| Description | Tape 1 Side A: JOHN RANDOLPH HASHIM born 30 November 1922 in Manchester. Only child. Paternal great-grandfather, who was in cotton, came from Beirut. Maternal family farmers in West Country. Parents died young. After war bought old steam fishing trawler, worked from Lowestoft. Knew nothing about fishing but had mentor. Details. Father in Army during Great War, in cotton during slump afterwards, died at 52 of TB, mother died 2 years later. Home in Cheshire. Describes parents. Went to boarding prep school in Surrey, Dartmouth Naval College. Feelings about being away at school. Good at games. Well taught at school. Comments on own abilities, significance of prep school period, learning honesty, integrity. Own children went to same prep school. Changing attitudes to headmasters. Discipline tough and necessary. Compares with today. Comments on business studies. Recalls holiday activities. Details re childhood home - small house on big estate owned by Mrs Caroline Lee. Spent holidays in Scotland. Happy amusing self as child. Details re life at Dartmouth, tutor - a rugger player for Ireland. Discipline strict, fair. Joined first ship, cruiser Liverpool, as midshipman, in Aden 1940. Later joined cruiser York. Reason for not enjoying it. Reference to Midshipman's Journal. Details re cocoa (kai). Spent month in cruiser Ajax, then in destroyer. Details. Explains responsibilities as midshipman on bridge. Returned to England, did sub lieutenants' courses, went to sea as sub lieutenant in Hunt Class destroyer Rockwood. Ship hit by glider bomb in Mediterranean 1943. Recalls standards, morale being maintained by captain in spite of damage. Trained as canoeist with COPP (Combined Operations Pilotage Party) to be landed from submarines 1944. Details.
Tape 1 Side B: Feelings about having war experience when young. Compares with situation in society today. Reference to Duke of Edinburgh's play fields. Parents strongly conservative. Own feeling about politics. Later in war went to Ceylon for further canoe training. After war went to sea as first lieutenant. Details re captain's polar experience. Reference to Edmund Hillary, Vivian Fuchs. Left Navy 1947, bought steam fishing trawler in Lowestoft. Married 1947. Details re her, children, deaths of parents. Own attitude to crises. Background to entry into fishing business. Influence of small incidents can lead to big decisions. Costs involved in setting up business. Took on partner. No formal business training. Details re state of steam trawler, dimensions, crew. Details re financial arrangements with them. Describes fishing routines, arrangement of skipper, catching and processing crab meat. Big fishing fleet in Lowestoft. Attitude to own boat. North Sea full of fish at time. No difficulties establishing business. Details re fish caught. Worked in office. Fishing industry was unionised. Plenty of people wanted to go to sea. Recalls one trip on boat, impression of crew. Mentions onshore oil installations at Eakring. Mentions birth of sons, move to present area. Background to establishment of mink farm. Fed mink with unsold fish. Explains fish sale patterns throughout year. Bought second boat after 3 years. Built 2 further new ones. Compares possibility of doing this then and now. Built fleet to c6 fishing boats. Details re improvements in new boats, reduction in number of fishing companies in Lowestoft. Own company called Putford. Named boats after villages ending in 'eigh'. Details re other names, e.g. Specious.
Tape 2 Side A: Didn't interfere with actual fishing work. Mentions superstitions in fishing. Quality of Lowestoft fishermen. Nature of competition. Built first ship in 1960. Recalls own first involvement with North Sea oil/gas industry - hiring out a trawler Arduous to Teddy Parker who ran supply ships from Yarmouth. First time ever able to predict earnings. Compares with fishing industry situation. Explains role of trawler as standby boat, eligibility to fly Blue Ensign. Reference to Commanders Dannreutter, Mullinder. Details re contract with Parker. Crews not used to more than 12 days at sea, so relief ship arranged. No instructions to standby boats, no special rescue gear, signage. Detail re crew size on Arduous. No regulations re requirements for standby vessels. Recalls term 'paraffin boats' (second quality boats), 'ships' husbands'. At that stage fishing industry strong. Attitude to standby work. Next job with BP drilling rigs. Mentions competitors, ruthless operators. Recalls buying more old ships cheaply. Fishing companies stuck to fishing. Explains economies of standby ship work compared with fishing. Many people rescued. Gives example involving Phillips fatal accident. Reference to Boston Hornet. Some companies tried to get by with stern trawlers. No acknowledgement from Phillips after rescue. Built up fleet of about 15 standby vessels. Steps taken to avoid boredom for crews. Impact of Sea Gem on BP's use of standby vessels. Later sent ships to Forties Field. BP's insistence on supporting local Aberdeen workforce, so associated with Salvesens. Details re standing instructions issued to standby ships. Situation now re medics. Old fishing boats used for 15 years. Relationship with oil companies. Felt need to do something useful for them.
Tape 2 Side B: Explains change from trawlers to supply ships, their original role working between rigs etc. Able to carry larger rescue craft - substitute standby boats - on supply ships, saving oil companies ships. Details. Reference to George Catchpole; ship Sedulous. Technical details. Operated mainly in Southern North Sea. Explains. Fishing was going strongly till about 1985, when left it. Moved fishing boats to standby work for rigs. Supply ships operated for platforms. Later got into dual-purpose ships. Details. Explains advantage over competitors. Industry highly competitive but tougher now. Explains change in business methods. Operated out of Lowestoft. Mentions son working for Americans (Seacor International) who bought company. Further details re relationship with Salvesens, entry into Aberdeen. Reference to Norman Davidson who ran part of firm in Aberdeen which was eventually bought out by Salvesens. Details re their ships. Company in Aberdeen called Safety Ships - successful operation. Details. Recalls relationship with crews. Only 3 women in accounts department. Reason for not having finance director. Comments on people feathering own nests today. At time of eventual sale over 800 staff. Details. Explains evolution of relationship with Britannia Marine, Boston Deepsea Fisheries. Reference to Boston Putford. Own later involvement with company. Reference to son Simon, his involvement. Feelings about selling company - which has grown. Explains. Details re family. Own remaining links with company. Attitude to ending job. Mentions Peter Wordie's involvements in company. Reference to Stirling Shipping. Never went for smart image. Current situation, home.
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