Layla Ewen: Okay it’s Layla Ewen and I am here today at Hull Heritage Fisheries Centre talking with KS Shakespeare. It’s March the 6th 2025 and this conversation has been recorded on behalf of Scene But Not Heard. Okay right so KS can you talk to me a little bit about your memories of Hessle Road?
Ken Shakesby: Yeah I have always lived on Hessle Road as long as I can remember up to getting married. I got married in 1966 and we moved to a small, well small flat on Beverley Road, but prior to that like I said I’ve lived on Hessle Road with my mum and dad of course and my siblings in a number of places but yeah I’ve always been a Hessle Roader and I still am. And it’s, it’s got lots and lots of memories for me has Hessle Road. Some good, some bad, but when I sit or when I come down Hessle Road I tend to always go back in time and I always visualize how it was and how it is.
And the sad truth of the matter is, it’ll never be nowhere as it was, and it’s worse than it ever will be, or the question is will it ever get worse? Because in the day Hessle Road was booming for the fish docks and we also have in all which I think we’ve got average population of about 300,000 people give our take so many. So you could say that the east side of us where the commercial docks was the deep sea docks, Merchant Navy docks. On the west side Hessle Road is where the fish docks was so this, you know, this was the tradition. It’s west Hull. But anybody came and sailed on the trawlors and, and it was so good. And I can, I can remember very well I can remember too much, but I won’t go back too far.
But I remember when we used to come home and I started when I was officially, I started when I was 15 year old. We’d come home, I was a galley boy on the ship, you’d be away for three weeks, good weather, bad weather depending. And then you’ll never, all you got was a weekly wage. And you used to stand outside your ship’s office and then the crew would come and settle up. They would see you stood there and you were standing there hoping that they would give you, what we say ten bob or ten shillings in the day. A little back-hander because you used to clean the cabins and you know clean the facilities and you try to look after the the ship and people and that was the payback. And you would get a little you know something off the crew which boosted you finances. If not, you had I think then I got about three pound a week.
LE: How old were you then?
KS: Fifteen, and I got three pound a week and you know it did go up very little. So that was the thing. Then I was still a boy at heart, I was a boy, but I was doing a man’s job. So when I came and not just me you know my, my school friends and everybody you meet, new friends of course. Hessle road was a thing and then, you know, 15 you’re underage you could not go in pubs and things like that. So, there used to be a few cafes up down as a road and you you went not with a gang but you know a few of you and I think in them days there was no gangs. It was it was groups I think that’s a nice word to use, groups. You all get on with each other because the thing what you had in common was two things, you have the fishing or something to do with a dock or Hessle road. And then Hessle road was the main factor.
Until we used to go to the pictures in the day. We had Langhams then just up the road, couple of streets down there. We always go to Langhams, was the pictures. Then, you know, we used to go to the roller skating at Madeley Street and they used to you know, empty the bath on every, I think Tuesday’s, I can’t remember. Tuesday Friday, Saturday – empty the bath, put the board on and you would go roller skating around there. And then you know, then of course, you know you thought you used to be the best thing since sliced bread and every girl would be after you. Which you know proved to not to be true.
So, anyhow then, Hessle road was the the core of it, you know, when you got home you’d give your mam some money for that, you know, like looking after you and being there and then as you moved up a little bit in the job so you got a little bit more salary and, and then you would give them more and then your friends if they weren’t so lucky as you. Some of them were maybe unemployed waiting for a job so you would give them you know something to tide them over because we didn’t get unemployment benefit. I think was til, I don’t think I ever applied for it until I got married.
But Hessle road in its time was good and as we was getting older and I got to about, well I was married at 18. But before then we would say the people what would try to walk from the West Dock Avenue and walk to town or even the end of Hessle Road and try and take a pint of beer in each pub they past. How far would they get up to the town and lots of us, me included, I think, we’ve got to about three or four pubs and collapse.
LE: Really
KS: Yeah yeah because it was, it was just something there. It was a teaser, you know, and because in them days, you know, we was just scrawny little kids. But was doing a man’s job and I think, I think we had to have two hands to pick up the pint. That’s how big we was. But yeah I can honestly say for me in them days- it was good old days. It was really good. The people was good that the the living I think the living was a little bit rough. A little bit rough because I know when when I was still at school – going back a little bit – when I was still at school. And you know my, my dad was, he was a fisherman before me and maybe things was a bit tough financially and so I would go to the corner shop and ask if we could get a few things on the bill, on the tick til the weeKSd and sort it out. And that’s how it used to be so we all got going financially. And it was good, but the bond was there, you know. Nowadays I think they call it the neighborhood watch. But everybody seemed to try to help each other and it was a very good. It’s a very good period and yeah and I loved it.
