| Description | LIZ KIDNER interview at her home, 11Westholme Avenue, Aberdeen on Thursday 23rd February, 2017. Interviewer Eric Crockart. Summary by Eric Crockart.
One session was recorded on a Zoom H6 digital recorder. Interviewee and Interviewer wore Rode Lavalier lapel microphones. Interviewee is recorded on the left stereo channel, and interviewer is recorded on the right stereo channel. Indicative timings in the summary are given in (hour:minute:second) format.
SESSION 1.
(0:00:00) ELIZABETH ANNE WILLS KIDNER (Liz), born 26th August 1944 in Paisley, Renfrewshire. Educated Paisley Grammar School, went to Secretarial College in Glasgow, worked in various secretarial jobs in Paisley area. Explains. Then became medical secretary at Royal Alexandra Infirmary. Moved to Aberdeen 1972 to work for Grampian Television as secretary to the Controller of Programmes. Was not involved with oil industry at all at that time - but speaks about what Aberdeen was like then.
(0:02:53) In January 1975 moved to the British Airports Authority to become Secretary/Personal Assistant to General Manager Andy Hamilton at Aberdeen Airport. Did this for 3 years. Very interesting time, airport starting to grow. Explains there was a very small terminal building on the east side of the airport at Dyce. BAA took over airport in 1975. Added six temporary portacabins to existing terminal while new terminal being built on west side of airport. Very little there apart from two helicopter companies, and some old buildings from Second World War days. Airport traffic growing very rapidly from 1975 to 1977, when new terminal opened. In early days about fifty thousand passengers a year, and within a few years it was over a million passengers a year.
(0:05:40) Describes opening of new terminal by Princess Alexandra in June 1977. Problems because terminal not quite ready. Eric Gandar Dower was present as an old man, he was well known pilot, responsible for location of original airport before Second World War. Gives brief history of airport and runway. Mid-1970s - helicopter companies expanded their facilities, helicopter movements enormous. Dan Air flew fixed wing flights to Shetland so people could then fly by helicopter to the rigs. Liz not involved with any difficulties with helicopter traffic. Changes to Aberdeen, caused difficulties to traditional industry because workers leaving to join oil industry.
(0:10:09) American involvement and contacts - thinks they were responsible for better restaurants in Aberdeen. Day to day issues she and general manager had to deal with. Complaints about noise, more aircraft coming in. BAA had to bring in sound-proofing scheme for people in Bucksburn area close to airport. Aware things were growing, caught up with the excitement of it. When she went there in 1975 she and general manager were in a portacabin for two years. Fact of life. Management team relatively small - explains they liaised with NATS (National Air Traffic control Service), because BAA had no responsibility for air traffic control. Describes similarity between look of new air traffic control building and the former Co-op building in George Street, Aberdeen now occupied by the John Lewis store. Airport management realised with flights growing fast, needed better fire service. Everyone wanting accommodation, people wanting land near to the terminal building.
(0:14:18) Can't remember airport staff team size, but was quite small then. Thinks it might have been about 50, but within a few years had 250. Searching, security all expanded. Although BAA owned the airport they did not run all the facilities - there were concessions. Catering and Car Hire. That was what Liz was involved with after Andy Hamilton left. In 1978 Liz moved to the airport's property and commercial department. Spent quite a lot time dealing with tenants in the airport, the concessions, the duty-free shop. Had to monitor them. Also mostly oil-related people looking for new buildings. Liz also dealt with complaints. Often minor things that became big things. Oil had expanded at such a rate that it was obvious they did not have the space at the airport - explains what was done to try and tackle this.
(0:18:56) Growth of area round airport was rapid - explains. Noise factor. Roads got snarled up, price to be paid for oil growth. Liz amazed how much more area round airport has expanded even since she was working there up till 1987, particularly in hotels. Only hotel beside airport at first was the original Skean Dhu beside east terminal. The Airport Skean Dhu hotel was then built on the west side near new terminal during time Liz worked at airport. She was quite involved when they were building that. Was built by an American. Mentions International School.
(0:21:45) Talks about issue of airport security. Even back then did passenger searches, even at old terminal, but more cursory she thinks. Compares then with her experience of airport now. Originally there were no police, when they went into the new terminal there was a police presence, Customs and Immigration also expanded, more international passengers. Although terminal expanded, she thinks could have expanded even more, but there were restrictions on doing that. Don't think people really understood how big it would be, they thought by 2020 there would be no oil left at all. Thinks oil companies were quite reticent at saying how long oil was going to be in Aberdeen, therefore everybody else did not react to it as much as they should. Airport fire service had to be expanded as well. Thinks you have to have everyone out of an aircraft within three minutes. Recalls she and the other airport staff also had to do fire training, though does not really know what they would have been expected to do in a real incident. Explains what was involved in training.
