyer.

Mr. Charles Batson Swan Sr. of Batson Swan Ltd. -- a plumbing and heating company -- also attended the Dockyard Technical School where he trained in plumbing. "I started there in 1937 and graduated in 1945,'' he said. "And the education was first class,'' he added.

Mr. Swan spent nine months in the Drawing Office at the end of his apprenticeship. "I installed plumbing on a lot of the old warships,'' he remembered. Mr. Swan went on to work for a local plumbing contractor before he created his own company in 1963.

He is the only former Dockyard apprentice who served as a director of Wedco.

And although he retired last year from the Board, he was involved in the entire restoration programme.

Another Bermudian who reaped the benefits of the Dockyard school was Mr.

Eugene Cox. He was an apprentice from 1943 until 1948. "I studied mechanical engine fitting which involves the physics and mechanics of machines,'' he said.

"Apprentices would spend two or three afternoons as well as two evenings at school and the rest of the time would be spent on the job,'' added Mr. Cox.

"We would often replace parts of warships that came in to the Dockyard. And through this, we learned about select trades.

"The Dockyard Technical School provided the best education,'' he said, "because it was both a practical and theoretical training ground. And it well prepared me for universities abroad.'' Mr. Cox attended Ryerson Polytechnic and McGill University following his education at Dockyard. "I studied mechanical engineering at McGill,'' he said. "And the groundwork I received at the Dockyard School definitely enabled me to go forward.'' Many other Bermudians trained at the Dockyard Technical School. Some apprentices never had the opportunity to finish due to its closure in 1950.

But most of them were sent to England to complete their courses.

Whether they completed their training at the Dockyard School or abroad, Bermudians involved in the apprenticeship scheme saw the original Dockyard during the war. And historically, it was a true naval station where great warships called.

A MODERN DOCKYARD -- An aerial view of Dockyard today still shows the old stone buildings, wharfs and fortifications of the 19th century which brings you back to the era of the British Empire.

SIR JAMES ASTWOOD -- The former Chief Justice attended the Dockyard Technical School as an apprentice. He said: "The Dockyard I once knew no longer exists.

Everything else is far from what I remember as Dockyard. But the restorations in the area are excellent and I commend Wedco for what they've done.''