Liverpool Dockers 1945-1950

[Waterways]

Does anyone remember any of the dockers nicknames. I saw a list recently but for the life of me cannot remember where but it did make me laugh.

My Uncle Jack was known as the sweaty sock because he was always in The Boot (a local pub)

Anyone got something to add.

Munchkim

One man was a chargehand and would direct operations when maneuvering heavy loads with teams of men. When one man needed to let go of a rope he would point and shout "let that man go". He was known as "The Lenient Judge". That was his name, he was called that by everyone.

[Chris48]

When I was in the Police I used to visit Garston Docks. I loved going there as it was very old and victorian. There was an old Stevadores office and I often wondered whether it was still in operation. I was last there about 12 years ago and there was a Russian ship in offloading small military tanks that had been brough over from the Eastern block to be sold in this country.

[john wallace]

Hello you Mersey Lurkers,

My dad was a docker for about 40 years and was a gang leader. He built up quite a reputation just after the war when men used to go to the 'PEN' to try to get a days work to put food on the table. He knew all of the local men even though there were hundreds of them and what he used to do was to select men for work if he knew that the family was short of food and in a desparate situation. He was well respected for this and apparently nobody ever complained when not selected for his gang because they all knew the main reason for selection.

He was a very quiet man and had numerous nicknames one of which was 'the mouse'. The men who worked alongside him worked hard because he used to get stuck in and do his share of the work and they seldom complained because of this.

When they had lunch break in the pub, they would all go in and throw their 'carrying out' on the table. These were butties containing jam or spam or cheese or bananas with sugar, sometimes real meat. Anyway, they would all choose a butty that was not their own because they were fed up getting the same one from the wife every day. None of them said anything during this process and when I used to watch this it was amazing team work and spirit. they all munched away contentedly swilling an odd ale.

My dad died of cancer in 1998 and before he went to the Woolton hospice, he was in the Liverpool hospital. Just before he was moved to the hospice I was talking to him about the docks and I noticed a man about 50 years of age watching us. He eventually came over and asked me was my dad dying and I told him yes. He told me that he had been listening to us and asked me had he heard right and was this man Johnny Wallace, the docker. When I replied yes, he told me that his father and his brothers were all dockers and that my dad was held in a kind of awe by lots of dockers for the method of selection that he had used in the pens during hard times. His family used to whisper a word of thanks for the bread on their table some days because of a man called the mouse. He told me that I should be proud of my dad because he was a kind of folk hero among many of the older dockers. Anyway, this chap asked me could he shake my fathers hand which he did and then he smiled and walked away with a little swagger in his stride. I have never this chap again and I wonder what he tells his mates about this encounter.

As my dad was wheeled out of the cancer ward I stopped the porters by the window(5th floor) and told my dad to take a look at the Mersey. When he looked at me I knew that he was aware that this would be the last time that he would see it and he smiled a look of thanks. He then said, 'come on John, get me to the hospice' and off we went.

He died a couple of weeks later and I often wonder what other stories he took with him.

My dad was one of thirteen kids and all of the men were the old breed of Liverpool Dockers and do you know what, I am so proud to be a dockers son because of this hard working quiet bunch of hard men. I don't think that anyone could be prouder.

They lived between the Anglican cathedral and the docks and got bombed continuously during the war. The family were bombed out of Great george Square and were moved to Alfred Street about 200 yards away and just carried on working.

What else can I say except they were scousers.

John

[Ged]

Some dockers nicknames. Recalled to me by my dad years ago though he may have read them somewhere once.

The Cat - Is meow'll fella down there?
Stanley Matthews - I'll take this corner.
The lenient judge - Let that guy go (the guy rope was used when unloading)
Delux - He wore a great big army coat (delux as in one coat covers all)
Al Capone - Where's the gang
Batman - Doesn't go anywhere without robbin'
Big Ben - worked during the strike
Acker Bilk - Let's have a blow lads
Guy Fawkes - This place wants blowing up
Dr Jekyll - I need a change
The lazy brief - Always struggling with a case
Lord Nelson - Keep your eye out for the boss
Cassius Clay - Where's the gloves
Cinderella - Always leaves before twelve
Diesel fitter - When stealing garments or shoes etc - these'll fit her, these'll fit her
The Doctor - 'What no overtime', 'Have a heart boss'
John Wayne - Always says he's shooting at one (O'Clock)
The Olympic torch - Never went out
The Sheriff - Always saying 'what's the hold up'
The spaceman - always shot off to ma's for dinner
The Undertaker - always says' lay them out over there'
The plazzy surgeon - A good grafter
The Mersey fog - Won't lift
The weight lifter - he waits while you lift
Lino Joe - He's always on the floor
The pianoman - People are always playing on him
The Sick lobster - I'm off home, my nippers are bad
The Broken clock - give us a hand i've got a bad ticker
The depth charger- I'm going down for a sub
The bobby beater - lets get stuck into this copper
The reluctant plumber - wouldn't do a tap
The balloon - don't let me down now boys
The drug addict - There's some morphia here
The baker - I'm off home to the tart
The Blacksmith - Makes a bolt for the door when it's his round.
The Hungry rabbit - he's never got a carrot
The park Keeper - says 'mind that swing' (as the bales are lowered)
The broken boomerang - Never comes back

