| Description | Tape 1 Side A: JOHN STEWART born 26 June 1935 Aviemore, Invernessshire. Worked 30 years in Police 1957-87. Later did security work for Shell, Head of Security 1989. Has been a piper all life, national piping judge. Paternal grandfather gamekeeper on Lord Horne's estate, later lived in Newtonmore. Father an engine driver. Has one brother, retired policeman. Own beginnings in piping. First tutor, Colin Dunbar, went to New Zealand for period. Maternal grandfather, piper, fought in Boer War. Mentions his letters home. Mother, Christina Lobban. Grandfather worked on railways. Memory of him. Mother cooked for local gentry etc. Describes childhood home at Dalfader. Home flooded several times. Family had several moves, settled at Aviemore. Happy childhood. Recalls troop activity in Aviemore before D-Day, befriending Indians. Mentions Seafield estate. Describes childhood home, Sunday routines. Mentions strict regimes in west of Scotland. Recalls religious denominations in village. Enjoyed Sunday School. Describes father, his routines, personality, his influence on own piping. Describes mother. Recalls enjoyment listening to adults talking. Was interested in fishing. Feeling now about taking life. Recalls first experience of pipes, first learning to play at boys' club, importance of Sheriff Grant, Bob Nichol, Willie Ross. Describes playing piobaireachd to Pipe Major John McDonald, King's Piper, then bedridden, lessons from him, his strict ways. Joined Army, later Forestry Commission. Never any expectations of going to university. Recalls headmaster who taught singing, Gaelic. Describes mixed class arrangements. Top of class for essay writing. Enjoyed reading biography, travel. Liked classical music, pipes. Explains method of learning piobaireachd etc with Bob Brown. Became prize-winning piper. Won gold medal at Braemar 1969 for piobaireachd.
Tape 1 Side B: Piping (cont'd). Explains musical and other requirements for playing piobaireachd, pipes. Compares with other instruments. Recalls learning of discipline in childhood. Feelings about discipline. Recalls a discovery of stolen goods. Describes father's daily routine in railways, difficulties during winter snows, his method of keeping tea hot in engine. After leaving school joined railways as junior porter. Details re Aviemore Station. Compares preparation for driver status in father's time and now. Mentions recent crashes. Status of father's job. Mentions rule book. Considered becoming gamekeeper. Details. Effect of time doing National Service in Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders. Joined pipe band under Evan Craig. Attitude to promotion in band. Did 15-mile marches piping. Competed in piobaireachd contests. Details re piobaireachd, importance of passing it on by singing etc. Comments on some current trends in piobaireachd. Father supported politics of socialism, working man's policies. Explains own evolution to conservatism. Importance of time in Army, learning to live with other people. Feelings about national service 1953-5. Returned to Forestry Commission. Describes work in forestry, developing forests, felling old trees, remnants of Caledonian forests. Never considered not returning to Scotland. Further details re lone forestry work in remote areas, dangers involved. Background to joining Aberdeen City Police 1957, link with piping. Reference to Donald Morrison, Pipe Major, Police Pipe Band, and John McDonald. Recalls early difficulty with local Aberdeen dialect. Gives examples. Recalls early work directing traffic, initial concern re language. Explains own attitude as policeman, attitude of some others. Comments on Aberdonian character, compares with others. Feelings about living in Aberdeen. Mentions religious divisions in Police, other parts of Scotland.
Tape 2 Side A: Joined Police 1957. Details re wages as Police Constable. After Police College training, sent out with trained officer to learn beat. Details re duties including checking empty houses, sudden deaths. Explains shift system. Recalls first experience of catching people breaking in. Aberdeen buildings checked twice nightly for burglars etc. First bosses both Highlanders. Career aspirations in Police, exams. Details re early poor results, later successes. Put in Plain Clothes Department, worked in Aberdeen fish market. Explains need for presence there, pilfering. First awareness of oil industry 1965. Details re Aberdeen port environment, dockers' stop-works, prostitutes, pubs, brawls. After 2 years in fish market, put in Plain Clothes department, General Enquiries. Explains. Reference to homosexuality. Details re procedures on sudden deaths, duties at mortuary, learning from pathologists. Promoted to Sergeant, also became Pipe Major, Police Pipe Band. Later in charge of criminal side of Traffic Department. Details re catching criminals. Details re meeting wife, marriage 1960, adopted children. Further details re police work. Recalls arrival of oil industry in Aberdeen, initial reaction, house price rises. Piped at many oil-related functions. Recalls debauchery after celebration of first oil ashore 1975 when Queen came to Aberdeen. Watched arrival of oil from behind scenes. Describes. Many in traditional jobs not affected. Mentions disaster contingency accommodation plans in Aberdeen. Comments on Aberdeen pre-oil. Police responsible for oil fields. Attitude of Americans to law. Impressions of them. They kept curtains shut during day, lived in permanent world of electric light bulbs. Local offshore workers called Scots coolies by Americans. Recalls American school. Lot of contact with Americans through piping. Details.
Tape 2 Side B: For last period in Police, in charge of Stolen Cars Squad. Relates attitude to job to upbringing. 1987 left Police. Joined local paper mill in security area. Details re salary, work. Approached by Shell to join Security there 1989. First impressions of Shell, good working conditions. Mentions Piper Alpha disaster. Details re own attitude to work at Shell, determined to do share of dirty jobs. Went offshore to Dunlin. 1992 became Head of Security, as promised by Shell. Details re work, responsible for all Shell onshore, offshore properties, 31 staff. Recalls Greenpeace plans to disrupt disposal of Brent Spar 1995. Tasked with getting security team together to Spar - in last week before retirement. Shipped out to Stadive rig 12 miles away from Spar. Details re plans to board, evacuate protesters. Operation went well. Attitude of Greenpeace. No bad incidents. Describes boarding operation in detail. Reference Security Advisor George Esson, police role. Weather caused delay, stand-off. Media presence. Response of Greenpeace people to boarding. Identification process. Difficulty catching Greenpeace leader, Stephen Castles, his reaction, state when caught. Details re other Greenpeace personnel. Attitude of media people. Background of Greenpeace people, high quality, quantity of their equipment etc. Response of Shell to operation. Most exciting time in career. Remained at Stornoway in liaison role. Attitude of Stornoway people. Shell cancellation of disposal plans. Feelings about Greenpeace position. No police interference in Spar operation. Operation in retrospect. Recalls Brent Spar helicopter accident, own involvement. Comments on hostile weather offshore. Attitude at Shell re Greenpeace. Comments on impact of oil industry in Aberdeen, future prospects. Post-retirement activities, particularly piping.
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