LEITH-BUILT SHIPS, LEITH THEATRE LAUNCHES!

Ahoy! We are so thrilled to be hosting the book launch for the first instalment of three books; Ron Neish's 'Leith-Built Ships, They Once Were Shipbuilders' in association with Whittles Publishing. The event will take place in the charming surroundings of our 1930s art-deco Crush Foyer for an evening which will celebrate the rich, maritime history of Leith.

We hope that the event will attract people from far and wide who have a connection to the docks or those with an interest in the history and past lives of our community. This will kick start our commemorative events for the centennial year of Leith’s amalgamation with Edinburgh. As a community, our history is deeply interlinked with the fortunes of the docks and it feels befitting to remember our historic, ship-building past in this way.

Our author, Ron Neish, started his apprenticeship with Robb Caledon (later known as Henry Robb Shipbuilders) in 1971 as a Loftsman. He has worked in shipbuilding along with other industries for a great many years, always retaining his interest and passion for ships and the sea. He is currently actively involved in the shipbuilding industry in a design and consultancy basis.

"Leith-Built Ships is a testimony to the skill of the men who built the ships and to the many men and women who may have sailed or served on them. This history is brought together in vol. I of a three-volume series about the almost-forgotten part that Leith played in our great maritime heritage and is the culmination of the author's lifetime experience of shipbuilding. Most people may well be aware of the part played by the great shipbuilding centres in the UK's history but many may be unaware of the part played by the shipbuilders of Leith. This port was once Scotland's main port with many firsts to its name. Leith had begun building ships some 400 years before the great shipyards of the Clyde and these vessels reached all corners of the globe, touching many people's lives. Some had sad histories while others took part in some of the great conflicts of the times; many were just ordinary working vessels that carried their crew safely through long working lives. With a pedigree of shipbuilding second to none going back over 660 years of recorded history, the ships built at Leith deserve their place in history and this book begins the story."

So why not come and join us on Friday 31st January 2020 and delve into Leith’s illustrious industrial past, meet the author in our intimate Q and A and sample a locally distilled Gin from Port of Leith Distillery or a Leith brewed beer from Pilot as part of your ticket. We can’t wait to set sail!