| Description | Side A
ROBERT PAUL REID born 1 May 1934 Cupar Fife. Paternal family: grandfather, James, manager of Cupar linen mill, active politically in Liberal movement, negotiated Liberal/Conservative pact for East Fife. He was teetotaller, elder of Presbyterian church, had strong sense of discipline. Mentions own brother, QC. Father, William, ran away to Army, kissed Queen's Shilling, a Gordon Highlander, had exciting war. He left army on principle. Recalls his liberal attitude to religion. He developed own butchery business. He was well read. Describes him. He was active in Second World War, in Black Squad. Details. Learned about guns. Example of his principles. Lively family environment. Recalls losing right hand when aged nine - father's worst moment. Recalls situation, learning to write with left hand. Father's attitude to education. He was one of the tragedies of Scotland, missed educational opportunities. He always completed things. Recalls boxing in family. Uncle a shoemaker, got to final of ABA (Amateur Boxing Association) in Scotland. Golf own great interest. Played in British Boys aged 15. Details of game, handicap, significance of experience. Maternal family: grandfather, James Paul, head of Asylum outside Cupar, died young in flu epidemic. Family took in lodgers including grandfather of author William Boyd. Mother administrator for Home Guard. Recalls war period, spotting German plane. Recalls sad Polish officer staying at home. Mentions mother's later blindness, father's support of her. He later worked in sub-post office, improved productivity. Details re his entrepreneurial approach. Recalls his butchery routine, deliveries, lessons from negotiating purchases of turkeys, learning to walk away in business, importance of information, quality. Recalls garden, household jobs, home, relations.
Side B
Childhood (cont'd). Recalls contact with neighbours, robust atmosphere in home, playing golf. Had some music at home, at church, Gilbert & Sullivan. Male singers away at war. Own tastes in music. Opera close to what life's like. Explains. Feelings about Saddam Hussein, human situations. Mentions Benjamin Britten. Knows Dicky (Sir Richard) Attenborough. Supported BAFTA when in Shell. Details. Complication caused by Shell's South African situation. Currently chairs Conservatoire. Mentions RADA, School of Contemporary Dance. Recalls reading in childhood, adulthood. Mentions wife. Education: Details re primary, secondary schools. Recalls quality of teachers who, but for economic situation, would have been teaching at university. Classics teacher stood out. He was a socialist, talked politics. Got scholarship to university. Was head of school, leadership important. Recalls own politics at time, influences of family. Recalls doing speeches at primary school. Gives example. Mentions church attendance. Duties as Head Boy. Having lost hand had no impact. Played in first fifteen. Explains balance situation having one hand. Wanted to go into business. Could have gone into politics - reason for deciding not to. Mentions work in Nigeria at time. Relationship with brother - youngest QC in Canada. Describes him, his legal skills, personality. Did economics, modern history at St Andrews University. Details. Value of courses for later life, economics professor's encouragement to join Shell. Reference to BP. Describes mother. She lost sight, leg. She was clear in her views, understood concerns of people. Encouraged by her in cultural areas. War years busy, fun. Explains. Comments on Falklands situation, times when country comes together, Queen Mother's death, Queen's jubilee, depth of stability in country.
Side A
Wife's memories of war years, knitting scarves, gloves, helmets etc, later serving table when on Fulbright in US, reaction to wastage. Comments on need for obvious true leadership, examples of Churchill, Queen Mother, King; need to replicate this in daily life. Comments on Tony Blair's conduct since 9/11. Impact of Jubilee, death of Queen Mother. Mentions own competitiveness, self-reappraisals. Made right choice re Shell at age 22. Story of going to sleep at final interview in St Andrews after late night. Recalls university undergraduate life at St Andrews, mixture of disciplines. President of Kay Kennedy Club, Vice-President, Treasurer of Union etc. Details. Impact of time at St Andrews; recalls continual debate. Never considered academia for work. Explains. Now Chancellor Robert Gordon's University. Wife of academic bent. Details. Joined Shell 1956, did junior staff course, sent to Borneo, Brunei. Sent to Sarawak to work with District Officers. Senior Resident surrendered Sarawak to Japanese. Details re his role pacifying Diacks. Spent time with Diack District Officer near Indonesian border. Saw problems of developing countries. Explains liking for culture of Shell, method of recruitment. Compares with ICI, Unilever. Shell run by relatively small number of people, informal network. Intended to spend life with Shell.
