Recollections from the drawing office.

John

Just  been looking at your blog “Wivenhoe Heritage”

I arrived in Wivenhoe Oct.1961 with my Mother, Father and Sisters from Colchester.

My Father  Harold (Mac) Mckea was the new landlord of the “Park Hotel” . (20+ years)

I was behind the bar filling up the shelves one day, dad was talking to a customer and

the outcome was a question from the customer (Mr Watkins) asked if I would like to

work in the shipyard, he suggested I applied to be a Plater apprentice.

A Saturday  morning interview with Mr A. Smith General Manger , he asked me what I

was good at school, I replied Metalwork and Technical Drawing and he offered  me a

job as a Ships Draughtsman in the Drawing Office, I started January 1962 and left in

1986 when the yard closed, at this point I was the Steel Buyer and ordered and arranged

the cutting of steel for vessels under construction and new orders.

 

Looking at your blog, I remember  most of the people John Bines (Admiral)and Jack Taylor

(spent 6 months with him , Harry Hatch and Eric Dadds learning how to roll plates  and remember

the time Jack asked for a dog??, and many others Rolf, Jack (loft) and Fred Payne(Steel stockman and

Yard Tug skipper), Len Roly Foreman Fitter( remember him telling me not to sit on the gearbox of

Tug “Touchstone” as it could cause piles), Frank Smith Joiner Foreman and Harry Watkins Forman Painter

who started it all, many others from the yard and those in the Office when I started Gordon Curry

Chief Draughtsman, Bob Bristow Account, Walter Macleod  Steelwork, Peter Boyle Engineering

(remember asking him if I could borrow this ruler, he said no, rulers sit on throne, but I could borrow his scale rule).

also Mr Spencer Buyer I remember asking him for a 2H pencil and he reply, what do you want it for? I said to

draw with, he replied in his day they used HB . Robin Page, Jeff Dobby, Brian Osborne and others I could name

over the years including Secretaries and Wage Clarks.

Photo attached showing a meeting in the drawing office with from the left

Bill Lindsey Chief Draughtsman ,Me and Gordon ? Naval Architect and Jeff  Dobby at the other drawing board.

Your Blog  Monday, February 3 2014 Cooks Yard

The photo of yard  shows two ships being constructed on Berth 4, I believe they  are Yard no’s 1461 Belema and

1462 Baruka  Year 1979/80, Passenger/Cargo Vessels for Crown Agents. I have a copy of the Alresford Advertiser

Dated Aug/Sept 1987 showing Belama tied up in Auki in the Solomon Islands and the  article mentions  the shipbuilders

plate James W Cook & Co 1980.

Also I have a copy of the yard as drawn by J.M.Lee dated 30.8.83 showing overall site including berths, cranes, and

list of all buildings, If I remember correctly this was drawn so that prefabricated barge sections from Poland ?

could be arranged within the working range  and space about cranes and yard. Barges Nos 1470-1506 for

Cory Waste Management(see attached).

The first job I worked on was Yard No 1225 Riverbridge 500 ton Tank Barge checking drawings for As Built General Arrgt.

Last job was 1512 Kilmourne Hopper Dredger.

Some jobs were small and completed, this happened and the last recorded job was Yard No.1515 Harbour Tug.

One other bit of info the delivery crew to sail the ” Forrest” Yard No.1349 to the Falklands stayed at the Park Hotel.

Just recalled one of my jobs was to print plans for the yard, this day I had plans for Yard No 1231 “Touchstone” and went

to find the Forman Plater, he was onboard, so I looked for him and handed them over, I then watched them riveting

for some time, then decided to go back to the office, just past the stores and realised I could not hear a thing.

I could go on ,but from time the yard closed, I have been employed by Cable & Wireless as Design Draughtsman

and travelled to Canada, America and Hong Kong supervising cable ship conversions and now Self-employed at present

updating cruise ship refit plans.

Hope the above fill some gaps and the attached PDFs.

Ps I still have my foot stool I used to reach the top of the drawing board, it was made in the yard.

this is really a very helpful article. I go through this site, really very nice information.thank for sharing such  nice information.  Jimmy.

Best Regards.

 Mike McKea.