Brigham & Cowans - mid seventies

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malaymac
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Brigham & Cowans - mid seventies

Post by malaymac »

I've checked through some very good websites highlighting the shipyards and dry docks around the region. However, I'm particularly interested in vessels visiting Brigham & Cowans during the mid seventies. Can anyone recall any of the following ships coming in for repair :

Rudby (a very large Ropners vessel)
Laurentian Forest (big red coloured car carrier)
British Wye (a BP tanker)
Snow, Flake, Snow Storm, Snow etc, etc (white Swedish banana boats)
Blur Rover, Sir Galahad, Sir Lancelot (RFA vessels of Falklands fame)

With time, I may remember a lot more from this era.
Any info greatly appreciated, thanks.

PS. For those who enjoy shipping nostalgia, I highly recommend a visit to the appropriately named, http://www.shipsnostalgia.com
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Re: Brigham & Cowans - mid seventies

Post by Jarrow Pete »

Used to service the metering equipment on the Rover boats, mainly at Wallsend Slipway and occasionally at Middle docks when they came in for refits.
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Re: Brigham & Cowans - mid seventies

Post by Sanddancer »

I think that Blue, Green and Grey Rover were all re-engined on the tyne during in the early to mid seventies, but as far as I know that happened on the north side of the River (Smiths Dock)
Worked at TDE untill the mid Seventies and don't really recall many RFA's in Brighams.
Was actually a member of the crew of Lancelot during the Falklands Conflict.
Growing old is not so bad when you consider the alternative!
malaymac
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Re: Brigham & Cowans - mid seventies

Post by malaymac »

Sanddancer wrote:I think that Blue, Green and Grey Rover were all re-engined on the tyne during in the early to mid seventies, but as far as I know that happened on the north side of the River (Smiths Dock)
Worked at TDE untill the mid Seventies and don't really recall many RFA's in Brighams.
Was actually a member of the crew of Lancelot during the Falklands Conflict.

Sanddancer,

I suppose it's fair to assume you have some incredible memories from your time on these vessels and obviously, the Falklands conflict.

Would you like to tell us more about that ? Write it as a new topic, maybe ?

I don't know how you feel, but I completely understand that you may not want to 'go there' as these things can sometimes be difficult to talk about.

Please don't feel pressurised or obligated in anyway. I'll respect your decision, whatever it is.

I've been involved in something similar and that's a rather unique thing for anyone to go through. With the benefit of hindsight and a lucky escape, it's easy to laugh about it now, but at the time, it was a very unpleasant time and not one I would particularly recommend to others.

Hope all is well.
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Re: Brigham & Cowans - mid seventies

Post by Sanddancer »

Thanks for you comments malaymac,
You are of course right about having some incredible memories from conflicts like the Falklands and the first Gulf War. Unfortunately, as you may understand, they are not all good.
I remember being daft enough to to stop and take a Photo of an Unexploded bomb that ended up in the middle of the Lancelot, the day after we watched HMS Antelope explode when her UXB's went off.
I remember the feeling, that can best be described as grief, when we heard that Sir Galahad and Sir Tristram had been hit at Fitzroy (I lost, what I like to think of, as a couple of good friends, when the Sir Galahad was hit, [as did a lot of others, especially those from the Welsh Guards])
I remember the total desperation felt by one of my shipmates when we heard that HMS Gloucester had been hit by an execet missile, as his brother was serving on that ship.

A number of us still try to keep in touch from the old Sir Lancelot, and I still see a few from the other "Sir Boats" although as you will understand after 26 years quite a few have now retired. Unfortunately, I am one of the few that are still with the RFA, and believe it or not, i am sitting on a ship writing this at the moment, deep in thought and remembering those that didn't come home.

My thought also go out to those families that have loved ones serving in Afganistan and Iraq as my wife must have had similar feelings back in 1990 that they have now
Growing old is not so bad when you consider the alternative!
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Re: Brigham & Cowans - mid seventies

Post by anna »

Unfortunately, I am one of the few that are still with the RFA, and believe it or not, i am sitting on a ship writing this at the moment, deep in thought and remembering those that didn't come home.
aww bless......it must remain with you forever Sanddancer ...its so sad ..
My Son is also in the R.A.F ..so i can relate to what you said in your post ,,sorry for butting it ,, :wink:
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Re: Brigham & Cowans - mid seventies

Post by baldy.smith »

anna wrote:
My Son is also in the R.A.F
Sanddancer is in the "R.F.A" anna, not the "R.A.F".

