www.youtube.com www.ceepackaging.com Swan & Hunter, one of the best known British shipbuilders, was founded in 1880. In 1903, it merged with Wigham Richardson (founded by John Wigham Richardson as Neptune Works in 1860), specifically to bid for the prestigious contract to build the RMS Mauretania on behalf of Cunard. Their bid was successful, and the new company, Swan Hunter and Wigham Richardson Ltd, went on to build what was to become, in its day, the most famous ocean going liner in the world. Also in 1903 the Company took a controlling interest in the Wallsend Slipway & Engineering Company, which was an early licensed manufacturer of Parsons turbine engines, which enabled the Mauretania to achieve its great speed. The Mauretania was launched from Wallsend on 20 September 1906 by the Duchess of Roxburghe. It expanded rapidly in the early part of the twentieth century acquiring Barclay Curle in 1912. In 1966 Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson merged with Smith’s Dock Co to form Associated Shipbuilders, later to become Swan Hunter Group. Following the publication of the Geddes Report recommending rationalisation in British shipbuilding, the Company went on to acquire Clelands Shipbuilding Company and John Readhead & Sons in 1967. Meanwhile Swan Hunter inherited both the Naval Yard at High Walker on the River Tyne of Vickers-Armstrongs and the Hebburn Yard of Hawthorn Leslie in 1968. In 1973 further expansion came with the purchase of Palmers Dock at Hebburn from Vickers …
All Northeasterners, Geordies, Mackems, and Smoggies ask your MP Councillors, and Mayors why or what they are doing to build ships for the renawable energy sector. Mitsubishi want to get involved in turbines over here, but also and shipbuilding, not over here, in the this UK sector. They really should be setting up a yard here, it would make more economic sense for them, and us. These are thing’s we are just not acting or moving quickly on. It’s not just a handful but 100s of new ships we need.
@5micky2 Lets hope it won’t be a football match as we would not stand a chance!!
And if ever Britain has the misfortune to go to war against one of the countries who are now building its ships, Britain will have to politely refuse a war in favour of a cricket match against them instead!
@conrad4ever In Britain the heavy industries have largely gone but in light manufacturing the UK still has a strong world position.
when i was in china people often where supprised to hear that the uk was no longer an industral country and that most industry from the past had been shut down.