Recollections of my time at Crabtree's
By Brian Sones
Crabtree's Engineering Works, Southtown Road
Recollections of my time at Crabtree's
By Brian Sones
In October and November 2003, The Yarmouth Mercury ran some articles about apprentices and tradesmen who had worked at Crabtree's. I submitted an article for publication on my experience at the firm which, unfortunately, was not published. The following observations are taken from this article, which could be posted on this site in the "Work" section under "Other Occupations".
"I served my time from age 17 as an apprentice Fitter & Turner at Crabtree's from August 1956 to August 1961; I continued for a few months longer, until joining the Everard fleet as 4th Engineer on the MV Sanguity, from November 1961.
I returned to Yarmouth after a stint on this vessel and, during 1962 worked at my trade at Webbers engineering shop at Cobholm (now closed), and then at Jewson's timber mill until I migrated to South Australia in August 1962.
My first job in Australia was at the Adelaide Steamship Co, building tugs at their yard at Port Adelaide. I later moved on to jobs as a maintenance fitter in various factories, until I got a job with the State Government as a maintenance fitter at the Royal Adelaide Hospital.
I remained in the Government Service for almost 30 years, until my early retirement in December 2000 while an Inspector of Occupational Health and Safety and also an Inpsector of Dangerous Substances.
Roger Hubbard's 2003 "Mercury" article appeared to have sparked interest in Crabtree's, unfortunately, no dates were given for his time there and I do not recall his name.
I do recall some tradesmen’s names mentioned in this article, Ken McKinnon worked on the tail shaft lathe, Frank Watson on the Ward capstan lathe, Percy Pearce did maintenance on machine tools and jigs, Alfie Hewitt was a younger apprentice. Trevor Smithdale, who I knew at trade school, must have been a later arrival, presumably replacing Jim Matthews on the horizontal borer.
Derek Thompson and "Nig" Brown were among the many apprentices at the firm, looking back it seems that the place was run largely by apprentices. By contrast, in Australian engineering workshops it was mandatory that there be only one apprentice to three tradesmen.
Crabtree's machine shop was old fashioned by even the standards of my time there; the machinery was driven from three overhead line shafts, one each side and one down the centre of the main workshop.
These line shafts were driven by Tangye horizontal gas engines located in a meticulously clean engine room with a tiled floor, located at the western end of the machine shop.
These engines were fuelled by coal gas, from anthracite coal gas producers, tended by Les Gurney. Les had to start work earlier than anyone else, in order to fire up the gas producers and start the gas engine; when the flat drive belts broke, the machine tools stopped until Les did hasty repairs.
About 1959 or early 1960 a large electric motor was installed to drive the line shafts, the gas engines were retained as a standby, Les was given other work at regular hours. About this time some machines were provided with individual electric drive motors, the line shafts continued to drive much of the machinery.
I have often wondered what became of these gas engines which reflected a now bygone era of Yarmouth's industrial history!
Crabtree's in past years also had a shipbuilding slipway and associated heavy machinery, located on the north side of the workshops which in my time at the firm had not been in use for many years.
Thes facilities had been used for building cargo ships up to 900ton and tugs trawlers and drifters, (according to the firm's letterhead).
Unfortunately I do not have any photographs of the firm's workshops; though the "Mercury" may have some on record.
I will be very pleased to hear from Derek Thompson, Roger Hubbard, "Nigs" Brown, Lesley Allen, Michael Haines or any of the other former apprentices who would have known me during my time at the firm.
They could expand on my recollection of events now a long time ago!"