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Bill Thompson #1
Apprentice
The story of Bill Thompson, a middle class English boy who is sent by his father to do his engineering apprenticeship in the Greenock shipyards in the 1950s. Stories of people in shipyard, such as Lord Sweatrag, and of tenement life.
156 pages, Hardcover
First published May 26, 1983
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About the author
Tom Gallacher
11 books4 followersTom Gallagher was is a Scottish journalist, playwright and novelist. After his schooling he trained as a draughtsman and worked at Denny’s Shipyard in Dumbarton (an experience that was to provide him with the source material for his work The Apprentice (1983).
Ultimately, however, Gallagher was more influenced by his mother’s love of language and the spoken word, and began a new career as a journalist - starting work at the Helensburgh Advertiser. Whilst writing professionally and locally, he also wrote a series of articles for the County Reporter which were later published under the title Hunting Shadows.
During his time as a producer with the Dumbarton People’s Theatre, Gallacher discovered that he had a talent for writing plays. In the 1950’s he successfully produced several productions including Harvey, The Glass Menagerie, The Wind and the Rain and A Man for All Seasons. His love of the theatre and his passion for words led him becoming a full time playwright, settling in London for four years before returning to Garelochhead.
Gallagher also wrote for television and was a great proponent for the arts. He was a founding member of The Scottish Society of Playwrights at the Netherbow Theatre; established in response to a need for a co-ordinated voice for playwrights to be heard in Scottish theatre and to act as a playwriting development and promotional agency.
Ultimately, however, Gallagher was more influenced by his mother’s love of language and the spoken word, and began a new career as a journalist - starting work at the Helensburgh Advertiser. Whilst writing professionally and locally, he also wrote a series of articles for the County Reporter which were later published under the title Hunting Shadows.
During his time as a producer with the Dumbarton People’s Theatre, Gallacher discovered that he had a talent for writing plays. In the 1950’s he successfully produced several productions including Harvey, The Glass Menagerie, The Wind and the Rain and A Man for All Seasons. His love of the theatre and his passion for words led him becoming a full time playwright, settling in London for four years before returning to Garelochhead.
Gallagher also wrote for television and was a great proponent for the arts. He was a founding member of The Scottish Society of Playwrights at the Netherbow Theatre; established in response to a need for a co-ordinated voice for playwrights to be heard in Scottish theatre and to act as a playwriting development and promotional agency.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
June 12, 2020
Pretty interesting stories from the view of an English apprentice coming to Greenock and getting to understand the contemporary culture. There are some sad moments, especially with Mrs Mulvenny, and some frustrating moments as with Elsie's wasted potential and Tony Liddle's penchant for taking advantage, but the prose and dialogue is very well written and Tom Gallacher certainly has a knack for storytelling.
June 30, 2012
Ages ago, I read this book by Tom Gallacher and then ended up reading all the books written by him at that time- Journeyman, jewel maker, etc, etc. The Apprentice is a great book. About an Apprentice Engineer who is awaiting the verdict of an inquiry into a Shipping Accident. I read this over 22 years ago! But I still remember some of the great lines in the book. One was "Democracy is a fraud, because people are duped by the policies they don't understand and gulled to vote" How beautiful is that!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews