New book by Piper Alpha survivor to feature in Central Library talk event

02 July 2018

Aberdeen City Libraries will mark the commemorations of the Piper Alpha disaster with a unique, personal account from one of the 61 survivors, Night Room Control Operator, Geoff Bollands.

The talk on Saturday 14 July begins at 2.30pm in Aberdeen Central Library on Rosemount Viaduct.

In his newly published book: Baptism of Fire: Life, Death and Piper Alpha, Geoff recounts his experiences of the night as the tragic events unfolded which cost the lives of 167 men. He also tells of his family’s experiences in the weeks, months and years which followed as they all struggled to deal with the aftermath of such a harrowing event.

Moving away from the offshore sector, Geoff has since gone on to build a very successful Financial Advice business. His story includes anecdotes from his life, work on the oil rig and a comprehensive account of the disaster. Yet, his is also a story of hope and inspiration, “that whatever traumatic circumstances we might experience, life does go on and positive lessons can be learnt.”

As Geoff says: “It was and still is the worst disaster in the offshore oil industry and that is where it needs to stay. It is a very sad record that hopefully will never be beaten.”

The free, hour long talk will be followed by a Q&A session and copies of Geoff’s book will be available to purchase.

Throughout July, Aberdeen City Libraries team will also be marking the anniversary of the Piper Alpha disaster with a dedicated exhibition of related materials from the Libraries’ archives. The exhibition will be available to view from 1 to 31 July in the Central Library Information Centre.

For more information or to book a place at the talk, contact Aberdeen City Libraries on 652500 or email libraryevents@aberdeencity.gov.uk