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John Readhead's Shipyard - Page 43
Comments
28/12/2007
Hello John,
Great website. Brings back quite a few memories. I
also served an apprenticeship at one of the yards on the river, Vickers Naval
yard to be exact. Started in Jan 1963 and finished it in 1968(at Swans after
the drawing office was transferred from Walker).
Things have certainly changed since those days.
Moving to the Swans D. O. was not an improvement compared to the old Naval
yard so I left one week after finishing my apprenticeship.
My next job was in the Naval drawing office at
Canadian Vickers in Montreal and my section leader on the outfit squad
was Alex Patterson who you mentioned on your web site. Spent two years
there, magic time. Alex left and went L. A. but returned. In I982 I was
working on a short contract in Ottawa and Alex was then office manager.
Looking through your website more familiar names
like Duncan Bedlington, Len Barron, Gary Newman and John Relph. Duncan was
also working in the drawing office in Montreal. Len, Gary and John were all
ex-Naval yard draughtsmen.
The above photo is of the drawing office in
Montreal. If I remember rightly there was around 200 people working in the
office.
Well I hope that one day someone will produce a
similar site for Vickers Naval Yard. It seems strange to think that with all
the history of shipbuilding on the Tyne that it is all gone (apart from a
group at Swans doing design work on the new ship for Allseas) Fortunately
Holland (my home for the last 30 years) which has seen a lot of shipyards
close but those that are left have full order books.
Again many thanks for producing such an
interesting website.
regards
George Robinson
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