| Description | Tape 1 Side A: WILLIAM (BILL) WYLLIE born 5 February 1932 Aberdeen. Last job before retirement Managing Director of family firm, W Smith & Son, Seedsmen/Nurserymen. Details re company move to Hazelhead, opening of first garden centre in north of Scotland early 1960s. Mentions landscape gardening, work for oil companies, involvement in education. Paternal family: father worked for family firm. Details re grandfather, his work with firm from message boy to Chairman. Names in family. Father spent time as sugar, rubber planter overseas. Details re uncle interned in Germany in 1914. Origins, history of W Smith & Son, grandfather's first involvement, financial details. Describes father, his interests. Mentions eventual sale of company. Maternal family, McCombies, Donaldsons. Grandfather had cycle agency in Aberdeen. Other names. Grandfather injured in accident, recalls his deafness. Describes grandmother. Uncle killed in U Company during First World War. Details re other family members. Mother worked in chemist shop. Aunt had confectionery shop. Other aunt active in Scottish Children's League. Recalls barter system between farmers' wives and merchants. Further family names. Recalls happy childhood, insight into country life, them and us situation in Aberdeen, poor conditions in centre of city. Compares with west side. Details re own house, built in granite for parents by Grey & Bain. Everyone in area had residential maids. Kept in touch with former maids. Details re their work routine. Describes one maid who stayed 6 years. Doric expression mother's wit. Family had 2 maids at a time. Fires in most rooms. Larger houses had gardeners. No eating out, people entertained at home. Describes childhood home which is current home. Mentions visitors.
Tape 1 Side B: Description of childhood - and present - home (cont'd). Details re unusual window design. All local houses built by same builder. Details. Reference to Archbishop Mario Conti, now of Glasgow. Father made money in company during Depression. No frozen food then. Many market gardeners. Recalls pennyworth of vegetables for soup. Land prices cheap in 1930s. Recalls deliveries to back door by baker, butcher, grocer etc, and buskers, hawkers, tinkers calling. Doors not locked. Comments on lack of envy in America, compares with UK. Happy childhood memories of house, reasons for repurchasing it. Discipline in childhood, attitude with own daughters. Went to Robert Gordon's College from kindergarten to Senior School 1945, then Gordonstoun 1945-9. Details re Gordonstoun, its founder, Kurt Hahn. Comments on school philosophy, adverse publicity. Hard life at school, lack of facilities, spartan life, conditions in winter, poor food. Reference to Prince Charles. Own interest in practical subjects. Describes daily routines, sporting and other activities, fellow pupils, many expelled from other schools. Academic side not strong. Not aware of bullying, homosexuality. Explains self-discipline, punishments. Recalls being beaten for something not guilty of. Difficulty fitting in neighbourhood during holidays. Did not feel isolated in Aberdeen. Community spirit there. Comments on parochialism of Londoners etc, their poor geography. Describes character of Aberdonians, result of earlier tradition of hard life, independence. In early days of oil industry, Aberdeen known as cosy corner of Britain. Many North East people went to colonies. Mentions Tommy Sutherland, councillor, architect, who built Aberdeen cinemas, Scott Sutherland School of Architecture. Details re Wiliamson family enterprises, Tommy Mitchell, baker, Lord Provost. Mentions an Aberdonian expression.
Tape 2 Side A: Character of Aberdonian (cont'd). Loyal, stable workforce in Aberdeen, not militant, brought up on the land. More industrial attitude further south. Oil industry appreciated situation in Aberdeen. Work ethic strong in North East. Explains shyness in Aberdeen, reluctance to boast etc. Mentions being ex-governor of Robert Gordon University. Recalls Dr Alec Keith, journalist, his background, lad of pairts, his book A Thousand Years of Aberdeen. No interest in politics in family, own attitude. Parents conservative. Career aspiration to go into business. Went to College of Agriculture to take part of agriculture degree. Explains. Did year's practical training on farm, near Laurencekirk, 1949-50. Details re farm experience. Time of change from horse-drawn transport to Ferguson tractors. Details re Ferguson, forerunner of modernisation in agriculture. Recalls grieve, McCombie, his expression. Details re farm then and now, reduction in number of people. Describes life then, social activities, own situation, skilled nature of agricultural work, stucking etc. Recalls North East patois - Doric. Marriage, wife's names. Turned down on medical grounds for National Service. Background to joining family firm 1952. Wife from florist family. Married 1954. Details re her, family. Golden wedding next year. Details re family, names, occupations. Describes family firm, premises in Market Street. Firm had to change. Decision to sell a building late 1950s. Details re decision to rent out building, move business to Hazelhead. Effect on turnover, profit etc of move. Describes layout of storage in original building, upstairs warehouses etc. Reference Credit Drapers. Building in Market Street was called Exchange Seed Warehouses. It was formerly the Union Club, later a toy business which went bankrupt.
