We are coming to the worst time of the year for working in an uncovered Shipyard which most were. Accepting that working down the Pit and Deep sea Fishing are at the top when it comes to severe working conditions Winter in a Shipyard was very bleak and yes we did seem to have "Bleak Mid Winters" in those days.
Employers did not provide Winter weather clothing it was a matter of providing your own, the Armed Services Greatcoat seemed to be 'de rigueur' not only for males but females too, some of the Reservists who had been using their issue Greatcoats for work panicked when they were told to report to their Base in 1962 for equipment inspections.
Working on the Deck either installing or repairing Deck Machinery was a matter of clearing the deep snow away before you could even start on the job.
When working on the equipment Aft you not only had the 'standard' cold temperatures that others had to contend with but the 'wind chill' factor as the cold winds funnelled down the river at one Hell of a rate, as Fitter indicated some of the conditions that were "available" would not be tolerated now but as Maggie Thatcher did a deal with the Devil (E.C. /E.U.) we will never know if other Shipyards would have done the same as the Pallion Yard. I had to stop getting my local paper as it was depressing to see that people you had worked with had passed away their faces and voices coming into sharp focus Statistics: Posted by Hornbeam — Thu Oct 20, 2022 1:09 pm
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