Alexander 'Nicky' Colley

Name:  Alexander 'Nicky' Colley

Age:  85

Place of birth:  Custom House in East London

Job on the river:  After leaving school he worked at the India Rubber, Gutta Percha and Telegraph Construction Co. Ltd in Silvertown. His next job was as a lathe operator at William Coldacre and Son, making coal grabs for the nearby Tate and Lyle sugar refinery. After his wartime service Nicky became a docker.

Strongest memory:  Nicky's father was also a docker. He was a member of the trade union organised by Ben Tillett, Tom Mann and John Burns in the aftermath of the Great Dock Strike of 1889.