Dock workers Allan Butterfield and Kyle Tucker may be from different generations, but they have more than just a workplace in common.

Both started work on the Hamilton docks on November 26, albeit 35 years apart.

Both were teenagers when they joined Stevedoring Services as apprentices.

But most importantly they share a love of the job and a fierce loyalty to their colleagues.

Mr Butterfield, 53, began work on the docks in 1979, following in his father’s footsteps, and started out as a truck driver transporting supplies from the port around the Island.

Mr Tucker, 19, has just embarked on a mechanics apprenticeship, which he hopes will see him working on the dockside for at least the next 35 years.

Together they represent the past, present and future of a vital service the Island depends on.

“When I started I was working with guys my dad’s age, I was the baby of the group and had to learn fast,” said Mr Butterfield

“The job has changed a great deal since I first started working on the docks.

“We don’t strip the containers any more and the old Number Seven Shed and Number Eight Shed have been knocked down.

“We had more guys working the ships back then, too. Over the years I’ve seen pretty much everything come through the port from elephants and tigers when the circus used to come to Bermuda to livestock and explosives.”

When the Stevedoring’s trucking service ended Mr Butterfield moved inside the docks and worked on forklifts, stripping containers on the dockside for distribution.

Today, as a longshoreman, the father-of-four works “in the hole”, where the containers are stored on the ship, acting as the eyes and ears of the crane operators. He added: “The job has always been a lot of fun. It’s hard work and long hours but the guys you work with are like family.

“You have to have each other’s back at all times. It’s a dangerous job so trust is a big thing.”

Mr Tucker graduated from CedarBridge Academy last October and headed straight down to the docks to begin his apprenticeship. His enthusiasm and willingness to learn has already impressed his bosses.

The Warwick teen developed an interest in mechanics and engines thanks to the Noble Auto initiative that saw a garage being established on the school campus.

He told The Royal Gazette: “I grew up around guys who were always working on their bikes, and that’s where my interest first started.

“But then at school thanks to Noble Auto’s work release programme that developed further and I began to learn more about the profession.

“That kept my hands dirty and kept my focus.” Stevedoring Services CEO, Warren Jones, personally contacted Mr Tucker after seeing a newspaper article about the CedarBridge student and Noble Auto to explain how an apprenticeship could work.

Mr Tucker has seized his opportunity with both hands.

“It’s great. I love it down here,” he said.

“I am assigned to a person each day and they are teaching me the ropes. I try and take in as much as I can and follow the lead I am given.

“It’s a great environment and the guys that work down the docks have been here most of their life.

“That is where I see my future. I’m hoping to climb the ladder and make this my lifetime job.”

Mr Jones paid tribute to the work of both his newest recruit and one of the longest-serving employees on the docks.

He added: “These guys are a very close-knit group.

“People like Allan represent the human side and the kind of commitment that they give the company, while Kyle has made a great start.

“Certified Bermudian heavy equipment mechanics are hard to find and he has a promising future if he chooses to take it.

“It’s on him, but he is fitting in well and the guys like him. He works with a smile on his face no matter what he is asked to do.”