Very well done. I now live in the western USA (Idaho). I have great memories of sitting at the window when I visited my mother's Aunts, looking out at ships unloading at Princess Dock. Sadly all of this is gone now but wonderful that memories can be preserved through film.
I'm always on the look out for my dad bill Gibson in these videos. He was an apprentice electrician at john browns in the 1940s. I'm just one of many who miss old clydebank
My uncle was a cabinet maker / carpenter on the Queen Mary: worked on the interior fitted furniture. He (and a couple of his workmates) didn’t hear the warning to leave before it was sent down the slipway and got stuck on board!
my grandfather ken glendinning was born in 37 i think he was a painter until he had to do his national service. he talked alot about hms tiger and queen mary, he painted the gold leaf on the side of her
My pop, archie mcknight, was a plater on the QE2. Can't find much information about him online with JB Shipyards archives, but he was there for a while, and I think he went up to supervisor or manager around 60s/70s. Seen some photos of him with his shipbuilding friends. Just wish I knew more about him being there x
I think all the photographs are at Glasgow University. They did have an official photographer. I was standing outside the Boardroom building when Prince Charles, at the time walked by on his way to board the QE2 on her way down river for sea trials. Wish I owned a camera at the time. There was an apprentice Plater who worked in the East fabrication shop and he worked with the group who built the Funnel, Bridge and mast. I don’t recall his name but he had a camera and he used an arm/shoulder rig to take photos. I think the last time I saw him was at the Protest march out to Glasgow Green.. Maybe someone on here would recall his name. He would be in his 70’s now
I am always drawn to thinking of Billy Conolly when the ship yards are mentioned. I was in the navy at the time and stationed Cross from the shipyard in a plavce called Faslane ( its proper name was gaerloch head)i recall fridays at knocking off time when thousands of men would come flooding out of the gates. I use to catch a bus to go to Renfrew where the was and airport and i would catch a plane to the south of england from there. There was a bus stop just across the road and the footpath that ran past the gates always had plenty of women waiting there at knock off time to catch the husbands before they got down the pub and drunk their way through the wages, the fights that took place there would amaze many with the ladies always semming to come out on top, but i have to admit to missing the bus from being destracted by what was taking place across the road, i dont think i was alone either!!!!!!
Add to Andrew's comments, that the shipbuilders and government insisted on giving detailed tours to the Japanese, who then learned how good ships were built and went back to Japan, copied what they'd seen at John Brown's, then when shipbuilding contracts were being tendered, they'd offer to make the ship a lot cheaper than JB. JB then lost all kinds of work to the Japanese. Look at the Japanese shipbuilding industry now. Then look at Clydeside.
The decline of ship build ing : 1 - Our yard owners lost insight. 2 - Our work force lost ability to pass on skills . This maybe due to the nature of pay bargaining. I suggest this because our Dutch competitors who were no where even close to our output faced the economic change. Our work force didn't change, and didn't train skilled apprtices for some reason. I can only suggest they were happy to see there guilds decline , or they didn't keep meeting. Or everyone retired at the same time. A tsunami of skilled Labour shortage , emphasis on competitive pricing and refusalmto pass on skills . Also the owner's retired and didn't pass design office skills to local apprenticeships.
"The gaffers wore BOWLER HATS"!👒🎩 In a shipyard. Maybe they were "two bob snobs". P.S.- I was a Glasgow PLUMBER, & I've never worn a bowler hat in my life! Neither have any of my gaffers!
hi Jim I have a page on facebook regarding the past and present industrial inverclyde,it's called ARTinINVERCLYDE and also a website under the same name.Would you mind if I put your video on my page as it gives a different view life back then I.e your own.and some great footage.have a look and let me know if you think it fits with what we are doing.thanks.
Thanks for sharing this Bill, you and people like you are a credit to Scotland.
Aye, amen, this Nigel says cheers Jockie, we sorely miss ye.
Very well done. I now live in the western USA (Idaho). I have great memories of sitting at the window when I visited my mother's Aunts, looking out at ships unloading at Princess Dock. Sadly all of this is gone now but wonderful that memories can be preserved through film.
worked in Brown's from 67 to 73 before moving to Canada. Great memories. Thanks for posting
Any relation to the mcknights Charlie?
Sorry, I don’t know anyone by that name
I'm always on the look out for my dad bill Gibson in these videos. He was an apprentice electrician at john browns in the 1940s. I'm just one of many who miss old clydebank
me dah worked fir Harland and Wolfe, master turner.
