| Description | Tape 1 Side A: LINDA MARY SLESSOR born Aberdeen 29 March 1949. Has lived all life in Aberdeen. Paternal family: grandfather Alexander Slessor worked in granite trade. Details re grandparents' homes, step-up in address. Grandmother Jessie nee Kesson. Maternal family: knew grandmother Mary McKay nee Bowman who lived nearby. Grandfather a compositor, liked cricket, had ill health. Impact of General Strike on him and mother. Mother left school early, had to work. Grandmother had alzheimer's disease. Looked after by paternal grandfather. Enjoyed each other's interests. Recalls visits to Provost Skene's House, early interest in history. Describes grandfather. Recalls visiting him in ARI (Aberdeen Royal Infirmery), strict visitor rules. Attitudes as a child. Was only child. Details re mother Muriel Mary McKay, father Alexander Slessor. Both family-oriented. Recalls their circles of friends, constant visiting, mother's monthly visiting cycle. Difficulties travelling by bus as a child. Always walked a lot. Education: explains parents' choice of Demonstration School, John Street. Recalls, when living in tenement, trams going down brae, putting out bunting for coronation and disappointment at procession, hanging out third floor window. Recalls move to present house, price. Explains movements of children to different schools. Father ran brass foundry. Details re his work. He was an artist, went to Scott Sutherland School of Art. He designed things around Aberdeen. Gives examples. His company supplied north of Scotland. Details re foundry processes dealing with brass and other metals. Dangers of working with brass. Father had high level of arsenic in blood. Childhood memories of helping him at work. Recalls old theatre in Guild Street, plasterwork, South Market Street, coal-boats unloading, chandlers.
Tape 1 Side B: Went everywhere with father, acted as message-girl. When brass foundry closed in 1960s father became central heating advisor. Details. Taught to drive by him, was his chauffeur. Father well known, member of Trinity Hall. Details. Recalls stripping present home in 1953. Describes rooms of house, layout now and before. Came to house because of granny's condition. Attitudes to use of rooms when child, visitors, terminology. House had been owned by person who built houses roundabout. Details re neighbourhood, extent of garden, access to properties etc. Describes changing social patterns in Aberdeen, changing coffee societies. Reference to church, Co-op. Explains own social pattern, regular meetings with friends, conversations. Changes to Sunnybank area, advent of student flats. Church vital when growing up. Parents' involved with John Knox church, mother ran Marigolds group for children. 1000 in congregation. Goes to Grey Friars Church now. Knox church now flats. Reference to Girls' Brigade. Sang in Aolean Choir. Recalls social life. Compares with today. Great reader, turned eye into train oil. Favourite writers, their impact on future life, travel. Music important in family, father sang in choirs and around house. Has radio on always. Demonstration School wonderful. Compares feelings about primary, secondary school attitudes. Made mistake going to High School for Girls. Explains. Mentions sense of justice, unfair vote for prefects etc. Attitude of authority in secondary school. Recalls enjoyment of work in Marks & Spencers', attitude of teachers to this. Attitude in school to location of students' homes. Reference to Rosmary (Watt). Recalls long walk to school, going home at lunchtime. Describes first (second-hand) Christmas lights in Union Street.
Tape 2 Side A: Recalls development of life-long friendship with Rosemary (Watt), going on youth cruise together. Reference to mother's previous work at Co-op (Co-operative). Explains ambition to work in Co-op Boot & Shoe department. Details re Broadfords, hosepipes makers for fire engines. Worst job was with fish. Comments on changes in children's ambitions, expectations. Left school at 19. Worked at Marks & Spencers Saturdays, holidays. Most friends worked in bakeries. Reference to pre-decimalisation. Details re work at M&S. At school liked history, geography. Comments on teaching of history. Recalls examination process, success with particular question re Duke of Wellington, interest in this field. No thought of being a teacher when at school. Left school 1967. Recalls impact of 60s culture in Aberdeen. No sex education at school. Went to Training College in Aberdeen. Explains enjoyment of College. Details re drama, music activities. Explains enjoyment of continuing work at M&S, family atmosphere there. Mentions shop refurbishment. 3 years at College. Mentions taking on Marigolds from mother, teaching Sunday School. Has photographs of all classes. Spent whole teaching career at Hazlehead Primary School. Mentions trip to Australia in 1970s. Taught 6-8 year-olds. Hazlehead an advanced school. Explains. Reference to Roddie Robertson, headmaster. Recalls social life, hard work. Still meets former colleagues. Spent 23 years with Aberdeen Opera Company. Recalls concern about jobs, fishing, granite, shipyard industries going. Mentions Aberdeen's surrounding rural area. Recalls changes to harbour because of oil industry. Reference to dangers of tramlines. Changes to harbour when oil came. Worked as teacher 1970-2000. Details. Family situation at time. Details re father, concerns re his long walks, mother's health.