Side A
Brunei (cont'd). Recalls first boss, an ex-army Australian. Describes. Details re possibilities for unrest, later revolution. Comments on leadership qualities needed there, physical risks, tension. Reference to Aza Hari. Recalls working in Labour Office interviewing in Malay language. Details. Spent three months in Sarawak. Aim was to learn about developing countries. Details re problems with agricultural methods there. Had to take rice to people, assess how much needed etc. Government was trying to persuade them to move. Explains their negative reaction. Comments on consultation process. Next trip was with Agricultural Officer on coast. Describes improved situation there, prospects for local people. Reason for being involved in grass roots politics etc, importance throughout career. Mentions oil industry taking natural resources from country, imperatives of local people. Reaction of people to self. Had to perform medical role. Returned to Labour Office in oil town, discovered fraud involving local staff. Details. Recalls involvement as Assistant to Technical Manager in reorganisation making operation more viable. Details re discussions in Borneo with Sultan's people re best way of staffing company. Tricky situation re different racial groups. Negative attitude of Singapore to people coming back. Shell was too big in Seria, Borneo. Details. Decision to contract work out, get a competitive market, better prices. Aim to attract better quality contractors. Details. Explains own attitude to work, development of reputation, commitment to organisation. Mentions enjoyment of Australians. Developed Chinese, Malay friendships, particularly having lived in bush. Recalls Diack gongs. Describes festivals in Borneo, celebration, costume, music, fireworks.
Side B
In Borneo worked with boss who surrendered Sarawak to Japanese, returned to pacify Diacks. Mentions other ethnic groups there, formation of council. First experience of dangers of oil field with gas blowout close to surface. Describes gas escape from well, danger of sparks, remedy. Own position at time was general helper. Recalls fatal helicopter crash. Next move to Nigeria as Planning Officer 1960. Mentions Shell pull-out from Indonesia. First impressions of Nigeria. An oilfield in a hurry. More oil found. Comments on attitude of Nigerians, their appetite for their share. Atmosphere before independence, political situation. Shell (with BP) had significant oil finds which grew. Details re industry. Local suspicion about oil industry, where profits going etc. Media portrayal of situation. Explains reality, way of dealing with media, public relations. Attitude of Nigerian papers to Nigerians, ex-patriots. Shell in Nigeria led by Dutchmen. Operation tidy, efficient. Explains later problems with building of refinery, Ogoni problem. Recalls KB Tsaro-wiwa, scholar of English, who attacked oil company, advice to him. Details re his writing, eg attack on army. Saw him regularly. Recalls later meeting in London. Mentions his children in Marlborough College. Details re his political ambitions, own advice. Evolving situation for oil company during conflict in Nigeria, anti-oil company attitude of KB, his arrest by Federal Government, trial for murder, execution. Feelings about situation. Explains benefit of getting to know grass roots in other countries. Details re role in Nigeria, learning from mentor how to deal with unions. Recalls advice on relativities. Daily routine included industrial relations, running welfare funds. Details re Minister's approach to problems.
