Miramar - Ship on-line database

[teesships]

From what Rodger told me the subscriptions cover the cost (several thousands of pounds) for the full Fairplay/Lloyd's computer package so if several users can be added to that system it might be possible for a new team to keep things going.

Ron M

[northeast]

Get in there, young Ron

[fitter]

The loss of Rodger and so many "old hands" that I've had the privilege of knowing, with the the loss of their mountains and decades of experience and knowledge and their manifold sufferings during war but also conditions in peacetime that would never be tolerated now, are impossible to measure or express. I have a list of all the shipyard fitters I can remember working with and a mental image of many outstanding skilled, semi skilled and unskilled men that made shipbuilding such a tremendous experience. Other industries too can make the same claims but I only knew shipbuilding and marine engineering personally. I feel very sad when I see an obituary notice of those whose lives I shared. Their faces, their voices, their skills, the bait times, the sea trials, the places we shared, the rough, the polite, the capable, the "daresents and cannots," the grafters the shirkers, the arguments that all contributed to the phenomena, largely taken for granted, that we called shipbuilding and marine engineering. Not forgetting the millions that worked at sea under the red and also the white ensigns in tugs, tankers, cargo ships, bulkers, passenger ships, coasters, warships for we all played an enormous part in the development of this outstanding country that so many want to deprecate. we were a "band of brothers" (and sisters) like no other and our likes will probably never be seen again.

[Hornbeam]

Fitters description of life in a Shipyard is of course very accurate, he has been there and indeed so have I.
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

[northeast]

I just read the News page on Miramar ... it seems like it will be maintained and presumably subs due each year, but 'frozen' from when Rodger did his last update in July. Sadly, we have lost the ability to track later histories, except by Equasis or other means, which of course do not give the full history of vessels.

[Whickham]

A sign of the times I'm afraid. No young blood (with one notable exception) with an interest in ships/shipping.