Complex sentence: Born at South Shields, Ayre grew up surrounded by shipbuilding and seafaring activity; after an apprenticeship as a draughtsman, he was posted to shipyards at Belfast and Dublin, where he came to hold status and responsibility.
Split into simpler sentences: Born at South Shields, Ayre grew up surrounded by shipbuilding and seafaring activity. He went on to hold posts in shipyards at Belfast and Dublin, where he came to hold status and responsibility.