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.
Leaving the sea and sign painting
"26 years. I had to pack it in with my ears and that, like, so that was that"
26 years. I had to pack it in with my ears and that, like, so that was that. I’ve always done a bit of sign writing on the boats and it just sort of followed. I had to make a living some way. I plugged away with that. I’ve always done like my stern work, so… Such as it was, it was when I got my first wee boat, so I was probably about 13 I suppose, when I first painted it. There was a former boat builder from Amble used to come and I used to watch him when he came down and he just had me transfixed watching him, like. I used to ask him, like, if I could watch him. And absolutely fantastic work, I used to stand mesmerised.
Paul has 16 memories in the memorynet:
Paul's memories with a Roles and Routines theme:
Fishing routines- Leaving the sea and sign painting
A hand painted sign
Paul's other memories:
- Growing up in a fishing community
- First boat
- Learning traditional fishing skills
- The crew in the cobles and decline of the fishing industry
- Superstitions
- Sign Painting
- Sign painting techniques and methods
- Making and mending equipment
- Losing traditional skills
- Going out in his coble
- Paul in his workshop
- Paul's coble
- Examples of Paul's sign painting
This memory has these themes:
Roles and Routines | Skills | The North East | Traditions | Work
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