| Description | Tape 1
Side A
RINALDO GUIDO FERRARI born 10 May 1932 Peterhead, Aberdeenshire. Fourth of five children. Details re siblings. Parents born in Massachussetts. Paternal grandfather migrated from Genoa to US, family later returned to Genoa. Details re paternal family movements, immigration (ie by foot) to London, Scotland, their involvement in First World War. Father born 1899, finally went to Peterhead because of herring fishing etc. Explains. Strong family tradition, values, work patterns. Times tough until after Second World War. Father's account of grandfather, his attitude to life, driving power. Paternal family were small farmers in Italian mountains. Details. They became metalsmiths, hence name. Parents met in Italy, came to Britain. During WWII, father imprisoned as dangerous criminal, later released. He had American papers. Details re parents' names. Maternal family moved from south to north Italy for work. Parents opened fish and chip shop in Peterhead. Explains. Recalls childhood home near fishmarket, poverty, war years, getting hidings from other kids for being foreign, need to prove self. Describes washing, toilet, sleeping facilities, diet, social, family conditions in Peterhead. Describes parents, their hard work. Explains need to learn Doric language. Own situation as Scottish/Italian. Mother's personality, her encouragement to be better than the next. Details of poverty. Went to Roman Apostolic Church every Sunday. Own beliefs, current regular adherence, attitude to suffering. Memory of priest. Recalls discipline, punishment in childhood. Recalls self as child, importance of physical self-improvement, exercising, running. Details re involvement in football, playing for Peterhead etc. Left school at 14. Few books at home, later interest in reading. Explains own need to succeed, competitiveness. Recalls social life in Peterhead, neighbours.
Side B
Music, singing strong in family. Details. Brothers later played in orchestra, group etc. Recalls music on radio, Scottish country dance music. Importance of parents, books as influences in own upbringing. Recalls always searching for answers, eg as 6 year old asking sailors questions. Had fascination for things mechanical, Meccano set. Found school hard. Recalls influence of English teacher, Mrs Beddie. At Academy school decided to get cracking. Details re progress in woodwork, metalwork etc, was head prefect. Brothers worked in shop. Recalls starting to read about stocks, shares, property, buying first shares. Influence of another teacher at school, Bobbie Nichol, on own development, his disciplined approach. Parents' likely politics were conservative, because they were in business. Own politics moved from conservative, to Scottish independence. Daily routine in parents' fish and chip shop, chores, buying fish etc. Evolution of business, shop motto. Describes frying range, frying process, use of ice. Recalls rude customers, especially when WWII started. Friends became enemies. After leaving school went to evening classes, aimed to be mechanical draughtsman. Details of certificates. Offered job in factory but had to work in father's shop. Worked with siblings, father in chip shop 24 years. Recalls deaths of parents. Had wanted to be football player. Inherited own chip shop, developed large restaurant. Invested in property. 1968 bought first pub. Details re buying price, sale profit. Details of other investments, financial arrangements. Recalls closeness of family, own argumentative attitude. Brothers had their own shops. Details re own all day business, menus, prices, clientele. Changes to Peterhead population, pre and post-war social life. Married 1979.
Tape 2
Side A
Recalls sudden death of father, absolute disaster. Details, impact on family. Change in own life, determination to be a success. Always lived at home. Explains. Mentions daughter's situation, university study, music etc. Changes in Peterhead fishing industry, impact of diesel powered boats, changing designs, technology. First awareness of oil industry coming 1970. Own eyes so sharp, able to see under the table. Explains. Others didn't understand what was happening. Details re Sea Gem disaster 1965. Impact on family of childhood neighbour Sam Coull, a casualty of the disaster. Recalls Coull's influence when growing up. Nobody in Scotland aware of coming of oil industry. Financial opportunities missed, persistent idea it wouldn't last. Recalls first person to come to Aberdeen starting storage business in Albert Quay 1973. Start of oil-related activity same year in Peterhead. Recalls being aware of oil-related shipping going to Bacton, Great Yarmouth. 1973 bought 6 acres in Fife, with idea of converting to oil base. Set about preparing 18 million pound development. Reference to Burnt Island. Details re Hurchess Scotland, of which became chairman, development plans for comprehensive offshore base. People still couldn't see prospects. At last minute Aberdeen started up as oil base, own operation unable to proceed. Lost a fortune. Details. Mentions later dry dock operation in Dundee. Explains syncro-lifts. Describes prospects for Fife operation, attempts to persuade companies to become involved. Reference to Forties field. No help from North East Scotland Development Agency (NESDA) though John Hutton convinced. Plenty of moral support, not financial. Reference to Royal Bank. Aberdeen were sleeping. Mentions hogwash situation at airport. Further details re early developments.
