| Description | Tape 1 Side A ALASTAIR THOMAS JAMES COOPER born Mossbank, Shetland 30 April 1950. Details re family, background, names. Memories of grandparents, grandfather's knowledge of weather, grandmother's work with animals till late in life. Paternal grandfather's work in general store, grandmother's knitware work. Maternal grandparents' farm work, making butter etc. Father's work in building trade. Description of parents, their ambitions for children; explanation of father's short working year. Own early seagoing career aspirations. Choices facing Shetland children. Description of childhood home in Mossbank. Recollection of knitware, tweed industries. Details re mother's knitting work, scarcity of employment opportunities. Recollection of population of Mossbank, effect of slump on community, dropping school rolls etc prior to oil era. Entertainment at cinema through Highlands & Islands Film Guild, later television; events at village hall; weekly Daily Mirror, John Bull, comics etc shared. Recollections of encouragement to read, find 'clean' jobs, childhood community interests. Details re leaving school in 1966, getting job with local authority. Recollection of awareness of environment, difficult economic times in childhood, shortage of work, school trips away. Details re social life, music, religion and Sunday routine, politics in childhood. Own situation re politics as employee of Shetland Islands Council. Details re council political parties. Recollections of education, choices of schools available, attitude of parents. Developing economic situation in Shetland in 1960s, 1970s, cycles in fishing industry, building of fish factories.
Tape 1 Side B First employment in Zetland County Council Public Health Department. Details re local government arrangements. Attitude then to mental health in Shetland, treatment available. Importance of own awareness of mental health problems. Recollection of close relationship with father, example set by him in community interest. Description of discipline training, lifestyle etc in Lerwick when living in digs. Work in Finance Department with Jim Lish. Details re difficulties with transport arrangements, bus travel, reason for living in digs, social life, dances, Sunday routine. Details re dancing, involvement with sport, interest in doing jobs with father, sense of responsibililty. Explanation of belief in 1970 in possibility of oil north and east of Shetland. Details re work of Professor Derek Flinn. Attitude of Shetland to oil industry, possibility of underground cavern storage development, possible effects on fishing, traditional industries, anxieties re post-oil era, hopes for new industry. Employment of consultants to produce Shetland Structure Plan (1972-74). Explanation of options re oil industry, choice of Sullom Voe, St Magnus Bay, desire for single facility; attitude of oil companies. Details re appointment to, work as Cashier/Wages Clerk, salary. Appointment to Finance Manager, Sullom Voe (1978). Details re key figures in 1960s Alexander Tulloch, George Blance, councillors, Ian Clark, County Clerk/General Manager. Strength of religious groups in Lerwick. Council's first steps getting advice re oil; growth of population with oil workers; concerns re environment, attitude of fishing industry.
Tape 2 Side A Recollection of arrival of oil industry (1973). Possibilities in early 1970s that oil would bypass Shetland. Impact of Zetland County Council Act on land speculation etc. Background to passing of act, use of Anglesey model, lobbying in London etc. Benefit gained from friends in House of Lords, reasons for their support. Recollections of Jo Grimmond, his background, commitment to Shetland. Details re creation of Harbour Authority, role of Captain George Biro; his background, attitude and impact. Own responsibility for small piers and harbours, collecting dues etc. Involvement from c1976 in harbour bylaws, administering cargo imports etc for oil business. Details re council/oil industry negotiations re multi-use of facilities - new for the industry; need for cooperation, last minute finalisation, brinkmanship of arrangements. Explanation of costs charged to industry. Details re decision to take oil ashore in Shetland, pipeline provision, Sullom Voe ownership involving BP, Shell Esso. Loss of senior executives Ian Clark, Mike Fenwick to Britoil. Impact of Zetland County Council Act 1974, Harbour Authority. Explanation of desires of oil industry. Importance of environment to Shetland community. Issues for industry at Sullom Voe 1974-5; background to Disturbance Fee, role, attitude of Ian Clark. Details re charitable trust, its approximate value today. Background to continuing industry threats to pull out of Shetland, controlling role of Shetland Islands Council, present day value of Shetlands to industry's image. Own role as Finance Manager (1978) at Sullom Voe bringing it into profit. Recollection of first meeting in London with senior industry people re harbour issues.
Interview summary:
Tape 2 Side B Recollection of first meeting in London with senior industry people re harbour issues (cont'd), tactical game played, attitude of industry, victory for Shetland, size of profits won. Background to establishment of Sullom Voe Association. Own attitude to negotiations, tactics. Impression in Shetland in early days of oil industry, concerns re environment. Work done by Herriot Watt, Aberdeen universities (George Dunnet) for Shetland. Importance of creating baseline data before oil industry moved in, their reactions then and now. Recollection of first tanker (1978) to come in. Details re makeup of industry construction staff, role of Shetland Island people. Use of Sunburgh by helicopters, logistics base. Feelings of local anxiety about invasion of workforce; lack of involvement of most workers in local community; impact on social life, dances etc. Details re Toft, Firth camps. Comparison of attitudes in negotiation, to risk etc, of different oil companies. Personal details re home, leisure; attitude to work, family. Recollection of crude oil tanker spill at Sullom Voe (1978), its impact on industry. Details re cleanup, reaction of oil industry, record since. Original life expectancy of Sullom Voe terminal, possible future involving Magnus, Clair. Explanation of potential current competition for Sullom Voe of offshore loading. Changes to technology in offshore industry. Details re land agreement with industry for return to greenfield site.
Tape 3 Side A Early plans for gas plant (early 1980s), change in gas market, example of a gas plant design failure at Sullom Voe, throughput details, costings, effect of oil price collapse. Explanation of 'long ton', difference between Charitable Trust fund and Reserve fund, harbour charges; permitted use of Reserve fund under Zetland County Council Act. Impact of Piper Alpha disaster (1988) re safety etc. Attitude of BP to safety. Details re post-2000 assessment of Sullom Voe (begun 1994), earlier beliefs re its life expectancy. Shetland concern at vulnerability to government fiscal regime re oil. Effect of stable [political etc] regimes in North Sea area. Continuation of traditional industries in Shetland, problem with lack of new equipment, struggles of fishing industry. Importance of fishing, aquaculture compared with oil in Shetland GDP. Description of fundamental changes to Shetland, potential. Attitude to England, Scotland, UK; outside attitudes to Shetland. Recollection of Braer (tanker spill). Own career in retrospective, involvement in decommissioning - future possibility for Shetland. 160 End of interview.
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