| Description | Tape 1 Side A: KEITH MARTIN LADDIMAN (K) born 25 February 1941 Feltwell, Norfolk. Also present, THERESA LADDIMAN (T) nee WESTGATE born Upton, Acle. (K) Elder of two brothers. Describes Feltwell. Father in army during war. Lived with mother and maternal grandparents during war. Details re names. Grandfather had village store, Methodist preacher. Describes grandfather, role model. Describes grandmother. Paternal grandfather had grocery business in Norwich. Many family members in grocery and other retail businesses. Details. Father a grocer. Details re maternal grandparents' grocery, routines, father's shop in Castleacre. Shop never closed. Recalls deliveries during bad winter to stranded people, father's 3-wheeled delivery van, accounting. Family moved to Horseford, bigger business. Details. Describes parents. Mentions discipline in childhood. Religion - went to Sunday School. Education: recalls being called Jewboy because family in business though not Jewish. Recalls being picked on. Good years at Unthank private boys' school, Norwich. Details re later schooling. Enjoyed sport. Didn't want to work in family business. Joined Woolworth's as trainee manager 1959-65. (T) Born in railway carriage. Explains. Father conscientious objector, worked on land during war. Details re early life, later tied-house in Acle. Father a coalman, Methodist preacher - still is at 81. Considered different because of religion. Education: loved geography. Happy childhood. Only child. Mother still best friend. Details re religious activities, childhood, discipline. Career aspirations. Trained as secretary, top of class. Details. Describes parents, grandparents. (K) No alcohol in grandfather's home. Both parents smoked. (T) No alcohol, smoking in home. Own attitude. Details re father's work as coalman, role as messenger. Mentions his singing voice, attitude to life. (K) Recalls meeting Theresa.
Tape 1 Side B: (T) Father sent white feathers because of conscientious objection. Own and others' reaction. Details re situation, father's work, position, attitudes. (K) Recalls work as trainee manager, Woolworths 1959. Lived in lodgings for first time. Details re wages etc. Worked in different departments. Details. Promoted on the floor. Strict regime re appearance. Details re display style, merchandise range, layout of counters, company manual. Learned business discipline. Recalls moves and promotions, ambitions. Background to joining Norman Chalk's catering business with oil/gas industry 1965. Details re Chalk, his preparation for work. Explains planning for costs per-man-per-day. No awareness of oil industry at time. Details re wages. Describes preparation of Chalk's first premises, first contract feeding 200 shipyard workers building rig on Clydebank. Problems re equipment, shoestring approach. Recruited staff. Describes construction site domestic arrangements, work on rig, complicated transportation of food, hygiene situation. Explains early complex financial arrangements dealing with suppliers etc. High quality food required. Expectations of American workers. Recalls characters among shipyard workers. Recalls own ignorance re oil rigs, early impressions. Had no accounting skills at start. Awarded subsequent contracts. Recalls avoiding creditors. No leisure activities, enjoyed work. (T) Recalls first marriage to American, living in Arkansas, at time of race troubles. Lived in US after divorce. Recalls return to UK, decision not to return to US, interview for job with Chalks. Impression of Chalk, Keith, office. Attitude to work influenced by time in US. Explains. Got business organised. Details re contracts. (K) Explains ways of getting contracts, difficulties with getting right staff, improvements made. (T) Ordering process using telex. Did not make money at first.
Tape 2 Side A: (K) Chalk Catering (cont'd). Convinced business would grow. Great Yarmouth people anti-oil industry because of effect on fishing industry. (T) Attitude of Norfolk people to Americans, outsiders. (K) Mentions American impact during war. (T) Many local young women married Americans. Local feelings about Yanks. Describes American attitude, local fear of unknown. (K) Ignorance re oil industry, impact on fishing. Details re job, colleagues in firm. Contract from Odeco for South African rig 1969 - supplying Caucasians. Problems getting Caucasians to do menial work. (T) Recalls work in South Africa. (K) Details re helicopter incident. Recalls routines, problems with crews, complications with supply transports. Describes storage on old rig. Reason for lack of doors on toilets. Accommodation arrangements. No income for six months. (T) Details re marriage in South Africa. Renewed vows last year. (K) Recalls Chalks' UK competition, eg Cateray. Got contract with Ocean Traveller off Aberdeen 1971 - personally requested. Mentions friendship with American drilling colleagues Enoch Dawkins, Vance Greene. (T) Explains reaction to Aberdeen move, desire to travel. (K) Comments on stress of work, own approach. Effect of Theresa on own work, approach. First impression of Aberdeen. Went for a year, stayed 17. Helped American colleagues settle. Met rig at Kirkcaldy. Mentions living in 23 hotels. (T) Recalls running office from home, being unpaid secretary. American women formed Petroleum Women's Club. Details re their activities. Value of PWC. Reference to 1972 photograph. Women a forceful bunch. Explains. Mentions products brought from US through their efforts. Recalls first American food store. Reaction of Aberdonian women to Americans. Birth of son, effect of this on own situation.
