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Alistair Gordon - West Mainland
About me… I have been a councillor for nine years now. I enjoy working with, listening to and helping people. I was born in Kirkwall, where my father worked as a GP, and where I did all my schooling before attending Aberdeen University from 1968. After graduating, I taught briefly in Dingwall before returning to teach Science at KGS until 1993. I then changed career, joining The Orcadian as a reporter. After a brief spell at BBC Radio Orkney as a radio producer, I worked over two years on a farm in Firth before becoming a councillor for the first time in 2003. I am married to Elaine, a former speech therapist and we have four grown up daughters, two of whom work as nurses for NHS Orkney and two who work in local schools, on a part time basis. I have served on various local voluntary bodies, including Orkney Children’s Panel, and as past chairman of the Firth School Board. I also served on the Firth Community Council for ten years, latterly as vice chairman. I’m currently Hon President of Arthritis Care (Orkney). In my spare time I like to read, play the bagpipes (I’m chairman of Stromness RBL Pipe Band), garden and think about getting my boat ready for the water again. top
West Mainland issues I am pleased that the council has built new housing in Finstown and Dounby. Other areas which could also benefit include, especially, Stenness and I hope that the agencies involved in providing new social housing, OHAL and OIC, will be able to identify and fund more housing here. This would obviously benefit the local school where, I am glad to see, the threat of closure has been lifted. I also commend the work done by the Stenness Parents Group. I recognise farming as our premier industry. A solution to the local slaughter of Orkney cattle is being looked into and something will be found to satisfy local demand. But economics simply dictate, countrywide, that businesses such as Orkney Meat are currently unviable and unaffordable to the public purse to fund long term. Another theme I would like to raise is bus services, to and from Birsay, via Dounby and Finstown to Kirkwall, in order to ameliorate the high costs of fuel. These are subsidised already but a fresh look at, for instance, matching vehicles to demand, might not go amiss. If you have any points or questions you would like me to answer, contact me on tel 761258, or e-mail at alistairc.gordon@btinternet.com top
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