| Description | Tape 1 Side A: JOHN (JOCK) STODDART [JS]: born 16 May 1925 Workington, Cumbria. Many of family worked in high duty alloys, aircraft propellers. Grandfather a cricketer. Mother worked at coalmine, grandmother lost down flooded coalmine. Details. Parents' names. Second of six children. Joined Navy 1940. One brother drove Goliath crane. Father a dogman, followed hunts, a poacher. Details. Feelings re barter trade. Father leading light in town. He was also gamekeeper, looked after animals. Describes mother. She looked after children and her brothers, sisters. EDNA KATE STODDART nee PICKESS [ES]: Recalls meeting Jock, marriage. Feelings about Lake District. JEAN EDNA (JEANNIE) STODDART [JEAN]: Recalls being given grandfather's hunt badge. (JS): Father did dog trails. Describes. Recalls High Street school - bit of a wild boy. Family didn't suffer in Depression. Explains. Father looked after neighbours with food etc. Recalls blind neighbour, animals being cured by father. He had pet fox. Gives example of his healing powers. Further details about father, his dogs. (ES): Born 8 January 1927. Father a herring fisherman. Details re him. One of seven children. Describes childhood home, fishing industry. Mother worked in fish house throughout life. Details re herring procedures. Parents' names. Sisters mended nets. Mother and her sisters married three brothers, all fishermen. Left school at 12 because of war. Details re air raid shelters. Describes mother, family closeness. Sister first to work for Shell, as cleaner. Details re her. Recalls meeting Jock while he was in Navy. Married 1948, in present home since 1962. Two children. Details re son John's death. (JEAN): Born 16 November 1951 Lowestoft. Mentions schooling. Details re children.
Tape 1 Side B: (JEAN): Went into secretarial work. Details. Jock had catering contract with Shell. Had own business hiring plant. Interested in animals, cycling, dressmaking. Had idyllic childhood. Explains. Long family involvement with Shell. Recalls deliveries eg to Aberdeen. Brother John worked in business, drove crane from 14. (JS): Company started 1961. Recalls loading dynamite for Shell seismic work. Previously had crane hire business. Details setting up new Shell base. Had experience as steel erector in Middle East. Background to crane business. Reference to Birds Eye. Recalls start of work in oil industry, first involvement with foreign people, industry from 1962, Glomar 2, Forex rigs. Development of Stoddart Transport. (ALL): Details re company logo drawn by John (who became partner). Details re his artwork, designs, company trucks. Worked mainly for Shell Esso during building of Shell Lowestoft base and for 30 years after. Called on 24 hours per day in and outside UK. Details. Reference to core samples. Details re growth of fleet of trucks. (JEAN): Early memories of involvement in company, mechanical tasks, driving trucks etc. (JS): Describes long delivery trips to Europe. (JEAN): Recalls trip to Barcelona. Attitude of father. (ALL): Shell demanded immediate work, paid well. No job refused. (JEAN): Worked in Shell radio room, in contact with platforms. Recalls informal Shell environment, compares with now. (JS): Local people employed then. Details re Shell staff. (ES): Sister, sister-in-law worked in Shell canteen. Details. (JS): Company used to move people, anything, did anything. Details re numbers of people employed, eg some filled sandbags for rig legs, cleaning etc. (JEAN): Family involved from youngest age, always busy.
Tape 2 Side A: (JS): Further details re staff numbers, jobs. Recalls work done during dockers', lorry drivers' strikes, own attitude, threats from strikers. Belonged to Routiers. Impact of oil industry on Lowestoft, now most industries closed. Reference to current S.O.P. platform. Compares speed of launching operation now with before. Recalls small firms, their attitudes. Reference to fishing industry. (ALL): Oil industry children usually went to international schools. Details. Shell people got involved in community. Reference to Shell Christmas party. (JEAN): Details re work in Shell radio room, shift system. When 18 was in control of contact with platforms. (JS): Attitude of Red Adair at time of a fire, work with him. Impression of him, his publicity. Details re helicopters. (ES): Did wages, invoices, banking etc. All calculations done by hand. (JEAN): Recalls child's view of mother's work. (ALL): Atmosphere around house. Friday night only pub night. Details. (JEAN): Recalls working until birth of child. Mentions ecological interests, involvement in anti-nuclear protests etc when Transport Manager. Recalls attempt to bring nuclear wastes into Lowestoft. Was a green haulier. Further details re work in Shell radio room including linking people between different platforms, contacting families. Dangers of helicopter transport. Developed friendships with people offshore. Stresses on families with men working offshore. (JS): Example of changes to safety regulations in use of couriers. (JEAN): Later worked with Amoco, dealing with materials, delivering films etc. Became Transport Manager. (JS): Recalls early primitive transport arrangements, eg in France, Spain, Norway. Did all Shell long distance work. Recalls Bacton work. Trips to Aberdeen every day. Recalls delivery trip to Gottland, nudist island off Sweden.
Tape 2 Side B: (JS): Recalls delivery trip to Spain when church removed by Shell to allow delivery of oil industry equipment. Recalls Sicily trip. Delivered everything to Aberdeen, mainly pipes. Mentions Jock Munro of Shell. Lack of trucking transport running then in Scotland until Andersons. Details re rates, undercutting. Needed police escorts for wide loads. Details re arrangements made, waivers. Recalls carrying heavy loads, diamond bits to Belfast - encountering difficulties because of religious situation. Details re other cargoes. Shell was always in a hurry. Recalls secrecy surrounding core samples - even with police. Reference to gas smell coming from them. Many trips a day to London, Walton-on-Thames etc. Recalls names of Shell personnel. Did work for other customers, oil companies around town. Details re early attempt at crane deal, attitude of bank manager. Shell always paid bills. Had to fight other companies for money. (ALL): Other work carried out, including a rescue. Details re 24-ton spill of pipes. (JEAN): Recalls work driving trucks when pregnant, children's flexible attitude. Some Shell loads very small but always urgent. Reference to mail strike. Deliveries 'by safe hands'. (JS): Story of a close shave on the road. Explains penalty points procedure leading to loss of license. Lost interest in business after death of John. Explains reason for overnight end to business. Feelings about business in retrospect. Changes at Shell. Reference to Wood Group takeover of Shell work. Never turned down a job, no job too big. Explains approach to moving heavy loads. Still looks at every truck that goes by, thinks of John. Continuing effect of John's death. Reference to villa in Spain.
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