Swan Hunter - The River Tyne | UK | HISTORY OF THE NORTH

There is so much more to cover about Swan Hunter so there will another video next week. I hope you enjoy the video.

The Living on the Tyne YouTube channel is a destination for anyone interested in exploring the beauty and culture of the Tyne region in northeast England. Located in the heart of the region, the channel offers a unique and immersive look at the vibrant cities, charming towns, and stunning countryside of the Tyne.

Our videos will take you on a journey through the region, highlighting the most iconic landmarks and hidden gems of the Tyne. From the iconic Tyne Bridge and the bustling Quayside in Newcastle, to the picturesque countryside of Northumberland and the vibrant communities of Gateshead, there is always something new and exciting to discover on our channel.

In addition to showcasing the natural beauty of the Tyne, our videos will also delve into the rich history and culture of the region. We will also highlight the many events and activities that make the Tyne region a vibrant and exciting place to live and visit.

Whether you are a resident of the Tyne looking to learn more about your community, or a visitor looking to discover the hidden gems of the region, the Living on the Tyne YouTube channel has something for everyone. Tune in and start exploring the beauty of the Tyne with us today!

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[cheeselewoo]

My River, my past but sadly no more future. My Da worked there in the 50's and we grew up with the Swan Hunter buzzers and the sounds on the River EVERY day. Trains and Boats tooted in the distance and always gave me a secure feeling in the middle of the night as I knew the heart of the Tyne was still beating. Goods trains clickety clacking over the Ouseburn Bridge in the night and the St.Peters Station was just down the street from me. There are NO sounds today and it just evokes sadness and tears for me now 😥 Even our Tyne Bridges are in danger. Armstrong's magnificent feat of mechanical engineering, the Swing Bridge needs attention, The Tyne Bridge needs attention and the stupid Blinking Eye can't afford to blink. Council say they can't afford to tend to any of it. What a waste to watch our once great River in such decline. It was the arteries of our LIFE and living! Wallsend has disintegrated and will never be the thriving hub it used to be. I see it and the decline every day. I'm a Byker lass myself, lived just up from Spillers and on the 14th of November every year my Ma used to say, "look out the window, the flag is flying for your Birthday" which I used to share with the now King Charles, happy days. Byker too has been voted the worst High Street in the UK. It used to be such a good shopping area and it has been left to deteriorate horrendously. Byker is a no go area these days but I'm proud to say I was Born and bred there in 1951. The yards were the lifeblood for so many of us back in the day. All our Industry along the River area has gone and only the poverty of the area has remained and indeed escalated with the horrible monstrosity of the Byker Wall. Worst days work the devils in the Council ever planned.😥😢😥

[LivingTheDream_OMG]

Thanks for the great memories, I served my apprenticeship as a welder from 1980 to mid 1984, it was a hard but well taught skill that has seen me flourish throughout my life.

[geordieceltic]

Wow! Just found your channel looks very professional and well produced. Excellent documentary style. Clearly well researched and presented. Thank you.

[johnburns]

Spend the best years of my working life at swan hunter, workmates were the best people you could ever meet. Nothing but great memories, on the ark royal from the start to finish. On board for the launch and sea trials.

[briantate]

I worked in these yards, contracting for a company called DMB contractors as a paint sprayer, fantastic place to work, brings back happy memories, thank you

[B]

Worked on the Ark Royal and the Illustrious as an industrial painter....Metnor Ltd. Great memories.

[VintageBoxingTM]

Best place I’ve ever worked. Met some of the funniest characters in my life there. 🙌

[geordieal]

I will always remember as a kid going between Newcastle and the coast, the entire riverside was just a sea of cranes… red, green, blue, yellow… it always fascinated me and I loved seeing them. Then as the years passed they would slowly disappear, one yard after another till there was barely any left. I’ve always felt that they should have saved one crane like Glasgow did, and turn it into a tourist attraction or monument.

[davidhoward]

I was ships company on HMS Torquay which refitted in 79/80 at Swans

[lima]

Thanks for the film. It brought back, many memories. I lived in North Shields - right next to the Swan Hunter yard. The sound of the Foghorn, The Whistle and the Incessant sound of skilled men working on huge ships was a part of our life. I used to climb up onto the roofs of the local factories and gaze down onto the hive of Activity that was Swan Hunters. Fire and Steel, Clanging and hammering and sometimes when the buzzer went and all became still, we knew that there had been an Accident.
I am 63 now and live abroad - have done for the last 40 years but a bit of the Tyne`s water still runs in my veins. Some time ago I wrote a song about the demise of the Shipyards. You can listen to it here:

[brian]

I was born there in the terrace houses when I was 13 years old started selling news papers on the Wallsend ferry landing for the workers did that till I left school seen many a man fall in try to get the ferry over to Hebburn so he won't lose time

[sufeeb]

I worked for British Shipbuilders in Walker, I think not too far from Swans. The building is long gone now. I think it was at the bottom of Pottery Bank which runs to a dead end. That might have been the road that wen to the front of the building, but I can't find any pics of the building itself.

[Rita-fski]

My grandfather worked at Swans until 1970, he was a Machine Tool Maker.

****DOES ANYONE KNOW ABOUT MACHINE TOOL MAKING AT SWAN'S OR HAVE AN IDEA OF WHERE I CAN RESEARCH THIS?****

I'm researching Machine Tool Making with a view to putting it on the record so the part this trade played is captured for posterity. The length of time that it took to train as a Machine Tool Maker meant that during the war this was a reserved occupation, my Grandfather worked at Swans throughout WW2 and wasn't allowed to serve in the forces.

If you know anything, leave a comment and i will follow up. Many thanks.

(Machine Tool making is the skilled trade often using a lathe that designs and produces the dies, moulds and models for casting components)

[jrn]

Hi there! Love the video. Is there any chance we can get some of your footage, stills ect? I am working in a project that has to do with the Swan Hunter shipyard and it would be of great help. Best Jeppe

[truthmediarebel]

Bad management and Unions destroyed the ship yard. My dad worked there and my grandfather, Demarcation stopped plumbers tacting a bracket for pipework so sometimes they would wait days for a welder Night shift would sign in and climb a fence to go home.. No wonder it went to the wall. I lived in 12th Street Wallsend where we could see ships being made the whole lengh of the Tyne.

[Herblay]

True... poor management, labour relations and restrictive demarkation all played a part in the demise of the industry. However, the industry predominantly consisted of riverside slipways and yards with a small footprint. As the ships got bigger, many of these yards just weren't suitable for transitioning to a welded block construction with assembly in a build dock. It was a lack of planning and investment that really killed commercial shipbuilding in the UK.

[lornaburgess]

I never liked using the ferry when there was a big ship on the Tyne I hate them it's a thing I've had since childhood.

[rodtaylor]

Went into Fisher st training centre 1975.. for 1 years training .as apprentice plater .then choose Walker naval yard . The kharg was being finished . The ship that was impounded by Thatcher.. Iran/Iraq war.worked on couple vessel..then Thatcher the snatcher got in power 1979.& we all knew we was doomed . Naval yard lasted 1 year she closed it.then Neptune.. & other remaining shipyards followed..worked on both the carriers .illustrious & ark royal.even went on sea trials on illustrious..happy days..this was a big river .Jimmy nail 😊🏗🛳🚢 ..