On the Docks
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- Опубліковано 24 лис 2024
- An Oral History of London's Dock Workers
This project is an oral history of London's dock workers focusing on the fascinating history of the people who worked on the docks of London from the 1930s up until the closing of the docks from the 1970s. It explores their working lives and how the docks shaped whole communities in London for centuries.
Children from Riverside and Westminster Cathedral primary schools which have links to the docks explored the history and gained skills enabling them to produce an exhibition and oral history based documentary film that will be shared widely. In order to deepen this learning we worked with the Museum of London Docklands, historians, two local archives and the community of retired dockers.
www.thamesdockers.org.uk
www.digital-works.co.uk
What a beautiful documentary! As an expatriot American living in London I created a photographic record (3,300 photographs) of the last days of the abandoned London Docklands (from the upper Pool of London to the Royal Docks) between 1979 and 1986. This documentary captured all the most important milestones of London dock history as I came to understand it. VERY well done!
Are those photos available somewhere? I'd love to see them!
It would be fantastic if you published them. The connection is being lost
I would absolutely love to see them. Please think about publishing them. It was very forward thinking of you to do that!
Oh boy I miss those wonderful warm accents so much. I'm an ex BOW girl but did live a short time in Garford House ( now demolished of course) but the docks were right behind us and gentrification was in full force. Slowly everyone around us was moved out and we would wave them off but it was sad. One by one our East London Community was destroyed. One day I hope we will be free to talk about exactly what happened! Thank you for this doc it is so important. I wished I got all the details and info recorded at the time. I was there at such an important time of change. I remember older neighbours who had witnessed war first hand getting upset saying " what did we fight for" I'm sorry I didn't understand at the time but I do now! Wish I could go back hold tower hamlets council to account!
I went to School in Upper North St/Limehouse,E14,(1976 -1980)and plenty of the kids lived either near by around the Bow area or on "the Island"Docklands as it's called now..But where are these people rehoused to,if many of the Est were knocked down?.I would have thought they would have been happy?
@@jerryoshea3116 I normally find people are only happy when given a choice in life. None of us were given any choice and huge families and friends from generations were forced out to Kent whilst others if lucky enough got to go to Essex and still keep their jobs and travel back into London via the central line. Most people lost jobs and contact with family being forced to relocate and the new builds they put up were filled with non locals and the new builds became slums themselves. The new builds are some of the ugliest properties to be seen when they could have revamped stunning Victorian houses built to last which now sell for millions. Nobody is happy when the soul /the people of a community is ripped apart by force.
Thank you for your comment. I am now 65, in some ways I think myself lucky to have witnessed such profound changes as I have seen in London. Although we lived in Eltham the docklands had a big influence on our neighborhood and family. My father worked for the PLA police until his early retirement in 77 . It seemed at the time you could see communities, culture, occupations just dissappear month by month. I understand the brutal efficiency of containerisation where one man can move 1000's of tons of cargo on a shift, but the way whole communities got the shitty end of the stick almost make me cry. I too have to ask: What DID my parents/grandparents fight for during the war? How could things have been better/more equitable?
Still happening, unfortunately, at least on the Isle of Dogs. There are people and families who've been here 50-60 years or more and we do all still know the old faces, but Canary Wharf keeps expanding so hey ho, there will go our houses. Thanks council.
@@tjm3900 Very true. What did they fight for? I dream of wining the lottery just so I could relocate huge families back to the bring the spirit and soul back to the place. It would never be the same but it would be a step in the right direction.
John 13/05/2020
I really enjoyed the programme and it was so much in detail. I was a merchant seaman during the 50's and 60's and mixed with many of the dockers and their families. I used to play the banjo mandolin down at the Peacock Pub on a Sunday for a free beer of two. Some of the people used to take me home to their place where we would booze on and enjoy the moment. Other pubs I used to frequent when on leave were the Bridgehouse, Royal Oak and the Tidal Basin. then I would work by until my ship was ready to sail. Never again will we witness such a magnificent era of men who sailed the ships and the dockers who unloaded and loaded the precious cargo. Great film and thankyou. You have done a magnificent Job.
