| Description | Tape 1 Side A: ANNA MARGARETHA CAROLINA SIMPSON born 8 April 1955, Tezpur, Assam, India. Background to names. Paternal family: from Scotsburn area, farmers, had farm called Paradise. Went to boarding school in Aberdeen, had holidays in India, with family in Scotland and Holland. Recalls grandfather, his farm, things being done in country way. Gives example of meals, cooking, use of fire. Recalls smells. Grandfather loved gardening. Recalls leave restrictions at boarding school in Aberdeen, transport arrangements to farm, features of countryside. Maternal family: from Groningen, north of Holland. Recalls Christmas holidays there. Grandmother killed by an Allied bomb. Details re family, names. Details re languages spoken. Background to birth in India, father's decision to go there as engineer. Reference to unions. Mother a nurse. Details re parents' meeting, marriage, names. They were 30 years in India. Own memories of childhood, holidays there when at boarding school. Details re younger sister. Father's work in India. Mentions Chinese invasion of India. Home was in a tea garden. Details re life there, servants with different duties. Mentions father's entertaining, eg Gerald Durrell. Describes father's daily, weekly routine as tea planter, working with factory etc. Recalls countryside, vegetation, animals. Parents left India 1984. Explains cycle of changes in India since their first days there. Parents representative of a lot of people from Scotland who went to India. Reference to tea planters' reunion dinner. Explains role of tea planters, tasting procedures. Details re parents, their involvement with communities they live in. Father was local secretary of ABITA. Recalls, in India, watching film shows outside, using generator for electricity. Mentions stories about wild animals.
Tape 1 Side B: Further details re parents, their personalities, interests. Feelings about lifestyle as child. Compares colourful impressions of India, greyness of pre-oil Aberdeen before Americans came. Effect of international life, boarding school, on relationship with parents. Had to look after self. Mentions Chinese invasion of India, winter of big freeze in Europe, 1962, travel difficulties. Recalls life in Albyn School boarding house, rules. Recalls close relationship with sister, looking after her. Kept in regular contact with parents, other relatives. Details. Mentions father's comparatively low salary in India. Recalls pet dog in India getting rabies, medical treatment. Father keen for self, sister to work. Both went into secretarial work. Did course in London. Mentions shyness then. Played tennis, hockey etc. Liked sport. Recalls importance of matron, headmistress at school, special treatment of boarders. Comments on own changing accent according to location, parents' accents. Feelings about being Scottish. Church important in school years. Details re school routines. Mentions electricity strike, typhoid epidemic. Parents' likely political orientation. No awareness of oil when at school. Explains limited contacts outside school, organised outings. Went to Queen's Secretarial College, London. Lot of rich girls there. Details about them. Few, like self, who had to study. Details re accommodation, first experience of family life as a boarder. Comments on experience as child in retrospect. Recalls different experiences. Career possibilities, personality when at secretarial college. Mentions later involvement organising school reunions. Little interaction with Aberdonians when at school. Recalls Aberdeen before oil industry came. Feelings then about attitude of Aberdeen people. Main contacts were with relatives. Mentions their Doric speech. Aberdeen reaction to oil industry.
Tape 2 Side A: After Queen's Secretarial College would like to have gone to Foreign Office, instead returned to Aberdeen. Spent time in India but no suitable jobs there. Explains. Joined Stronachs, solicitors, 1974 as audio typist. Feelings about Aberdeen. Mentions early attempt to work with Shell. Impact of oil industry on Aberdeen. Joined Roxburgh, Dinardo and Partners 1976 as secretary. Worked through Aberdeen Appointments Agency (3As) temping. Joined Shell as clerk typist in Personnel 1977. Details re job in temporary offices. Details re Shell buildings. Reference to Luncheon Vouchers, lunch routine. Hierarchy in Shell, organisation then, now; social aspects. Became Housing Assistant 1978, got to know city, more people. Details. Shell had various clubs, support groups, involved with Shell Social Club, basketball. Daily routine in Personnel. Housing more varied. Well looked after, eg by tea lady. Not aware of other oil companies. Mentions other nationalities in Shell. Feelings for Shell. Recalls housing arrangements for staff in early days, encouragement to buy own properties. Problems during bad winter with cold houses. Details re agreements covering rent-free periods, specially-built houses for staff, fitting out, furnishing arrangements, to encourage people to come to Aberdeen. No housing help for local people. Paid good salary. Housing area continued to grow. Shell always looking for new houses. Staff managed properties. People assessed by job group, family circumstances, allocated choice of housing. Recalls difficult attitude of some people, their ability to dictate conditions. Some properties left in bad state. Hard to judge how people would look after property. Recalls colleague Lorna Smith. Details re social life, parties. Reference Ferry Hill pub. People mixed more then.
