| Description | Tape 1 Side A ALEXA DAVIN GREEN born Helston Cornwall 11 May 1965. Details of family: occupations of siblings; father, Walter Green, who worked offshore with Conoco as a fitter after a naval career; grandmother, Masie Amelia Sowden, who worked in dental factories; mother, Alison Green, nee Brookman, her millinery/drapery business; maternal grandparents Alexa Mary Jack, Colonel Jack. Growing years up in Buckie. Parents, relationship with them. Father's background in India, son of a major in the Hussars. Home in Buckie, living over the shop. Typical meals through the week, eating habits, likes, dislikes. Expression 'old age doesn't come itself'. Early experience helping mother with cooking etc. Father's cooking skills. Benefit of early cooking experience later when working offshore. Education at Millbank Primary School, Buckie High School; teachers. Attitude to schoolwork, school and home discipline, religion. Interest in music, reading, colours. Memories of life in the shop, Buckie village, parents' social life, father's attitude to speech etc. Lack of contact with other children, career possibilities when at school. Father's work offshore in North Sea, his routine, effect on family, mother, his recreation. Changes to shop, parents visits to London, Glasgow fashion shows.
Tape 1 Side B Present job as support worker in mental health. Lack of knowledge of father's work offshore. Brothers' work offshore. Older brother's work in catering trade. Relationship with parents. Early employment in mother's shop; importance of book keeping, dealing with public, difficult customers. Other shops in Buckie. Changes in shopping habits in Buckie, reason for not taking over shop from mother. Work as butcher's assistant. Employment situation in Buckie. Social life in Buckie, crime. Voluntary, later paid work with people with disabilities, importance in own life. Work in furniture shop, discomfort at pressure to sell. Decision to work in catering offshore (1990). Description of survival course. Attitude to team work, pride in work. Employment with SAS (Scandinavian Air Services) Service Partner; description of uniform. Details of colleagues, first journey to Murchison platform, helicopter safety procedures. Previous experience abroad. First experiences on Murchison. Description of platform layout.
Tape 2 Side A Description of Murchison platform three-level layout (continued), accommodation, recreational facilities. Attitude of workers to cleanliness. Catering staff accommodation, cinema routine, size. Lack of views from many rooms. Description of dining room furniture. Dining room meal routine. Differences in accommodation standards according to place in hierarchy. Strict safety routine when flying in helicopter. Safety consciousness on Murchison. Details re store rooms, radio room, control room etc. Feelings about being offshore. Daily work routine, working hours, accommodation arrangements. Feelings of anxiety in first days. Detailed description of daily and weekly cleaning, re-stocking duties, difficulties caused by shift patterns. Attitude of workers to state of their rooms. Difficulties cleaning cinema, tv rooms. Details re breaks, meals during the 12-hour working day. Description of dirt to be cleaned, floor surfaces. Different attitudes to untidiness. Regular safety meetings, effect on work routine. Significance of evening phone calls home, possibility of extra calls. Personal laundry arrangements. Catering crew's separate movie evenings. Fear of heights during gas alerts, safety drills. Absence of daylight during daytime working hours. Appreciation of danger of situation. Routine during gas alerts, coloured lights procedure.
Tape 2 Side B Emergency routine, safety equipment. Hierarchy within catering group, own position. Drugs consumption among catering and other crew. Reaction to this. Absence of alcohol. Reduction in number of crew on platform. Recollection of George Dodds, Camp Boss, Steve Duthy, Chief Steward, Alan Scott. Changes in crew over 7 years. Platform hierarchy, power of Offshore Installation Manager. Regularity of inspections, reports on staff. Different trade groups on platform. Pecking order on platform. Own situation as a woman working on platform, mother's concern. Relationships between staff. Work routine 7 days a week. Christmas routine, meal menus, variation in time allowed off. Details of earnings compared with onshore wages. Reaction when going ashore, time-off routine. Emotions at returning offshore. Change of job to laundry, details of routines, working hours. Attitude to work, equipment, products used. Change in work routine as crew numbers dropped. Sick leave arrangements. Charity entertainments. Own leisure routines. Attitudes to smoking. Role of medic on platform, health facilities available. Conflict between staff. Variation of nationalities. Contact with other areas of the platform's work. Own situation, responsibilities. Re-stocking routine.
Tape 3 Side A Pranks played on fellow crew members. Leisure routines, dancing. Description of a bad accident. Contact with Conoco people, other former colleagues. Position as 'agony aunt' on the platform, need of people for personal advice, difficulties living offshore. Story of crew member and how he dealt with having 'a dose'. Gossip around platform. Effect of weather on travel, platform. Awareness of weather offshore. Recollection of involvement in a strike, attitude of strikers. Conditions and pay on Murchison and other installations. Membership of Transport & General Workers' Union. Attitude to workers. Vulnerability in job. Health & Safety on Murchison. Interest in knitting, crocheting, jigsaws. Difficulty with personal relationships offshore. Contact with senior management from platform when ashore. Presentation at time of retirement. Feelings at coming ashore. Career intentions, interest in disability, employment by Penumbra (Richmond Fellowship) as full time support worker. Compares life onshore with time offshore. Family atmosphere on Murchison. Feelings about working offshore again. Present life pattern with future husband Robert Reid, career, family prospects, routines. Continuing contact with Murchison people. Attitude of drillers. Significance of catering crew.
Tape 3 Side B Food hygiene procedures offshore on Murchison, 'chuck-out'process; amount of waste of food; pranks among the catering crew. Menus, cooking style, food choices. Provision of fresh bakery, 'cabnabs' (cakes). Laundry product and routine safety procedures. Dislike of having nothing to do, extra work done for small rewards. Attitude to work. Features of childhood homemaking skills providing training for work offshore. Constant contact with mother when offshore providing strength to carry on. Reflections on time offshore. Attitude of parents to offshore work for a woman. Gossiping capability of men working offshore. Impression of men's and women's conduct offshore; turnover of women. Reflection on time offshore, attitude to what happens. Expression 'what's ahead of you won't go by you'. Number of people with mental health problems who used to be offshore employees, their attitude. Experience of effect of alcohol on oil men. Feelings about time working in oil industry. End of interview.
|