[Ken Berry]

Hi Beryl B,
The cargoes your Dad would be working on would be Carbon Black,Sulphur Powder,Probably Pearl Caustic,Chemicals nobody knew the Dangerous ones(except of course the supplier and the user).Asbestos of Course I'm one of the lucky ones I have about 1 1/2 inches in each of my Lungs which has calcified.Only found that out when I had a scan about 7 years ago and the Doc and Operatort noticed the bottom of my luings.They asked my permission to ring my Doc and if it was OK with me to have the x ray taken right away.He made me aware of why and what it was but was pretty positive that there was no problem as I was 70.I was in reasonably good health and the scan was just a check.I served 2 1/2 years as an Apprentice at Bromborough Power Station when the Asbestos laggers started to Asbestos lag the High Head Boilers it was like a snow storm and every one was breathing it in.The next 2 1/2 years I spent at the main works of B & W at Renfrew in Scotland.Where we used to have (apprentices only) asbestos wool and rope fights with each other in the Oil Heater Shop,lagging them.My Uncle John was a Docker in the Pool and my Grandad was Capt.Alf Berry on the "Bramley Moore" tugboat and I used to go on the tug for 2 - 4 days with him starting about 1939 up to 1942 and he used to explain the different ships carrying some of the bad handling cargoes.My other reason for Answering your email is Bunty Lawson.My G/G Ma ( Bigmama) and G/G Dad (Bigdada) they lived at 25,Toft Street off Holt Road, Kensington,Edge Hill. Their son had a daughter "Bunty" her Dads name was Albert Edward Lawson and his wife was Ada Jane Lawson (nee Jennings) I am just researching My Mums side of her family Alice Rothwell Lunt (nee Lawson).

Bunty Lawson I am still trying to find her,would you know her given name.Her Mum and Dad had also a son Robert W. Lawson in the July Quarter 1939.So he was at least 7 - 10 years younger at a quess.Now this is the interesting part he was born in Newcastle T. Registration at:- Cumberland,Northumberland/Westmoreland.I am going to have a go at Ancestry U K tonight and the next few days,if I get anymore clues will let you know ASAP.Best Regards Ken Berry

[squiggs]

My dear old Dad used to work on the South end docks from when he came out of the Merchant navy after the war until he retired in the late 80's.
He used to come home covered in "all sorts" he would strip off in the back yard and Mum would wash his works clothes right away, as they did not want whatever was on them carried into the house.
Dad had so many accidents, he fell down the hold a couple of times and ended up in the Southern hospital often, his arms and legs where never straight again, as for splinters !!, he would get a needle and start poking about in his flesh for the offending piece of wood or metal.
My Uncle was known as "The good shephard" or "The aga khan".
During the many strikes times were very hard !, weeks on end without much money, we lived on the little money my Mum earned cleaning, and family memebers brought "food parcels" for us !.
My Dad had many happy times too !, there was a massive family feeling between the dockers and they looked after each other.
I remember him telling me of the trips to the tropical school of medicine with the many and often deadly snakes ,and assorted other creatures found whilst unloading the ships.
The men worked hard for their money and earned every penny.

[Ken Berry]

Hi All,Forgot to mention my Uncle Johns Dockers name,A real Scot liked his wee dram and couldn't be found to easily,Almost needless to say."Scots Mist"
Best Regards Ken B

[joe scouse]

I worked for reas steverdores north to south and birkenhead,saw many cargoes , carbon black we used to get dirt money couple of pennies remember a docker coverd in carbon b,going past a cloured fella loading bags of flour on a b r s motor and tellng him to claim dirt money ,there was a irish foreman who stripped off grabbed a wet hyde rubbed it across his back to proove it was ok for the dockers ,they stunk slimmy & at times had maggotts on them another time ,unloading talc (a white powder)in big paper bags that often got burst ,an old time docker asked captain dick for dirt money his reply was its clean dirt ,so he threw it over him ,problem with all this obnoxious cargo was the fact you never had dissposable overalls you could finnish a ship of carbon black at lunch &time and be unloading meat at one oclock,all very unhygienic,,not to mention the toilets & urinals washing facillities for dockers ,i was there 1950s must have been very rough then ,All great Scousers with out a doubt joe