Northern Divers Eng. Ltd Celebrates its 60th Year in the industry

1963 - 2023

The proud history of a pioneering business

Words: Martin J Shepherd, Northern divers Eng. Ltd.

Northern Divers Eng. Ltd, in 2023, is proud to celebrate its 60th year within the commercial diving industry as one of the UK’s oldest established diving contractors. The company was originally founded in May 1963 by the late Tony Sparrowe, Fank Dearman and Jack Sayers. The formation of the company is a story in its own right. Both Tony and Jack had been working in Africa after leaving the Royal Navy: upon returning to Hull, Jack met another diver Frank, and between them they secured a small job with BP cleaning mud out of the old sea well intake. Knowing that Tony had brought a bit of diving gear back with him from Africa, they contacted him and, along with another legendary figure of the time Roger Lamplough, they successfully carried out the job for BP.

The first challenge was when it came to being paid. The trouble was they did not have a company and presenting the invoice to BP on the back of a cigarette packet proved a problem. So, gathering as they often did in the Merchant Navy Hotel, each put £50.00 in to invoice to BP on the back of a cigarette packet proved a problem.” form the company, this was to be the start of a sixty year history.

In the early years work was very hand to mouth, each of the partners had to have other part time jobs, painting, gardening etc, then when they got a call (at the time the office and phone was the bar of the Merchant Navy Hotel Hull) they would drop the job they were doing, bundle some kit in a car and nip off to the diving job.

As time went on, Northern Divers, secured its first premises in the mid-1960s; by the 1970’s the company had a small diver training establishment at an old gravel pit outside Hull. (Photos, left, are of early diver training at ‘Burstwick Ponds’. Instructor Tony Sparrowe).

The real break for the company was to come in the early days of the North Sea and the oil industry. North Sea exploration and the offshore diving industry were very much in their infancy in those early days. As time progressed the Company was to purchase its first 300ft diving bell in 1974 at the then staggering sum of £20,000. By 1975 the three partners sold out to a major offshore company for a six-figure sum. This development then saw the company, partaking in the first saturation dives of the North Sea.

Northern Divers was one of the first Companies to reach record depths with a promotional dry dive carried out in a land-based saturation system, where divers Peter Mainprize and Alan Young reached the then record depth of 1000ft (as a promotional stunt, the Royal Hotel, delivered a salmon platter on a silver serving plate for lunch).

In 1982, the company saw another change when Tony Sparrowe, one of the original founding members, was to buy back the Northern Divers Engineering side of the company, on the understanding that the company would not continue in the Saturation Diving market.

Premises were secured in Tower Street Hull and the company over the years was to move from strength to strength serving the inshore civil diving sector, whilst still engaging in overseas and salvage projects.

In the September of 1999 tragedy struck the company, when Tony, the Managing Director, and remaining founding partner, then only aged 63, was tragically killed in a coach crash in south Africa. This could so easily have been the end for Northern Divers, but with a strong loyal workforce backing him the then engineering manager Nigel Thacker was able to stand in an and take the helm until Tony’s son John was in a position to take over his father’s role as Managing Director and continue to move the company forward to its highly respected present position within the inshore diving industry.

Northern Divers Eng. Ltd are immensely proud of their history and their involvement with the development of the diving industry over the years. As we move forward into what will be our 61st year of operation, we pay our respect and gratitude to the early pioneers of the company and industry along with the support of present employees and clients. We look forward to many more years of service within the industry.