THERE was a sea of heads to be seen when a mass meeting was held in the Platers' Shed during the Upper Clyde Shipbuilders (UCS) work-in in 1971.

The men, worried for the future of the yards, did the unthinkable and, rather than going out on strike, locked the bosses out and set about running the yards themselves.

Remembered for Jimmy Reid's famous 'nae bevvying' speech, the action attracted widespread public support, with John Lennon of the Beatles sending a £5000 contribution to the fighting fund.

Thankfully, the protest proved at least a partial success, with the launch at Rosyth last week of the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth further testament to engineering skills of the men - and now women - of the Clyde yards.