Harry Chamberlain
Harry belongs to: The Coble and Keelboat Society
Harry grew up on the Lawe Top in South Shields. He served an apprenticeship on the tugboats and worked on the Titan Crane. Harry is a member of the Coble and Keelboat Society.
Harry was interviewed by Carl Greenwood on 31 January 2006. The interview took place at South Shields Museum and lasted 1 hour, 20 minutes and 15 seconds.
Joining the tug boats
"At that time there was a tug called the Beamish in Baird’s dock at Smith’s and a few of my mates were on the tugs"
At that time there was a tug called the Beamish in Baird’s dock at Smith’s and a few of my mates were on the tugs, who I went to school with, and there was a job going on Tynesider, a boy, a galley boy, you know. So I started, and that’s how I started on the tugs.
My dad never spoke to me for a year after that for going on the tugs. Because my dad and that all them were saying, you know, you’ve got to serve your time, you’ve got to serve your time, you’ve got to get a trade and, “the tugs,” they said, “the tugs, trawlers, it’s a waste of time. You don’t want to go to sea or anything like that.”
Visitor Comments
Foy boats and tugs
I served my apprentice at smith docks and worked at the haddock shop and bairds also I remember the foy boats running lines from the ships in the Tyne and my uncle Bob Hunter was skipper of the George the vi that was an Anchor tug that was in the late fifties I now live in Queensland Aus.
By Nick Kostalas On 11 October 2006
A Tugboat called the George Brown worked at Irvine Harbour in the 1930s and until discontinued. Do you know anything about it?
Can you direct me to a picture of it?
By M. J. Browning On 28 February 2007
The George & Friends tug boats
Does anyone have any infomatio with regards 2 Tugs that worked on the tyne aroung 1900 called the George or the Friends Thank you
By Dave Jamieson On 16 December 2007
Harry has 24 memories in the memorynet:
Harry's memories with a Environment theme:
Harry's other memories:
Joining the tug boats
- The role of the tug boats
- Cabin boy's routine
- The galley
- The foy boats and skulling
- Progress through the tug boats
- Value of the tug boat apprenticeship
- Routines on the tug boats
- Leaving the tug boats and moving to the Titan Crane
- Working on the Titan Crane
- Cobles
- Coble smells – black varnish
Foy boatmen- Sculling a foy boat
- The Tynesider
- The Joffre
- The crew of the Tynesider
- The Titan crane
- The Titan crane at work
- The crew of the Titan crane
- The Titan Crane
- The Mary Young
- The Royal Diadem II
This memory has these themes:
The North East | Work
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