| Description | Tape 1 Side A: LINDA ANN GALLAGHER nee PREVETTE born 21 February 1951 Dartford Kent. Background to names. Father a prisoner-of-war in Germany. Details. He spoke little about the experience. Parents' names. Mother formerly Spencer. Has older brother. Paternal grandparents' names. Grandfather in insurance. Father General Secretary of Cremations Society of Great Britain. Increase in cremations during his time. Recalls his slogan, 'Save the land for the living'. Maternal family details. Mother lives nearby. Recalls childhood home, garden, neighbourhood. Mother in WRNS (Women's Royal Naval Service) during war. Father breadwinner, head of family. Describes parents' personalities. Father worked long hours during week. Was close to him. Parents didn't socialise much. Details. No involvement with religion. Father had lot of contact with church re cremation. Mentions attitude of Catholic Church. Own feelings about cremation. Recalls visiting many crematoria with father. Discussed politics with father. Interested in world politics. Details. Parents conservative. Own position. Explains abstention last election. Recalls friends during school, college. Explains importance of friendships. Recalls criteria for being in the in-crowd among girls. Started reading as teenager. Explains. Details re taste in reading. Recalls social activities when growing up, relationship with brother. Details re his work. Education: had natural ability in languages, shorthand, maths. Thought of doing interpreting work. No career aspiration when at school. Compares attitude to university then and now. Explains decision to do secretarial course. Hated sport at school. Recalls Miss Abraham, head of junior school, her qualities, firm discipline at school. Was prefect in 6th year. Recalls school rules, own situation when a prefect.
Tape 1 Side B: Education (cont'd): recalls rare corporal punishment at school. Explains appointment as prefect, own attitudes at school. Did 2-year bilingual secretarial course at Bromley College of Technology 1970. Grew up a lot. Explains bilingual aspect of course, other aspects, eg commercial law. Did temping in London after completing course. Recalls social life there. First job with Total 1971 as Secretary to Petroleum Engineer. Recalls small office, friendly staff. Mentions previous holiday job with Withers & Co, Solicitors, snooty atmosphere. Feeling about way temps still treated. In Total everyone friendly, welcoming. Recalls colleagues, some eccentric. Reference to Jean-Louis Daniaud, Roy Yelland, David Wood, John Small, Bob Fox. Mentions rotation of staff with Aberdeen. Location of London offices. Reference to Jimmy Edwards, State processions, Haile Selassie. Recalls company's constant exploration, excitement, morning reports, Frigg Field negotiations. Explains daily work routine. Mentions telex, switchboard, dictation. Always a pretty girl on reception. Details re office machines. Mentions later merger with Elf, effect of this on company. Total was one of smaller companies. Recalls contact with Head Office in Paris. French secretary was high powered in company, ran office. Mentions nepotism in company. Gives examples of sons, daughters employed by company. Not liked by boss's secretary. Own reaction. Feelings re relationships in working places. Recalls social life in office, nights out etc. Details re company rules about being sent to Paris. Mentions first husband, a geologist working for Total. Details re daily allowance. Details re Paris office. Spent a year there 1974-5. French secretaries did as little as possible. Explains their attitude. Attitude to British secretaries, their approach to work.
Tape 2 Side A: Worked in Paris for two young English lawyers, mostly dealing with contracts. All done on typewriters. Many contracts re partnerships. First marriage 1975. Not much social life connected with office in Paris. Explains. Mentions Red Lion pub, Champs Elysees. Details re husband's work as geologist. Reference to Open University. Details re Paris hierarchy. Became friends with senior secretaries. Not allowed to speak to President's secretary. No contact with other oil companies. Took no notice of politics at time. Mentions Frigg pipelines, St Fergus Terminal. Recalls personal situation. Returned to London 1975, worked for Administration Manager, Jean Dangreau. Describes. Has mostly had good working relationships with bosses. Many wives only know half husbands' personalities. Comments on bosses' wives, changes in bosses' personalities. Many French managers workaholics. Comments on broken holidays, never getting away from work. Mentions father's situation. Moved to Aberdeen 1975. First marriage. Feelings about career/family choice. Explains own choice. Opinion of feminism. Aberdeen exciting then. Describes sense of fun. Recalls French expatriate characters, social activities. Details re changing Total staff, office locations, hierarchy. Recalls District Manager who drove three people to nervous breakdowns. Compares him with other managers. Company then run by Andrew Armstrong, Administration Manager/Deputy District Manager. He kept place going in mid-70s. Feelings about working with French people, their attitude towards British in company. Relationships in Aberdeen between oil companies, impact of UKOOA (UK Offshore Operators' Association). Little competition between companies. Information shared. Secretary for Safety Manager in Overflow Office, Peterculter. Details re office. Never had female boss. Glass ceiling in company for women, British people. Reference to Communications Manager, Jane Stirling.
