It is hoped more than 200 workers from the former Swan Hunter yard will attend the get-together, at the Deneside Catholic Club, Jarrow, on Saturday, May 3, at 7pm.

Following major concerns about spiralling costs at the Wallsend yard, the Government effectively sealed Swan's fate in the summer of 2006 when defence procurement minister Lord Drayson announced the company's final contract would be moved to the Clyde in Scotland, for completion.

Closure came after the cost of the final Ministry of Defence (MoD) order at Swan's had almost doubled, to £500m. An additional £100m of taxpayers' money was ploughed into the transfer of the Lyme Bay to Scotland.

Owner Jaap Kroese later sold Swan's iconic cranes and most of its machinery to the Bharati Shipyard Ltd, in southern India.

Former Swan Hunter employees Dave Smith and John Kiethley are hoping for a big turn-out at the reunion.

Mr Smith, 51, from Eden Walk, Calf Close, Jarrow, who served his time as a shipwright at Swan's, said: "The whole idea is to get together as many lads from the yard as possible, from both sides of the river.

"Nobody is getting any younger, and it will good to see some of the old faces from the yard together again.

"In a way, I'm surprised no one has organised such a reunion already, because hundreds of men from both North and South Tyneside worked at the yard."

Mr Smith served his time as a shipwright at Swan's, from 1973 until 1977, working at the yard until 1986.

He returned for a second stint, between 1990 and 1992, and he admits he was "saddened" when the yard finally closed.

"The closure of Swan Hunter was the end of an era. I still think we built the best ships, and we lost some irreplaceable skills when the yard closed," Mr Smith added.

The Jarrow reunion will feature live entertainment.

Tickets are £3, and are available from Deneside Catholic Club, Clegwell CA, Mountbatten Avenue, Hebburn, or Hedworthfield CA, Cornhill, Jarrow.

Contact Dave Smith for more details on 079 5602 5838.