The Past Is Another Country…

Thanks to a reference from another ex-Shell person, I came across this short film, made in 1963, about Shell Centre in London. It’s quite an extraordinary social document in a way, chock-full of unconscious sexism. But on the other hand, it does give the sense that, at the time, Shell thought of its staff as assets to be looked after and cultivated. Paternalistic, yes, but you got the sense that they cared.

It was still like that when I joined Shell and began working in Shell Centre in 1980. It really felt like joining a family. I have to say that by the time I retired from Shell, that way of thinking felt as dated as this film. I can’t say that I think it is entirely an improvement.