Men At Work

We can identify all the men in this photograph: George Rawson, Dennis Bowman, Rev. Johnson, Harry Dack, Mr Keen, Herbert Stephenson, Bob MacLean (foreman), Stan Downes, George Gettings, Arthur Ransome.Phil Ransom told us: “Full line up, according to Mother is – George Rawson, Dennis Bowman, Rev Johnson, Harry Dack, Mr. Keen, Herbert Stevenson, Bob McLean (foreman), Stan Downs, George Gettings, Arthur Ransome. The picture is taken in Skinningrove Square where a church was to be built and this voluntary work was undertaken by the ‘brick gang’; apparently the project was stopped due to lack of money.” Derick Pearson added: “The fact that Reverend Johnson and Bob McLean were there might give an indication to what the event was and where; Herbert Stephenson was a Sample passer on the works and so would assume he was acting as a labourer here to the bricklayers.This must have been some voluntary event.” Arthur Ransome started work as a bricklayer at the Skinningrove Works when he was 14 in 1947, but left the works in the early 70’s when steel production stopped and continued as a bricklayer building many houses in the local area. The bricks in front of them could be fire bricks that were used to line the furnaces, although the ‘brick gang’ would be called upon to carry out all kinds of building work.

Image from a compilation by Derick Pearson , also thanks to Derick Pearson and Philip Ransome for the information regarding this Skinningrove event.