And like I said about the book I started the book from nine year old and it went through. And then of course, I got married and we moved off Hessle Road but Hessle Road was still a big part of my life. Hessle Road was a part of my life till 1978. Its when I decided that the fishing industry had gone because I was what they call, I was mainly interested in the Sidewinders. The conventional trawlers as opposed to the stern fishes because the stern fishing trawlers they was away for maybe three months, two months to three months at a time. Which for me with young kids, it was very difficult and I realized that. Do you know what I mean, so I was happy to go on the conventional get swilled about for three weeks. I know it was you know you got wet more and you know the dangers was great but the time was shorter. So and that’s what I did too. 1978- massive decline the companies, the owners was always good with me at the time. But then all of a sudden they turned on us, the government and they decommissioned all the vessels and the got a kind of a payoff if you will from the government for doing this. So all them vessels went to scrap in the late 70s and that. So us men was struggling for work.
LE: So that must have been a very difficult time and Hessle road was obviously still quite important?
KS: yeah yeah yeah
LE: How important was that kind of scene, that type of space, to go out and meet with other people who are going through similar things? Was that important to you at the time?
KS: Yes because, we needed, I think we needed to keep like our friendship and and like, look you know, like socialising with people as much as we can. Or we could. But in like like I mentioned earlier in in the 70s it was a maybe a coincidence as the people was moving out to the bigger estate so Hessle road was closing down quietly and there was shops closing down. Of course, cause of the lack of trade due to the people around was getting let’s say evacuated so the outskirts of Hull. So Hessle road was becoming smaller
LE: And how did that impact on the the pubs and the clubs?
KS: Massive, massively, yeah the pubs they just were shutting down like nobody’s business. You know, it was, it was sad not just the pubs you know? When you think, when you think, I was one person and it affected me. So a mass of people like me. The ships got shut down. The taxis got shut down. Because those in excess because the the deal was each fishermen, or the majority of them, had their own taxi driver. That’s not me being big-headed that’s how it was. Because you trusted them they looked after you and you could have a drink and you would get driven about. Take you away to the sea side. We would do all that with the kids and that. And sure your taxi driver was there and he was with you for like three days. And then you went back to sea and he would then get on to another customer. And that’s how it was. So them kind of people. The fish curing in factories, all the fish houses. Every, you know, just about everything on Hessle road was decreasing rapidly.
LE: And did you still go out on Hessle Road?
KS: We did, we did but the pubs was. What can I say? Because the the ships was going, and this is how it was, for example, when the ships was going all of us realized we’ve got to look elsewhere. Some of them decided to stay on and all that they could still make a living out of what those doing. But a lot of us didn’t want to wait for that you know crunch. So, for example, a lot of us went overseas. and I was one of them and we we started off in Egypt on the vessels, learning to in the oil and gas til we got a you know an experience, understanding of it all. And so on saying that we got them these job offers from the skippers and mates guild on the fish Dock and so consequently lots of people was doing the same going abroad so this Hessle road was getting shorter and shorter. And our friends, our friends we’d either work with them overseas, because in them days you know, you didn’t really communicate as such via phones or emails. That there was nothing like that so you would see them and then by then Hessle road was really really shut down in an unofficial way, where, you know. We’re talking, for me eighties, there was a few pubs up town where we used to go in town and you know the odd pubs what was still there. There’s still a couple of them now where they go in town, but I think the the blunt word was it’s gone. It’s finished. And I would say for me in the 80s that Hessle road as I knew it was there no more, it was there no more. Yeah it was so sad. My brother he lives across the road as we’re talking now in one of them flats. He’s lived there for quite a while and we talk now one then and you know he tells me about the changes what he’s seen every day. And it’s, it’s not good. It’s really not good because we’ve lost, I think, yeah I think we’ve lost our identity. This is why I like to come here on a Wednesday maybe blow off a little bit. I haven’t, I haven’t gained anything but I’ll go out feeling a bit better you know. And that’s what it is. But Hessle road will never be forgotten as far as I’m concerned. It was marvellous the pubs, the clubs, the discos and everything. The night clubs in town you always knew somebody and you looked after him if you could you know. Cuz you knew who they was. It was big but it was small, If you see what I mean.
