| Description | Tape 1 Side A ANTHONY PETER BOLTON born Beddington, Cheshire, 25 September 1947. Mother Doris Bolton nee Griffiths, father Edward Anthony Bolton. Recollections of maternal great grandfather Charlie Ollerhead and other family members; relationship with grandparents, their attitudes, lifestyles. Description of parents, their interests. Father's work in Royal Air Force maintenance unit. Recollection of childhood home, a council house. Description of stable social living patterns in neighbourhood. Further description of parents. Memories of childhood life spent around family, freedoms experienced, childhood games, standards of discipline. Recollections of religious instruction, feelings about religion, religious tolerance. Parents' attitude to politics, own evolving attitudes. Explanation of feelings about politicians. Importance of first boss in British Gas. Recollection of importance of Wirrall Grammar school in self-development, influence of teachers, lack of career aspirations, interest in geography and history. Explanation re why university did not seem to be an option, decision to take up apprenticeship with De Havilland Aircraft Company.
Tape 1 Side B Background to leaving school at 16 (1965), taking apprenticeship with De Havilland Aircraft Company. Recollection of Observer books on aircraft. Description of engineering apprenticeship. Recollection of Comet, Nimrod, Sea Vixon aircraft construction, fascination with gas turbine machinery. Conditions of work at De Havilland; qualifications received. Explanation of love for motorbikes, mechanical things; significance of this in later career; shared interest of father. Marriage to Janet Wilson. Details re her family, background. Reason for change of job to Unilever as draughtsman; details re income, wife's work. Description of Ford Anglia car. Details of children. Background to decision to take Open University degree. Attitude to conduct of own life, interest in seeing end result of efforts. Employment with British Oxygen Company as Project Engineer (1967); description of role. Activities at that time in North Sea oil. Comments on culture of 'macho' working hours in later times. Early experience of union activity. Description of OU degree course. Dissatisfaction with BOC work, change to Price's Chemicals (Price's Patent Candle Company) as Project Engineer (1976). Details of work, involvement with people, unions, approach to motivation, leading people; importance of BOC experience; new experience in finance.
Tape 2 Side A Detailed description of Alan Morris, chartered mechanical engineer, his skills, characteristics, enthusiasms; attitude to others. Explanation for taking transfer to Germany (1979), impact of job, contact with salespeople there. Comparison of approach of German and UK personnel. Relative ease with German language, wife's experience. Description of her. Benefit of job to later work in gas industry. Return to UK (1982), advance in status. Comparison of children's and own upbringing; daughters' work as accountants. Recollection of boom and bust situation in Unilever in 1982, impact on job. Dutch influence on Unilever management, fortunes, antipathy between Holland and Germany. Description of attitude of Dutch people. Circumstances leading to job (1984) as Senior Maintenance Engineer (Offshore) with British Gas in Easington; details of job, salary; training, posting to construction of Rough 47/3B platform. Description of platform, atmosphere at BG, Frank Murray, expectations of job which was focussed on maintenance. Explanation of platform construction procedures, cost of hire of derrick barge etc. Attitude of gas industry to spending, expansion. First impressions of Rough platform, positive impact of work routine on family life. Job details.
Tape 2 Side B Senior Maintenance Engineer (Offshore) with British Gas (1984-94). Recollection of attention to safety; comparison with situation in Unilever. Description of atmosphere on Rough platform, accommodation, quality of food; standard of workforce which came largely from Teeside, Tyneside shipbuilding areas. Recollection of Rough strike, its causes; management tactic of pulling bridge between flotel and gas installation; resulting sackings, outcome of strike. Place of unions offshore, opinion re union power. Explanation of developing role of Rough field as a storage reservoir; extent of capacity. Daily work routine, quality and makeup of workforce; level of discipline offshore. Explanation of macho nature of work away from home, number of casualties of this, remoteness of work situation. Importance of getting on with fellow workers. Comparison of image of offshore workers with reality. Impact of offshore work on home life. Details of working hours, salary. Recollection of a sad event involving a storeman on platform, own role as manager. Role as OIM (Offshore Installation Manager). Daily routine offshore (cont'd), leisure time, entertainments, rivalry between groups etc. Description of labour turnover situation in oil industry, differing rates of pay; impact on BG policy. Explanation of different groups offshore, attitudes to each group. Lack of women offshore in earlier days. Promotion to Manager in 1989. Recollection of privatisations of BG. Details re purchase of shares. Recollection of Denis Rooke, his attitude to Margaret Thatcher and other politicians.