Great film, my dad was a docker in chambers wharf , Surrey docks etc… great memories.
Hi , enjoyed your video, we used to go to the docks when we were kids and our farther in the 1950,s drove a lorry up from the South coast . Unload and load for home and the dockers always put some thing in the cab for us .Then return trip unload at a sweet factory and they use to give us a large tin of broken sugar rock ,oh happy days .
Thank you to everyone who participated in this film.
Well done! My father was in the Port of London Police, early on he worked on the dock gates checking what came in and out. A few times I got to go in the docks with him if he was off work but had to go in to get his pay EVERYBODY was paid in cash.
The docks were a hectic place with lorries, men a steam engines shunting back and forth there were a million different smells, everything smelt, the river was smelly the men were smelly, every cargo had a smell and the coal and Diesel smoke in the air was smelly.
There was lots of pilfering. There was always someone that had Tea, cigarettes, booze, tins of meat or just stuff that had come off the boats.
Great historical documentary. We can all learn so much from the past. War is a terrible destruction of society. Many families lose everything including their lives.
This is brilliant, my Dad was a docker and I'm so glad that they explained waiting on the stones and being subject to favouritism of the ganger men. That was massively open to corruption and favouritism. 200 years of that they put up with and then in 68 the Unions secured the Jobs for life contract/scheme only to be smashed by Thatcher in 1988.
Of course Maggie was gonna take it apart. It was inevitable. How you going to guarantee Dockers a job for life when there's no work for them to do.
My granddad worked on the docks in East London. Hard work but he loved it.
What a great film. In my lorry driving career l've done a lot of work for Tate & Lyle, then much in & out of Tilbury Docks & some up in the new fully automated London Gateway Docks & even London Thamesport on the Isle of Grain. Fascinating places though The Royal Docks were all closed down before l was driving the trucks so l never knew them.
You should all be very proud of yourselves for this work, a great record of the people & their way of life.
Great job boys and girls! I loved every minute of this documentary. A friend of mine who was a sailor told me that every time the came to a U.K. Port the first hiv to be off loaded always got smashed. It did not matter it it was weat or whiskey. The breakage was divided among the dock workers. Now I understand why. Be safe, and stay safe! Keep up the good work! Greetings from Norway!
A great and very important historic document. Well done and my thanks to everybody involved.
We must always remember how important this piece of work is.
Liked that so much. Watched every bit and will probably watch it again
When I first started driving, aged 17, I was in and out of all the docks both sides of the river. I got to know - as a lot of drivers did - many dockers very well. They shared stories of their home and family life, even what pubs, cafes and shops they used. Even the dock police were the same. Great people, great days, great memories.
Wonderful, heart warming and nostalgic without being melancholic. Really surprised to see the credits at the end. Great work by everyone involved .
Thoroughly enjoyed this well made film. It needed to be made while the people who worked the docks are still alive to tell their stories.
I'd had this documentary sitting on my Sky planner for a while and hadn't got around to watching it until a few days ago. I thought it was fantastic, very informative and a real insight into what must have been a very tough working environment, especially in the early days.
Lovely work on this. I learned about a subculture I never thought about. Thank you for helping to preserve the history and knowledge.
Fantastic look at the docks, my old man used to work for BOCM in Silvertown next to Tate and Lyle and I remember how he looked when he was made redundant but hey ho he went on and had another glorious carrier for British Gas
Fabulous documentary I learnt so much. My family came from Rotherhithe and worked in and around the docks
Wonderful documentary, thank you boys and girls for doing it, when I was a van boy for Tesco's in the late 50' we done a lot of collecting foodstuffs in the docks, pilfering was rife by the dockers, A case of Whiskey would be dropped and the rest would be drunk. You could buy nearly anything in the docks that was knocked off while loading, also if you were delivering and only had say 1 case you could drop the ganger 10 bob and unload it yourself onto the dock, companies used to give the driver bunce money just for that job, it was not only dangerous for the dockers, we were loading cheese down Tooley St when one of the cheese boxes slipped out of the sling, it was only my driver pushing me out of the way that I am still here, remember there were 2 big round Cheeses in a long wooden box bound with wire.
