INTERVIEWEES

St Thomas More RC High School in North Shields, Tyne and Wear, interviewed 21 former North East shipyard workers to find out what working conditions were really like in their lifetime. Nation on Film brings you their memories...

BILL ADAMS - AS AN APPRENTICE Bill talks about the hazards of working in the shipyards with eye witness accounts of some of the accidents he saw. He remembers that "the conditions were absolutely terrible" when he was working in the late 1940s and 1950s. Bill also gives us an insight into workers' social lives and what they did on their holidays. 1 clip available»

BILL STEPHENSON - DRAUGHTSMAN Bill remembers what it was like to be a trainee draughtsman working in the shipyard drawing office. He recalls having to go to night school three nights a week over a period of four years. 1 clip available»

BOB BRAND - CRANE OPERATOR Bob describes his job as a crane driver and what it was like work high up, towering over the River Tyne. He recalls the amazing camaraderie in the shipyards, and how the yards have improved over the years. 5 clips available»

BOB TIMNEY - AS AN APPRENTICE Bob Timney started work in 1956 as an apprentice. He talks about his typical day, the shifts, and the harsh working conditions, and recalls watching the welders with sparks burning their smocks. 1 clip available»

CLARA OLSEN - PLUMBER'S MATE Clara Olsen talks about working in a wartime bomb factory before training as a plumber's labourer in the shipyards. She describes the many different ships that she worked on, the rough working conditions and the poor pay. 1 clip available»

DEREK GRIGGS - PLATER Derek Griggs describes the job of a plater in the shipyard, and recalls a typical working day in the 1950s. Derek talks about the working conditions and the tremendous noise in the shipbuilding areas. 5 clips available»

GED LALOR - AS A BOY LABOURER Ged Lalor talks about his childhood memories of men in cloth caps walking down en masse towards the cranes and shipyards. He remembers how a swarm of men would head down Station Road in Wallsend daily at 7am. 10 clips available»

GORDON SCOTT - MACHINE ENGINEER Gordon Scott recalls his apprenticeship and his first days working in the yard feeling like a 'little boy lost'. He also talks about how the older men played a practical joke on him during his first week of work. 3 clips available»

JOHN HARDY - SEAMAN John Hardy describes how he got started in shipbuilding and talks about his first job as an office boy in the shipyard. He also talks about the many different shipbuilding jobs from riveters and office workers. 3 clips available»

JOHN McKEVER - PLATER John McKever remembers joining the shipyards from school in 1964 following in his family's footsteps. He recalls his first job in the office when he was paid a mere £2 and 14 shillings. 5 clips available»

JOHN McMULLEN - SHIPWRIGHT John McMullen describes a typical day in the yards with its long working day. He remembers the work's buzzer going at 7.20am at the start of the shift, and how he clocked off at the end of the day. John recalls how the whole experience felt like one big adventure at first. 3 clips available»

JOHN WILSON - PLUMBER John Wilson talks about the working conditions in the yards and the safety risks including fires, falls and accidents. He tells the tale of a particularly bad fire at the Hawthorn Leslie yard, and remembers the noise and how this made the men prone to deafness in later life. 1 clip available»

MAURICE EGAN - CLERICAL WORKER Maurice Egan remembers the shipyard as a dangerous place to work, with welders' sparks flying around. He also describes his job as an office boy and how he worked as an assistant timekeeper. 2 clips available»

MEL DAVIS - APPRENTICE TRAINER Mel Davis compares the lives of apprentices in today's yards with those during the last century. He describes a typical working day for the modern apprentice including their shift patterns and health and safety. 4 clips available»

MICHAEL NEWTON - MARINE PLUMBER & WELDER Michael Newton talks about the shipyard workers walking down to work, and remembers how a pie and pint worked a treat at lunchtimes. 2 clips available»

MICK DOOLAN - SON OF A BOILERMAN Mick Doolan remembers how his father worked in the shipyards cleaning out the boilers. He vividly recalls the deafening noise and the constant clanging and banging which made his father deaf. 6 clips available»

MURIEL GRAY - DAUGHTER OF A SHIPYARD WORKER Muriel Gray describes how her father worked in the yards and explains how working conditions were difficult. She remembers how her father had a serious accident in a major explosion, and how he received no compensation. 2 clips available»

PATRICIA ARMSTRONG - OFFICE MANAGER & TELEPHONIST / SECRETARY Patricia Armstrong describes how she got her first job in the office in 1951. She recalls how she had to fill in work sheets and make the tea for the directors. 4 clips available»

RON ARMSTRONG - OFFICE WORKER Ron Armstrong talks about a typical day in the shipyard office. There was never a routine week, and the work involved lots of foreign travel. 2 clips available»

TED DAVEY - BOILERMAN Ted Davey remembers life as an apprentice and the type of jobs he once did. Ted tells the amusing tale of nearly being sacked when he crashed a mechanical vehicle into the shipyard gates. 9 clips available»

TONY HALL - FITTER Tony Hall describes life as a fitter and working conditions in the 1970s. He also remembers the drinking culture that made the yard a colourful and lively place to be. 4 clips available»

WARREN YOUNG - RAGGER Warren Young talks about his typical day in the shipyard when he was working as a ragger. He remembers the long days and the 44 hour weeks in the yard, and recalls how the men would be docked an hour's pay if they were 15 minutes late for work. 1 clip available»