Shipyard Girls....

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My Grandad did 50 years in the shipyards like (1934-84). He reckoned the lasses were more of a hindrance than a help at times during WWII (he was in a protected trade so didn't have to join up). My brother has done our family tree back to the 1850's and most of my descendants were shipyard workers anarl, with the odd layabout and n'er-do-well.
 
My great great grandfather started in the Sunderland yards in 1870 after he finished 23 years in the army. He was followed by four more generations of my immediate family which included me for a short time. I found a Shipwrights Adze in the shed the other day that the family have used for years as a gardening tool. I cleaned it up and found that the maker was Gilpin and that it must have been from around the 1850's. (identical to the one shown here). None of the family were shipwrights so it must have been a disused tool that was found in the yards when wooden ships were replaced with iron ones and taken home for use in the garden. I am keeping it as a fitting reminder of my lots involvement in shipbuilding on the Wear.
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Lord Potts said:
My great great grandfather started in the Sunderland yards in 1870 after he finished 23 years in the army. He was followed by four more generations of my immediate family which included me for a short time. I found a Shipwrights Adze in the shed the other day that the family have used for years as a gardening tool. I cleaned it up and found that the maker was Gilpin and that it must have been from around the 1850's. (identical to the one shown here). None of the family were shipwrights so it must have been a disused tool that was found in the yards when wooden ships were replaced with iron ones and taken home for use in the garden. I am keeping it as a fitting reminder of my lots involvement in shipbuilding on the Wear.
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Nice story Marra

Looks like Oscar Pistorious leg
 
Kid Galahad said:
....new book by local author Nancy Revell, nice little stocking filler for the ladies or the lady in your life (I got an advanced copy and it's very good actually!) Its about the lives of the women who worked in the Sunderland yards while the men were off fighting in WWll and is very well researched, anyway the writer is in Waterstones in the Bridges tomorrow between 12 and 1pm (she's also a total wad!) so get a signed copy on the way to the match, she'll appreciate it ;)
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Looks canny that - will have a read.

Sounds similar to the Chocolate Girls which was about women working in the Cadbury factory during WWII and beyond. I enjoyed that one.
 
Kid Galahad said:
....new book by local author Nancy Revell, nice little stocking filler for the ladies or the lady in your life (I got an advanced copy and it's very good actually!) Its about the lives of the women who worked in the Sunderland yards while the men were off fighting in WWll and is very well researched, anyway the writer is in Waterstones in the Bridges tomorrow between 12 and 1pm (she's also a total wad!) so get a signed copy on the way to the match, she'll appreciate it ;)
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Mysogony, women's lib, and a pictureless wad, all in one op.
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My dad began work in the yards in 1940 and was trained as a welder. He worked his whole working life as such until the yards closed and must have been the among the only generation of men who went their full working life as a welder. Welding at the time was at the forefront of new technology when he was called up in 1944 the board told him that they had plenty of lads to fight the war and lad's like him would be needed to rebuild our shipping.
 
Lord Potts said:
My great great grandfather started in the Sunderland yards in 1870 after he finished 23 years in the army. He was followed by four more generations of my immediate family which included me for a short time. I found a Shipwrights Adze in the shed the other day that the family have used for years as a gardening tool. I cleaned it up and found that the maker was Gilpin and that it must have been from around the 1850's. (identical to the one shown here). None of the family were shipwrights so it must have been a disused tool that was found in the yards when wooden ships were replaced with iron ones and taken home for use in the garden. I am keeping it as a fitting reminder of my lots involvement in shipbuilding on the Wear.
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Yep, that's an adze alright.
Used by shipwrights for shaving/cutting & shaping wood. Still used when the likes of SD14's and other merchant ships had teak decks around the accommodation & after end.
These babies were kept razor sharp, and due care and attention was always used when working with them.
I heard many a tale of lads slicing open their toes/feet when using them.

Lord Potts said:
My dad began work in the yards in 1940 and was trained as a welder. He worked his whole working life as such until the yards closed and must have been the among the only generation of men who went their full working life as a welder. Welding at the time was at the forefront of new technology when he was called up in 1944 the board told him that they had plenty of lads to fight the war and lad's like him would be needed to rebuild our shipping.
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Yes, a lot of the younger welders were kept back home for this purpose.
I knew an old guy (Charles Theakstone) who was in JL Thompson's yard. He was a young welder when the war started, and was kept back home to be a foreman welder there. He worked there until he retired. Lovely man.

