Silver Line launch

[fitter]

The launch of an unidentified Silver Line ship at J.L.Thompsons yard. Mrs. Thompson, widow of the late Mr. Patrick Thompson, the last Thompson shipbuilder who died in 2008, and Bridgett his sister, have identified the following people on the photograph: Tall man at left is Cyril Thompson (Liberty ship fame), father of Patrick and Bridgett. Woman in Front of him with flowers Mrs Barraclough (wife of one of Silver Line or Kerr line directors); smallest girl Gillian Marr, (Marr shipbuilding directors at Sunderland), girl next to her is Bridgett, daughter of Cyril; Tall boy with cap is the late Patrick Thompson. The lady beneath "11" is Mary Thompson, wife of Victor Thompson; next to her in light coat is Doreen Thompson, wife of Cyril; Lady wishing to be remembered for her taste in head dress is Joan Marr (wife of Alan?Marr). The smaller silver, (appropriately ?), haired man is Stanley Miller Thompson, co-founder of the Silver Line and the tall man at the right is Victor Thompson

[magoonigal]

I love launch Photographs, Tom, but nobody ever looks HAPPY!!

Have you noticed.

[fitter]

No surprise. Despite the welcome relief that the Thompson brothers' Silver Line orders brought to work starved yards, all was not well. Some were placed on condition that Stanley and John (Silver Line), would not pay their family shipyard (J.L.Thompsons) for the engines for TEN years after delivery! It must have caused a significant amount of cash flow problems for the yard. I got that directly from one of the Thompsons and one day I hope to have the time to prove it from the account books. If true it must have been sweet and sour for the yard, more sweet than sour though.

[magoonigal]

Not actually the one I was looking for Tom, but this is the launch photograph from the VISEGRAD on the 8th July 1913 at Swans. Not many smiles around!

The one I was looking for features a Lady who is the spitting image of Grandma from the Giles Family.

[fitter]

Must agree, it looks more like a funeral than a celebration. The woman with the flowers is attempting the kind of smile that beneficiaries try hard to conceal when they should be sad but really are glad at the demise of a benefactor, maybe she just liked the flowers and was smug because the other women didn't get any!!