Although most of our members may never have visited this establishment it was an icon for many years at one end of the Island and no doubt holds some fond memories for patrons who sat on those stools! We wanted to know where it is, who is the barman, and perhaps a little about your personal recollections of the location.
We quickly received two responses identifying the location, one came from Nick Hall in the U.K by email, and the other from Terry Cabral which appears in the Comments section below this article. Terry not only identitfied the bar but also added that he used to live almost on top of it. It is, of couse, the Gunpowder Tavern, and Terry correctly called it Gunpowder Cavern/Tavern because quite a few people also still call it Gunpowder Cavern even though I believe the correct name was Gunpowder Tavern. Davie Kerr has since written to say he also thinks it was the Gunpowder Tavern.
Mike Burke also responded by email and wrote as follows:- " I recognize the bar as the Gunpowder Cavern, an interesting place to explore and it also had a nice dining area in the 50s and 60s. Sorry, but I don't know the bartender's name. Another connection concerns the arrested vessel 'Arosa Star', late l950s, when one crew member (Christian Fieldhausen... I think that was his name) took over the running of the establishment. The Cavern was owned by a woman but I don't remember her name.
But the person who sent us this excellent photo, John "Alfie" Fox who served here in the Bermuda Police from 1962 - 1964, has very good reason indeed to remember the Gunpowder Tavern. Alfie had been posted to St. George's and his first recollection of the tavern was during the early morning hours of 27th October 1962 when, following more than a few drinks there he had retired to bed in St, George's Police Barracks only to be awakened to attend an aircraft crash at Ferry Reach where a USAF Stratojet had crashed into the property owned by Lord Astor. "Alfie" no doubt sobered up quite quickly! His second, and more vivid recollection of the Gunpowder Tavern occurred on 12th April 1963, when he happened to meet an attractive your Canadian nurse named Ruth from KEMH who was visiting the bar accompanied by a friend. Alfie and Ruth struck up a conversation, and the rest, as they say is history. "Alfie" left Bermuda shortly afterwards and followed Ruth to Canada where the two were married, and this year they celebrated 51 years as a happily married couple. You can read more about Alfie in our Then and Now column at http://expobermuda.com/index.php/tan/376-john-alfie-fox
Just one more comment about this photo:- I have checked the internet quite thoroughly for other photos of the interior of Gunpowder Tavern but cannot see any others that so clearly show the interior as this one does. So many thanks Alfie for this excellent photo taken more than 50 years ago. I believe the premises closed in the 1970's and is now derelict.
Editors note - We will continue to search for the idenity of the barman and will publish it if we are successful.
