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Author Topic: Smiths Docks  (Read 20102 times)

Bryan Young

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Smiths Docks
« on: September 27, 2011, 07:08:53 pm »

Further to my initial post on the “Chit Chat” section, perhaps I can get on with the “preamble”. And believe me, this thing needs a preamble!
      Smiths Docks would appear to have been run on not only philanthropic principles, but also on “quasi” religious grounds. Possibly Quaker? I’m probably wrong anyway.
But to continue. The (large) books more or less concentrate on the education of the workforce. There are many learned articles written by some notables of the age (1924 in this case) that describe early voyages throughout history. In fact, just about everything has a nautical feel to it. I suppose that nowadays this paternalistic attitude would be “frowned upon”, but in the days when a large and poor workforce had never gone further from North Shields to Whitley Bay (about 3 miles), tales of foreign lands and the perils of getting there must have been both exotic and intoxicating.
     Not content with just looking after their workforce, all sorts of “uplifting” schemes were employed.
Alas, space on this forum precludes my posting of the entire book (or “books”, as it will be). So I shall content myself with only aspects (photos) of the shipping operations. Just about all the photos have extra written descriptions of why the ship needed repair and how the yards(s) coped with the jobs. The first tranche is all 1924 (ish). Remarkable quality. Built on the Tees.
As I mentioned in my first post on this subject (Chit Chat), this is in no way a money making thing. CDs with the entire contents of the books will be made available completely free of charge. Well, “free to me” at any rate. Following my usual practice I’d only ask that the required number of blank CDs plus plastic cases(to avoid damage) be sent to me in a stamped / addressed envelope. The discs will then be copied and returned ASAP. I really don’t know how to cope with respondents outside of the UK.
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Bryan Young

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Re: Smiths Docks
« Reply #1 on: September 27, 2011, 07:35:16 pm »

Can't put all the details on here...you need the CD.
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Bryan Young

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Re: Smiths Docks
« Reply #2 on: September 28, 2011, 03:40:10 pm »

I'd just like to remind you that all the photos shown so far come from pages only named as "Types Of Ships Produced By The South Bank Yard"....different sorts of photos will appear when this batch is done!
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Bryan Young

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Re: Smiths Docks
« Reply #3 on: September 28, 2011, 03:42:24 pm »

Four more.....
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Bryan Young

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Re: Smiths Docks
« Reply #4 on: September 28, 2011, 04:10:04 pm »

Looking at the photo of the "Pleasure Yacht" does make me wonder if she doubled as a cargo ship now and again!
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Bryan Young

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Re: Smiths Docks
« Reply #5 on: September 28, 2011, 04:36:49 pm »

Last one of this series...notes about them next.
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Bryan Young

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Re: Smiths Docks
« Reply #6 on: September 28, 2011, 05:08:20 pm »

I do hope you can read the printed words bit above the last photo.
The reference to the Great Exhibition at Wembley in 1924 is very apposite here. Their (Smiths) coverage of the event fills a CD all on its own. Fascinating.
As I've sort of mentioned before, the constraints of only allowing photos of up to a max of 161kb doesn't do the photos any justice whatsoever. Just about all the photos so far are reproduced at 3mb on the discs. And the written words are quite legible.
Printed out from disc the quality is remarkable for the age.
As I've also previously pointed out, not any of this is a money-making thing. You send me blank discs in a pre-stamped and addressed envelope and I'll just do the disc copying and post the things back to you.
I really only started this marathon task to make "insurance" copies of the books in case some disaster happened...so at least the contents would survive. But as I went on, the more I felt that all this info deserved a wider readership. Although I'm now a registered member of "Ships Nostalgia" I thought I'd show a bit of loyalty and put the "stuff" on here first! Cheers. BY.
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Bryan Young

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Re: Smiths Docks
« Reply #7 on: September 28, 2011, 06:00:40 pm »

Dear all....
I've already had a couple of queries re the discs. However, the queries came via PMs. For "transactions" I really do prefer direct communication. My e-mail address is clearly stated under my "profile" button. Cuts out the "middle man"...? So, to those who've already replied, please re-submit your e-mail, which will of course tell me your e-mail address. Better all round that way.
In case anyone is a bit leery about this, all I can say is that the system has worked for a number of years now and I've had no complaints! Cheers. Bryan.
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Bryan Young

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Re: Smiths Docks
« Reply #8 on: September 29, 2011, 02:07:29 pm »

Now we can get to the real start of the book. All the issues had a colour painting on the cover. But as you'll be aware, the posting are both a very small sample and very much "reduced".
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Bryan Young

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Re: Smiths Docks
« Reply #9 on: September 29, 2011, 03:29:06 pm »

Now we move on to a touch of actual shipbuilding:-
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Bryan Young

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Re: Smiths Docks
« Reply #10 on: September 29, 2011, 04:00:46 pm »