Side A
Nigeria (cont'd). Recalls personal life, circle of friends, golf, working hours. Marriage: recalls meeting wife at St Andrews University. Details re wife, her education, work as lecturer. Married in Singapore, started married life in Borneo. Describes wife, her organisational, educational, fundraising etc skills, positions held, work in East End of London, attitude to work etc. Describes her sports skills and other interests. Compares own and her personalities, attitudes. Comments on lives of oil wives in Borneo during first-baby time. Nigeria different. Wife taught there, produced text re Nigerian history with colleague. Own work left enough time for family. Details re children. Describes wife's work in prostitutes' babies home in Port Harcourt. Recalls firsts indications of oil/gas in North Sea. Situation in Nigeria at time, chance for a LNG project just missed when Brent Field discovered. Mentions attitudes of geologists. Recalls significance in Nigeria of McMillan's 'winds of change' speech, Jack Kennedy's Peace Corps, day of Kennedy's death. Reference to South Africa, Ian Smith's Rhodesia. Recalls prophetic assertion that apartheid etc would be over by 2000. Reference to Bobby Kennedy. By 1967 was senior in administration, doing negotiations, industrial and educational work. Secret of oil is about retaining concessions, position - all about relationships with nationals. Feelings about own impact. Details re working with big boys in Nigeria, creating company that was receptive to country. Own priorities to get best into Nigeria, promoting realism in industrial relations, sale of equity in Shell Nigeria. Details re situation, own role in negotiations, outcome. Mentions previous negotiations in Zambia, Tanzania etc which still extant. Reference to Secretary-General of OPEC.
Sir Bob & Lady Reid)
Side A
Lady Reid (JR) Recalls first seeing Bob at St Andrews during Kate Kennedy procession. Sir Bob (BR) Recalls event. (JR) Went to America. Early stages of relationship. (BR) Details re activities of both, academic results. (JR) Details re musical activities, films, Renaissance Singers. Recalls St Andrews professor getting lost in Rhodesia. (BR) Details re golf etc. Influence of economics professor on career choice. (JR) Attitude of professor to news of marriage. (BR) Details re marriage, mother's attitude. (JR) Recalls own mother's reaction. She was strong-minded, fond of Bob. Details re leaving job at St Andrews. Recalls own misgivings re work etc. Married 1957. Experience of Borneo horrendous. Explains. Describes daily climate. Problems with cooking. (BR) Details re houses. (JR) Played tennis, shared unpaid teaching job. Feelings about working. (BR) Recalls other workers in Borneo, friend with a honey bear, reaction of his wife. Details re bear, friend's later reunion with it. (JR) Recalls other colleagues, unlikely Christmas parcels from home. (BR) Recalls friend's difficulty with ice cream. (JR) Recalls Hong Kong amah, Diacks who came to shoot wild dogs with blowpipes, Indians. (BR) Details re rundown of oilfield, later discovery of offshore fields using 3D seismic technology. First platform an organisational shambles. Explains. Details re platform, start of operation, difficulty with drilling, need for project management structure, schedules, maximum onshore work. Benefit of experience for later North Sea industry. Recalls work on Tern, Eider projects. Lot of work then done onshore. North Sea over-engineered at first, eg Brent platforms. Reference to Americans, shallow water in Gulf of Mexico, hostility of North Sea.
Side B
(BR) Evolution of organisation structures enabling construction of huge North Sea installations. Recalls gas well blow-out in Borneo. (JR) Recalls friend's child's fatal fall into oil sump, fatal helicopter accident. Felt comfortable living in Borneo. Explains others' dangerous situations, wild animals, gambling. No counselling then. Attitude of wives. (BR) In oil camps, nobody dies who is old. Explains. (JR) Society was asymmetric. Explains. (BR) Helped by experience with Diacks up-country. (JR) Air conditioning brought biggest revolution to way life. Couldn't work, do housekeeping; husband had interesting work - nub of some relationship problems. (BR) Details re energetic son. He had no sense of ethnic colour etc. (JR) Soon realised life would be unpaid. Own approach to situation, effect of regular moves on teaching work. Recalls social club, cinema. Some women could not take circumstances. Found life tedious. Recalls political crises eg in Indonesia. Long-term planning impossible. Explains various reasons. Details re international mix of staff, contractors from various companies. Characteristics of different nationalities. Describes social hierarchies in camps. Bob not aware of hierarchies. Mentions remnants of colonial regimes. Recalls thoughts of leaving situation. Bob's reaction. (BR) Explains attitude to family life, dealing with children. (JR) Recalls Bob's low pay. (BR) Comments on pay, type of work, own career choice of Shell. Recalls social activities. Family life well supported. Explains. (JR) Never had staff problems, unlike others. Details. (BR) African people good with boys. Recalls looking after junior staff course. (JR) Sailed on Elder Dempster boat with son before air-conditioning. Details. Recalls better home in Nigeria than Borneo, furnishing, building of camp, clearance of jungle, snakes etc.
