MICK DOOLAN - A FAMILY OF SHIPBUILDERS

My Father Was 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.

Shipyard Streets - Street Life Mick Doolan paints a vivid picture of his life as a child in a shipbuilding community in Willington Quay. He describes the excitement surrounding a launch and remembers the shipyard workers throwing their caps high in the air when a ship was launched.

End of the Yards Mick Doolan describes his father's dismay and disbelief when the yards closed. He recalls the uncanny experience of when his dad died on the day that the last crane was ripped down.

The Black Market Mick Doolan remembers the "black market" in the shipyards with garden tools and toys being made by the workers out of spare metal. He describes how the men had a tremendous sense of pride in their workmanship.

Danger All Around Mick Doolan describes the dangerous conditions in the shipyards and recounts the tale of a serious boiler explosion. He remembers that there were dangers all around and accidents were commonplace.

Poem About a Shipyard Worker Mick Doolan reads a poem which evokes the shipyards and the men who worked in them. It touches on the working conditions and the camaraderie between the workers in the Tyneside shipyards.