I spent many happy holidays in this hut, which my father bought from a coupe of blokes who we're not missionaries in the 1950s. My father W.P.Goodfellow arrived as a destroyer captain to take the Japanese surrender at the end of WW2, staying on after marriage and a spell in Canton, to settle at the Royal Observatory. Probably Graham Heywood, director of the Observatory, told him about Laan Tao Mountain camp, or Sunset Peak as it was often known.
We walked all the trails and despite the swimming pool nearby, knew the way to Perfect and Black rock pools, which I was disappointed to be unable to find on return with my son in the present miillenium.
WPG was the first in the camp to arrive by helicopter. At the time he was commander of the RHKNVR on a joint exercise, transported by Dinger Bell, colleague at the Observatory and commander of the Royal HK Auxillary Air Force. WPG was involved in many activities at Sunset Peak. He helped to dam the stream below the mess hut dam and bring fresh water to the hut, until frost cracked the line unexpectedly after he retired to UK. The Petersons colleagues at the Royal Observatory bought the hut when we left HK and when they left, a grandson of Dr "Moi" Moore, another early post war hut owner took it over.
I have come across R.R. Macdonald , son of the founding MacDonald whilst working for him in Leeds. Will endeavour to grt him to add some memories for you; I know he has some fond ones.
Chris Goodfellow.
I am the current Director of the Hong Kong Observatory. I am delighted to come across your post mentioning your father, Mr Heywood and the huts on Sunset Peak.
You might be interested to know that the Observatory installed a weather station near the huts in the 1990s for monitoring windshear at the Chek Lap Kok airport and we had interacted with the residences/owners of the huts regarding the installation. But we did not realize that these huts were related to colleagues of the Observatory until I found out from the family of Mr Heywood. Veronica, the younger daughter of Director Heywood, visited us last year when we celebrated the 130th anniversary of the Observatory. I also wrote a blog about Mr Heywood (http://www.hko.gov.hk/blog/en/archives/00000136.htm) - your parents appeared on a staff photograph taken when Mr Heywood retired from service.
I hope you would read this post and would appreciate if you contact me since I am very much interested in connecting with retired colleagues and their descendants. So far I am able to contact the descendants of ex-Directors Charles Jeffries, Graham Heywood, Ian Watts, Gordon Bell and John Peacock. I am sure you know many of them as you mentioned.
Comments
No 9
I spent many happy holidays in this hut, which my father bought from a coupe of blokes who we're not missionaries in the 1950s. My father W.P.Goodfellow arrived as a destroyer captain to take the Japanese surrender at the end of WW2, staying on after marriage and a spell in Canton, to settle at the Royal Observatory. Probably Graham Heywood, director of the Observatory, told him about Laan Tao Mountain camp, or Sunset Peak as it was often known.
We walked all the trails and despite the swimming pool nearby, knew the way to Perfect and Black rock pools, which I was disappointed to be unable to find on return with my son in the present miillenium.
WPG was the first in the camp to arrive by helicopter. At the time he was commander of the RHKNVR on a joint exercise, transported by Dinger Bell, colleague at the Observatory and commander of the Royal HK Auxillary Air Force. WPG was involved in many activities at Sunset Peak. He helped to dam the stream below the mess hut dam and bring fresh water to the hut, until frost cracked the line unexpectedly after he retired to UK. The Petersons colleagues at the Royal Observatory bought the hut when we left HK and when they left, a grandson of Dr "Moi" Moore, another early post war hut owner took it over.
I have come across R.R. Macdonald , son of the founding MacDonald whilst working for him in Leeds. Will endeavour to grt him to add some memories for you; I know he has some fond ones.
Chris Goodfellow.
Re: No 9
Thanks for writing Chris, I enjoy reading these memories of how the huts have been used over the years.
Regards, David
Contacting the Goodfellow family
Dear Chris,
I am the current Director of the Hong Kong Observatory. I am delighted to come across your post mentioning your father, Mr Heywood and the huts on Sunset Peak.
You might be interested to know that the Observatory installed a weather station near the huts in the 1990s for monitoring windshear at the Chek Lap Kok airport and we had interacted with the residences/owners of the huts regarding the installation. But we did not realize that these huts were related to colleagues of the Observatory until I found out from the family of Mr Heywood. Veronica, the younger daughter of Director Heywood, visited us last year when we celebrated the 130th anniversary of the Observatory. I also wrote a blog about Mr Heywood (http://www.hko.gov.hk/blog/en/archives/00000136.htm) - your parents appeared on a staff photograph taken when Mr Heywood retired from service.
I hope you would read this post and would appreciate if you contact me since I am very much interested in connecting with retired colleagues and their descendants. So far I am able to contact the descendants of ex-Directors Charles Jeffries, Graham Heywood, Ian Watts, Gordon Bell and John Peacock. I am sure you know many of them as you mentioned.
Best regards, CM Shun
Going to have the honour and
Going to have the honour and pleasure to stay at number 9 later this month. Thanks for your information on the place.
Here is a picture of this house from last week.
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