| Description | Tape 1 Side A: SAMUEL LITTLEJOHN BUCHAN born 20 August 1945 Aberdeen. Background to family names, history traced back eight generations to 1604. Recalls grandfather, who worked as a docker. Family born in Spital area of Aberdeen since 1746. Recalls great grandfather, labourer in corn/flax mill. Grandfather was strict but fair, his advice was never to go out without ten pounds in your pocket. Anecdote re pedal organs purchased by grandfather and their effect on the family. Recalls grandmother Minnie, in service at Cluny Castle. Describes formative years spent living with grandparents. Mentions two younger brothers, John, Clement. Recalls leaving school, life till age twenty, close relationship with unmarried aunt. Anecdote re grandfather and salmon. Recalls close relationship with grandfather. Describes him, immaculately dressed with pink carnation. Parents lived two miles away. Describes father who first worked as labourer in Barry, Henderson, Cook steel works, West North Street, then as scaffolder with uncle. He also spent time in Royal Navy. Story re father's relationship with grandfather. Mother born in King Street of well-known family. Anecdote re maternal great grandfather, friends known as 'corner boys'. Maternal grandfather was football legend Forbes Sangster. Details re his character, life. Recalls maternal grandmother, Grandma Sangster. Mentions genealogical search, family revelations. Father was an early riser during week but Saturdays it was football, public houses, e.g. the Prince of Wales, the George. Father had frequent periods of unemployment resulting in deprivations. Own feelings. Compares personalities of parents. Anecdote re mother defending brother. Recalls first school, St Margaret's Gallowgate, now demolished. Recalls moving house, attending Northfield Academy. Recalls being bullied at school, eventual retaliation.
Tape 1 Side B: Recalls, when aged c7 encountering school bully, effect of this on own future attitudes. Describes Northfield community atmosphere. Taught boxing by grandfather. Recalls incident with police, joining boxing club. Comments on ability to look after self, cook. Mentions friends during early life, still best of pals. Recalls meeting friend going aboard a rig. Compares feelings about boxing, football. Recalls searching seashore, finding piece of a rifle, details re its history. Enjoys archaeology, history. Anecdote re reading book on Pharaohs. Mentions interest in Scottish history especially castles. Remembers exploring old German prisoner-of-war camp during summer camp. Recalls subjects studied at school, likes, dislikes, History teacher, Mr Henry, encouraged study. Wife has been a mature student at Aberdeen University. Considering taking archaeology course. Mentions musical interests. Explains loyalty, attitude to Royal family. Recalls father's term in Royal Navy, his opinion of Duke of Edinburgh. Mentions members of Royal family, own and family's opinion of Diana, Princess of Wales. Recalls death of Diana, effect on own family. Recalls careers considered when a young man including minister, surgeon, game-keeper. Wanted to help people, especially children. Mentions various career educational requirements. Left school at fourteen, needing work licence, 1959/60. Explains love of nature, grandparents' influence, their rural antecedents. Recalls 11th century Monymusk church, love of old buildings, history. Recalls applying for job as apprentice gamekeeper. Worked on milk round. Details re wages etc. Worked for John Menzies, as warehouseman until eighteen. Mentions teenage interests: pop groups, dances in Inverurie. Recalls own reputation with girlfriends as fighter. Recalls meeting future wife at a Mormon party.
Tape 2 Side A: Recalls first meeting with wife. Married forty one years. Describes her personality. Comments on own bad reputation, later developed good rapport with mother-in-law. 1963 got job in fishing industry. Aberdeen a bustling place with factories, textiles, fishing, paper mills. Union Street was for people with money; workers shopped in George Street, also in old market. Recalls variety of goods available. An education going around market. Started work as finner, then filleter. Changed to new, cleaner job boxing, icing with Allen and Days. Details. Huge turnover of fish. Mentions main fishing companies. Worked for John Law company. Recalls Manager, Bill Webster who trained as doctor, took control of company when his father died. Story of Webster cutting carbuncle from his own neck with filleting knife. Recalls his reputation as 'the Count', his appearance. Recalls men having lunchtime fighting competitions, own way of handling offered aggression. Machines worked 24 hours a day. Describes social differences between white fish girls and herring picklers. Mentions end of National Service. 1965 got job in scaffolding. Describes fascination with scaffolding. Mentions Chinese scaffold 360 feet high, 40 feet square with 360 people on top. Describes first job as groundman at Cooperative Store, Berryden. Mentions elephant knot for hauling up pipes. Describes 'hacks'. Rope burns cured with Hessian tape. Used no gloves. Fully trained after eighteen months, on full wages. Recalls falling 36 feet, climbing back up. Compares uncle's fall of six feet, when he broke his collarbone. Details re squad for scaffolding. Details re lease of scaffolding. Mentions G K Mills, world-wide company. Explains measurement of building for scaffolding, profit margin.