(Sir Bob & Lady Reid)
Side A
(BR) Move to Nigeria 1959, situation there re independence. Recalls freedom of press, visit of Cecil King, his comments. Recalls day of independence, going to Port Harcourt. Felt confident until first coup 1966. In Nigeria 13 years. Details. (JR) Recalls arrival in Lagos, flight by DC3, arrival at oil camp. Shell family good. Details re camp, facilities, company store, availability of food requirements eg vegetables, fish. Mentions house-boys. (BR) Recalls smuggled Portuguese red wine, whisky, Nigerian beer etc. Never short of drink. (BR) Great success finding oil. Very active life, awareness of politics. Nigerians in Shell school. Recalls Camp Coordinator, his role. Mentions Dr Houston, medical clinic, study of malaria. (BR) Big killers were malnutrition, malaria, measles. Ran babies' home for several years. Details re establishment, funding, involvement of Government, clean water. Reference to Nestles. Up to 16 babies in home. Mentions purchase of wives by fathers of babies. Cost per day to look after babies. Mixed group of women helped. Recalls court order linked to project because of water blockage. Recalls measles epidemic, deaths of babies. (BR) Attitude of company to babies initiative. Reference to Michael Mann, World Council of Churches, later Queen's chaplain. Recalls trade union seminars involving disrupters, eg one trained by Viet Cong. (JR) Ways for Nigerians of getting out of country to go to UK, Russia. (BR) Recalls heavy-handed Russian treatment of Nigerians, training of guerrillas by Viet Cong. (JR) Babies home cheap to run. Feelings re Nigerians' competence to get things done. (BR) Details re Shell problems in Ogoni, Nigeria, KB Tsaro-wiwa (see also above Tape 3 Side B).
Side B
(BR) Details re KB Tsaro-wiwa (cont'd), his trial, execution. Impact of situation on Shell which unable to get true story across. Tsaro-wiwa was case of writer-turned-politician, fighting with military government. Young Nigerians not prepared to put up with corruption. (JR) Another side to Ogoni problem. (BR) Details re troubles caused by Ogoni. Shell didn't have answer. (JR) Reaction to self teaching in British Council in town. (BR) Problem with too much armament around, poverty after civil war. Shell's situation goes back to execution of Tsaro-wiwa. Explains. Details re Ogonis and Shell. Problem with their land for harvesting, yet it had oil below. Details re other tribes' attitude to Ogonis. Further details re political, tribal situation. (JR) Recalls mobs with machetes, then guns after civil war. Federal Government's concern re harm to oil workers, importance of oil money to country. (BR) Recalls own advice to Tsaro-wiwa. (JR) Bob asked to be British representative of Ogoni people. His reaction. Describes Tsaro-wiwa. (BR) Recalls security situation, working with Nigerian police, Shell's use of dogs. Tough attitude of Nigerian police. Recalls argument re Shell's position in Nigeria, own view re successful relationship. Mentions recent lunch with Nobel of Peace Prize, his link with, attitude to oil business - similar to what Shell was trying to do in Nigeria. Details. During own period in Nigeria had clear view of what needed to be done. (JR) Recalls unique egalitarian aspect of first years in Port Harcourt. Details. (BR) Recalls friend's prediction re South Africa. (JR) Details re Nigerian housing on oil camp. (BR) Importance of personal relationships with Nigerians, attitude of company.
INTERVIEW TO BE COMPLETED |