Norman Dunn's 'Hebburn and our Neighbours Forum'

Norman Dunn's 'Hebburn and our Neighbours Forum'
[ Norman Dunn's 'Hebburn and our Neighbours Forum' ]

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Hawthorn Leslies header & then as it is now

Posted by Norman Dunn on 10/11/2024, 8:50 am

Re: Hawthorn Leslies header & then as it is now

Posted by Mac Hardy on 10/11/2024, 11:28 am, in reply to "Hawthorn Leslies header & then as it is now"

What a sad sight, spent many hours working there, the best yard on the Tyne.

The Chimney what was it needed for.?

Posted by Allan Campbell on 10/11/2024, 2:56 pm, in reply to "Hawthorn Leslies header & then as it is now"

The chimney stack. What was if for, a furnace to supply say steam to run machinery or what?

Allan C.

Re: The Chimney what was it needed for.?

Posted by Peter on 10/11/2024, 4:07 pm, in reply to "The Chimney what was it needed for.?"

It's a shame that part of it couldn't have been kept as a memorial to what was once there. There was talk of a museum being there years ago.

Re: The Chimney what was it needed for.?

Posted by Norman Dunn on 10/11/2024, 4:19 pm, in reply to "Re: The Chimney what was it needed for.?"

I agree Peter. Some of it could have made a nice entrance to the new estate.
Allan. That would be the boiler house chimney where steam was produced to power steam operated machinery.

Re: The Chimney what was it needed for.?

Posted by John Shearer on 10/11/2024, 8:36 pm, in reply to "Re: The Chimney what was it needed for.?"

Correct Norman, a boiler house for burning rubbish and making steam when it was King.

Re: Hawthorn Leslies header & then as it is now

Posted by Allan Campbell on 11/11/2024, 2:46 pm, in reply to "Hawthorn Leslies header & then as it is now"

Who is standing at the gate. Looks like man in a uniform or is it a Policeman which I doubt.

Allan C.

Re: Hawthorn Leslies header & then as it is now

Posted by Geordieboy ns on 11/11/2024, 4:41 pm, in reply to "Hawthorn Leslies header & then as it is now"

Norman, thank you for the photo's. What a unique looking chimney, looks like it was built as part of the housing. Perhaps, though doubtful, a single monument depicting all the ship yards with a plaque for each yard., Located on the river bank. Surely it is not to late for some semblance of the history of the north east shipping industry.

Re: Hawthorn Leslies header & then as it is now

Posted by Tom Barker on 11/11/2024, 7:44 pm, in reply to "Re: Hawthorn Leslies header & then as it is now"

So very sad Norman to see Leslie's shipyard not appearing on the photo it depicts the final demise of once one of the busiest ship yards over many decades in the 19 hundreds.My great grand parents came from the Tees Monkwearmouth in the 1860 s he was a ships carpenter and grandma was a sailmaker,they moved in to Bonnacord st just over the road from the main gate in Ellison st there my grandad was born he also worked in Leslie's my dad followed him 3 of my brothers followed altogether there was 3 generations that worked at the yard,l think the 1950s 60s 70 s were very busy money in there pockets after that we know what came next orders dried up redundancies so sad.
The once proud yard once an Icon that filled so many pay packets sadly has just been left over many years in decay now it is earmarked as another housing estate.
On Norman's photo it shows someone standing out side the gate l stood in that spot selling papers for Winnie Gallagher all those years ago.

Re: Hawthorn Leslies header & then as it is now

Posted by Peter on 12/11/2024, 11:35 am, in reply to "Hawthorn Leslies header & then as it is now"

For anyone thats interested there are some interesting photos of Hawthorne Leslies shipyard from a few years ago (albeit in a derelict state), from a website in the link below.

https://www.28dayslater.co.uk/threads/hawthorne-leslie-ship-builders-south-tyneside-20-06-07.15665/

Re: Hawthorn Leslies header & then as it is now

Posted by John Shearer on 12/11/2024, 3:37 pm, in reply to "Re: Hawthorn Leslies header & then as it is now"

Thanks Peter, I recognised all the places in the photographs and, a little tear for the place and MEN that I knew.

Re: Hawthorn Leslies header & then as it is now

Posted by Sheila on 12/11/2024, 4:57 pm, in reply to "Re: Hawthorn Leslies header & then as it is now"

Both my brothers worked in Leslie’s and it’s sad remembering how Hebburn has lost all its industry. I know it’s now mostly houses , but I think it looks good compared to a lot of the mining towns that lost their mines. By what I’ve seen on TV through the years, many have never recovered.

Ship yard

Posted by Geordieboy ns on 13/11/2024, 2:50 am, in reply to "Re: Hawthorn Leslies header & then as it is now"

Thank you Peter, sad to see the neglected work place of generations of craftsmen and a reminder of what was once a thriving industry.

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