We believe in preserving our shipyard heritage and educating future generations on the industry that helped build our towns.
How it Started
The idea for the Shipyard Heritage Museum began with a simple realisation - that the shipyards which built our towns, employed generations of families, and shaped communities along the River Tyne do not have a single permanent place where their story is told properly.
For many families in Jarrow, Hebburn, Wallsend, Walker and Newcastle, shipbuilding was not just an industry, it was a way of life. Generations worked in the yards as platers, welders, riveters, engineers, draughtsmen and apprentices. Entire communities were built around the yards, and the impact of shipbuilding can still be seen in the towns, streets and families of the North East today.
This project began as a community campaign to change that - to create a permanent place where the history of shipbuilding on the Tyne, and the people and communities behind it, can be preserved and shared for future generations.
Our Mission
Our mission is to establish a Shipbuilding Heritage Museum on the River Tyne that preserves the history of shipbuilding in the region while also supporting education, skills development, research and community engagement.
We want to create a place that not only tells the story of the shipyards, but also inspires future generations by connecting the engineering, innovation and industry of the past with the opportunities of the future.
This project is about preserving history, supporting education, celebrating communities and creating something lasting for the region.
Meet the Team
Meet Andy Leslie
Andy is an entrepreneur and businessman with a background in large corporate enterprises and start-up businesses. He is the 3x great-nephew of Andrew Leslie, who founded Leslie’s shipyard in Hebburn in 1853, later becoming R & W Hawthorn, Leslie & Company.
Andy has spent several years researching the history of his ancestor and the wider shipbuilding industry on the River Tyne, with plans to write a book and develop a television documentary on the importance of shipbuilding on Tyneside and its impact on British industry and the economy.
Andy brings business experience, strategic thinking and heritage knowledge to the project, helping to shape the long-term development of the Shipyard Heritage Museum.
Meet Dr Mark Stoddart
Meet Bronwyn Mogie
Bronwyn is the founder of the Shipyard Heritage Museum project and started the campaign to create a permanent museum dedicated to the shipbuilding heritage of the River Tyne. With a background in marketing and communications, she has led the public campaign, community engagement, media coverage and project development from the very beginning.
Bronwyn has a personal connection to the shipyards through her family, who worked in the Tyne shipyards for generations. Her father worked in several yards including Leslie’s, Palmers, Swan Hunter and Neptune, and her family history on Tyneside goes back over 150 years. Two of her relatives also took part in the Jarrow Crusade.
Her role in the project focuses on community engagement, communications, project development and building support.
Meet Professor John Wilson
John is Professor of Business History at Northumbria University Business School and has written extensively about the history of British industry, particularly during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries when shipbuilding and engineering on the River Tyne were at their peak.
He is currently working with Dr Mark Stoddart on research and a book focusing on the Tyneside engineering and shipbuilding industries between 1840 and 1914, looking at the entrepreneurs and businesses that established world-famous engineering and shipbuilding companies on the Tyne.
Mark originally moved to the North East to study at university and has lived in the region ever since. He spent much of his career working in industry and consultancy in management, process improvement, project and programme management before later pursuing academic research in history.
Mark completed a PhD focused on ‘shipbuilding and engineering on Tyneside between 1880 and 1918’ and continues to research and write about the history of the shipbuilding industry on the River Tyne with Professor John Wilson.
Mark brings research expertise, industrial knowledge and project management experience to the Shipyard Heritage Museum project, helping to develop the historical content, research direction and long-term planning for the museum.
What Sets Us Apart
People-First Approach
Everything we do is built around understanding your needs and helping you succeed—because when you thrive, so do we.
Long-Term Relationships
We’re not just here for the now. We love creating lasting relationships with our clients and growing with them over time.
Proven Process, Flexible Execution
We bring structure where it counts and adaptability where it matters. Our methods are clear, but always responsive.