| Description | Tape 1 Side A TIMOTHY HALFORD born Bradford West Yorkshire 19 February 1947. Family background, names. Paternal grandfather's bakery business carried on by father, which went under. Maternal grandfather's business in wool trade, link with Chamberlain, wonderful lifestyle. Description of family homes, grandmothers, parents. Impact of sudden death of mother. Effect of education on later attitudes to society. Encouragement to read during childhood. Description of work on pig farm; explanation of decision to go into public relations job. Early interest in politics, involvement in campaigning. Friendship with brother. Childhood memories of church, present attitude. Arrival in London in 1966, employment with Murphy McLeish, Public Relations. Recollection of first lessons in PR. Description of 'ideal story' in the Sun. Explanation of reason for approach to public relations. Attitude to sport, team games, competition. Recollection of serendipitous meeting with next employer, George Carr, City Industrial Public Relations. Details re him, greater complexity of work with his firm, his role as mentor; his funeral party. Own family situation.
Tape 1 Side B Background to move from City Industrial Public Relations to Occidental (1974), first meeting with Dr Armand Hammer, offer of employment from him. Mention of VIP Petroleum. Explanation of aura surrounding Hammer. Story of lunch at the Ritz involving Roy Thompson, Paul Getty to discuss bidding for North Sea oilfields. Early job (1974) re planning permission for Flotta oil terminal, Orkney Islands. Recollection of Occidental offices, their bids for licences including Piper, Claymore fields. Background to problem with oil industry's bureaucratic, hierarchical nature. Contrast between large and small companies. Explanation of work brief at Occidental, problem there with cashflow, Occidental's precarious situation re possibility of public enquiry over Orkney. Description of Hammer's style with senior staff, tactics in drilling dry holes etc; structure of Occidental. Difficulty of own situation working closely with Hammer. Working role linked to Hammer's personal aspirations. Involvement with Transworld Expedition, Mary Rose, Armand Hammer Film Productions, Buckingham Palace, United World Colleges, Prince Charles. Attitude of palace, courtiers to Hammer. Background to arrangement of Hammer's meetings with European heads of state etc, the Pope etc. Relationship between Tony Benn, Margaret Thatcher and Hammer. Problems with Hammer's promises. His role as international message carrier. Own role dealing with great, trivial matters. Description of quality of Occidental staff, Piper field. Hammer's attitude to oil. Seductive, financial attraction of oil. Impact of Labour government. Recollection of early concerns re oil industry, focus on Orkney, early dealings involving Alistair Dunnett, Bill Cairns, Graham Lapsley, Bob Trainer.
Tape 2 Side A Impact of work on private life, Occidental attitude to families. Details re Hammer's wives, his lifestyle, own role. Opinion of Hammer. Attitude of Mrs Hammer. Details re Hammer's Boeing aircraft 'Oxy 1'. Work with Bill Crichton in Orkney; approach to dealing with objections to Flotta Terminal. Recollection of interview with author of book Local Hero. Similarities between Occidental situation and book. Attitude of Orkney people, Occidental response financing projects etc; tactics in avoiding a public enquiry. Attitude of British Government. Compares with situation at Sullom Voe. Recollection of Friends of the Earth meeting, attitude of local fisherman. Details re opening of Flotta (1977). Comparison of Orcadians with Shetlanders. Impact of Ian Lapsley on negotiations. Explanation of naming of Australian oilfield Harriet after daughter. Description of island of flotta, impact of terminal, relationship with Orkney. Details of Hammer's inner circle in US, Moscow etc. Working routine with Hammer. Recollection of Human Rights conferences - Hammer's hope of getting Nobel Peace prize, honorary knighthood, his interest in the arts. Background to his Russian links with Lenin, Stalin etc, his getting concession to foreign trade etc. Hammer's opinion of Russian leaders, his relationship with Thatcher. Own opinion of Thatcher. Hammer's difficulty letting people get close to him. Recollection of meeting between the Thatcher and the Hammer (c1982). Comparison of attitudes of major and minor oil companies. Feelings of people about Occidental.
Tape 2 Side B Background to image of Occidental. Details re investors in North Sea oil. Opinion of others in oil industry; recollection of fun aspect of job, eg press trips to Orkney. Recollection of trips to Piper Alpha with Hammer, Prince Charles. Opinion of Charles. Attitude of Hammer to profit making. Description of his presentation at Annual General Meetings, stage management. Explanation of Libyan situation, Occidental involvement, Hammer's skills. Recollection of people's love for Libya. Attitude of Occidental to profit, procedures, safety. Problem with Piper being at the edge of technology, pressure from Government to get oil revenues. Feelings re blame for disaster. Explanation of Occidental's success in licensing rounds, Hammer's skill. Comparison of own situation with that of colleagues in other companies. Importance of Occidental's link with Scotland, lack of English link, attitude of Orcadians to Scotland, influence of Jo Grimond. Impressions of Aberdeen. Attitude of Occidental to unions, pay etc. Description of Hammer, his skills, routines. Impact of Piper field [pre-disaster] on fortunes of Occidental. Recollection of role dealing with crises, media; relationship with media. Background to departure from Occidental, joining Grand Metropolitan, reaction of Hammer. Recollection of being fired several times by Hammer.
Tape 3 Side A Recollection of feelings at departure from Occidental, gift from Hammer. Feelings about Hammer in retrospect, opinion of writings about him. Recollection of a possible memorial to Hammer, joke played by Hammer. Details re subsequent career in public relations with Trafalgar House, now with Standard Charter Bank. Family background. Other business, leisure interests. Approach to dealing with difficulties situations. Description of current work. End of interview.
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