Maurice Clyde
Maurice belongs to: The Doxford Engine Friends Association
Maurice left school in 1955 and started his apprenticeship at Doxford's in February 1956. After a motorbike accident in 1958 Maurice worked in the Drawing Office until the closure of the engine and shipyards in 1989.
Maurice was interviewed by Carl Greenwood on 7 December 2005. The interview took place at Beamish Regional Resource Centre and lasted 27 minutes and 41 seconds.
After the apprenticeship and entering the Drawing Office
"Your apprenticeship lasted from 16 to 21 years, when you either decided if you wanted to go into the Drawing Office"
Your apprenticeship lasted from 16 to 21 years, when you either decided if you wanted to go into the Drawing Office, you would have to do a further four to five years on reduced money while attending night schools and day release to get your certification, but if you remained in the workshops, on the heavy machines, you got onto full money at 21 and you were onto bonuses and piece work and things like that, so going into the drawing office, although you were classed as a white collar worker instead of blue collar worker, you took reduced money until you were about 26 years old, which in those days was the same as a doctor or solicitor, but all the time you were going to night schools which could be until ten o’clock.
I remember going to technical drawing on a Friday night until ten o’clock, then coming out and spent the last hour in the local dance hall before going home and may have to work on Saturday morning in those days, if not a Sunday. If you were called a blue-eyed, you used to get asked in on a Sunday which got you a little bit extra money to spend in those days.
Maurice has 7 memories in the memorynet:
Maurice's memories with a Training theme:
Apprenticeship- After the apprenticeship and entering the Drawing Office
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