In 1977 the majority of the shipbuilding companies in UK (excluding Harland & Wolff at Belfast) were nationalised by the British Government & called British Shipbuilders. Although shiprepairing was generally excluded from the nationalisation process some repair yards were already under government ownership prior to 1977 (eg ex Court Line companies) and some of the nationalised shipyards contained shiprepair elements (eg Swan Hunter & Wallsend Drydocks). Eventually British Shipbuilders ended up grouping their North East repair yards under the Tyne Shiprepair Ltd banner and managed them all collectively and in competition to another Tyneside yard Smiths Shiprepairers at North Shields. Tyne Shiprepair was privatised again in 1984 although by then many of the consitiuent parts had already been closed down.

Above image is courtesy of John Bage