The “Bobby in the Birdcage” on Front Street in Hamilton was said for many years to be the most photographed police officer in the World, and was without doubt a popular duty for young single constables during College Weeks!

We have a number of photos of constables directing traffic at the junction of Front Street and Queen Street long before the birdcage existed as can be seen in the first photographs below.   It's more then likely that constables have been directing traffic there since at least the early 1950's as shown in the photo of young constable Douglas "Red" Hebberd who joined the Bermuda Police Force in 1949.

Another young constable, then P.C. Hubert Simmons,  joined the Police Force in 1950 and quickly gained an international reputation for his unique style of directing traffic at Heyl's Corner as can be seen in this article published in the Royal Gazette on 5th August 1951.  Hubert 's photos were flashed around the world and tourists would stop and marvel at his balletic performances.  Unfortunately,  we don't as yet have any photographs of Hubert in action other than this image in the Royal Gazette  even though we are aware that he was also filmed. We are making every effort to locate photos or film of Hubert in action and would greatly appreciate any assistance in this regard. CLICK HERE for the  Hall of Fame article on Hubert Simmons on our website.

 

Young P.C. Hubert Simmons directs trafficwith great flair at
Heyl's Corner much to the delight of visitors from the U.S.

 

We were aware that the then Hamilton City Engineer, Geoffrey "Dickie" Bird, came up with the idea of providing a fully raised platform with a cover over it for constables on point duty.  We were not sure exactly when the "birdcage" was  installed  so we contacted Dickie's wife, Jean,  who recalls that it was his idea to build a structure that would give both shade and shelter to the police officers directing traffic at Heyl's Corner.   Jean says that once he had designed the structure it took just a couple of weeks at most to construct.  We were later able to confirm that it was installed in 1962.

Geoffrey "Dickie" Bird
designed the birdcage in 1962
when he was Hamilton's City Engineer
 

This was completed in August 1962, and could there ever have been any doubt about what it should be called!   Naturally, it immediately became known as the "birdcage", and all of us who have performed traffic duty in it are eternally grateful to Dickie Bird because it made directing traffic there so much more comfortable, especially during College Weeks!

Dickie Bird and his famous birdcage are captured in this
brilliant cartoon by the Late Peter Woolcock
 

It was badly damaged some time later and a strengthened replacement  took several months to build but was no doubt much safer for the constable on duty there. Since then it has been upgraded but its shape and name remain the same.  Sadly,  this icon of Bermuda is hardly used these days despite the fact that it was an extremely popular tourist attraction for decades.

However we know that literally hundreds of Bermuda police officers will have fond memories of directing traffic in the birdcage while being photographed, and we are hoping that many those officers will have photos  in their own collections and will send them to us.

We are starting off with those  we already have in our collection, in no particular order.  If you have one of your own please send it to us at info@expobermuda.com together with information about when it was taken.

 

EDITORS NOTE -  We recently discovered the photo immediately below which was posted on the "Old Bermuda; Our Island, Our History" website in February 2023.   It was posted by Gerri Crockwell and depicts a police officer standing at Heyl's Corner chatting with a young lady with her pedal cycle and a baby sitting in her cycle basket.  There appears to be another police officer walking away  from the corner, and as you can see, the only vehicles in the photo are pedal cycles and a horse carriage.  It is dated circa 1940's - 1950's.    There is a comment on the "Old Bermuda" website from Wendi Fiedler-Nixon who is the daughter of the Late former Superintendent Joseph Nixon, who believes the officer next to the "Keep Left" sign could well be her father  because of hos height and the way he is standing.  Joe Nixon joined the Bermuda Police in July 1946 and served until his retirement in July 1974.  Our records indicate that his first posting as a young constable was to Hamilton Police Station.  It's possible that this photo of Heyl's Corner may have been taken just before motor cars were permitted on the Island,  but in any event it is certainly the oldest photograph we have so far of a "Bobby at Heyl's Corner"!

A "Bobby" standing at Heyl's Corner dated circa 1940's - 1950''s
The young officer may be P.C. Joseph "Joe" Nixon
 
 Young P.C. Douglas "Red" Hebberd directs "traffic" at Heyl's Corner on
Front Street  circa 1949-1950 with no protection from the sun 
 
Young P.C. Bernard Callanan on Heyl's Corner traffic city circa 1949
Since when was The Bermuda Cigar Store at this location?
 
P.C. John Francis (Ian "Crash") Kane directing traffic at the 
junction of Reid Street and Queen Street circa 1954.  
Note that Queen Street was two-way in the early 1950's 
 
Front Street, Hamilton 1964.  P.C. Alex Forbes directs traffic in the birdcage
at Heyl's Corner while P.C. Roger Sherratt chats with a Customs Officer. 
This photograph appeared in the Police Magazine published in 1993 
 
P.C. Roger Sherratt in the birdcage at Heyl's Corner circa 1964
Photograph taken by Paul Farrell
CLICK HERE for our "Then and Now" article on Roger Sherratt
 
 P.C. Terry Heathcoate in the birdcage at Heyl's Corner  circa 1965.
Is that the 'Queen of Bermuda'  or the 'Ocean Monarch' at No. 1 Dock
 
P.C. John Latoszek in the birdcage when H.A. and E Smith and Triminghams were still two of the
major Front Street stores.  After posting this photograph John Latoszek wrote to say that it
was actually taken in 1977 by three  nurses from KEMH out with their parents on vacation from
Canada and England. It was by coincidence that he later met one of the three nurses
"Karen McLean" who led him to Canada in 1977,  and thay have been married now for over 36 years.
 
 
Postcard 1 -  Bobbies at the birdcage at Heyl's Corner on Front Street 
Can you identify the two constables? 
 
Postcard 2 -  A bobby in the birdcage.  Can you identify the constable?
 
Postcard 3  -  P.C. Derek Richardson directs traffic in the birdcage at Heyl's Corner
Photo taken by P.C. Philip Bermingham
 
 Postcard 4  -  Who is the bobby in the birdcage?
 
Postcard 5  -   Not sure who is the bobby in the birdcage,
but the tourist looks a lot like Brian Foster! 
 
Who are these two bobbies? 
 
P.C. Richard Earl "Floody" Flood with his children, Richard and Melissa
in the birdcage at Heyl's Corner, Front Street, Hamilton.
CLICK HERE for article about Richard in our Hall of Fame
 
P.C. Nick Bolton in the birdcage at Heyl's Corner
CLICK HERE for our article on Nick Bolton in our "Then and Now"column