Remember going to Millwall docks, East india Docks, Tibury Docks, and St Cathrines Dock with my dad in his lorry as a kid in the 60s from the Isle of Wight
Fascinating watch. I appreciate their hard work. 2021 no one is working like this anywhere. I love everything to do with the East End, Dockers, Tenements life. I'm not even from England or white lol. Thanks for sharing.
Really fascinating. Studied sociology and we learned about East End communities and how dockwork was key, so been interested since . 29.27: 'Bomping' (wicked word!)
I think people underestimate the work these dockers did. People needed to know geography, logistics (e.g to load ships), politics if they were striking, as well as the physical strength etc. They were very skilled
Their work was vital but I think that comment in the video was a bit of an overgeneralisation.
You don't need to know geography to load a ship. It doesn't matter where A, B and C is. If those are the ports, you just pack in reverse order.
They didn't need to know logistics but how to load a ship properly - and even then it were mostly a few knowledgeable guys that would act like a foreman of sorts.
Politics isn't needed in order to participate in a strike, just like the one guy that showed up and was told he was on strike.
@@PH4RX I understand where you're coming from, but when I say politics, this can be an awareness of the situation around them and how it affects their working conditions. It doesn't have to be macro level.
In terms of geography it helps to know where they are going etc.
I still say they were strong,though and they kept things moving, so fair play to them.
Really enjoyed watching that, thank you.
Just caught this program on the Together channel. Excellent content and well made. A big well done to all the pupils involved.
What a fabulous documentary. Always fascinated by the docks because i commuted through that area for a while. Finally a documentary that covers it. But what a brilliant production. These kids have a career ahead of them - please do more!
I watched this as research for my book which has a character working on the docks. Thank you 🙂
A thoroughly enjoyable, informative history of working London, thank you for sharing this. From Australia where so much of our produce was discharged and so much of the English imports loaded .
Well done Riverside Primary School and Westminster Cathedral Primary School.
This is an excellent documentary - well produced, really interesting interviews, well-researched historical films.
You should be very proud of yourselves for producing such an interesting film.
Thank you.
Well done all and especially the children - excellent History of London Docks.
I started to work as a stevedore at the age of 13 in Santander, Spain. The bags could weigh 100 kgs. Later I became a merchant marine officer.
British use the Spanish word stevedore
A brilliant documentary.
Great film. "Talking heads" is the best way to record history. Well done all.
My grandad worked at tilbury docks after leaving the navy post ww2 he worked there until an accident that crippled his leg!! My family came from ockendon! I now live in Australia
Superb work. Well done to all.
Thank you for sharing this amazing historical video of a time that was. These people working the docks were a supply chain for the world.
Well done Kids that was a great watch.
Wow! Well done kids, that was really interesting!
Excellent ,from an ex Thames Lighterman who started work in the docks in 1966
My dad was a Thames lighterman pulling barges up and down the river on the tugs.
Very interesting. I learned much watching this documentary.
That was a great watch👍
I worked on the docks along with my dad in Exmouth Devon, Different age to this (me in late 80s my dad 70s and 80s) but lots of similarities. Ni
cknames! Great film, really enjoyed it!
A wonderful look at the past . Beautiful fllm
30/30 top marks . Thanks you for putting it on u tube .
Wow, fabulous documentary! This was a truly fascinating programme to watch 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼🥰👍🏼 Information, Educated me, Entertaining and so wonderful and Human ❤❤❤ GREAT JOB BOYS👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼😍😘 Make some more on other areas and communities of London and all over England.
As a Londoner, I lived in Grimsby for a while. A vacancy came up for a LUMPER (that's a Docker that unloads fish off of trawlers (farther and son Job)). I applied and got the job. It was great, with lots of money and all the fish you could eat.
This is just the most precious thing I've come across in my research about Rotherhithe so far! Thank you so much for the effort, so wholesome and informative!❤❤✨
What an insightful documentary and by school children. Great job!
