The Shipyards and memories of them.

Scimmy

Scimmy

Striker
Contributor
On here there is an understandable nostalgic love for Sunderland's now disappeared shipyards. But if you were to ask a lad who worked there if he remembered them fondly, apart from providing income for him and his family, and assuming that the lad obtained employment elsewhere on same money, would many say that they regret the closure of the yards?

They must have been desperate places to work at in winter and fairly dangerous all year.
 


Aye mate not to mention the number of former shipyard workers who are having serious health problems in older age due to exposure to asbestos almost every day of their working life
 
Scimmy said:
On here there is an understandable nostalgic love for Sunderland's now disappeared shipyards. But if you were to ask a lad who worked there if he remembered them fondly, apart from providing income for him and his family, and assuming that the lad obtained employment elsewhere on same money, would many say that they regret the closure of the yards?

They must have been desperate places to work at in winter and fairly dangerous all year.
Click to expand...


Worked as an apprentice in J L Thompson's North Sand yard from 15 to 22 after completing my journeyman year. Look back at it in fondness to be honest, but then again just a bairn (then) and no doubt looking back with rose tinted glasses. Over the years been employed in jobs that were of a far harsher environment and much more dangerous to life and limb. It is also the loss of tradition and a maritime heritage and a fully trained work force having to look for alternative work, same as the colliery lads on a different occasions.

They assisted the economy and provided a training ground for many a youth to become a time served with the ability to take his skills anywhere in the world. Lots of my mates when the shipyards started closing left to join the military or went abroad to the likes of Canada to work in shipyards over there. Any job can be detrimental to health and can cause problems in later life. Not so much Health & Safety around then or the knowledge to protect yourself. Loads of ex workers find problems as they turn 50 or so, due to jobs they did in conditions that would not be acceptable in this age.
 
Last edited:
Wearside Wanderer II said:
If anyone comes in here saying they were taking the piss and Thatcher was right to close them then you need a f***ing good shoeing in the man fanny with a pit boot.
Just hoyin this out there early doors as I know a few will be more than happy to spout this shit.
Click to expand...

She should have had the foresight to have invested heavily. Our competitors are still doing reasonably well to this day and manufacturing in these countries is a higher proportion of GDP than ours. The one thing which needed to change is attitude toward work ethic. I’m not saying everyone was work shy, but I am saying the unions and work to rule attitude didn’t help us at all.
 
Kevj said:
She should have had the foresight to have invested heavily. Our competitors are still doing reasonably well to this day and manufacturing in these countries is a higher proportion of GDP than ours. The one thing which needed to change is attitude toward work ethic. I’m not saying everyone was work shy, but I am saying the unions and work to rule attitude didn’t help us at all.
Click to expand...


Unions can be very good for the members when used to look after it's members/workforce. The problem is when the wrong leaders take over and start using the union as a political tool, to score points or as a force for an ideology that it's ordinary members have no clue about or no interest. Surprising thing is the salaries of some of these leaders and the extra perks available to higher echelons of union officials. Not all take the piss but some do.
 
Scimmy said:
On here there is an understandable nostalgic love for Sunderland's now disappeared shipyards. But if you were to ask a lad who worked there if he remembered them fondly, apart from providing income for him and his family, and assuming that the lad obtained employment elsewhere on same money, would many say that they regret the closure of the yards?

They must have been desperate places to work at in winter and fairly dangerous all year.
Click to expand...

Me grandad did 50 years in Bartrams/Pickies. Trained and boxed professionally in the evenings to boost his income anarl. Sometimes boxed twice in the same night if there was a no show. Surprised he lived to 78 tbh.

Forgot to add, he wouldn't let me Da work in them either.
 
Kevj said:
She should have had the foresight to have invested heavily. Our competitors are still doing reasonably well to this day and manufacturing in these countries is a higher proportion of GDP than ours. The one thing which needed to change is attitude toward work ethic. I’m not saying everyone was work shy, but I am saying the unions and work to rule attitude didn’t help us at all.
Click to expand...

I wasn't a yard worker as such, but a building worker who worked for a contractor for a short spell. I have no nostalgia for the yards, mainly because i was only there for a few months. I did find the highlighted bit above was valid. I saw cases of men doing very little during normal time, presumably to ensure overtime.
The things i did miss after i left was, the cracking money i made and the subsidised (?) canteen, where i could eat very cheaply.
I realise this is more or less an outsiders view. My only other connection to the yards was my father worked in the Hebburn yards for a number of years.
 
Kevj said:
She should have had the foresight to have invested heavily. Our competitors are still doing reasonably well to this day and manufacturing in these countries is a higher proportion of GDP than ours. The one thing which needed to change is attitude toward work ethic. I’m not saying everyone was work shy, but I am saying the unions and work to rule attitude didn’t help us at all.
Click to expand...

There's only 3 countries in the world can build ships on a large scale (and one of those is very protective of its market) now so it's hardly "competitive". Getting involved in a race to the bottom led to a bit of a fait accompli amongst the workforce tbf.
 
Paddy O'Dors said:
There's only 3 countries in the world can build ships on a large scale (and one of those is very protective of its market) now so it's hardly "competitive". Getting involved in a race to the bottom led to a bit of a fait accompli amongst the workforce tbf.
Click to expand...

Are you suggesting Maggie was right?
 
nahwee said:
Was'nt the location of the yards and geography of the Wear generally a major drawback when the trend went to bigger ships?

Not saying she was right!
Click to expand...

Geographically, Asia is much better. Temperate climate. Less variation in sea level due to tide levels, far greater coastline which allows for bigger yards. We were not in a good position but we did get royally fucked over and it's still hurting us in terms of our global manufacturing capacity. We had the infrastructure and the skilled workforce. Others were still learning their trade.
 

Back
Top