Moving on to the "Plating Shed" (Would a "shed" these days not be encumbered with a fancy name....even though it's still really a large shed). "Plating" is not just a name for the outer skin of a ship...more or less anything that's made from a bit os sheet steel is termed "plating".
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Bryan Young

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Re: Smiths Docks
« Reply #11 on: September 29, 2011, 05:43:54 pm »

Ever fancied digging out your own dry-dock? On the original Smiths plans, the dry-docks were of very convoluted shapes...to fit the local landscape I expect. Also, I'd never really studied dock gates all that much. They opened and shut, and that was pretty much it as far as I was concerned. So I surmise that a "Flap Gate" was hinged at the bottom and just acted as a "flap".
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Bryan Young

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Re: Smiths Docks
« Reply #12 on: September 29, 2011, 05:53:40 pm »

Only scratching the surface so far! But posting the written words is a no-no really. They have to be read in context. Although I hope that the minimal amount of photos so far posted have been of some interest.
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Tug-Kenny RIP

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Re: Smiths Docks
« Reply #13 on: September 29, 2011, 08:59:57 pm »


Very interesting Brian. What conditions those men must have worked under !!

Thanks for showing us. I hope there's more.   :-))

ken



 
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derekwarner

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Re: Smiths Docks
« Reply #14 on: September 29, 2011, 10:02:16 pm »

Absolutely superb images Bryan.....full sized lofting...no computer generated images or plans.... %)...it makes one wonder if we could do it all again with todays technology coupled with current OH&S..........thanks for sharing  :-))............Derek
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Bryan Young

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Re: Smiths Docks
« Reply #15 on: September 29, 2011, 10:33:31 pm »

Kenny and Derek, there are shed loads more like those ones. In the words of somebody else..."You ain't seen nuthin' yet"....but to be truly honest (as always!), you really do have to put the script together with the pictures. Thanks for the comments. Bryan.
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Tug-Kenny RIP

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Re: Smiths Docks
« Reply #16 on: September 30, 2011, 10:36:19 am »


It reminded me of the lofting shed for the Titanic. They had to deal with rather large sheets of metal and the bending machines were very large indeed.

As you show Smiths docks, I'm assuming they were not related but were the fore-runners of the technology. A lot of men needed to do the one job on a piece of metal. What ghastly working conditions.

cheers

ken

 
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Bryan Young

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Re: Smiths Docks
« Reply #17 on: September 30, 2011, 10:57:15 am »

Kenny, wasn't just the working conditions, after all they were on a par with every other industry of the age. Living conditions were if anything, worse. I've got photos of some streets in North Shields dating from the 1920s (and even 30s,40s and 50s) that would make your toes curl.
Just a quick thought re my last photos. I'd have thought that nming a ship s.s."Kneecap" was a very odd choice of name. Perhaps the company had other ships named after bits of the human body. Maybe even the Latin name for "Big Toe".
Cheers. Bryan.
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Bryan Young

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Re: Smiths Docks
« Reply #18 on: September 30, 2011, 11:33:20 am »

Something for the electricians among us.
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Bryan Young

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Re: Smiths Docks
« Reply #19 on: September 30, 2011, 03:28:47 pm »

Back to the heavy engineering side of things (part 1).
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Bryan Young

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Re: Smiths Docks
« Reply #20 on: September 30, 2011, 04:00:48 pm »

Apart from a couple of photos of boilers, with a bit of luck that's the end of "heavy engineering" for awhile...then I can get back to proper ships.
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Bryan Young

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Re: Smiths Docks
« Reply #21 on: September 30, 2011, 04:31:20 pm »

It would appear that "oil pollution" was being tackled at least 90 years ago. And we still have the same problem.
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Bryan Young

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Re: Smiths Docks
« Reply #22 on: September 30, 2011, 04:44:12 pm »

Time for some more "ships".....
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Xtian29

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Re: Smiths Docks
« Reply #23 on: September 30, 2011, 10:31:46 pm »

Hello

Very interresting subject, then as I've never been in this part of of UK I made a search on google earth to see the place actualy, I suppose it's here !  Nice to see dry docks still serviceable



There is a lot of ancient ship building yards in this area, still some traces with cut on the river banks





and specialy here



a very nice site here about shipbuilding on the river Tees ... I'm surprised with so many shipyard 

http://www.teesbuiltships.co.uk/

Then a late 40's aerial view of Smiths Docks

 http://www.teesbuiltships.co.uk/smiths/intro.htm

Xtian

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Xtian29

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Re: Smiths Docks
« Reply #24 on: September 30, 2011, 10:48:57 pm »

On the last Google earth picture, this is Furness ship yard (in fact even for a Frenchman this shipyard is well known !)

there is a picture during "great time" here

http://www.teesbuiltships.co.uk/furness/intro.htm

Xtian
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