Tape 2 Side B: Recalls Safety Manager, Bert Twiddy. Reaction of Aberdeen people to self, industry. Difficult being English - bigger culture shock than Paris. Explains Scottish attitudes to England. Felt like an intruder in Aberdeen. Reaction of people in city pubs. Compares with people in country pubs. Situation still same. Feeling about Aberdeen, able to adapt. Recalls other colleagues working on switchboard, French engineers, drillers etc. Girls, apart from self, Scottish. Describes daily routine, transport, collecting morning 'rowies' from baker, office work etc. Lived in company flat. Good atmosphere in office. Drillers were rebels, ignored rules, enjoyed partying etc. Service companies wooed oil companies. Total used French service companies where possible, though more costly. Impact of OSO (Offshore Supplies Office) requirements. Explains role of Safety Manager pre-Piper Alpha. Safety then not major preoccupation. Husband in near-fatal accident. Details. Explains his work routines offshore, difficulty of lifestyle. Own feelings re his work, absences. Difficult when he came back. Effect of lifestyle on many marriages. Explains own ways of spending time alone. Effects of lifestyle on fathers, family discipline etc. Company had no employee assistance programmes as they now have. Mentions Oil Wives association which helped people. Moved into Operations around1980. Work involved St Fergus Terminal, pipelines, Frigg (operated by Elf). Recalls Operations Managers, their characteristics, backgrounds, style. Explains going for interview with Stena who were setting up, outcome of interview. Had to make many international calls. Gives examples. Total constantly looking for staff from elsewhere to bring to UK. Paid well. Details re first salary. Recalls jealousy of others. Well paid compared with other secretaries in London, Aberdeen.
Tape 3 Side A: Oil industry was glamorous in early days. Explains. Has been offshore several times. Details re MCP-01 (manifold compression platform). Describes another installation offshore. Big inauguration of Frigg Field production. Reference Queen, Prince Philip. Recalls other inaugurations, invitees. Lot of correspondence with Elf before merger but little direct contact. Recalls vague perceptions of them. Went to Stavanger, Norway 1982. Mentions second husband's work there. Joined company as local in Norway. Details re second husband, also in oil industry, his previous jobs before joining Total. He became turbo-drilling engineer. Mentions his broken leg. Explains turbo-drilling. He set up office in Norway. Recalls own enjoyment of Norway. Describes Norwegian people, their working style, quantity of regulations. Compares Stavanger, Aberdeen, their histories. Norwegians called that part the Black Coast. Strong alcohol controls there in early days. Worked for French engineers, dealt with partnerships and Elf etc. Comments on French/Norwegian/British relationships. Recalls colleagues. No women in management then. Some women worked offshore in catering, engineering. Workforce very unionised, regular strikes. French attitude to striking. Own feelings about unions, never a member. Learned Norwegian. Work routine similar to that in UK. Norwegians make good use of leisure time, not workaholics. Explains. Recalls boss's secretary who ran the place. Explains own approach with bosses, training them up, getting them organised etc. Gives example of a disorganised boss. Often made decisions for bosses. Explains current situation, ways of managing jobs to be done, organising boss. Attitude of most bosses to secretaries. Explains use of own worldwide networks, including other secretaries. Details re current boss, problems with communication, own way of dealing with him.
Tape 3 Side B: Recalls relationship between Norwegians, British. Compares their attitudes to work. Norwegians have better working conditions, high standard/cost of living. Returned to Aberdeen 1985, worked for Total on contract for Operations Department doing partnership liaison job. Worked with Andrew Armstrong. Birth of son 1985. Went to Oman 1986 when husband appointed Base Manager. Reference to Huntings. Bribery culture in Oman. Explains husband's dislike of this, closure of base. Rules in Oman re women working. Mentions availability of houseboy to look after son, working hours. Feelings re servants, British attitude there. Details re own houseboy. Offered job with Oman Secret Service Personnel Department. Details re security in offices. Job provided only opportunity to get to know Omanis. Attitude of Omanis towards foreigners. Details re colleagues, work. Returned to Aberdeen 1988. Tried being full-time mother, didn't like it. Mentions coffee mornings. Attitude to working mothers. Rejoined Total. Recalls Piper Alpha disaster, link to person who was never found (Bob Selby), impact of disaster on Aberdeen. Phone calls from around world. Mentions Total operational connection to Piper, current emergency arrangements. Compares disaster with 11 September 2001. Nobody prepared for such an event. Before disaster much safety down to drilling contractors rather than oil companies. Recalls sympathy towards Occidental rather than blame. Accident could have happened to anyone. Reference to Cullen Report. Compares Aberdeen 1988, 1976, describes atmosphere in company, Total's reputation for looking after employees. Worked for Andrew Armstrong, Deputy District Manager. Explains enjoyment of work with him. Taught diplomacy by him. Mentions involvement with Haddo House Arts Trust, Prince Edward. Recalls Lady Aberdeen. Details re Armstrong's other activities.
Tape 4 Side A: Worked well with Andrew Armstrong, Deputy District Manager. Details re local, Paris hierarchy, company roles. Comments on relationship between Aberdeen, London offices. Reasons for others' initial attitudes to self coming from London. Ignorance in London about Aberdeen still exists. French attitude. Comments on quality of life in Aberdeen. Attitude of current Managing Director. Example of current tensions with London since Aberdeen became Head Office. Recalls MD Claude Brice, an 'axe' man, his qualities. Comments in detail on different MDs, their styles, personalities. Own role to mediate between personalities where necessary. Mentions own awareness of what is going on. Current role is Personal Assistant to MD, Michel Contie. Explains work, attitude of MD, his reputation, presidency of UKOOA (UK Offshore Operators' Association), significance of this. Background to merger with Elf, Fina. Reference to Agip, French Government. Little impact from Fina merger, but a battle with Elf people who were anti-everything. Details. Mentions earlier Elf mergers with Occidental, Enterprise, effect of these. Constant friction between Total and Elf people. Describes. Elf conditions improved under Total. Mentions earlier scandal involving Elf. Recalls cold reception at time of first move into Elf premises in Aberdeen. Culture just starting to change. Situation personalised at all levels worldwide. Ex-Elf people unhappy re possible change of name TotalFinaElf back to Total. Now has good relationships with ex-Elf people. Own situation among staff as PA to big boss. Future of North Sea industry. Own future plans.
Tape 4 Side B: Blank
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