Ronnie Dawson , my Dad by Dorothy Whitesmith

Dorothy Whitesmith writes

This is my Dad Ronnie Dawson

.He was born in Dacre Gardens the youngest of eight children.

My Grandad William Dawson had a good job at the works.

His brother Ralph also had a good job there too.

He lived in a lovely end terraced house on The Promenade with an integral conservatory.

My Dad must have started there in about 1936 as a Fitter and Turner.

He left to go in The Royal Engineers to lecture on steam engines in World War Two and returned to the works after that.

The names I remember from the Fitting shop were as follows Ronnie Davison, Matty Henderson, Tommy Stoddart, Cecil Nesbit, Alan Wood, Bob Urwin.

The then apprentices he mentioned were the King brothers from Bridgehill and the Cherryman brothers from Castleside.

I have heard of George Dawson but I don’t think we are related. My Dad had a great sense of humour, told some really corny jokes and was so, so kind and patient.

Thanks to Dorothy for sharing her memories of her dad and family all worked at the “Works”