Tape 2 Side B: Describes stresses of equipment used in scaffolding. Recalls working on floating platform Sedco 135F. Comments on differences between working on and offshore. Offshore scaffolders use planks, ropes not metal pipes. Recalls limited safety measures then. Story of paint sprayer marooned on a rig structure. Recalls starting career in scaffolding, 1965, with three men, uncles and father. Describes process of learning from them about weight load structures, ballast, ability to improvise. Reference to GK Mills, TK Ross. Mentions marriage late 1960s. Lived off Union Street. Mentions wife's job. Recalls Sea Quest drilling rig, later Argyll discovery 1968, 1969. Was working with Scaffolding GB at the time. Recalls hearing of work in oil industry. Not enough base scaffolders for demand. Recalls Bill Eden, derrickman, first full-time oil industry employee from Aberdeen. Relates circumstances of Bill's death in North Sea. Recalls learning of Sedco 135F, working conditions, wages. Recalls, offshore, being out of contact with shore and pregnant wife. Initial reaction to offshore situation. Recalls talking to crew, geologists, finding out how platforms worked. Details re crew who were mostly Canadians. Anecdote re Dave Fitzpatrick smoking on rig; treatment of Scots by Americans. Comments on lack of safety measures, indifference to loss of life. Compares scaffolding used to build walkway on River Dee to rig structure. Describes hierarchy on rig. Anecdote re area manager and a tin of paint thrown from rig into sea. Details re food, wages. Comments on being 'Tartan Coolies'. Recalls refusing to become roustabout's job. Mentions toxicity of mud. Reference to Hess family company. Anecdote re request for table tennis table. No unions on rig.
Tape 3 Side A: Recalls meeting John Hess, a fine gentleman. Mentions Sedco safety measures, conditions for paint sprayers on Piper field 1971. There were few Scots scaffolders working offshore at the time. Explains differences between street, and building trade, scaffolders. All gaffers English. Describes process of building modules. Hook-up hold-ups could delay finish by two years. Hook-ups now completed more quickly. Structures built on land, not at sea. Recalls blacklegs working on rig while other union members on strike ashore. Details re wages for three weeks work. Comments on company changing name for tax purposes, dumping tools at sea. Comments on tax-free situation where money no object. Recalls working on hook-up for Piper Alpha, then on Claymore. Recalls comments at the time (1978/9) that Piper Alpha could go pop one day. Camaraderie on board Piper Alpha was the best. Recalls opinions of men re safety of rig. Mentions Red Adair, his comments on Tharos, the fire-fighting vessel needed for Piper, Claymore, Thistle. Details re safety measures, officers' accommodation on Piper Alpha. Recalls spell of working ashore at Ardersier, near Inverness. Details re own family, twins, older boy. Feelings about time spent working offshore. Describes organisation of time at home, difficulties in adjusting. Recalls adjustments offshore, way of life, changing speech to be understood. Discusses different British governments' dealings with oil companies. Mentions Piper Alpha, Margaret Thatcher, Arnold Hammer. Reference to diving supervisor, WG Wetherford. Comments on platform deterioration, remedies taken, node buckles fitted. Mentions vibration on board. Piper was a rust bucket. Anecdote re fire on Piper Alpha prior to disaster.
Tape 3 Side B: Further discussion re Piper Alpha. Was present during two carry-overs (American word for blow-out) occurred. Recalls Occidental's pressure to get oil because of high prices at the time. Details re numbers of barrels per day, price of oil. Anecdote re pipe leaking oil, article in Press and Journal, Aberdeen. 1970s employed by Deveron Scaffolding, first venture in North Sea. Worked offshore 1973-1997. Comments on safety measures in Occidental, Britoil. Anecdote re cutting iron in christmas tree on rig with oil, gas still in pipes. Recalls scaffolders working in dark just with light from gas burn-off at night. Compares camaraderie on Piper Alpha with Claymore, reasons for difference. Discusses hierarchy on board, scaffolders' position then. Details re American supervisor's need for scapegoat when accidents happened. Recalls caterers' position on rig. Comments on teamwork needed by scaffolders. Story of working on hook-up of Heather with McDermott Construction Company. Reference to Union Oil. Comments on construction managers within company, caterer, George Watt. Recalls man melting gold on rig; boy surviving fall through two floors into sea, man being decapitated by wire. Describes Claymore, the constant sound of grinders. Explains refusal, as supervisor, to hot bed with others. Comments on scaffolders' versatility, good working team with McDermot's. Discusses Piper Alpha tragedy. Describes own feelings, experiences of survivors, effect of own loss. Details re riser blowing, numbers killed, survivors. Discussion re safety systems in place. Mentions Alistair Fairburn, only man who could shut down platform manually. Anecdote re Hymie Wombat, senior safety officer, lighting flares. Comments on pressure to keep production going.
Tape 4 Side A: Piper Alpha disaster (cont'd). Family tragedy. Recalls uncle Stanley Sangster's body being found in accommodation module. Details re John Brown generators sited below module. Outlines possibilities of other tragedies on other platforms despite sea riser emergency pump. Compares platform with oil refinery on shore. Details re new A side living quarters (ALQs), safety module - but defective. 1995 doubts expressed about safety. Recalls welding inspector's report and repercussions. Anecdote re shutting down Piper Alpha accidentally. Remarks on red button now available to shut down platforms. Discusses pressure not to shut down, set against human life. Recalls Shell, BP safety measures, cover-ups. Mentions BP Forties Charlie, Occidental. Comments re Shell later seeing value in scaffolding. Recalls Old Bill, production supervisor, stickler for safety. Discusses men working despite lack of safety measures because of family pressures. Mentions possible time restriction on offshore working. 1995 worked onshore on scaffolding. Recalls accepting job on hook-up off Cadiz. Job took four years. Comments on working onshore, has no regrets. Describes life now, family ties, children's lives, grandchildren. Sees more of grandchildren than did of own children. Anecdote re son with epilepsy. Mentions friend, Murray Harper from Wick who is writing book about rigs, working offshore, own involvement.
Tape 4 Side B: Blank
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