Bill Spence appointed Lord-Lieutenant of Orkney

Bill Spence has been officially appointed as Lord-Lieutenant of Orkney.

The announcement of the appointment was made from Downing Street yesterday.

Mr Spence was appointed a Deputy-Lieutenant in 1988 and as Vice Lord- Lieutenant in 2011.

Mr Spence served in the Merchant Navy between 1961 and 1974, becoming a deck officer in 1965. He became manager of John Jolly (Shipbrokers and Stevedores) in 1975 and is currently chairman of the board.

He is a Member of the Nautical Institute and has been a Member of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers for 35 years.

Following the announcement Mr Spence said: “It’s a great honour, a privilege and also a challenge. To represent Her Majesty The Queen in the islands of my birth is surely the greatest honour I’m ever likely to receive.”

He added: “God willing I pledge to do my best in the service of The Queen and her subjects throughout Orkney and, with my wife’s help, I hope to build upon the good work of my predecessors, in particular that of the late Doctor Tony Trickett whose untimely and sudden death in May last year brought about my appointment.”