ALLAN I REMEMBER QUITE AWHILE AGO YOU SAID THAT YOU WORKED AT HEBBURN PALMERS LATE 50S
THE SAME TIME AS MYSELF THE YARDS WERE VERY BUSY SHIP REPAIR AT PALMERS SHIP BUILDING AT HAWTHORN LESLIES DURING MY APPRENTICESHIP IN THE JOINERS SHOP 1956.1961 I SAW MANY SHIPS BEING LUNCHED NEXT DOOR IN LESLIES I REMEMBER EVERY ONE ONTHE TOOLS IN THE YARD ABOUT HALF AN HOUR BEFORE THE LAUNCHETHEY WOULD WALK DOWN TO THE QUAYSIDE EVEN THOSE IN THE TOP SHED TO SEE THE SHIPS COMING FROM WALLSEND STAIGHT AT YOU BEFORE DRAGGING CHAINS TOOK OVER THEN YOU HAD TO FALL BACK IN CASE YOU GOT DRENCHED FROM THE WASH.
LIVING IN THE QUAY I SAW MANY SHIPS BEING LANCHED
I REMEMBER GOING TO LESLIES WITH THE SCHOOL HEBBURN QUAY SCHOOL RIGHT NEXT TO WERE THE BOTTLE WAS SMASHED IN THIS CASE LADY MOUNTBATTON.I ALWAYS REMEMBER GOING THROUGH THE MAIN BOTTOM GATE WE WERE AS KIDS INPAIRS HOLDING HANDS OUR DADS BROTHERS GRANDADS CHEERING BANGING ANY THING AS WE
MADE OUR WAY TO THE LAUNCH THAT WAS MY FIST INSIGHT IN TO THE YARD LITTLE DID I KNOW LIKE MANY OF OUR CLASS MATES WOULD END UP THEREFOWLLOWING
OUR ANCESTORS.
THE SHIP BY THE WAY WAS THE ATHELL DUTCHESS.