Vickers Armstrong, shipbuilders and engineers

Vickers Armstrong Shipbuilders and Engineers yard at Barrow employed up to 18,000 staff in the early 1970s. The yard produced some very well known ships throughout the 20th century, including Oriana, Awatea, Hinemoa, HMS Ajax, HMS Dreadnought, and many others. It was also where Dr Barnes Wallis designed his bouncing bomb for the 'Dambusters' and designs for the airships of the early 1940s.

This photo taken in October 1979 shows the dayshift heading home; cars have replaced thousands of bikes and scooters, but buses are still in popular demand. Examples of Barrow in Furness corporation buses include a Leyland Leopard, nearest to camera, followed by a Dennis Dominator then a Leyland Titan PD2/27. Behind and out of view from the large building on the left of the photo is HMS Invincible under construction and destined to be at the front of the Falklands war in 1982. (Wallace Trickett)