urbanglasgow.co.uk

designerdave · Posted: Fri Oct 30, 2009 8:18 pm Post subject:

present day c.2008

These take me back - I served my apprenticeship in the old Stephens building in the early 80's. It was the training centre for BSTES British Shipbuilders. And on the present day pic here, you can see just below and right of centre, the old football pitch (now overgrown) where our team won the inter-trade tourney . . . not that I contributed much despite being on the field at the time!

Brilliant - Cheers

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kev · Posted: Fri Oct 30, 2009 8:55 pm Post subject:

These take me back - I served my apprenticeship in the old Stephens building in the early 80's. It was the training centre for BSTES British Shipbuilders. And on the present day pic here, you can see just below and right of centre, the old football pitch (now overgrown) where our team won the inter-trade tourney . . . not that I contributed much despite being on the field at the time!

Brilliant - Cheers[/quote]

Dave.. the training centre was the little patch of rectangular land to the left of the clyde tunnel building..Iwas there in 1977.It was for Boilermaker trades only
The main training centre was the big building to the left of the picture.
I still have the training centre rule book and my apprentice union card which I will dig out and scan..Also have some pics of Stephens yard before it was ripped down in the early eighties

Scary · Deep fried Mars bar Joined: 07 Aug 2007 Posts: 1024

Cheers for that Kev, it`s an area I know very little about so it`s good to see these pics

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cybers · Posted: Sat Oct 31, 2009 1:24 am Post subject:

Like yirself Scary i know very little of this part of the city so it is always interesting to have a look see at what was, compared to now.
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kev · Posted: Sat Oct 31, 2009 12:07 pm Post subject:

These were taken around the time the Stephens yard closed as the Stephens yard..to the right and just out of shot of the aeriel photo.It was part of the deal to allow shipbuilding to continue on the clyde during the famous work in.There was a fabulous documentry on BBC4 the other night about this.Anyway the yard continued to operate until about 81 as part of Govan shipbuilders. GSL utilised the massive sheds to help build the ships it had on its order book at the time.
I can remember as a 16 year old apprentice going into these sheds and looking around marveling at how big and noisy everything was...so wish I had been into photography...

Main fabrication sheds looking west..No ships on the slipway

Inside one of the sheds

Various buildings in the yard

View taken from main gate on Holmfauldhead road

On the documentry the other night they had this guy on who went around the old yards photographing everyone of them as they were abandoned and whilst being demolished...His pictures were haunting...hope he finds his way to urban Glasgow and shares them

norrie · Posted: Sat Oct 31, 2009 6:55 pm Post subject:

Hi guys, I have just found this thread, had a quick look at the first few pages, some really great photos.
I will have a better look tomorrow.
I am looking for a photograph of The Grafton Cinema, Parly rd Townhead, any one ever seen one?

Bye for now, norrie
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designerdave · Posted: Sat Oct 31, 2009 8:50 pm Post subject:

kev · Posted: Sat Oct 31, 2009 11:12 pm Post subject:

Dave...The guy who ran the training centre was as you say Pat mcrystal and Ernie Vergos and Willie pettigrew were the caulker/burners tutors.....god....so many memories in my head that I would love to share

designerdave · Posted: Sun Nov 01, 2009 3:27 pm Post subject:

Kev,

I started in '82 on a 6 month "YOP" in there then returned the following year and did my first year proper before moving to Yarrows. On the YOP we got a wee go at most of the trades for a week or two and moved round the yard - you then elected your preferred choice and got to spend the last while there, so my main place was on the top floor of Stephens office block, in the drawing office.

My apprenticeship was Electrical Technician and we were based in the Stephens office on the ground floor for the year then over the river to Scotstoun. Lot of good times right enough with a good crowd - I dont recall many other instructors but a wee guy Bobby something (Ferguson maybe?) was our main instructor.

I'm looking forward to seeing the scans you mentioned; can you tell me the name of the documentary, I'd love to see it (might be able to DL it from the usual places)
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eastexile · Buttered roll Joined: 03 Nov 2009 Posts: 1

It's been years since I lived in Glasgow (Edinburgh now), most of the destruction carried out in the name of 'progress' was truly criminal, have only read half of this thread but I'm sure its been mentioned..!

No doubt most of the residential areas from my day were in need of being torn down but was there any need to tear up the city center? It's just sad, how many Billions would it cost to built the old city now?