Jack Errington
Jack belongs to: The Doxford Engine Friends Association
Jack was born in Ryhope in 1940. Jack worked at Doxford's for 29 years. He is married with two sons.
Jack was interviewed by Carl Greenwood on 11 January 2006. The interview took place at Beamish Regional Resource Centre and lasted 20 minutes and 14 seconds.
Career at Doxford's
"Well, I started at Doxford’s when I left school at the age of 15, January 1956"
Well, I started at Doxford’s when I left school at the age of 15, January 1956. I went there and I started in the old funnel shop. I used to work with one of the senior platers in there. He did all the marking out for the funnels. One of my jobs was first thing in the morning I used to light the fires. You know, to keep warm- it was a very cold shop, a very old fashioned shop.
After about 10 months in there I started serving my apprenticeship as a fitter, turner, which I worked first in the oily bay, where I used to centre all the bolts, saw to length all the bolts for the main engine. After that I progressed to the gallery, or the new fitting shop as it was formerly called. Served making the valves and that for the engines and for the ships. After that, I went into to the sub-assembly, progressing down to the Pit, the erecting shop where we built the engines up. Coming out of my time, I went on to be a marker-off, which I, I worked as a marker-off for about 23 years.
At the time we left, they were going to announce redundancies, and I was given the chance to retrain, which I took the opportunity and I went on working on, on a machine. After that I was given the opportunity, or I applied for a position in the new crank shaft facility which I was successful in getting, and there I went back to the marking off side of it and doing the inspection. My title was Fitter and Marker-off Inspector. Which I was in there for two years which I really enjoyed and then I unfortunately, British Ship Builders announced the closure, which left, my total service at Doxford’s was 29 years.
Jack has 7 memories in the memorynet:
Jack's memories with a Work theme:
Career at Doxford's
- Community at Doxford's
- The union
- The Evergreen Club
- The Evergreen Club Christmas hamper and party
- Returning to the site of the Doxford Works
Jack's other memories:
The engine at BeamishThis memory has these themes:
Change | Roles and Routines | Work
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