Thank you. 👍👍 Dave from east London.
Am I correct in thinking year 6 children were the creative force behind this documentary?
I so I am stunned, it was a very moving piece of work.
22 years on Cardiff docks. The best years of my life. There used to be a mad crane driver called Stan so we called him Stan clear .He had a son who's name was Stan too. He was a lazy git so he got the name Stan still.
Having started on the docks in 73 after my Dad both Grandads and uncle's,it was a cracking life and piece work which today they wouldn't know what hit them, of course when the scheme ended and the registered Dockers were replaced standard's dropped no more piece work and a way of life was finished.
Thank you, that was fascinating. Very well done to those children who made this
another great doc , my own era was leaving school on the friday starting work on the Monday as an apprentice butcher just a boy of 15 , usual teasing and mickey taking but i wouldn,t change a thing . plus having enough money to go to a game every saturday , bit tight timewise as didn,t finish on saturdays till 1 o,clock though !!
Amazing documentary!
Unionized for improved wages with which to feed their families; very cool!!
Great documentary!!
Brilliant documentary! Thank you
Loved this.
Brilliant this!
A brilliant piece of work! Very much detailed and touching indeed. Congratulations and thank you!
Ahrr thank you!! All my past family worked in the docks x
What a fantastic video, that video brought back so many memories it is unbelievable so true and accurate thank you for sharing
Brilliantly put together.
Lovely. Really enjoyed this! Thank you
This is the go to account of London docks,I worked in shipbuilding 1964-1982 on Tyneside .would like a doc about that from the workers mouths not a 20 something who was never there.
My Grandfather worked many years at the Docks but had to leave for early retirement after inhaling too much asbestos yet he lived until 78 but the consequences on his health were bad and suffered a lot. He would of loved to of seen this video and may of saw some of his ole mates.
Great video and very interesting!
This channel is fantastic
Really good documentary !
Lovely job, well done.
Good film . Hard work but happy people sense of community.
My Grandad was a docker until 1971 at the one of the large Royal docks. He was a Union steward also. My own Dad got a job in Billingsgate as a porter at a time when he was going to go into the docks (in the 60s) but my Grandad knew then that there was only a limited amount of timeleft. Were times when men without much education could still get good work - it is often quoted that in those years it was either the press, the docks or the large wholesale markets. All gone now and with it the livelihood of 000's the like of which we are unlikely to see again. All these trades bore the emergence of post-war social mobility that once again we are unlikely to see again either.
There was also the saying 'It was either mail or rail' - these were the two nationalised industries that took people with little or no academic achievement, trained them up and gave them a pathway right through to the top of the organisation.
My dad`s cousin was a docker and got a broken jaw fighting to get a days work in the late fifties.
Great video, but not one mention of Jack Dash!
Nice to see to old friends Kevin hussey and Colin coughlin
Fantastic video
Great documentary.
It’s the destruction of community that’s absolutely ruined everything.
Like big shopping centres destroyed independent and local small businesses.
It’s so sad. I’d really like to live somewhere where people look out for each other and care.
United we stand.
Divided we fall.
Good as gold x
It’s me logan in year 5 so good hahah
Somebody asked what's a stevedore well the answer is a person who loaded and discharged the ships some people called all dockers stevedores but only the ones in the hold of the ships where the proper stevedores every gang of men in the hold of a ship when it was loading two men would be booked has stevedores they would get extra money it was called being on the bar meaning the the crowbar that we used to bar things to release the wires or ropes from the cargo being loaded I worked on Liverpool docks for 35yrs it was the best job in the world in the 60s and 70s you would never be hungry always something to eat happy days
Don’t forget London wasn’t the only city without dockers
This all came to an end because or strikes, greed of ship owners and containerisation.
The use of containers put a stop to pilfering in the docks .my Dad came home with green bananas in the day and the odd wrist watch .
They were the best days and guys to work with.
