Retired energy sector workers are sharing their memories of the early days of offshore gas exploration off Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft. Nick Pownall said the industry's arrival was a 'life-saver' for Great Yarmouth, bringing a jobs boom in the late 1960s and early 1970s as the historic herring trade declined. During his 20 year career, the professional diver set up diving equipment supply bases for four separate businesses. He said: "The sector brought employment, money, industry - and the interesting thing was, that the expertise that came in the first place came from America, but in a very short time the tail was wagging the dog. "They were saying what they wanted and it was Yarmouth engineering firms that were making it and supplying firms. I was always very proud of what this town was able to produce."
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