Sunderland Oak, 1961

Sunderland Oak, a short film about Shipbuilding on the Wear, made in 1961. This is the full version. It starts with our famous Wear Tug Eppleton Hall steaming upriver. She passes Thistledhu at Strand Quay, originally launched from John Crown's, 6th May 1955, Hull No 238. She was in for repairs. Basil Mavroleon's Luxury Yacht Radiant II is fitting out in SP Austin's (now part of A&P at this time) Drydock. She was launched from the yard, 29th March 1961, Hull No 819. The launch of Australind from Bartram's is next, 2nd May 1961, Hull No 389, with the Wear Tugs Ryhope and Prestwick. Avisfaith under construction and her launch from the yard, 28th June 1961, finishing with some of the Bartram's Lads having a few pints and finishes with a singsong in the Regale !!.

[@michaeltaylor1026]

i was born in Sunderland in the 60's and brought up in Barclay court just by the bridge and the ship yard, so very emotional to see life back when i was just a bairn. thanks for sharing

[@mariadacre9647]

So was i except i was born in Churchill st near Mowbray park and this brought back great memories. Btw this is my girlfriends channel.

[@bebobbebob8275]

Good video. So much freedom for the kids. Back then the ships were really handmade.

[@2011littlejohn1]

I was 19 when this very evocative movie was filmed and a possible employment choice at 15 was working in a shipyard. My brother and father both worked in these places. Looking at this I'm convinced I made the right choice and joined the RAF as I would have maybe survived a week. It's a shame that a changing environment is a double edged sword; when they closed the yards they took away the economic guts of the town so the more pleasant conditions are maybe a questionable compensation. The North East had some amazing engineers I'm sure they could have adapted.

[@zeddeka]

I guess that's the whole problem - they didn't adapt. And that's really the story of Britain's decline over the past century and a half. We were so inward looking that we had no real understanding of just how far behind we had fallen.

[@sonnydugganphotography]

Great Film

[@tonybreeze8516]

As a young student I worked on the Sunderland green buses as a conductor (double shifts and no tax) and I used to drop off the shipyard workers while cheerfully singing the song, “Monday, Monday” … of course I never dreamed that this was the end of an era for the town as the foreign yards took over.

[@dieseldavetrains8988]

Life was much more simple and less complicated then, employment was dictated by the order book of the shipyard. The shipyard was the heart and soul of the town. Associated businesses lived and died by the yards success. You can see the pride and satisfaction in those men's eyes when the ship is launched. The "Australind" traded for many years on the Australian west coast, didn't know it was built there. Another classic video, thank you Anthony.

[@ashleycohen2258]

Killed by Maggie

[@zeddeka]

And a lot worse in some ways. No escape. No chance for anything different.

[@custa73burner]

I worked in the yards from 1973 till the bitter end.

[@simonbroberg969]

Bits of history and what the people that spoke using their music, will stay with me until I am dead.

[@farralad734]

Brilliant..as a lad wi ship building in his blood and a river wear vlogger i found this so informative 👏 thank you 😊

[@TheStobb50]

Thank you totally invaluable piece of history, I was one year old when this was made, the town is totally unrecognisable now, when I go back to Sunderland these days I walk about with complete disbelief some good some bad again, thank you for taking the time to look at this video

[@1258-Eckhart]

On 8th September 1968, the MV Avisfaith (seen here being built) was in the Pacific off southern Mexico and was able to report the formation of Hurricane Naomi, which tracked northwards through Mexico and into Texas, before easing off.

[@mikebreen2890]

Wonderful.

[@stephenbilton5345]

A lifetime spent in Sunderland. Where have all the people gone? When did it all go wrong?

[@graemedouglas3995]

You could build a ship a week in the east end and the estates around the town from the gear that was pinched from the yards

[@TheTmny876able]

Biggest shipyards in the world at that time ! my granny worked there during WW2, when i was a kid at the time the noise was ridiculous, dame dorothy st school opposite my school, and the steam trains and i lived opposite Earnshaws bakery i have hearing trouble but to be expected. but it was a way of life young people would not put up with it now, it is so quiet in Sunderland and cleaner.

[@bernadettemurray8260]

My dad was a welder, my grandar a rivet catcher.

[@kevingray3550]

I believe that the Bartram's yard was the only yard in the country that launched directly in to the North Sea rather than a river. It certainly was the only one in Sunderland . Although long gone you can still make out its location on Google Maps to the South side of the river.

[@integrale1964]

Bartram's and the lesser known Sunderland Shipbuilding Co Ltd, which was next door just to the North, were the only Shipyards to launch their ships directly into the sea.

[@MSkallywagg]

Almost no H&S WOW just WOW

[@rmbteesside]

Think it could be my dad gowie scott at 8.30 , he was a plater down the yards at that time.

[@justincase6645]

I was one when this film was made The period i grew up in Sunderland were the last of the Glory days of the town The town was a power house It died towards the end of the 80's and whatever they do with ya keel squares and whatever is just a pale refelection

[@justincase6645]

Duxford's Pickies , Rolls Royce , David Brown , Coles Cranes , Sunderland Forge , Sunderland Cement works , Vaux Breweries, Silksworth Colliery , Monkwearmouth Colliery Trades Club, Boilermaker Club , just off the top of my 64 year old head ,

[@integrale1964]

Bartram's and the lesser known Sunderland Shipbuilding Co Ltd, which was next door just to the North, were the only Shipyards to launch their ships directly into the sea.

[@dougpatterson6987]

Whee’s the fond hoower singing.

[@DonWood]

Anthony can you tell me who the singer is at the beginning of the video. Thanks for sharing this video it’s wasted a pleasant hour researching stuff 👍

[@tomp4533]

Does anyone have a copy of the full documentary or a link to it. I'm particularly interested in the clip filmed in the Regale Tavern after the launch as it features family members who are sadly no longer with us.

[@andrewmccormack5884]

1961 the year I was born in Sunderland…ha way the lads

[@zeddeka]

Why did you feel the need to tell us that? We were all born in some year. Nobody cares.

[@josephrobson1734]

Hi

[@grrr.9998]

Can you imagine a tory trying to do a man's job? Hahaha 😅

[@zeddeka]

You forget mate - quite a lot of the people back then were Tories, or worse. There's always been a far right streak in Sunderland - like those nut job "metric martyrs" a few years back.

[@johnmurray5573]

​@@zeddekaMr Thoburn RIP was a far better man than you