Stevie Freestein II said:
When did wear yards switch from riveting to welding?
Is the book a riveting read? Oh yes <<<<<<<<<<<<

http://www.sunderlandecho.com/news/opinion/on-the-waterfront-when-welding-replaced-rivets-1-8121571
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All-welded ships really came into being around the late 50's to early 60's. This was due to the design of building them.
The new style was to build a ship in large unit form, where the frames, plating were all done in a fabrication area, assembled and welded there.
They were then transferred onto the slipway by crane, and then joined up on the slipway, unit by unit.
Welding was quicker than riveting in a nutshell, and required less steel to make the ship.
 
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stephen cartwright said:
it was a really good day and it would have pleased my dad.

straight after my dads service, next in the crem, a right squadron of bikers turned up for one of their group.

one fella, about mid 60s, tattooed across the forehead 666. Amazing sight.
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Sorry to hear of your loss Stephen.

I was at that service yesterday. To say goodbye to a good pal of mine - Jim Williams.
Jim was a biker, and to see all of those bikers escorting the hearse was indeed an amazing sight.
The 666 guy, looked a right old handful by the way.
RIP Jim:cry:
 
stephen cartwright said:
it was a really good day and it would have pleased my dad.

straight after my dads service, next in the crem, a right squadron of bikers turned up for one of their group.

one fella, about mid 60s, tattooed across the forehead 666. Amazing sight.

I will get back to you on my Grandad, he helped set an orginal union up but I need to check for its name.

he was jimmy cartwright as well and I have little doubt he knew your great Grandad.

there's an old vhs tape at my dads of a ch4 documentary made around the time the yards were closing. Loads of his contemporaries were interviewed. Saw a few of them today with their GMB ties on

some great stories I have heard over the years and I have no shame whatsoever and proud to say my dad gave Maggie thatcher a nice welcome on her one visit.

one last thing, we still have a cheque he was sent, during a strike, for 10p from the tory government of its day to and I quote, "to help look after your family"

cheers Mr heath
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If or when I have time I will look at some of the Sunderland heritage sites and maybe upload some of the documents that my uncle has collated.

it's good that people are preserving the coal mining and ship building heritage, there must be loads of stuff that your dad had kept. I can't even remember thatcher visiting but fair play to him for being a gentleman towards her.

Kid Galahad said:
Nee wonder you're such a militant fucker on here with that background ! :lol:
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Mate, when I think about it I'm really proud of my ancestors. My paternal grandad was quite an intelligent bloke even without an advanced education and was a joiner in the NCB. He was even more stubborn and argumentative than the commie and my hewer grandad from my mam's side of the family.
 
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Lord Potts said:
My dad began work in the yards in 1940 and was trained as a welder. He worked his whole working life as such until the yards closed and must have been the among the only generation of men who went their full working life as a welder. Welding at the time was at the forefront of new technology when he was called up in 1944 the board told him that they had plenty of lads to fight the war and lad's like him would be needed to rebuild our shipping.
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my Grandad would have been there in the 1940s as a welder as was my dad a few years later. Both called jimmy cartwright
 
stephen cartwright said:
my Grandad would have been there in the 1940s as a welder as was my dad a few years later. Both called jimmy cartwright
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Just checked the obituary of my great great grandad George wardle. He died in 1940 aged 84 and was secretary of Sunderland no.7 branch of boilermakers. One of the founders of southwick FC, helped with rowing club and a councillor on old southwick council.

Attended trades congress in 1906 I assume this was TUC.
 
I'm seeing the GMB union leader next week, Tony Carty, and will be having a chat about the old days.

great stuff, got a load of stuff at my dads house, to sort through.

got a pic of a load of blokes getting a reward, with my dad on the right with his classic flat cap.

my Mrs goes on a Facebook group about nostalgic memories of Sunderland and the roker avenue area.

there are YouTube videos of people at work in the yards, which has my Grandad doing a bit of welding
 
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