Wor Harry

The youngest of nine children and the grandson of mariners shipwrecked and drowned from sailing ships, Harry enjoyed a status in his family beyond his years. Always called, 'Wor Harry' by the charabanc-load of brothers, sisters, cousins, uncles and aunts in North Shields, Harry Malcolm was the last of his family to work on the River Tyne. His death marked the end of one hundred years of service in and around the tugboats, docks and beaches of the North Sea Coast. The memories he recounts stretch from the end of the nineteenth century in a poor community that thrived on love, laughter and resourcefulness despite two world wars, mass unemployment and opportunity hampered by poverty.He wrote about his youth for his granddaughters Rachel and Ruth, to show them how much had changed since he was a boy. I have added the stressful things that he left out because it enriches the picture of his remarkable life and the service he gave to the people around him.