"R.F.A" Royal Fleet Auxillary, the navy.

My son was in the "R.A.F" for twelve years and did a tour of duty in the Falklands.


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anna
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Re: Brigham & Cowans - mid seventies

Post by anna »

:oops: :oops: ...i need to read things more slowly .. :oops:
.
Forgive me Sandy ... :roll: it happens all the time ,,sorry ...
.
Thanks Da .. :wink:
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Re: Brigham & Cowans - mid seventies

Post by baldy.smith »

anna wrote: :oops: :oops: ...i need to read things more slowly .. :oops:
And to think you're always telling me it's best done slowly. :roll:

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Re: Brigham & Cowans - mid seventies

Post by anna »

:P
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Re: Brigham & Cowans

Post by pebe52 »

hello all,
I was an apprentice fitter at Brighams from 1968 to 1972. i have been looking for some website that may mention B&C's and the shipyards of the Tyne in general. It seems now the modern generation do not know, or are not really bothered that the Tyne was the biggest ship building & repair centre in the WORLD at one time. The demise was for many reasons that are now history, but the whole of South Shields, almost every family had someone either working in the shipyards, or at sea following apprenticeships in the 'yards or attached engineering works, or had followed family traditions into deck officers and ultimately Captains in the once renowned Merchant Navy.
Sad, but when I go back to 'Shields and look down King's Street see the pound shops, mobile phone shops and other crap shops that have replaced what was once a bustling place with a lot of quality shops with a bit of 'style' , wonder what the future can be.
I still am a "Shields man" although have live in Yorkshire for more years than I lived in south Shields, love going back, but could never live there.

Would like to see a Brigham & cowan Apprentice reunion one day, but think they are all scattered and some may not be with us any more.
You can take the Geordie from Tyneside...but never Tyneside oot ov thu Geordie!
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Re: Brigham & Cowans - mid seventies

Post by jimmywizz »

Hi pebe52 i was going to say welcome to the boards then i just looked at the date when you signed up :lol:
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Re: Brigham & Cowans - mid seventies

Post by ralph »

When Brigham and Cowan's was a thriving yard, I liked nothing better than to stand by the 'New Bridge' (built in the 1930's) and look at the work going on in the yard. I so regret not taking lots of photos when the opportunity was there - we tend to think these things will go on for ever.

It would be very interesting to see any photos Sand-Dancer members have, posted on the site. It really wouldn't matter if they were cracked etc, they would still be very interesting. Over the years my grandad, dad, and brother all worked at Brigham's, so the yard played a big part in our lives. Sadly they are all dead now. :(
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Re: Brigham & Cowans - mid seventies

Post by Pilot »

After a 10 month trip I drydocked in Brighams in September 1969 on the Border Lass, I met my now wife a few days later, we married in 1971 and have our 40th wedding aniversary coming up next month.
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Re: Brigham & Cowans - mid seventies

Post by Delilahcat »

10 month trips...those were the days. A neighbour of ours was an engineer and did even longer trips. Always remember him coming home after a lengthy spell and his little boy saying 'Mister are you my dad?' as he got out of the taxi.
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Re: Brigham & Cowans - mid seventies

Post by denis »

Iwas a plumber at B and G from 1950 to 1958 with 2years NS inbetween the ships i remember were BARON ELCIN, BARON GEDDES,both were converted from coal to oil, we also worked on the new dry dock
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Re: Brigham & Cowans - mid seventies

Post by ralph »

I have a picture of the the Baron Elgin (downloaded from the Shipping Times). I have a note that she was the first ship into Brigham's new dock. I'm not sure where that information came from. It says she was sold in 1958 to Costa Rica, so maybe she was in for a refit in that year prior to her sale. She was renamed Spidola and apparently scrapped in 1970.
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