Table of Contents

About the Editors / vii Preface: A Shipbuilding Libretto / ix Introduction / xi Interviews Lower Clyde 1. Alexander Ross Belch, Lithgows, Scott Lithgow, British Shipbuilders Plc / 1 2. Johnston Robb, Scotts Shipbuilding and Engineering, Scott Lithgow Ltd. / 7 3. Willie Ferguson, William Hamilton and Sons, Lithgows, Scott Lithgow Ltd. / 12 Upper Clyde 4. Sir Eric Yarrow, Weir Engineering, Cathcart, Yarrow Shipbuilders / 19 5. Dr. Brian Baxter, Yarrow Shipbuilders / 21 6. Bob Easton, Yarrow Shipbuilders / 26 7. Sandy Stephen, Alexander Stephen Shipbuilders and Engineers / 29 8. Professor John Rorke, Alexander Stephen, Denny Brothers, Brown Brothers / 33 9. Fred Walker, Denny Brothers, Fairfield, Connell and Hall Russell / 36 10. Jolyon Slogett, Denny Brothers, Houlder Bros., British Shipbuilders Plc / 40 11. Dr. John Brown, John Brown, Clydebank / 43 12. Graham Strachan, Alexander Stephen, John Brown and Scott Lithgow / 47 13. J.F. Starks, John Brown, Upper Clyde Shipbuilders / 51 14. Anthony Hepper, Upper Clyde Shipbuilders / 54 15. Harry Osborne, Civil Engineer / 57 The Tyne 16. G.H.R. Towers, John Redhead and Sons Ltd. / 59 17. J.E. Steele, Swan Hunter, British Shipbuilders Plc / 62 18. Peter Milne, Swan Hunter, British Shipbuilders Plc / 74 19. P.D. Christie, Swan Hunter / 77 20. James Jardine, Smith's Dock, Swan Hunter / 80 21. Eric Crowdy, Hawthorn Leslie, George Clark NEM, William Doxford Engineers / 82 22. M.F. Pyman, Mercantile Dry Dock Co. Ltd., Jarrow / 87 The Wear 23. Arthur Storey, NEM, Doxford and Vickers Engineers, Austin and Pickersgill/ 91 24. Ken Douglas, Wm. Gray, Austin and Pickersgill, UCS, British Shipbuilders Plc/ 93 25. Derek Kimber, Fairfield, Harland and Wolff, Austin and Pickersgill/ 101 Barrow-in-Furness 26. Bill Richardson, Vickers Armstrong, Swan Hunter, British Shipbuilders Plc / 109 27. Roy Turner, Vickers / 112 The South Coast 28. Peter Usher, Vosper Thornycroft / 119 The Humber 29. John Leathard, Richard Dunston, Hessle/ 125 Belfast 30. Dr. Denis Rebbeck, Harland and Wolff / 129 31. T. John Parker, Harland and Wolff, Austin and Pickersgill, British Shipbuilders Plc / 133 32. Eric Mackie, Harland and Wolff Ship Repairers, British Shipbuilders Plc / 138 British Shipbuilding Industry Officials 33. R.D. Brown, SRNA, AWES / 143 34. Joseph Charles Asher, SEF, Shipbuilding Conference, BSRA / 145 35. G.R. Snaith, BSRA, British Shipbuilders Plc / 149 The Trade Unions 36. James Airlie, Lobnitz, Faifield, UCS, Amalgamated Engineering Union / 153 37. Jim McFall, Boilermakers Society / 157 38. Alex Ferry, AEU, Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions / 160 The Civil Servants, Board of Trade, Shipbuilding Enquiry Committee, Shipbuilding Industry Board, Ministry of Technology, Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Industry 39. Reay Geddes, Shipbuilding Inquiry Committee / 164 40. Victor Chapman, Board of Trade, Ministry of Technology, DTI, SIC / 165 41. Cliff Baylis. Ministry of Technology, SRNA / 169 42. Barry Barker, Shipbuilding Industry Board / 172 43. Vivian Marchant, Dept of Industry / 175 44. Ron Dearing, DTI / 179 Politicians 45. Tony Benn, Minister of Technology, Secretary of State for Industry/ Energy / 183 46. Norman Tebbitt, Secretary of State for Trade and Industry / 188 47. Teddy Taylor, MP, Scottish Office Minister for Industry / 190 48. Bob Clay, M.P, Sunderland North / 191 British Shipbuilders Plc 49. Admiral Sir Anthony Griffin, Chairman, 1977-1980 / 195 50. Michael Casey, Chief Executive, 1977-1980 / 201 51. Ken Griffin, Deputy Chairman, 1977-1983 / 204 52. Michael Haines, Acting Finance Director, 1977 / 206 53. Reg Arnell, Director and Board Member, Finance, 1977-1991 / 208 54. Dr. Martin Stopford, Group Economist, Director Business Development, 1977-1988 / 210 55. Richard Dykes, Director of Industrial Relations, 1977-1980 / 214 56. R.J. Daniel, Board Member Warshipbuilding, 1979-1984 / 216 57. Robert Atkinson, Chairman, 1980-1983 / 218 58. Graham Day, Chairman, 1983-1986 / 220 59. Geoff Fuller, Board Member, Warshipbuilding, 1983-1986 / 223 60. Maurice Phelps, Director of Personnel, 1980-1987, Chief Executive, 1986-1987 / 225 Conclusion / 229

About the Author

Hugh Murphy is Senior Caird Research Fellow at the National Maritime Museum and a Researcher at the Centre for Business History in Scotland at the University of Glasgow.