Tape 3 Side A Recollection of Denis Rooke (cont'd). Explanation of promotion to OIM (Offshore Installation Manager) (c1989), constant flow of personnel in BG. Technical details re compression of gas, expertise in this field. Description of gas turbine/compressor. Description of an associated problem, own resolution of difficulty, own resulting reputation. Reasons for Piper Alpha disaster. Own reporting line, level of authority, relationship with 'the beach'. Attitude to OIM of Armada Platform. Description of role as OIM, procedures. Attitude of BG; example of impact of one general manager, Noel Fitzgerald. Explanation of approach to relationship with London bureaucrats when dealing with problem areas of job; style of colleague Murray France. Description of an apparently serious gas leak, rectification procedures followed, danger of situation. Technical explanation of treatment, odourising of gas, hazard produced by 'wind-walling'. Explanation of levels of sensitivity of gas detectors. Circumstances leading to appointment as Maintenance Manager on the 'beach' (1991); benefits of job. Backgrounds of other OIMs. Requirements of position of OIM. Reaction to Piper Alpha disaster, Cullen enquiry. Absence of problems in BG re safety reps etc. Current situation. Absence of many union problems on Rough platform; none now, or during 'summer of discontent' (1990). Lack of formal budgetting before 1990; more of an issue since.
Tape 3 Side B Feelings about coming ashore, work as Engineering Manager, BG Rough Field (1991); explanation of difference in timescale of decision making. Impact on home life, work routines. Description of new responsibilities, first actions cutting back on contractors. Reaction to this. Impact on budget, QA (Quality Assurance Department). Details re valueless surveys etc. Lack of contact with colleagues in other companies when at Rough. Comparison with present situation in Aberdeen. Promotion to Operations and Maintenance Manager (c1993). Describes responsibilities, (untypical) attitude to work, working hours. Period of upheaval within BG. Details re laying of submarine cable to from 47/3 Bravo to 47/8 Alpha, problem with gas turbines, unusual resolution of difficulty. Details re de-manning 47/8 Alpha, opposition to reduction of staff. Restructuring of beach staff, effect on own situation, move to Operations Manager, Armada (1994). Detailed description of Armada, its output etc, 'the jewel in the crown' of BG. Recollection of Armada when appointed to job - a brown sheet of paper, not even designed. Explanation of concept, development process, decisions taken re structure etc. Attitude to safety requirements of HSE (Health & Safety Executive). Significance of standing of BG. Questions asked when designing installation; decisions taken, procedures followed. Details of contractors, percentage of UK participation. Timetable of operation, organisation of budget, staffing, change to role of 'unskilled' worker; multi-skilling. Feelings at commissioning of Armada (1997). Opening of Aberdeen office (1996).
Tape 4 Side A Explanation of difficulty personally and professionally when platform started working; desire of people to dissociate themselves from possible failure, enthusiasm for working with a successful operation. Details of BG partnerships; earlier attitude to BG as a 'goldplater'. Explanation of importance of Armada to image of BG; relationship with Operations Director in London; own accountability for project. Problems with well completions, perforations, nature and extent of wells, Armada's performance on commissioning. Contractual situation with National Power and British Gas Trading, mistake of selling to full capacity from Day One. Possible reasons for problems. Explanation of horizontal drilling. Details re other difficulties, penalties. Description of ways of dealing with gas pressure. Recollection of early difficulties running Armada followed by big media event celebrating achievement. Current output of Armada. Explanation of 'enhancing' output. Describes relationship with staff working offshore, longtime colleagues, friends. Reason for need to go offshore regularly. Feelings about future career with BG. Description of oversight of Armada from Aberdeen control room; example of trouble-shooting from Aberdeen. Attitude to Health & Safety Executive, what they are trying to do. Feelings about staff, current job and situation, future prospects. Situation re current de-merger of BG. Career, BG, North Sea in retrospect, significance of Armada. End of interview. |