Apprentices' happy return to Weymouth (From Dorset Echo)
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Apprentices' happy return to Weymouth
2:28pm Tuesday 31st January 2012 in Looking Back By Ruth Meech
Risley apprentices before their first trip to Weymouth in early October 1965. John Hankin is tenth from the left
READER and contributor John Hankin has shared memories of youthful shenanigans with us.
In the mid-1960s John a group of fellow apprentices from UKAEA Risley near Warrington were sent to Weymouth for practical training.
He remembered: “We were the first of many major intakes of apprentices to be employed and as at the time UKAEA Risley did not have their own training workshops we were transported to Weymouth to board in the YMCA Hostel in Lynch Lane, Weymouth and work at AEA Winfrith Heath.
“We spent around two months in winter 1965 and six months in spring/summer 1966 down there and fully enjoyed it. Nine of our year returned to Weymouth for a weekend in October 1985 to celebrate 20 years.”
He added: “As you can imagine 20 or so teenagers right in the middle of the greatest decade for pop music being transported half the length of the country to live and work away from home, probably for the first time, it was a life changing experience.”
John accompanied his memories with a selection of photographs, some of which are printed here.
He and his work chums are pictured looking very dapper in their suits just before coming to Weymouth – and then, in complete contrast, are shown lounging in the sun on Weymouth Beach.
John also included a picture of Denise Heywood, his girlfriend of the time who lived in Crescent Street, Weymouth, and Susan who went out with his friend Alan Greenhalgh.
There are also two pictures from 1985 when a grop of the former apprentices returned to Weymouth for a nostalgic visit that included a trip to Alf’s fish and chips at Fiveways.
He said: “Alf’s was a favourite haunt of ours in 1965/66 so it was nice to see it was still there 20 years later.
“The people in the picture are, left to right: John Turner, Bill Brown, Ray Charnock, Steve Aspden, me, Paul Sinclair, Geoff Caswell and Alan Greenhalgh. John Turner was taking the photo. Another shot shows us with Chesil Beach in the background. This time Alan Greenhalgh is the photographer and John Turner is on my left.
“Unfortunately over the years many of us have lost touch but I am trying to contact as many as I can. At least two of our year have passed away and one lives in Southampton, not a million miles from Weymouth.”