LE: So thinking about those like specific clubs on Hessle road. Like Rayners and Dee Street club. Were there any that you particularly liked?
KS: Yeah yeah, because I liked Rayners. I like, I did like Rayners a lot. Because what we did. How it worked for us is that, if I was class as a fish room man I would always, you know, This is how it worked. You would meet the mates after you settled on the dock. You would meet up with the mate of the ship and he’d probably be in Dee street. And you’ll go in there and you’ll get a, what we call a, back hander. A pocket money because you was looking after the fish. That was your dedicated job so and if you did well he’d give you a good back hander. So and that was good and then I’d take me wife with me. I mean my wife never drunk. I think she’s the only one wo had more water, lemonade then anybody. but she came out and it was good we had good times. And then we’d go in Rayners and of course when you start moving up the rank kind of say. Now I got to be a mate and a skipper, yeah you’d still visit them pubs but you didn’t spend so much time in them pubs. Do you know what I mean? Maybe a quick drink and then you’d say like okay there looks like sommit’s kicking off. Come on let’s sup up and we’ll get going. You know? I mean we’ll get going. Just leaving to it and that. But always visited just to see you know how the others was getting on and that.
And so my main ones was Dee Street, Rayners and D Street Club. And then we’d go that way towards the town. Dick Wrights, I mean I think they call it Vauxhall Tavern now, Dick Wrights. I used to you know like going in Dick Wrights. I was even going in there even when I was skipper. So at the latter end of my working.
LE: So can you talk to me about Dick Wrights. What was that like on a night out? Can you describe the space?
KS: Oh yeah Dick Wrights. It was so good, it was so good. Because in them days they had what you’d call a smoke room and you would go in there for a smoke. But of course you know you might as well not bother because I mean you didn’t you know. It was then if anybody complained which they didn’t because everybody was. I would always meet the crew. I’d take my wife with me and you know not all the crew but the most of the crew. We’d all go then and you know I’d buy them a couple of drinks. And they’d buy them back. Sit there and we’d would tell each other how good we was, you know, you know. What we could do better and so yeah and it was good. And me and my missus, because my missus wont a drinker we’d probably go to town. And maybe you know if it was the evening time we’d go and have something to eat somewhere. You know? Yeah we yeah, it was okay. I was happy with it. And the only time I didn’t like it was when I was spare hand. I always remember when I was a young spare hand. We lived down Wayne Fleet Terrace we all seem to be going away on an early morning tide. I was young. We had one child and for me life was good, until there was a knock on the door. “Come on KS your taxis here”. Was it and I had that same taxi driver from being I think I was 16 year old all the way till I left the industry.
Yeah yeah, oh I could tell you stories and but it’s just not personal. It’s about me so it don’t involve Hessle road as such, because I always told the people and the owner that I am I am the new edition of the skippers. I am one of the new edition because we are here to change the industry. Not like before when the owners used to you know the used to just mess you about. And that didn’t feel anything like that about it and I said we’re here, at my age, we’re here to change all that. You know, yeah yeah yeah. And I think I did, yeah, I’d like to think I did. Yeah yeah because going back to the taxi driver, Jimmy McFarlane was the taxi driver. I always remember when I went to, I got my mates ticket and something happened what I don’t know anybody else what happened to. I can’t think of it. I went down on the dock and one of the company delegates said to me “Have you signed the contract?” So I said “What contract?” “Oh mates and skippers are signing this contract”, you know? We’re not that stupid, you know. I mean, so I said “no I’m not signing no contract”. So they said to me “if you don’t sign the contract you won’t get a ship in this company again” so that’ll do me. So I’m just walking off the dock and passing Hamlins. The company man was Renny Corkwell and you know, he knew me dad and that. And I knew him. “What you doing?” KS said. “I’ve just got me mates ticket, but you know they’ve given me a hard time. So he said to me “I’ll put you on Borsin and they sent me for one trip. Then you, when you come back, you can go mate there. Well I’ve been Borsin before. So it was a piece of cake for me. So I said yeah okay so I signed on and I was happy with it. Signed on and I walked on from the fish Dock to Beverley Road. Just as I got in my house to explain the story to my wife there’s a knock on the door and it’s Jimmy McFarlane. And he says to me KS “Is it true that you’ve signed on Borsin the St Dominic?” I said “Yeah” He said “I’ve come to get you” I said “What for?” George Hartley who is my manager for B.U.T. you know Elliot brother. He’s going ballistic. He’s going ballistic. So I said “okay” He said “I’ve got to get you I’ve got to get you.” He was more frightened than anybody was. So we came down the dock and I went into Hamlyns to sign off and Renny said to me “You’re okay, KS I understand, you’re okay”. So when I saw George Hartley the manager of the Hellier brothers you know. So, I told him the truth. I got pressured into signing this contract. He said “Who told you that?” And I told him the name. He said “Don’t you worry that’s nothing to do with you” he said, “listen” he said “I’m so stressed and angry about what they’re trying to do you’ll just answer to me nobody else” So he walked to the bay window and he looked and he said to me, “Do you think you’re ready to go mate?” he said, “first trip mate?” I said “yeah”, cos I am. He said “right you’re going mate on that vessel on Friday” Just like that, you know. I mean that and that’s when it all changed. Yeah yeah these stories go on forever.