Tape 2 Side B: Family situation (cont'd). Father didn't have friends in same way as mother. Describes his character. Own, and father's attitude to confrontational situations. Compares with mother's. Parents didn't go to pub, didn't have much money. Details. Aberdeen was a socially classified town. Explains own family's attitudes, people's attitudes to wealth, social relationships, dress etc. Feelings about titled people, newcomers to titles etc. Arrival of oil industry was gradual. First signs at school of foreign children. Reference to travellers camp. Unexpected impact of oil exhibition on Aberdeen people. Recalls arrival of children of management people from America, working for unfamiliar firms. Changing pattern of parents' activities, short-term enrolments, accommodation patterns. Recalls enrolment cycle of children of bankers. Situation re casting for Christmas concert, supply of stationery for short-term children. Details re various subjects, costs. Ghost children kept on school books for years. Explains term 'hodge'. Explains turnover of children in school. Mentions holiday times of different countries, complications from this relating to school's per capita funding, impact on financial running of school. Effect of temporary enrolments on children's friendships. Some temporary industry-related children from dysfunctional families. Details. School always aware of family situations. Explains origin of expression sardines in oil. Recalls Scotland the What show. Mentions Andy Stewart. Recalls folk groups coming to Aberdeen. Recalls, when at school, holiday during typhoid epidemic, attitude of people outside, news reports, impact in Aberdeen, own perception at time. Recalls death possibly related to typhoid. Stopped eating corned beef for long time. Recalls disinfection carried out, becoming conscious of hygiene. Comments on hygiene standards now.
Tape 3 Side A: Comments on own experience of speaking in public, confidence in own ideas, development of vocabulary, need of some people for swearing. Feelings about television. Recalls doing shows with Callum Kennedy for Grampian Television. Recalls English oil wives married to senior executives. Mentions job losses 1980s. Met wives in musical circles. Difficult for them. Recalls their perception of Aberdeen, low level of acceptance. They live in transient communities, have little to relate to Aberdonians. Easier for Americans - more glamorous. Recalls barbecues. Attitude of Aberdonians to neighbouring towns. Party-society in Hazlehead fitted with Americans. Impact of Dutch, French, American schools. Americans tried other schools, came to Hazlehead. Explains Hazlehead's advanced approach. Culture change after Dunblane (massacre), all locked in school, risk assessment requirements for trips etc. Other changes in school before Dunblane. Details re effects of curriculum change. Recalls teachers' strike. Comments on current firemen's strike. Reason for belonging teachers' union. Never discussed politics with parents. Own attitude. Feelings about Maggie Thatcher, Michael Forsyth, Willie Ross, poll tax. Comments on anti-English attitudes still existing. Foreigners hadn't a clue re Scottish politics. Meets oil wives at flower-arranging groups. Explains their enthusiasm for stamping. Wives didn't like Aberdeen. Own response, impression of America. Mentions buildings in Aberdeen which could come from Dallas. Feelings about Aberdeen skyscrapers. Some incomers upwardly mobile, lah-de-dah. French were French. Explains. Local children accepted situation. Example of their defensiveness of incomers. Changes to Hazlehead School. Last oil children came at time of First Gulf War. On holiday in Turkey at time of Piper Alpha disaster. No impact on school. Most who died from outwith Aberdeen.
Tape 3 Side B: Both parents died in 2001. Details. Mentions American friends - mothers of children at school. Biggest impact of oil industry on school in first years. No link between Hazlehead and international schools. Some children came from Dutch East Indies etc. Aberdeen Opera Company got sponsorship from industry. Details. Hazlehead School ran out of money, equipment. Details. Recalls strike, power cuts, 3-day weeks. No benefit from oil. Feelings re Scottish National Party claims on oil. No impact of Piper Alpha - divorced from people of Aberdeen. Most offshore workers not from Aberdeen. Gradual involvement of Aberdeen firms in industry. Comments on long reconstruction of Mounthooly roundabout, dual carriageway going nowhere. Situation in Shetland, compares with Aberdeen. Aberdeen airport situation. Many restaurants lost, replaced with pizza places etc. Changes in fish prices, possibly due to oil industry. Comments on impact of oil industry on Aberdeen. Changes in society were happening everywhere, not because of oil. Comments on recent situation in America, protests in London re Iraq, impact of television. Recalls significance of clipper ship building in Aberdeen, lack of evidence left behind. Compares with granite legacy. Uniqueness of Aberdeen. Possibility of wind turbines being witness to oil. Recalls holidays, trip to Australia, USA. Never thought of leaving Aberdeen. Feelings about retirement. Recalls looking after parents. Problem with own eyesight, now registered blind. Situation at school, details re quick redundancy process. Current lifestyle, travel, use of talking books.
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