Look back in time: The radar era at Goonhilly

Goonhilly Downs was home to a number of wooden and steel pylons, ranging from 240 feet to 325 feet, which controlled radars.

To maintain the working order of this equipment a team was employed to climb them, usually without safety harnesses.

One such rigger was Joseph Richards, known to all by his middle name Dudley, who recalls many people being nervous of such heights – sometimes with good reason. One Ukrainian worker fell from 270 feet onto a 200 foot platform, breaking almost every bone in his body. Despite this he was kept on by the company, carrying out odd jobs, although he never climbed a pylon again.

For Mr Richards, however, the safety fear was never a problem. He puts this down to being born and bred in Helston, and spending his childhood fishing and climbing the cliffs of Porthleven and Rinsey.

Mr Richards, now aged 83 and living in Oxford, said: “I didn’t find them too much of a problem. There were one or two hairy jobs, and you used to get people who were really scared.”

These photos, which date back to the early 1950s, were sent in to the Packet by Mr Richards.

They are taken during the 12-month period he spent maintaining the pylons, before they were dismantled in around 1953.

Some of the wood was used in the Angel Hotel in Helston, and also in a pub on the Lizard Peninsula.

Mr Richards also worked briefly on pylons at Mullion, although this was only for 14 days.

Other locals who were part of the maintenance team included Richard Trevithick from Sithney, Gordon Rosevear from Cury and Philip Taylor from Porthleven, with a lot of Polish and Ukrainian workers joining them.

Mr Richards said they kept in touch for a number of years, although sadly many had now passed.