LE: I just wonder if maybe if I just show you some photos and see if you remember any of these people?
KS: okay yeah
LE: Jerry gave the photos
KS: Who did?
LE: Jerry
KS: Let me get my glasses.
LE: See if they ring a bell any of them or you remember any stories about these people that you’d like to share? So this Clarice
KS: Oh that’s Clarice here from Rayners
LE: Do you remember Clarice?
KS: Yeah yeah yeah yeah I do very much. Then after she left Rayners she went down to George’s. Yes Saint George’s Road. Yeah Clarice, yeah. Who’s that was that lady? Is she a bar?
LE: I’m not sure
KS: yeah yeah yeah I remember that Clarice yeah she was good and she could handle the people. Do you know I mean? She was good. And everybody respected her. Because I think she was a person who knew everybody and I think she was ideal for the role. You know, I mean and when she got in everybody kind of supported her. In a way, you know, yeah she had the people who was disturbing her but she had more supporters. And they would like “come on leave the premises”. So they looked after her as well. But yes she was a nice lady.
LE: And she was quite strong?
KS: Oh yeah very very strong willed yeah yeah. I think she had a boyfriend but I don’t think she was married you know.
LE: Yeah so there’s quite a few photos. What do you so this was Rayners. Can you describe what Rayners looked like? What colors it was? What you felt like?
KS: I remember when you went down West Dock Avenue. The first door you came to was like a swing door. You went through and the bar was like that. The bar was, you went through that door and that door and here there was the bar. It’s all changed now but there was a corner where we used to sit. But I remember very well because once I had to go in there for me dad. This crew member wanted me dad and he didn’t drink so I had to go looking for me dad. I was only about 14 so I’ll goes in and I sees me dad and shouted him. Yeah so yeah that was that and then that was the bar there that and that was the bar. That was the mixed bar at the men’s bar. That was going that way then you could go through the other door.
(Sound of phone ringing)
LE: I’ll just pause this
END OF PART ONE
Part 2
LE : Layla Ewen talking to Ken Shakesby, second part.
KS : So, yeah, when you went through the door on Westdock Ave, You’d go in, through one, and there was a few people sat there, then through the other door, and there’s the bar. The bar went round a little bit, and I think that’s where the photo of Clarice is there now. And then, like if you’ve come in that way, at that end, there was a door, what take you to the toilet. But also a door, what take you up to the back, what they call the back room.
LE : Okay.
KS : It was a big back room there. And they used to have a, sometimes they’d have a guest or a band or, it wan’t a big place. So they had them people, so then you would come back out of there, go come back through the bar if you wanted, or go back straight into the street. Come round again and go to the door, which is still there now, both the main, well all the main doors are still there. And that would be, you’d go in that way, and on your right there was what they call the front room. And there was like special, well not special, segregated rooms, where if it was quiet you could go in there and have a drink and a chat, you know. And it was quiet and you had that. And there was about three of them front rooms. It was, who else had Rayners… I’m trying to think of, who else had Rayners before Clarice. I can’t remember, because also, one of my pubs as well, was Lion. People called it Red Lion, but we called it Red Lion, but really it was Lion. And it’s just down on the other side of the boulevard. You know, if you go down here, turn left down Newton Street. Cos it was closer to where we lived and lots of them got in there and it was good. And the man who had that, he was an ex-bobber or somethin’ off the docks. Everybody who was into the fishing industry, yes so. Yeah. Rayners.
LE : You mentioned the room in Rayners where there would be artists on, like a band or whatever. Can you remember any artists specifically that you remember seeing down Hessle road?
