THE BOWDEN CLOCK-IN BOURD !

Recently a 'Clock-in-Board' was donated to the Belfast Titanic Society Archive by Mr Thomas Bowden a former shipyard worker. Mr Bowden and his daughter Lorraine Henderson (who was the person who got in touch with us - thanks Lorraine!) realised they still had something special in the family when they read about another ex-shipyard worker, a Mr Emerson, who has been reproducing 'Clock-in-Boards' for display and educational purposes at Titanic Belfast. 

Mr Bowden told his daughter Lorraine there was "...plenty of work at the shipyards at the time as the Canberra was being built as well as a few other ships on the cards...it was supposedly a good move from the building trade as there was guaranteed work for a while...he was involved in the joinery aspect of fitting out the Canberra so that would been approximately early 1960s".

Lorraine also tells us that unfortunately after three years or so the work in the shipyard dried up so her father Thomas Bowden had to go back to the building trade therefore his stay in the shipyard was short."

The Emerson 'Clock-in-Board' story was carried in East Belfast Newspaper THE LOOP

You can read more about it here https://issuu.com/loopmag/docs/loop_nov_issu (page 9).  The material has also been posted here https://www.visit-belfast.com/corporate/news-and-media/latest-news/mr-emersons-boards-clock-in-at-titanic-belfast .  As part of the same educational project Titanic Belfast have 'My Granda’s Piece Tin' which looks at life for young apprentices at Harland and Wolff during the 1940 to 1970 era!

Click here to see Mr Bowden with one of the precious 'Clock in Boards'

 Click here to see the board with its unique number

Lorraine Henderson also tells us says her father "just remembers when the whistle blasted at going-home time all the dock workers literally threw their boards through the window of the office at the entrance to each dock.  What a job picking all those up and sorting them for the next morning!!!"