Why the shipyards died v.2

Both sides of the river
Towering cranes once stood
They’ve all been dismantled
Disappeared for good
Where warships and cruise liners
Once grew side by side
It’s a tragedy of history
Why the shipyards died

From North Shields to Walker
By the old rail track
Like steam trains shipbuilding’s
Never coming back
For the shipyard workers
Who built the ships with pride
It’s a tragedy of history
Why the shipyards died

Each workday at lunchtime
When the hooter screamed
Hungry shipyard workers 
In to Wallsend streamed
Some to the Penny Wet
Some for fish and chips
And all in less than half an hour then
Back to building ships

Grass and weeds now flourish
Where once ships had grown
Thousands of skilled workers
On the scrapheap thrown
Scourge of unemployment to
This day blights Tyneside
It’s a tragedy of history
Why the shipyards died

@ rowland paul hill
Finished after 15 years 17 August 2019