Bill Bendelow
Bill belongs to: The Doxford Engine Friends Association
Bill was born in Sunderland in 1927. He served his apprenticeship at the Doxford Engine Works, starting fifth January 1942. After five years at sea he returned to Doxford's where he worked until its closure in March 1987. Bill was the last person to leave Doxford's and was given the task of switching off the power to the works.
Bill was interviewed by Carl Greenwood on 26 January 2006. The interview took place at Sunderland Museum and lasted 40 minutes and 53 seconds.
Industrial action at Doxford's
"Well, disputes, go-slows, work to rule- there’s were always things like that went on"
Well, disputes, go-slows, work to rule- there’s were always things like that went on. I once went down to the museum and they had on display a year’s editions of the Sunderland Echo- not all the pages, but most of the front and back pages and as you thumbed through them, there was always a strike somewhere. It was either at Doxford’s, or Short’s, or Bartram’s, or Picky’s, or J. L. Thompson’s, but there was always seeming to be a bloody strike. Maybe one, maybe one dispute fed another, I don’t know. But we seemed to go, live through all them occasions and it used to get, because in all my working life, I was never on a strike. You know, as it happened, I was never on a strike. But, some of the lads, you know, it got too much at times, it got too much. I think the year was 1958, if I remember rightly these Echoes, and it did a lot of damage at times, you know, because there was a lot of, there were some people out on strike for six weeks. It’s a long time, six weeks.
Bill has 13 memories in the memorynet:
Bill's memories with a Community theme:
The Doxford Apprentices football team- The Doxford Engine Friends Association
- What does the sea mean to you?
50th birthday card
Bill's other memories:
This memory has these themes:
Relationships | The North East | Work
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