Side B
Hurchess Scotland (cont'd). Further details re company developments, money spent. Mentions competition between Dundee and Aberdeen. Hurchess Scotland ended 1977. One of many letdowns in life. Continued running 2 hotels, pub. Recalls excitement at prospects, being invited to meetings, selling self. Mentions possibility of association with Bovis Construction and other big groups. Mentions purchase of ground from Ian Wood 1974 for engineering business - first company in Peterhead to get involved in oil industry. Situation in 1974, businesses owned. Reference to Steve Remp, Ramco, Times 1975 supplement on Aberdeen featuring local business people. Own difficulty not having old money to invest in Fife. Explains rationale behind starting Peterhead Engineering, standards set for work practices. Details re location of company, first moves to establish company, equipment, financing. Beginning to be taken seriously as a player. Explains own approach to running business. Started Hayward Valves in Aberdeen. Mentions profit-sharing. Details re Peterhead Engineering work, eg repairing supply boats 24 hours a day. Own approach to business style, involvement in work. Good craftsmen in Peterhead. Company took on innovative work. Gives detailed examples of pipeline, oil rig work. No outside investment in company - wanted to be in charge of own future. Main customers Brown & Root, Halliburton, McDermott, Occidental etc. Explains 50/50 business arrangement with Ian Wood, other dealings with business people. Describes own multi-faceted daily routine at this stage with hotels, businesses. Example of Americans booking hotel space. Americans easy to work with. Examples of big jobs brought to Peterhead. Recalls excitement of time, variety, quantity of work.
Tape 3
Side A
Involvement in Peterhead Rotary, Peterhead Businessmen's Association. Cultural changes for the worse to Peterhead after it became a boom town. Mentions drugs, sex, crime, prostitution. Reaction of local people to high-spending Americans. Had to bribe staff to change ways. Comments on present state of tourism in Scotland. With oil industry, young families began to buy own homes. Prostitution not a problem before. America came to Peterhead and the businessmen enjoyed it. People also from Lebanon, Beirut etc. Comments on French, their different standards. Kept own hotels, Royal, Caledonian, trouble free. Details re opening hours. Taught staff to change ways. Peterhead Engineering staff better paid than others. Compares BP, American oil personnel. Compares own hotels with more expensive ones. Recalls working hours etc. Strategy re expansion of property. Details re brother Charlie's work as architect/property developer, Ferrari Design, business links with him. 1984 Peterhead Engineering 18 million pounds turnover. Company spread to other places. Recalls competition in Peterhead. Describes procedures fulfilling orders. Opinion of Ian Wood. Recalls arrangement to give him half company in return for use of quay. Recalls Dyce in 1970, taking flying lessons, nothing open on Sunday. Comments on lack of raw material in UK in 1970s, Offshore Supplies Office. Explains approval of Tony Benn, negative feelings about Margaret Thatcher's use of oil revenues. Comments on reputation as first oil millionaire, financial situation in 1984. Problem with people running company with different background from own, attitude to money. Let down by some management. Comments on selection of staff, need for tight control, Ian Wood's style. Feeling about own control of company.
Side B
Contrasts own and Ian Wood's management styles. Recalls assisting people with their careers. Excitement of early days. Religion always important in life, an anchor. Explains own philosophy, attitude when let down. Feelings about dishonesty. Opinion re future prospects for North Sea. Recalls industry in early days, rising prices of oil. Recalls Hamilton brothers, beaching of their rig 1974, attempt to pull it off, their involvement in Argyll field. Recalls early English/Scottish imbalance in membership of Institute of Petroleum. Opinion re taxation of research and production costs, UK situation, distortion through payments of millions of pounds to directors. Some problems with unions, ways of dealing with them. Importance of intelligent management. Explains support for role of unions, opposition to taking advantage of workers. Support of Margaret Thatcher's dealing with coalmining, dockers' unions. Sold Hayward Valves, Aberdeen, after 3 years. Background to formation of company. Recalls involvement with Canadian company that was not so successful, and Scotia Subs which lost money. Details of other companies in Peterhead (plumbing), Dundee (fabricating). Lost money on Saplan Bay Hotel, Mintlaw. Details. Let down by solicitor. Explains regret at not coming to Aberdeen city sooner. Comments on changing business methods. Recalls belief in the handshake, own tendency to trust people. All ventures had link with oil industry. Peterhead Engineering continued till big job of conversion of Deep Sea Pioneer, 18 million pound job. Mentions big salaries, bonuses of some of management. Company sold to Aker Offshore. Comments on own situation in company. Mentions having been self-taught. Comments on quality of senior staff, wisdom of some management decisions.
Tape 4
Side A
Peterhead Engineering (cont'd). Too many people became involved, was losing control. Explains. Hotels continued. Recalls size of Invergordon operation. Kept control of money situation there. Dealt with Royal Bank. Feelings about their attitude at the beginning, and at the end. Peterhead Engineering got too big. Lost control, sold out, sold hotels. Started McGregor Group, Invergordon, did not go well. Very hurt by developments, treatment by others. Comments on current international situation. Blames self for own situation, losing control of company. Recalls earlier offers for company, prospect of big contract which did not eventuate. Technical details of job done for Hamilton Brothers. Recalls giving solicitor 10 per cent of company. Details of financial transactions, sale of Hayward Valves. Example of consequences of giving word on a deal. Recalls an insurance case, details of outcome, issue of honesty in business. Recalls work done for Occidental. Piper Alpha disaster: opinion of cause. Comments on Occidental, their actions after Piper. Compares with other companies. Opinion of BP, oil companies, George W Bush. Contractors are at mercy of oil companies. Explains own theory re best method for costing a job. Recalls dealings with Occidental people. Learned a lot about people through their books. Effect of oil industry on Peterhead, current situation. Feelings about Scottish Parliament. ASCO (Aberdeen Service Company), based in Peterhead, is a worldwide company. Peterhead Engineering closed down by new owners, Aker Offshore. Hotels, sold 1995, still operating. Mentions two children, marriage 1979. Details re family names, children's work, education. Current life, interests, organisation memberships, home. Returns occasionally to Peterhead. Recalls early life there, compares with now.
END OF INTERVIEW |