Stratford E17 ..all changed now ! our family goes back to 1880 when they build posh new houses in forest lane ,,,
At 47.57 the man being interviewed said "At Chobham Farm there was no union" this is factually incorrect. The workers at Chobham Farm where in fact in the same union as the dockers, the Transport & General workers Union. I know this for a fact because they where in fact in the same union branch as me 1/613 branch in West Ham Lane, Stratford, they where all fully paid up union members. But the dockers wanted to take their jobs because they where losing their jobs, and this was work that had been going on for nearly 20 years stuffing containers, which the dockers where not interested in it was work being done outside of the Pool of London
I also must add the picture being displayed at 47.57 is not Chobham Farm, but Midland Cold Sorage at Dagenham I believe.
respect !!!
Cool, What year was this filmed ?
Sam Smart hi Sam I think from 1930s to 1970s ☺️
iHaveProblems thank you
All the interviews took place in Autumn 2018 but most of the footage is 1950s and 60s - which is mainly the era they are talking about.
digitalworks51 Reply. Silly me asked the question before watching the vid. What a great little slice of British history and significance. My Great and Great Great uncles were dockers from custom house, London. (The Efdes) They were gangers and it’s interesting to see what they got up to. Thanks again. Sam
Sam Smart do you know the Cutty Sark in Greenwich? I work there where I play a docker from the Victorian Era! A docker’s life in the 1890s wasn’t that different from the 1950s. Did your uncles share any interesting facts or stories about being a docker?
Being a Thames lightermen was the best time of my working life, and most of the guys were great personalities, and hated pubs and clubs ,ldont think.
Hi Jeff, Have you seen the film we made about Thames Lightermen? ua-cam.com/video/dRc77VcX3Ho/v-deo.html
My dad was a docker on the liverpool. He was lucky he was a big strong man so got picked. Until he had an accident. When a chain slipped and a plank fell on him hit him on the head he was in hosp for mths n didn't work on the Dock again. He hated other jobs
It hasn't changed much really, they just do it from offices these days and call it 'Agencies'.
whats a stevedore
Most of the people we interviewed used this definition: Those working on a ship-loading or unloading the cargo-were called stevedores, while those working on the quayside were called dockers.
@@digitalworks51 It started as a phonetic spelling of estivador (Portuguese) or estibador (Spanish), meaning a man who loads ships and stows cargo. 👌👌👌
My father was a stevedore they worked in gangs and the leader was called the ganger . He would headhunt men from other gangs to build the best gang because it was peace work and the best gang earned most money.
You could could make some decent change if you worked at night if you was proper naughty.
Laundered drug money build those sky scrapers and bought that land. The same sky scrapers are still 'cleanimg' money
Someone has to do it.
Shipped out of k.g.5 in the 60s
🐱
no worries, now, there is no dock, no job and there's a machine that's replaced you anyway. and the thames is still polluted, and, filled with plastic rubbish, and nobody paid to keep it clean
watch the new richard hammond documentary about a large container ship, there's one or two humans in the entire dock, now it's just automated bogeys shuttling around, automated cranes, soon the ships will all be automatically piloted and controlled by GPS.
The Thames is far cleaner, and more people are now in work than then, though brexit might change it to what you think it is
could you imagine this generation doing this.
A very engrossing documentary, couldn't tear my eyes away, well done kids for doing a grand job. Regarding Thatcher, she and her government changed this country for the worse, destroying 1000's of lives and community's all over the country, may she burn in hell. Boris and his cronies are perpetuating her work, but everyone remains silent. Think on.
So tell me why they have been out of power for so long Diabolical..?Not counting Blair who was a tory in labour clothes .Over 30 years now.
@@marksmith7425 Didn't mention Labour, who are a bunch of fuckwits too. First thing Blair did after winning in 1997 was sack all the decent members of his cabinet. That said barring the Iraq debacle they did implement some good ideas, health and social care was better.
Contemporary politics is ruled by soundbites not by well thought out policy; both parties are morally corrupt, devoid of integrity and cogent thinking.
Then again, even more people did very well under Maggie's government.
Do you think container ships should never have been invented?