Explore > Themes > Volunteering > Robert Oliver
Photograph of Robert Oliver driving the Cullercoats lifeboat

Robert Oliver

Robert belongs to: Cullercoats RNLI

Robert Oliver was born in Cullercoats. From the age of 15 he fished from Cullercoats and North Shields, working from a coble in the summer and trawlers in the winter. He is the Leading Helmsman for the Cullercoats RNLI.

Robert was interviewed by Kylea Little on 20 November 2005. The interview took place at Cullercoats RNLI Station and lasted 22 minutes and 1 second.

Photograph of Robert Oliver driving the Cullercoats lifeboat
Photograph of Robert Oliver driving the Cullercoats lifeboat

Changes in the fishing industry

memorynet uses Javascript and Macromedia Flash to play audio clips and BSL translations. If possible please enable Javascript and Flash now. Please visit the about page for more information.
"Well it was more or less, I wouldn’t say a free for all but anybody could join the job and go to the job"

Well it was more or less, I wouldn’t say a free for all but anybody could join the job and go to the job. I mean, when I was a young lad I had a little rowing boat I used to work ten lobster pots and a little bit of net around the rocks when I was a young lad. You know, that’s gone now because you’ve got to have a licence.

And more or less, you’ve either got to be committed and go wholeheartedly and buy a boat and buy a licence to get into the job now where anybody could have got into the job when I started. But then the government got involved and laid out quotas and restrictions on everything, boats sizes, licences, just makes it harder for people.

Robert has 9 memories in the memorynet:

Robert's memories with a Volunteering theme:


Robert's other memories:

This memory has these themes:
Change | Lifestyles | The North East

Use this form to add your comment to the memorynet: