Paul Robinson
Paul belongs to: The Coble and Keelboat Society
Paul was born in Cullercoats. His family were in fishing and merchant navy. Paul got his first boat when he was 13. He has made a living from fishing and sign painting.
Paul was interviewed by Kylea Little on 1 December 2005. The interview took place at the Interviewee's workshop and lasted 38 minutes and 30 seconds.
The crew in the cobles and decline of the fishing industry
"A coble- it was two, maybe three, sometimes one. In the latter years just as things has got tightened, folk can’t get crew"
A coble- it was two, maybe three, sometimes one. In the latter years just as things has got tightened, folk can’t get crew, just a real problem with crew for a lot of boats- that’s the same all over Britain, that like. Things like that been that tight with the industry, with regulation, mostly.
Interviewer: And when you first started going out fishing, was, how the industry then, was it…?
It was pretty lively, like. It was, you know, it was good fishing when I started. There’s a lot, lot more boats than you’ll ever see now, you know, plus there was a lot of visiting boats, visiting Blyth and Shields- the place was jumping, really. You know, there was big sprat fishing in the winter, there was lot of cod and haddock to get, you know, it was thriving like. A lot of new boats getting built. And then we joined the EC, that was, that was the start of the downhill.
Paul has 16 memories in the memorynet:
Paul's memories with a Work theme:
Learning traditional fishing skills- Fishing routines
- The crew in the cobles and decline of the fishing industry
- Superstitions
- Leaving the sea and sign painting
- Sign Painting
- Sign painting techniques and methods
- Making and mending equipment
- Losing traditional skills
- Going out in his coble
Paul in his workshop- A hand painted sign
- Examples of Paul's sign painting
Paul's other memories:
This memory has these themes:
Change | Community | Traditions | Work
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