NEEPS

hamepages

A play to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Piper Alpha will premiere at the re-opened Lemon Tree Studio Theatre next month.

Commissioned to mark the event by Aberdeen Performing Arts (His Majesty's Theatre) it will run from Wednesday 2 July to Sunday 6th July, the actual 20th anniversary.

Tickets are on sale at the Aberdeen box office 01224 641122/ www.boxofficeaberdeen.com.

wildgarlic · Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2008 10:34 pm Post subject:

Hope the opening night went well.... I expect that Sunday's performance will be particularly emotional.
_________________
Neeps Flickr Group - check out some of the fab photos from other Neepsters and share some of your own.

lor138 · Neepster Joined: 07 Jul 2007 Posts: 1800 Location: Alford

The evening express has been covering Piper Alpha all this week in the paper.
It's been very interesting reading as I was 11 when it happened, but remember it like it was yesterday.
_________________
Growing old is mandatory, but growing up is optional.

wildgarlic · Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2008 11:16 pm Post subject:

It does not seem 20 years since it happened, that's for sure. I hope that some of the memorial projects that have been suggested actually do happen. Hopefully the offshore industry will be a safer working environment as a result.
_________________
Neeps Flickr Group - check out some of the fab photos from other Neepsters and share some of your own.

IainC · Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2008 1:25 pm Post subject:

JoH · Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2008 4:53 pm Post subject:

I was in Foresterhill having my son when the first of the choppers started landing with the casualties. Never forget that night.

Philby · Neepster Joined: 04 Jul 2007 Posts: 165 Location: New Deer

I became involved with the oil industry in 1990, just 2 years after Piper. at the time I was working for the company (AscoSmit) who provided the crew for the Tharos, the MSV (Multi Support Vessel) that played a major part in the rescue and recovery operation. I was an Assistant Safety Engineer at the time and "green" as H*ll.

I knew many of the MSV crew and met many of those who took part in the incident including characters like "Danny Kaye" his real name and "Stirling Moss" again his real name! I visited the Tharos on a number of occasions and heard them talk about the sheer frustration and hopelessness of the position they were in. Quite a few were given awards for bravery. I know they would happily give them back if it could have changed the situation.

My old friend from years back was a medic on Piper A, he was onshore but his back to back died.

Much of my job with AscoSmit was in arranging (Safety) training courses for the crew of the Tharos including Fire Fighting training, Fire team leader life boat crew training and a wide range of other Safety Training that Occidental petroleum (The company that operated the Piper A) put in place after the event.

As I developed in my career I have been involved wit many offshore operations including the Tartan A platform.

Tartan fed its production to the Piper for pumping onshore, one of the things that greatly increased the severity of the fire on Piper since the OIM (Offshore Installation Manager) on Tartan did not have the authority to stop production. The OIM could see the fire in the distance but continued to feed the inferno.

Post Piper things did change, BUT, recently things have taken a turn for the for the worse. The high oil price has meant that essential maintenance has been postponed to maximise production and profit.

YOU tell me what you think is the priorityof the oil industry is.

I was made redundant in the late '90's because of the recession and was forced to change direction, the biggest favour the oil industry did me!.
_________________
Minds are like parachutes - they work better when open

The opposite of Love is not "Hate" they both feel passion, it's Indifference.

hamepages · Posted: Sun Jul 06, 2008 9:46 am Post subject:

Thanks Wildgarlic

The whole week has gone really well althiough it has been hard. Every night has been really emotional and it has taken me a little while to get used to the sight of audiences walking out in total silence.

I have been amazed how many survivors and relatives have been brave enough to come along and I am pleased and humbled that they have done so.

It was not an easy thing to write or for the actors to perform but I believed, and still do, that the story of the ordinary men who were the victims, both those who died and those who survived, of this terrible tragedy should be remembered.