Tape 2 Side B: Recalls Aberdeen city before oil industry came. Compares with now. Explains own role in development of Bon Accord Centre - through chance remark. Aberdeen always a market town. Recalls George Street on a Friday in earlier times. Always a lot of wealth in Aberdeen - through agriculture. Difficulties in fishing industry - which often cried wolf. Explains concerns re fishing industry being overruled by scientists, Brussels. Edward Heath virtually threw away fishing. Feelings about situation. Comments on uncertainty re scientific reports, effect on North East. Economy was falling behind in Aberdeen before oil. Oil a tremendous fillip. Best people were leaving in 1950s, 60s. Became nursery manager, Hazelhead 1953, later Managing Director. Stayed 35 years. Details re c80 employees in firm, employment of women. Own approach to management, job security, avoiding layoffs etc. Recalls realisation of coming of oil, Jimmy Simpson establishing Asco (Aberdeen Service Company), offer to join him, refusal. Mentions other industry-related pioneers. Recalls appearance of strange seismic ships, Number 5 Bond in mid 1960s. Reference to Seaforth Maritime. Recalls, when involved with Chamber of Commerce early 1970s, pleading with oil companies for information because of need to plan for housing, schools etc. Attitude of oil companies. Mentions Maitland Mackie. Long time before infrastructure caught up with oil industry. Mentions airport situation. Compares Aberdeen with Dundee. Aberdeen airport and stable workforce attractive to oil industry. Effect on existing industry of oil industry, recruitment difficulties. American companies came and retrained local people. Nobody realised what impact oil industry would have. Mentions oil prices. Before oil came, talk of filling in upper dock, turning it into car park.
Tape 3 Side A: Reaction in Aberdeen to BP setting up in Dundee. Shell and others came to Aberdeen. Own company involved in Shell property, 12 men permanently employed on Shell sites from beginning. Convenor of Transport Committee, Chamber of Commerce. Member committee set up to deal with airport. Details re airport history, early mail services to Orkney, Shetland etc, sale to British Airports Authority. Describes airport at time, lack of Customs facilities etc. New terminal opened 1977 by Princess Alexandra. Limitation of Aberdeen as airline centre. Continuing difficulty finding out oil industry plans. Mentions helicopter arrangements. Significance of airport to industry coming to Aberdeen. Problems considered. Mentions John Wright, Hall Russell shipyards. Reference to British Airways. Negative impact of militant labour force in Dundee. Difficulty in Aberdeen - competition for skilled labour force. Difficulties caused by Wilson government wage freeze. Example of dodges, wastage of management time. Reaction of Aberdonians to Americans. Some Aberdeen firms saw niche in oil industry, e.g. Woods, Jimmy Milne. Hall Russell affected by militant labour force. John Wright saw opportunities in oil industry but unable to benefit. Some firms prospered, e.g. home furnishers. Changing role of Chamber of Commerce. Was youngest president. When appointed 1974-6 got them more involved in industry. Details re establishment of President's Advisory Committee, its role, media interest. Continuing difficulty getting information from suspicious industry which didn't realise reasons for Chamber's interest. Many incomers were cowboys, took oil companies to cleaners. Informal meetings held at Petroleum Club. Explains own social pattern, approach to work, need to avoid getting involved with specific individuals. Went with Board of Trade delegation to America.
Tape 3 Side B: Delegation to America (cont'd). Role of Aberdeen Chamber of Commerce, own role marketing Aberdeen products. Mentions fringe oil industry supply companies. Many companies did not have bases in Aberdeen. Some Chamber members could see potential of industry, others couldn't. Benefits of oil industry included lessening of inward-thinking attitude in Aberdeen. Culture of Aberdeen University was cloistered. First offshore oil exhibition held in grounds of King's College. RGIT interested in oil industry. Alec Kemp at Aberdeen University a pioneer. Recalls becoming Managing Director of own company mid-1960s when still in 30s. This brought some problems. Explains. Recalls offers to buy companies, job offers. Progress of own company, seed exports. Changes to business in 1960s, procedures. Own involvement in introduction of pre-packing, insecticides, container-grown plants etc. Many older firms couldn't cope with changes. Own company grew, awarded Royal Warrants. Details. Attitude to this. Reference to Royal Warrant Holders' Association, charitable work. Details re family situation, domestic arrangements, housing, children. Sold company to Findlay Clark when aged 53. Details. Mentions element of luck throughout life. Details re extent of company when sold. Mentions large number of houses owned by oil companies, gardening maintenance carried out by own company. Details re sale process, outcome. Feelings about company's development, dealing with clients. Mentions feelings about politicians. Since retirement, busier than ever, involved as director in other companies. Justice of the Peace, Deputy Lieutenant City of Aberdeen, Honorary Doctor of Business Administration. Awarded MBE. Reaction to award. Recalls arguments with Secretaries of State for Scotland. No-nonsense attitude to negotiations. Details re involvement with RGU. Attitude to putting something back into community. |