Not fit for horses

“When these units were taken out of service and scheduled for return to land, they were offered to a riding school in Stavanger for use as stables.

“But the county medical officer for Rogaland demanded that they be disinfected before horses were allowed in them. And 80 of us had lived where horses couldn’t even be stabled afterwards.”

“The temporary quarters contained four showers and two-three toilets for 20-30 men. There was also a urinal, separated by a simple partition from the coffee room. Not particularly appetising seen with today’s eyes, but we survived and were healthy throughout the tour.

“A good community spirit prevailed among the lads. Some rivalry existed between the process people and the operations and maintenance personnel, but that was as it should be. There was no harm in it, but perhaps some minor belligerence.

“People thrived. Although the language was possibly a bit coarser than in other workplaces, the atmosphere was never fraught. The good community spirit was the reason we stayed.”

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