An edition of the Tyne Tees Television current affairs programme ‘Briefing’ that focuses on Readhead Shiprepairers Ltd at South Shields. Over the course of a year Tyne Tees cameras follow the efforts of management and workers to buyout and re-open what was Tyne Shiprepair Ltd following its closure by British Shipbuilders in 1982. Will this new venture success at a time of worldwide shipbuilding and ship repair decline? What affect would this privatised company have on the nationalised...

An edition of the Tyne Tees Television current affairs programme ‘Briefing’ that focuses on Readhead Shiprepairers Ltd at South Shields. Over the course of a year Tyne Tees cameras follow the efforts of management and workers to buyout and re-open what was Tyne Shiprepair Ltd following its closure by British Shipbuilders in 1982. Will this new venture success at a time of worldwide shipbuilding and ship repair decline? What affect would this privatised company have on the nationalised shipyards on the Tyne? These and other questions are debated in studio followed the filmed report. Title: Tyne Tees Briefing On the morning tide the dredger MV Nabstone arrives at Readhead Shiprepairers Ltd yard at South Shields for general repairs and maintenance. Along the quayside Redhead workers tie up the vessel. In the Tyne Tees Television studio in Newcastle presenter Ian Breach introduces this edition on a story of ‘courage and co-operation’ and the buyout by management and workers of Tyne Shiprepair Ltd using their own redundancy payments becoming shareholders in a new company. From the wheelhouse of the Nabstone the vessel slowly moves into dry dock at Readhead’s, on the quayside men in boilersuits and hardhats all smiling, one of them explains that this is the first ship to be brough to Readhead’s since the company was bought out by its former employees a year earlier. The film goes back a year to Hedworth Hall at South Shields where redundant men and their wives try to enjoy the final staff dance as employees of British Shipbuilders Tyne Shiprepair Group at what was previously John Readhead and Sons. As men and women dance the ‘last waltz’ others speaks about the closure of Readhead’s by the Tyne Ship Repair Group and their fears for the future with many believing they would never work again in the ship building or ship repairing industry. Back at Readhead’s an empty dry dock with one of the men seen at the final staff dance now walking through the yard. In voiceover he talks about what it was like working for the company and the decision to buy the yard alongside former colleagues. Inside a local working men’s club other former Readhead’s employees talk about their desire to see the yard reopen. In his constituency office Labour MP for South Shields David Clark talks about the work he did to try and save Readhead’s from closure. Outside Readhead’s itself the Conservative candidate for the South Shields parliamentary seat talks of his support for the management buyout as it follows the ideology of the Conservative government. The candidate for the Social Democratic Party talks about the work that would be available to the yard if it were to remain open. Back in the working men’s club two former Readhead workers talk about how if the yard was to open it would be in competition with other yards on the Tyne. Paddy McKay, a Conveyor at Middle Docks is critical of the management buyout as he believes it will make conditions worse for his members. He is also critical of the employment conditions the company is working to which wouldn’t be allowed at Middle Dock. Across the road from Readhead’s the Commercial Hotel, inside those interested in taking over the company talk about a letter sent to them by British Shipbuilders and the need to open the yard quickly so that those workers who have committed their redundancy will be able earn an income. At a constituency meeting Labour MP David Clark speaks with shipyard works and trade unionists explaining why he would be against the re-opening of Readhead’s if it will mean the loss of jobs at Middle Dock or any other yard on the Tyne. A montage of still photographs taken during a visit to London where a delegation from the buyout committee bring a petition to Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher asking for a quick decision with regards the purchase of Readhead’s. Additional photographs from a meeting with Industries Minister Norman Lamont with the message to ‘act quickly’ and from a meeting in which those involved with the buyout are told they can move forward with the purchase of the yard which will now be known as Readhead Shiprepairers Ltd. In voiceover details of the workings of the company are read out. A meeting of the new management committee guided by Managing Director designate Jack Richardson is followed by an interview with Mr Richardson who talks about the quality and enthusiasm of the workforce and the facilities the yard has for ship repairing. He goes onto talk about the challenges of making the company succeed as well as how the yard will work and being able to compete against the larger British Shipbuilders. On Monday October 3rd 1983 Tyne Tees Television news cameras captures the first employees arriving at work to start their shift. Jack Richardson arrives at the gates of the yard asking his colleagues if their ready to go. They unlock the yard gates to an applause before heading inside to start the day’s work. Jack shakes each of the men’s hands as they pass him. Members of staff walk around one of the empty dry docks. Standing nearby is Jack Richardson speaking with colleagues about pieces of equipment necessary to do their work being missing from the yard after a year of closure. Around the yard signs of decay with debris needing to be cleared from a quayside. Inside the pumphouse the pumps needed to fill and empty the dry docks are switched on for the first time, outside water spurts out of a pipe into the dry dock. In the blacksmiths yard the hearth is lit and built up ready for work while on the quayside two men hammer the now rusty metalwork. A man comes over to advise the batteries on the cranes are flat, if they can’t be re-charged new ones will need to be purchased. Jim Gardner walks around a workshop he once worked in looking over the equipment he once worked with now all rusted. Outside the Dock Office the locks are being changed while inside desks are cleared away from the companies last day. Back along the quayside the cargo ship Kinbrace is tied up, she is not in for repair rather Readhead’s will be receiving mooring fees. With repairs at the yard now complete the film returns to the arrival of the MV Nabstone and the dry docks gates being opened and the ship being slowly manoeuvred into it with the assistance of a tugboat. Along the quaysides men pulling in lines and securing the vessel, some of them talking with Kevin Rowntree about the success of that morning and their hopes for the company’s future including Jack Richardson who sees it as a historic day. With the Nabstone in position the dock gates are closed, and men go about preparations to start work. The programme briefing returns to Ian Breach in the studio before heading into the commercial break. Title: End of Part One Part Two The second part of the programme begins with the MV Nabstone arriving at Readheads before returning to Ian Breach in the studio to leads a discussion into the future of Readhead’s, a company that will need to face some uncomfortable realities in the weeks and months ahead with a worldwide lack of work for shipbuilding and repairers, a situation which isn’t going to change for a long time. To discuss if the men at South Shields can ride out the economic storm is Michael Fallon Conservative MP for Darlington, Nick Brown Labour MP for Newcastle East, Jim Cousins Vice Chairman of the Save Our Shipyards Campaign and Paul Stockdale Chairman of the Boilermakers Shop Stewards at the Tyne Consortium. Credit: Presenter Ian Breach Film Camera Fred Crone, Eddie Crooks Sound Ed Gray, Ian Richardson Editor Peter Telford Research Andrew Solomon Political Editor John Sleight Film Directors Rob Cowley, Paul Dickin, Ronnie Mutch, Bernard Preston Studio Director Tony Kysh Producer Bob Farnworth End title: Tyne Tees Colour. © Tyne Tees Television Ltd. MCMLXXXIII