KS : Well, I think there was, I was that school with a girl called Reena Jordan.
LE : Right.
KS : And I think she turned, then she went professional as time goes on. What did they call her? I don’t know if something and the Ru.
LE : Rudens? Can you talk to me a little bit about her or what you remember of her?
KS Who? Reena Jordan.
LE : Yeah.
KS : Why, do you know her? Do you know her?
LE : I know of her, Jerry mentioned her.
KS : Okay, well, Well, Reena Jordan lived down there, Massey Street, off St. George’s Road. And I was at school with her.
LE : What school did you both go to?
KS : Well, then with Reena, it was Somerset Street.
LE : Okay.
KS : And then when you got to 11 year old, the boys either went this way, that way. The girls went to, I think they went to Somerset Street Girls, or the went Chiltern Street Girls, or Frances Ascew. But yeah, I know at 11 you parted your ways. But with Reena, in the day she was a tomboy. She was a good tomboy, you know what I mean? And we used, cause she lived down Massey Street. And eventually I ended up down Conway Street, so leaving school, I would come along, what they call, oh, forget the name, down in St. George’s Road, into Massey Street. And Reena would go home, and then I would carry on, and come on to Division Road, cut through the alley, Division Road, and I was home. And a lot of the kids lived around there. So you all walked home together and that. Then with Reena, then you’re starting, you know, you leave school, and you go your own way. Then Reena’s brothers, there was Billy, who I knew very well. And the older one, to that was Bob. And cause he was two Bob Jordan’s, but this Bob was Reena’s brother, and I knew them very well. And then I also sailed with her dad, Sammy, Sammy Jordan. Yeah, so, yeah, I did not know her. We grew up together in a way, and I got to know her brother’s. And I think she had an elder sister, I’m not quite sure.
LE : And you saw her singing as well.
KS : Yeah, I saw her singing, now and then she was bloody good singer, yeah.
LE : Yeah, I saw a video.
KS : Yeah, yeah, she was okay, she could really knock it out, yeah. Yeah, it was good. But, yeah, there was, and then you would get some others. You would get some others who thought they was singers. And they would go in Rayners, do you know what I mean? And God love them, they was no good what so ever. But, I’m saying that. Now, I can’t stay too long.
LE : Okay, yeah.
KS : But, I’m just gonna try to finish off with this nice story. You see, my dad was fishing as well. And so, when he landed, or when he settled, got his money. And then I was fishing also, and I was with him. And we had my dad’s friend, and I call him Alf. Critchison, who all lived down, Somerset Street, yeah, Somerset Stree, on Hessle Road. And I always remember this little story. We went into, Wassey Arms, Wassand Arms, on Wassand street. And the owner there was Mac, big Mac. It was a good bloke like, but he was stern. Well, me dad had a few toom many, can I say and Alf had more. Me, I hadn’t had anything, you know, because I just met’em. So, anyway we gets in the pub, and I said, “I’ll have a pint.” So, AlF, AlF. Critchison, that’s what we called him. Alf Critchison, you know, “yeah, yeah, yeah. All right, then.” And there’s a piano there. There’s a piano there, “and I’ll have a go on the piano.” And this Mac behind the bar went to me. “Oh, God, what you brought in here”, you know? I said, “Just let him have a go.” You know, “then tell him to get off.” So, he said, “Yeah, okay.” So, he lifted the lid up then, and Alf sat down. Yeah, Jesus Christ. Everybody stopped doing what they was doing. And yeah, it was such a really good piano player. And then it was, I must have been about, maybe 18 at the time. Yeah. So, that’s 60 years ago, yeah. Yeah, and that’s how it was, you know.
LE : Was singing part of it? Did people like join in?
KS : Yeah, yeah. They’d all have a sing-song, yeah, yeah. And that’s what made it more homely, I mean, you know, you can see all these photos of the people in the pub. I think like Facebook and all of that, ’cause my wife, I don’t do Facebook, but my wife said, “Do you know these people?” And they’re all in the pubs and we tried to, I mean, like, the people who lived at that end would go in Dick Writes, you know, Vauxhall, or they would go in Red Barrel and all them on Bankside. And yeah, there was Tinkerman and there was hundreds, Lily Rose, hundreds of pubs, you know. It was amazing how the pubs made a profit, ’cause there was that many pubs. But there was that many people, I suppose. Yeah. So, anyhow, look, I’m sorry, I’ve got to go Layla.
LE : Thank you so much
