Four Bermudian men helped put closure to the 50th anniversary of the Dockyard apprentices recently, when they travelled back to Portsmouth to mark the 50th anniversary of the shipwright apprentices there.

Guilden Gilbert and Ronald Symons travelled from Bermuda and were met in England by Glentis Scotland who lives in the United States and Donald Usher who drove down from his home in Liverpool, England.

"The shipwrights here in Bermuda who trained with them (in Portsmouth in 1950) were invited,'' explained ex-shipwright Mr. Gilbert.

The shipwrights, many of whom hadn't seen each other for about 46 years, got reacquainted with each other, filling in the years and recalling past memories. Most bought their wives with them, but it was at the men's get-together for lunch the day before the function that the former apprentices first renewed their friendships.

"When seeing those guys, other than the two that I kept in contact with, I didn't know (recognise) the rest of them,'' said Mr. Gilbert.

"Within three-quarters of an hour of being there I could see the features of some of the then youngsters from 46 years ago, 17-or 18-year-olds.

"Now they are men and all retired. Gradually the faces came into focus and different things that occurred during our training, we all discussed and had a good laugh at. They were a great group.

"Just as with us, they had several of their members who have passed. Thirteen of our guys have died since 1950, we're at that age now.'' Four of the ex-Dockyard apprentices have died this year, the latest being just a couple of weeks ago in the United States when former engine fitter Reginald Lowe passed away after a long illness. He had been living in the US for many years.

The reunion in the Parklands Suite at the Marriott Meon Valley Hotel for about 20 former apprentices and their wives went on into the early hours of the morning.

"You can say that for the class of 50 their celebrations ended where it all began, in Portsmouth,'' said Mr. Gilbert.

"Not only did I go over there to attend this function of the Portsmouth Shipwrights, I really went over to thank the people of Portsmouth and Gosport for opening up their homes to us as young people, on behalf of all of our group.

"When the Admiralty realised they were bringing us to Portmouth they advertised for people who were prepared to accept us in their home and there was in excess of 500 applicants. Of the 49 apprentices, 40 of us were coloured.'' Mr. Gilbert still travels regularly back to England and always made an effort to visit his former landlady, an elderly Scottish lady who has since passed.

Class of 50 relives Dockyard days where he also met his wife, Sylvia.

While there he presented the City of Hamilton's coat of arms to both the Lord Mayor of Portsmouth, Barry Maine, who was originally in the Royal Navy and stationed in Bermuda many years ago, as well as to Gosport's Mayor, Alec Hayward.

In addition, Mr. Gilbert gave both Mayors copies of the `Story of Bermuda and Her People' by William S. Zuill.

"I can speak for myself and many others that the people were fantastic,'' he says without reservation.

"I visit there practically every year and receive the same treatment. I also want to thank the Bermuda public for assisting us over the years with functions we've had, in particular those persons who assisted us financially from the time we left Bermuda in 1950, many now deceased.

"At our last function, businesses offered monetary gifts which we drew tickets for and the lucky persons received gifts in money vouchers.'' The Dockyard Apprentices' own 50th reunion in September at the Clocktower in Dockyard was an overwhelming success. Over 260 persons attended the function, many from overseas, but there was one group conspicuous by their absence.

"I was told there was an individual who was phoning up the white guys and asking them not to attend the function,'' said Mr. Gilbert, who says he got it from a white ex-apprentice.

Mr. Gilbert estimated there were dozens of whites in the Dockyard back then but only one former apprentice, an electrical fitter in the 1930s, attended the reunion with his wife.

"The white couple who came to the function, the husband told me this himself, that this particular guy had phoned him up and had phoned up others to tell them not to go to that function. Believe it or not, 8 o'clock on the Sunday morning that same fella called him up to ask him how did the function go.

"It makes you wonder how these people were really like 50 years ago. Most of these men now are in their 70s now and there is still that hatred.'' An elderly lady, who used to censor the mail at the Dockyard, also attended with her daughter or daughter-in-law but no other whites were there, said Mr.

Gilbert.

"She came out here to Bermuda on a submarine and because of her Dockyard contacts she always attended Dockyard functions. She lives here in Bermuda but none of the other white guys who worked in the Dockyard, and there are dozens of them here, attended.

Two who have financially supported their functions over the years, Colin Gladwin and Brian Underwood, were both off the island during the reunion on trips arranged months earlier.

"The Dockyard apprentices were an integrated group, but when it comes to something like this some of them are not prepared to be a part of it,'' said Mr. Gilbert who recalls a segregated Bermuda back then. He wonders how much the country has changed.

A video of the function was made by a group from Community Affairs for Smithsonian Institute for historical purposes.

Old and new friends: Guilden Gilbert presents Mayor of Gosport, Alec Hayward with a plaque from Mayor of Hamilton, Lawson Mapp, and received one in return which he has since presented to Mr. Mapp. Mr. Gilbert's wife, Sylvia, is a former classmate of Mr. Hayward's.

Photos courtesy of Guilden Gilbert Happy reunion: Left to right: George Jenkins, a Bermudian who left here 30 years ago to live in Portsmouth, Cyril Mitchell, former electrical fitter who still lives in England, Lord Barrie Maine's wife, Frank Emery, who arranged the function in Portmouth, Lord Mayor Maine who served the Royal Navy in Bermuda for many years, former shipwrights Guilden Gilbert and Ronald Symons and Orien Young, an electrical fitter who still lives in England.