Nowhere to Go (May 68)
I don't think that BAS head office ever realised how the decision to
abandon the overland route to the Shacks affected the morale at Halley.
There was a period of disappointment followed by anger and frustration
which, although it was felt most keenly by the field personnel, it spilled
over to affect almost the whole base. Effectively the diesel mechs and the
GAs had been made redundant. The swing and humour of the song does not
reflect the mood perhaps it was an attempt to lighten things. The tune is
the Irish folk song "Dick Derby".
Now Halley is miles from the mountains
We can only go overland
We've been to the Tottans and Therons
So where now? is what we demand
Chorus:
With our tractors and doggies and sledges
We came here to travel the snows
But the Yankees have beaten us to it
And now we've got nowhere to go
London makes all the decisions
Last year they sent us to the Shacks
But sadly we didn't quite make it
And they say we must now turn our backs
The Shacks are too far, so go eastward
The Vestfjella's all that remain
So in March we set out in the muskegs (muskegs are tractors)
To dump food and get back again
In May bad news came to Halley
Norwegians are going there too
And since it is their territory
Just what the hell are we to do?
In June the big boss will decide it
Just one month then we shall be told
But meanwhile we sit and we grumble
And wait in the dark and the cold
We're sure you can all see the answer
(As clearly as dew in the rain!)
To sledge to South G for the "Otter"
Then fly to the Shacks in that plane.