My uncle was a cabinet maker / carpenter on the Queen Mary: worked on the interior fitted furniture. He (and a couple of his workmates) didn’t hear the warning to leave before it was sent down the slipway and got stuck on board!
lol it happened more often than ye think. There were some in the bilge to spot for leaks too.
Great to hear Matt McGinn singing the Ballad of the Q4
my grandfather ken glendinning was born in 37 i think he was a painter until he had to do his national service. he talked alot about hms tiger and queen mary, he painted the gold leaf on the side of her
Great video. My grandad worked there away back he was an engineer there John young happy days
Very interesting thank you
My pop, archie mcknight, was a plater on the QE2. Can't find much information about him online with JB Shipyards archives, but he was there for a while, and I think he went up to supervisor or manager around 60s/70s.
Seen some photos of him with his shipbuilding friends. Just wish I knew more about him being there x
I think all the photographs are at Glasgow University. They did have an official photographer. I was standing outside the Boardroom building when Prince Charles, at the time walked by on his way to board the QE2 on her way down river for sea trials. Wish I owned a camera at the time.
There was an apprentice Plater who worked in the East fabrication shop and he worked with the group who built the Funnel, Bridge and mast.
I don’t recall his name but he had a camera and he used an arm/shoulder rig to take photos. I think the last time I saw him was at the Protest march out to Glasgow Green..
Maybe someone on here would recall his name. He would be in his 70’s now
Once we were giants, 40% of world's shipping built in UK.
I am always drawn to thinking of Billy Conolly when the ship yards are mentioned.
I was in the navy at the time and stationed Cross from the shipyard in a plavce called Faslane ( its proper name was gaerloch head)i recall fridays at knocking off time when thousands of men would come flooding out of the gates.
I use to catch a bus to go to Renfrew where the was and airport and i would catch a plane to the south of england from there.
There was a bus stop just across the road and the footpath that ran past the gates always had plenty of women waiting there at knock off time to catch the husbands before they got down the pub and drunk their way through the wages, the fights that took place there would amaze many with the ladies always semming to come out on top, but i have to admit to missing the bus from being destracted by what was taking place across the road, i dont think i was alone either!!!!!!
Same with Docker's in Liverpool my friend, tough Woman alright, kids had to be fed and clothed,stay safe.
Add to Andrew's comments, that the shipbuilders and government insisted on giving detailed tours to the Japanese, who then learned how good ships were built and went back to Japan, copied what they'd seen at John Brown's, then when shipbuilding contracts were being tendered, they'd offer to make the ship a lot cheaper than JB. JB then lost all kinds of work to the Japanese. Look at the Japanese shipbuilding industry now. Then look at Clydeside.
@I X Hi, that's tells you how nieve we were, Motorcycle industry went the same way didn't it, in fact alot of Industries, stay safe.
3:50 What’s the “shiny mirror between the pages” of the large newspaper all about?
Interesting!
If Bill is still alive then he's 90.
never it was. good. know. that. is still. remembered.
Is Bill McKinley still around? I'm sure my father would know him from the 60s in the fitting out shops.
i wonder if im related to him
i like it
The decline of ship build ing :
1 - Our yard owners lost insight.
2 - Our work force lost ability to pass on skills .
This maybe due to the nature of pay bargaining.
I suggest this because our Dutch competitors who were no where even close to our output faced the economic change.
Our work force didn't change, and didn't train skilled apprtices for some reason. I can only suggest they were happy to see there guilds decline , or they didn't keep meeting.
Or everyone retired at the same time.
A tsunami of skilled Labour shortage , emphasis on competitive pricing and refusalmto pass on skills .
Also the owner's retired and didn't pass design office skills to local apprenticeships.
"The gaffers wore BOWLER HATS"!👒🎩 In a shipyard. Maybe they were "two bob snobs". P.S.- I was a Glasgow PLUMBER, & I've never worn a bowler hat in my life! Neither have any of my gaffers!
What is that song at the start?
kiitos
hi Jim I have a page on facebook regarding the past and present industrial inverclyde,it's called ARTinINVERCLYDE and also a website under the same name.Would you mind if I put your video on my page as it gives a different view life back then I.e your own.and some great footage.have a look and let me know if you think it fits with what we are doing.thanks.
subtitles