Tape 2 Side B: (K) Explains attitude to food offshore, unlimited meals, difficult costing control. (T) Recalls PWC activities, shows for charity, other charitable activities. Difficulties for oil wives, divorces, alcohol. Details re son, now seismic engineer with Schlumberger, born Aberdeen 1973. Details re Chalk office in Aberdeen. (T) Still a financial struggle. Explains. Improving personnel situation. Employed many ex-merchant navy people. Impact of Government on firm. Company sold to French company Chalk Drill Catering 1973. Problems because of inflation. Details re personnel changes. Explains own situation, relationship with French, Chalk. Recalls feeling re lack of support for Aberdeen part of firm. Recalls meeting with Edwin Reid, Clydesdale Bank; business and personal relationship with bank. Explains loyalty to Chalks. Company always struggled. Explains short-term work. Feelings re having to leave company - redundancy. No contact with unions in early days. Explains. Effectively unionised 1978-9. Background to job with Stavanger Catering. Set up company in Aberdeen. Mentions oil exhibition. Invited to bid for Forties Bravo contract, got job, changed name to Scott Catering. Explains. Picked up contracts from ex-Chalk clients. Explains. Details re contracts acquired, eg BP, Chevron's Ninian Field; numbers of people to feed. Attitude to fast work on construction sites, own reputation for speed. Explains approach to getting contracts, cold-calling, budgeting, reaction of potential clients. Recalls contract agreed by American lying on floor in hotel; another unexpected contract where crew needed next day. Details re rounding up crew. Recalls quality of people working in office, personal loyalties. (T) Recalls enjoyment of 'cloud nine' situation with adequate income, son etc. Feelings about son. Mentions quality of medical care in Aberdeen.
Tape 3 Side A: (K) Mid-to-late 1970s Aberdeen people in decision-making positions. Bought condemned railway containers to ship out food. Later better services offered, eg refrigerated containers. Growth in business, discounts. Scottish people cautious re opportunities at first; people came from Great Yarmouth etc. Mentions warehousing, container hire businesses. Visited platforms occasionally. Mostly occupied marketing. Scott Catering forced to recognise unions. Paid staff more than others, didn't need recognition. Reference to Ninian, Dolphin fields. Arrival of pickets, threats of strikes. Required by Chevron to recognise unions 1977-8. Felt hurt. Explains loss of enthusiasm for job. Explains union tactics. Reason for being targeted by unions. Own attitude to them. Mentions COTA (Caterers' Offshore Trade Association) negotiations re pay rates. No unionisation effect on pay rates. Never had strike action. Explains. Left Scott Catering 1980 - wanted to do something for self. Built Churchill Bar in Aberdeen. Mentions Scott Catering purchase of Commodore Hotel, Stonehaven. (T) Started craft shop 1980, ran craft classes. (K) After own departure, Scott Catering lost business. Bought, developed Commodore. Bought stake in Phoenix Catering. Details re pub clientele, turnover. Hotel emptied with oil downturn late 1980s. Phoenix sold to Arab oilfield catering company. Details. Sold Commodore 1988. Explains decision to return to Norfolk. Purchased Anglian Caterers. Mentions other work. Attempt by competitors to make OSO (Offshore Supplies Office) a problem. (T) Impact of Piper Alpha disaster in Aberdeen. (K) No concept of scale of disaster in Norwich. Explains ignorance re oil industry in Norfolk. Catering people had to do survival training courses. Describes changing layout of catering/accommodation areas offshore. Describes transfer to rig by cargo basket.
Tape 3 Side B: (T) Recalls going offshore, survival equipment, helicopter flight, superstition re women on rigs. Reference to Princess Anne. (K) Details re ownership of Anglian Inflight Catering 1988, NAAFI onshore catering venture. 1996 went to Algeria, BP Sahara camp. Details. Describes security measures. Went to Bangladesh 1997. Details. Mentions rebels in hills. Likes challenging jobs. (T) Feelings about Keith's work, need for challenges. (K) Norwegian contract 1997-9 working with two rigs. Set up company there. Later worked for German in Singapore, Aberdeen. Still working for him as consultant. (T) Compares ways of making deals before and now. (K) Business less informal, more professional now. Recalls Ð20M turnover in first four years of Scott Catering. Mentions company Ferrari. Compares costs of catering now with early days. Not a high-earning business. Recalls phases of development, wasteful period. Compares offshore production, construction phases. Improvements to accommodation etc offshore. Responsible for accommodation, catering, shops etc. Compares with running hotels. Relationship with other crew personnel. Early member of Petroleum Club. Details re membership cost etc. (T) Kept in touch with oil industry friends. Details. (K) Comments on excitement of oil industry. Place of catering staff on rig - a 'necessary evil'. Changes in attitudes towards them. Recalls long queues for jobs in 1970s in Aberdeen. Compares stewards' pay, working time then and now. Situation different in Norway. Union runs the business. Explains. Scott Catering paid highest rate. COTA never worked. Explains. Same catering for whole crew. Mentions forthcoming management work in Nigeria. Mentions swimming requirement for caterers in Nigeria. Feelings about North Sea prospects in catering. Mentions other work possibilities in Aberdeen.
Tape 4 Side A: (T) Feelings about oil industry catering work, place of women, their stronger skills in certain areas, equal opportunities. Most oil wives wedded to the industry. (K) Alcohol banned offshore. Stories of homemade stills offshore, whisky smuggling. Recalls French rig with bar. Recalls throwing wine over side. Norwegians strict re alcohol. Details. Feelings about working with Norwegians. Details re their regime. Comments on pay regimes for caterers. Reference to COTA. Recalls camaraderie in Scott Catering. Recites poem from Chevron Central platform Camp Boss during time of union problems before Christmas. Describes drillers, their work situation, Tool Pushers, OIMs (Offshore Installation Managers). Reference to Ted Roberts. Health requirements not considered in compiling menus in early days. Compares with later. Details re menus. Introduction of healthy eating diets. Four meals a day offshore. Story of chef who had difficulties with helicopter pilots. Recalls nicknames for cooks. Americans difficult to please in early days. Explains. Mentions own good relationship with Americans, award of Freedom Keys to Houston, naming of day after self. Reference to Aberdeen 'mafia', Edwin Reid, Golda Meir. Scott Catering was most fulfilling time. Explains. Recalls apology from French for redundancy from Chalks. Explains ISO 9000 accreditation, requirements. (T) Current plans.
Tape 4 Side B: Blank.
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