Tape 2 Side B: Effect of Shell social life on own personality. Early on had little information about North Sea activities. Mentions Northern News, Shell's internal magazine, later Expro News. Not interested in politics. Explains remote awareness of oil industry. Reference to Margaret Thatcher. Background to appointment as Administration Assistant, Personnel, 1984. First experience of processes by which oil industry runs. Explains. Worked on administration of people for OIMs (Offshore Installation Managers). Details re tasks undertaken. Worked with OIMs many years. Stablility in Shell's support workforce, but others, eg petroleum engineers, moved to other companies. Explains their feelings about Shell's speed of doing things. Shell a secure job then. Recalls company's unconcern re costs, social events etc. Has had no life outside Shell when working with them apart from former school links. Not many senior women in Shell in early days. Explains situation for women. Mentions Ann Minto. Attitude of men to women in Shell. All women in support area, few female engineers. Changes to pattern recently. Reference to husband-and-wife teams. Mentions contacts with other companies. Status of safety in early 80s. Appointed Administration Assistant (Training) after company reorganisation. Details re job. Took long holiday overseas 1984/5. Resigned from Shell, spent 6 months in Australia. Recalls developments in Shell during period there. Sister also worked for Shell in Public Affairs. Recalls colleagues, friends in Shell. Mentions Maggie Mair, telex room. Explains local perceptions of organisation, pride in being Shell people. After long holiday, downturn in oil industry 1986, got job with Homeguard Leasing. Details. Describes changes to Aberdeen, e.g. restaurants. Mentions Aberdeen hotels, restaurants. Reference to Station Hotel.
Tape 3 Side A: Changes to Aberdeen Airport. Background to rejoining Shell as Administration Assistant, Public Affairs 1988. Compares working there with Homeguard. Changes to perceptions of Shell. Still money to spend there. Changes to technology. Recalls colleagues in Public Affairs. Always an RGU (Robert Gordon's University) student on staff. Did more work on external affairs, eg Young Enterprise. Worked on Oil Experience Centre. Describes. Details re job. Recalls some people not having enough to do. Details re personalities around the office, celebrations. Compares with situation now. Has always been driven to work. Started working on offshore visits. Mentions former colleague later with BBC. Started coming into more contact with senior people. Recalls Ian Henderson, Deputy Managing Director, his people skills. Own work involved more contact with community. Mentions Shell list of great and good for invitations to events. Start of Shell relationship with Aberdeen Football Club, corporate box. People more positive about oil industry before. Mentions possibility of industry going to Dundee. Shell always keen to work with community. Memories of Piper Alpha period, help offered by Shell. Not involved. Mentions 1979 Sumburgh air crash. Reference Chinook crash. Impact of Piper disaster. Mentions accident records of construction etc industries. Comments on negative media coverage of oil industry. Involved with Tern, Eiger platforms. Reference to Queen Mother. Comments on invisibility of oil industry. Recalls public awareness exhibitions now discontinued. Mentions growth of service industry. Knock-on effects, e.g. prices, have not helped ordinary people. Did not have induction for job. Explains attitude to work, interest in initiating projects, acquiring skills. Explains evolution of job to present stage involving community relations.
Tape 3 Side B: Became Visits and Events Coordinator about 1995. Recalls hearing news of Brent Spar helicopter crash 1990. Helped in support work. Knew of people involved in crash. Recalls controversy over disposal of Brent Spar. All work done from Aberdeen until Shell turnaround from London. Situation in Germany, threats to people in London. Comments on Shell assessment, Greenpeace information, public perception. Recalls handling media calls. Feelings about London turnaround, lack of notice etc. Government position. General public not informed of original legitimate process. Comments on media coverage. Comments on Nigerian situation. Impact on Aberdeen Artists Society - sponsorship withdrawn at request of Society, resumed later. Sponsored Peacock Visual Arts event. Recalls protest. Shell organised presentations on situation in Nigeria. Details. Comments on Shell's position there. Benefits of oil industry. Tries to correct perception of Shell's purpose in community. Benefit from oil industry to arts in Aberdeen. Mentions attitude to arts in business, Shell's attitude. Comments on own role in presentation of Shell position, initiatives in the arts. Compares approaches of different senior Shell people to community. Recalls development of own position as Shell's key contact. Shell also looking at situation in business way. Explains role of share-fairs, providing opportunities to sell to Shell, showing way into Shell. Comments on importance of making people aware of what Shell doing in area. Shell now working on a special centre in Aberdeen. Desire to put something sustainable in the area. Working on energy project. Reference to Douglas Patterson. Future problem for Aberdeen in demographics, aging population. Explains own belief in job. Explains new Shell international structures, source of Shell UK community money.
Tape 4 Side A: Works closely with London office. Explains. Mentions Golden Eye Project in St Fergus site. Strong emphasis on art up to now. Likely changes to visual community projects. Explains approach to sponsorship, changing Shell approach to music, own approach. Mentions support of Lemon Tree, Aberdeen, programmes. Shell trying to become less elitist. Feelings about value placed on own position by Shell. Explains own perception. Recalls involvement in Malcolm Brinded's idea for 9/9/99 concert. Significance of own position being in contact with community. Changes in sponsorship now. No problem with Brent Spar in Aberdeen. Explains. Feelings about possibility of moving from supporting role to top leadership. Describes own work style, attitude. People's perception of organising role. Own and others' attitudes to doing menial tasks. Mentions entertaining activities of self and partner. Importance of holidays, time off. Recalls last trip to India 1989. Still has contacts there. Mentions parents' current links. Current position in Shell. Reasons for staying in job. Effects of recent reorganisations, EP Europe. External Affairs will have more work with other countries. Currently uncertain about future of job. Details re reorganisation, changes from previous system. Feelings about changes. Has been on a platform but never offshore. Story of a media person who could not move for fear on platform, negative reaction. Recalls another difficult visitor refused access. Mentions current safety precautions, preparations with offshore visitors. Details re changes in ways of work, open-plan in office, career planning by computer, work from home, shared desks etc. Staff numbers dropping steadily, changes to commercial procurement. Recalls acquisition of Enterprise Oil, impact on Shell, difficulty for Enterprise staff.
Tape 4 Side B: Blank
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