The yard of Swan-Hunter Shipbuilding Co. at Haverton Hill. c1980 
Picture Stockton Archive
A Pictorial History of Stockton-on-Tees
The yard of Swan-Hunter Shipbuilding Co. at Haverton Hill. c1980
Jarrow Song
My name is Geordie McIntyre, an’ the bairns don’t even have a fire
So the wife says “Geordie, go to London town!”
And if they don’t give us half a chance, don’t even give us a second glance
Then Geordie, with my blessings, burn them down
Come on follow the Geordie boys, they’ll fill your heart with joy
They’re marching for their freedom now
Come on follow the Jarrow lads, they’ll make your heart feel glad
They’re singing now, yes now is the hour
My name is little billy white, and i know what’s wrong and i know what’s right
An’ the wife says “Geordie, go to London town!”
An’ if they don’t give us a couple of bob, won’t even give you a decent job
Then Geordie, with my blessings, burn them down
Come on follow the Geordie boys, they’ll fill your heart with joy
They’re marching for their freedom now
Come on follow the Jarrow lads, the joy’ll make your heart feel glad
They’re singing now, yes now is the hour
Well i can hear them an’ i can feel them
An’ it’s as just as if they were here today
I can see them, i can feel them
An’ i’m thinking nothing’s changed much today
Not all came here to stay their way and die
But they would come and hit you in the eye
Now’s the time to realize that time goes on
Nothin’ changes, changes, changes
Now i can feel them, i can see them
An’ it’s as just as if they were here today
I can feel them and i need them
An’ i’m thinking nothing’s changed much today
Not all that people stay their way and die
But they would come and hit you in the eye
Now’s the time to realize that time goes on
And nothin’ changes, changes, changes
My name is little alan price, i tried to be nice all of my life
But i’m afraid that up to date it doesn’t work
Because when you lay some money down, the people try to put you down
Now where do i stand, either side or not
Come on follow this Geordie boy, he’ll try and fill your heart with joy
We’re marching for our freedom now
Come on follow this Jarrow lad, he’ll try and make your heart feel glad
We’re sayin’ it now, yes now is the hour ……………………..
A Jarrow Lad here.
I worked on the last 2 ships built at the Haverton Shipyard as a Refridgeration Pipefitter for Hall Thermotank Refridgeration Engineers Wallsend Tyneside.
The ships were the Australian Star and the New Zealand Star.
Near the completion of the last ship the New Zealand Star on the fitting out stage in 1979 they were demolishing the yard around us.
They ended up towing the ship to Tyneside were the final fitting out in 1979 was completed.
First in Brigham & Cowans Dock South Shields, then the final month tied up alongside Whitehill Point Wallsend.
The Haverton lads where transported in buses along the A19 to the final fitting out sites on the Tyne.
Another Geordie outfit from South Shields Peter Johnston did all the other Ships Plumbing and Pipefitting at the Haverton Shipyard.
Still remember the two pubs at Haverton the top Alex and the bottom Alex
Nowt left of Haverton Hill Town and the Shipyard now.
I remember my childhood in Haverton Hill also with fond memories and I agree with you Carole Duff, that it was a wonderful place to grow up.
That old air raid shelter you mentioned ‘up the hill&’ in the old council offices buildings, I also used to play in with my little brother Allan and sister Marion – who knows, you might have played there at the same time we did. We lived in 12 Howard Crescent. My older brother was John, then there were my 2 identical twin sisters Florence and Sandra and my older sister Christine who may have been known as Mavis Christine as she changed her name around from Mavis Christine to Christine Mavis. Christine used to be friends with a lass called Cynthia Langthorne, I remember I went with her to Cynthia Langthornes wedding which was after we had left Haverton Hill.
I remember my twin sisters, brother John and Christine all went to the Billingham campus school.
Myself, sister Marion and brother Allan were still at Haverton Hill juniors prior to leaving the area to move up to Tyneside.
Our friends were Diane and Yvonne Laird who also lived up the hill. Our neighbours were Kenny and Norman Allborn and they had an older sister called Erica. My twin sisters friends were Susan and Judith Hadaway who lived at the end of our street, Howard Crescent (that was the end of the street where you went down the hill). At the other end of Howard Crescent was a catholic school where they held Brownies. We couldn’t afford to go but used to watch them through the windows.
Susan and Judith lived next door to us at No 20 Howard Crescent, good friends of John and Norman their two brothers. I last saw John in the early 70s when he visited us in Colchester I wonder where he settled down when he left the army.
I would love to here from him, I knocked about with John Kelly in the 60 s he lived on Hood Cres.
Hello Tom , I’m Mike Bellew, Johns Step Brother, he’s living in Wales now I could pass his phone number on yo you if you’d like to catch up?
Hello, I remember you all. I’m Michael Bellew, my step sisters were Judith and Susan Hadaway along with our Norman and John Hathaway. They were the happiest times and child could ask for.
My dad, Vic Huzzard, worked at the Shipyard at Haverton Hill during the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s before taking early retirement due to illhealth in 1981 or 1982. I remember him telling me about the very high cranes he used to operate at one time, until a nasty accident happened killing a worker below – he never wanted to operate those cranes again. He was a labourer most of the time, think he was a platers mate or a fitters mate? Are any of his old mates out there who worked with my dad? If so, I would LOVE to hear from you. Sadly he died in 1997 at age 67. His dad, Benjamin, also worked at the Shipyard (actually he died there around 1963!). I remember my childhood in Haverton Hill with very fond memories – it was a wonderful place to grow up, lots of open fields to run and play in, exploring the old air-raid shelter “Up the Hill” where the Council Offices used to be (climbing into it, even though it was filled with water!). The school at Haverton Hill was second-to-none, teachers really did their job and a whopping 12 students from my year (including me!)passed the 11 plus and went on to the Grammer School at Bede Hall.
I keep a close watch on the Friendsreunited site for Haverton Hill School – sadly only 2 pictures have been posted so far – any more out there of the school? Better still, class photos from 1935 to 1944 or 1959 to 1968? Fingers crossed!!!
As a youth fresh out of school in 1977, I worked at the ship yard, first on a 16 week training course, then from march 78 till march 79 in the general stores, along with Chris, or Mike Dolan, Paul Drury, Eddie Scanlon, Peter Wright, and Hazel Prosser. I got to go up to the shipyards on Tyneside which was very exciting to a 17 yr old like me. I remember going to Mr Clarkes the Butchers nearby, for my beef sandwiches, and into that corner pub for a drink, whilst listening to the swedish pop group ABBAs “Money Money Money”on the pubs juke box, Gerry Raffertys “Baker Street” was also in the charts then. Three Ships were built during my time there, the Starman Anglia, The New zealand Star and the Austrailia Star. according to the website Tees Ships , these last two are still on the go in the far east. My cat Tiger, came from the mechanical and electrical stores there. Does anyone remember that noisy little diesel locomotive which used to be there, or that big Austin Sheerline Ambulance, which used to live near the entrance?
I worked at the shipyard in the 70″s .