Not sure there is a capacity to build in England anymore. River Tyne's ability has long gone- there is a relatively small yard at Hebburn and I forget its name (A and P maybe) that built I think the Flight Deck sections of the recent new carriers. Not sure about them building anything -no slipway. Swan Hunter are long gone and its workforce and architects mostly retired I think. Site was bulldozed and the cranes shipped to India.
Teeside does a bit of offshore work for O and G industry- jack up rigs I think. Hartlepool only dismantle ex USN last time I heard. Nothing at Sunderland at all really, although the Pallion yard still seems to operate as a small scale steel fabricator for offshore O and G but no cranes there as I recall.
Think that eras really gone for NE England. Taken for granted? The workers and skills have all dispersed or retired or are dead.
Cumbria - well not sure about them they haven't built anything large for the RN since the Albion and Bulwark.. Birkenhead hangs on but I have my doubts for their capacity. Belfast - mostly dismantle these days I recall.
England neglected this industry. Should have been nurtured, but then over a billion in taxpayers hard earned was spent propping it up for a while, then Thatch pulled the plug on it in the eighties and down it went. Steels going the same way now.
Over to China. Communism and or the Far East won in the end in this trade war.
KenV are you having a laugh about the unions? They're gone mate-outlawed and de-fanged by Thatch. Membership is a shadow of what it was.
Last edited by Hangarshuffle; 26th Apr 2016 at 16:12.