(0:25:05) Attitudes to safety? What safety measures were in place for those flying offshore? Helicopter companies responsible for their own safety and security. Became quite stringent. Very basic protective suits to begin with, but got better. Had an Open Day about 1982, public allowed to go all over the place, nowadays would not be allowed, strong fence all round the airport. Security so stringent now. Recalls visit by supersonic airliner Concorde to Aberdeen, did not land, but touched its wheels down on the runway and then flew off again. Different world now, security measures now designed to deal with terrorists. Explains her role as secretary/ personal assistant to general manager Andy Hamilton, and how he operated. He was ex-Fleet Air Arm pilot, had been at Prestwick Airport before Aberdeen. Right person to be there at that time. Go-ahead, was challenged by the job. After him Bill Aitkenhead took over, but he was a PR man. He started putting the gloss on the airport - explains. Explains more about Andy Hamilton, describes what he was like to work with. Listened to people, but had his own ideas as well. Quite a young team at the time. Second in command was Mike Dooley, who had come from Heathrow Airport in London, another was a Wick man called Roland Gunn who had worked for the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). Quite a number of these initial people went on to become the top of their profession - Mike Dooley went to Prestwick, Ron Wallace who was head of operations went to Edinburgh much later on.
(0:32:36) Explains how management at Aberdeen Airport operated and developed at that time, as part of the British Airports Authority (BAA). BAA had Scottish airports division based at Glasgow Airport. BAA tried to meet needs of the oil industry, difficult because it was not a private company, it was a "pseudo-government organisation", but had to make a profit. Recalls how some of the property leases that she was involved with at the time eventually revert back to the airport after 30 years or whatever term the lease says. Bristow Helicopters, British Airways Helicopters, companies like that, all had long leases. She would love to know how it works now, and what has happened to the leases.
(0:36:21) Recalls people from the oil industry coming to see airport manager Andy Hamilton. Quite a common occurrence. If they were looking for accommodation at the airport. Tried our best to meet the needs. Thinks there was a good working relationship between the airport and the oil industry. They were always wanting more space, that was difficult because there was not enough space to give them. Recalls main airlines at the time in Aberdeen in the 1970s - British Airways, Dan Air, Air Anglia which became Air UK. Amazed that Loganair is still with us. East terminal, the old terminal building, was turned over to general aviation. Some of the small companies operated out of there rather than the main terminal - Loganair, and some of the helicopter companies who came in. British Caledonian Helicopters was there. Air Ecosse operated from there. East terminal was operating as a separate terminal, took some of the pressure off the main terminal. Recalls that Loganair was on the map even back in the 1960s, and it is still there.
(0:40:02) Explains about the property and commercial department work she started doing in 1978, and dealings she had with people from the oil and gas industry. Normally dealt with the people wanting new buildings and facilities. Lots of areas had been earmarked for possible development. All the car hire companies ended up having facilities, people supplying survival suits had a facility, Wood Group had a building there where she thinks they filtered through their own staff. They wanted something nearer the airport than their other properties. Competition for these sites? Companies not quite sure what was going to happen. All the service companies you see now, they weren't there. So Liz had to do a selling job at times. Explains. People reticent at beginning to commit themselves, no one sure how it would work out. The terminal building had to be extended. Thinks this was driven by the oil industry. Also recalls period of downturn in industry because of drop in the oil price. Then came back, now been going through it again in the last few years. If the oil price is high, Aberdeen will prosper, if it goes down the whole area suffers.
(0:47:06) Airport was affected by this downturn in the 1980s - less flights, less business, not as much money being spent in airport shops and bars. Recalls expansion of housing in Bridge of Don, Westhill, Bucksburn. More houses in Inverurie, prices went up enormously. Aberdeen facilities improved, nice restaurants and hotels, but some local people were a bit put out because not everyone benefitted from the oil industry. Compares situation then with current situation, questions who is going to buy all the new houses that are being built in the Aberdeen area. Gives example of house prices in her own area recently, and buying her own house 26 years before.
(0:52:26) Affluence oil industry brought made difference to way airport developed. Recalls first coming to Aberdeen and having to take her parents for a meal to a hotel. Original west terminal had views out on to the runways. But had to fill that in because of lack of space. Restricted for expansion at airport and terminal itself. It was built then for what was thought would be adequate, but not now - but how can you predict 40 years ahead?
(0:55:53) More destinations, this seems to have been driven by where people wanted to go on holiday, but also thinks the oil industry played a big part. She left the airport in 1987, she was not involved in safety issues. Not involved with the helicopter companies because they had their own terminals. They were not under our control, but neither was Air Traffic Control. If BAA was aware of helicopter companies contravening the rules, they would take action, but it was not their responsibility as far as she knows.
(1:00:40) During twelve years she was at airport, things that stick out in her mind were the Open Day; when a plane went off the end of the runway and ended up in the mud at the end; enjoyed her time there, but not all plain sailing. Explains she left the airport to get married, and join her husband, who had taken over the paper mill at Fort William in 1986. Contrasts her situation with the airport where there was always something happening, with Fort William where a lot of people did not have jobs. So she started working for the Citizens' Advice Bureau. People she remembers meeting while at the airport include Sir Maitland Mackie, Eric Gandar Dower, and Princess Alexandra. Liz sometimes had to deal with VIPs. Recalls Prince Andrew and his fellow school mates from Gordonstoun School all arriving in high spirits at the end of term, and being put in the VIP room so they did not cause a problem in the airport terminal. Also recounts the experience of people dealing with all the Royal Family's Corgi dogs.
(ENDS 1:06:28) |