Comment posted Good appointment to council press office by Pete.
Whilst I wish this lady success in her new appointment, I can’t help thinking that this indeed is a very safe appointment by the council. The Observer’s lack of criticism of A&B over the past few years has been obvious to all, no doubt guided by the fear that they may lose local government advertising (something that should have happened years ago!). Still, looking on the bright side, one less member of staff should help their dire finances.. and probably increase the coverage of golf and bowls!
Recent comments by Pete
- One real issue and some strange arguments against Cove Community Wind Farm
One would hope that the National Park’s objection to the project was not related to one board member owning a property on the Cowal peninsula shoreline directly opposite the proposed wind farm. He most likely declared an interest. - Acquisition sees Actual Reality and Ardentinny Outdoor Education Centre secure
Please do your research Gridnod. These houses are by no means bunkhouses. See the planning app for the Pricipal’s house at http://eplanning.lochlomond-trossachs.org/OnlinePlanning/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=documents&keyVal=MBXZVFSIA9000 and photographs on the Ardentinny website. Anyway, we are getting away from the point here. The council is strapped for cash, therefore why was the property not either put on the open market or at least offered to other non-profits or even the community? Instead it was sold to the sitting tenant who hasn’t paid a bean in rent over the years. The slipway and ferry house for example would have been a wonderful asset for the community. Surely it’s the Council’s duty to ensure that it gets the best return on selling taxpayer-funded properties. - Acquisition sees Actual Reality and Ardentinny Outdoor Education Centre secure
Agree with your first points db about restrictions tho I’m not sure these are in place. However AR has done not badly while not having a permanent home, in that it had two rent-free homes, in the shape of Castle Toward and Ardentinny Centre for the past 17 years. - Acquisition sees Actual Reality and Ardentinny Outdoor Education Centre secure
A cash-strapped Council gives away a prime site in Ardentinny for £130k complete with 2 homes, 6 acres of land, a listed building and the village slipway, with no proviso’s for selling on (except for any subsequent sale of the 2 houses, the proceeds of which will go back to the Council), and failure to put the property on the open market. I wonder if A&B Council checked out the financials of Actual Reality http://companycheck.co.uk/company/SC211025. £9,445 in the bank, net worth -£97,686 and liabilities of £237k! Another nice one Argyll & Bute Council! - The army: a self-reliant distanced world that needs our help
A very nice piece of spin from the MOD ably assisted by ForArgyll. Have we all forgotten the terrible atrocities carried out in Ireland, Iraq and Afghanistan (to name only a few) during our lifetimes and in our names by the British army? Now, riding on a patriotic high, the UK gov is pushing armed forces personnel to the head of NHS waiting lists and housing list queues, and if this wasn’t enough, we’re expected to pay twice to support these forces via our taxes and help for heroes (granted the latter is voluntary)!I’m sorry, but every single member of our armed forces made a choice to join, they were not conscripted. Let’s give our support to the millions of unemployed and those in poverty in our country and around the world who were not trained to kill. The MOD can look after its own.
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Congratulations on your appointment Aileen.
May I on behalf of the Museum thank you for your interest and assistance in our activities.
A new opportunity for you with which I wish you every success.
Kindest regards.
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Congratulation Aileen. I wish you well in your new post.
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Quite why Argyll & Bute Council employ an army of well paid spin doctors when we are told there is no money for essential services is a mystery to me .
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Newsie, is that the same Dunoon Observer that you exclusively revealed was due to close before Xmas last year??
“bunker mentality and dubious practices”? Pffft.
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Now that we have a new appointee to the press office, do we need to continue paying for the absentee, Jo Smith?
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Is this also the same Dunoon Observer that doesn’t report on fatal accidents and never seems to follow up on stories that do not involve ferries?
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Well said JimB. You’re not the only one who notices that the Observer never follows up on reported stories. Most frustrating. This weeks paper was all police reports and courts, golf and bowls ! Then again baybe nothing happened……….
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Good appointment. Aileen is a well known and respected journalist in Argyll, big loss for the Dunoon Observer but ABC needs the quality in these positions. Don’t imagine this administration will give her the same amount of fire fighting the last lot created.
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When the Jo Smith saga eventually comes to some conclusion does this mean everybody who was abused by the press office under the various councillors and officials orders will get their day in court.Anything else is a complete waste of time.
As a interested bystander what exactly does A&B,s press office actually do.
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I can’t say specifically what the A&B press office do but more generally a council press office’s duties will include the likes of:
Dealing with media enquiries.
Producing internal and external communications including things like staff magazines, and also keeping people like MSPs, us punters, other partners etc informed about services and issues.
Maintaining the council website.
Managing the ‘brand’ of the council to ensure consistency.
It is actually an important part of a council and effective if managed well.
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Whilst I wish this lady success in her new appointment, I can’t help thinking that this indeed is a very safe appointment by the council. The Observer’s lack of criticism of A&B over the past few years has been obvious to all, no doubt guided by the fear that they may lose local government advertising (something that should have happened years ago!). Still, looking on the bright side, one less member of staff should help their dire finances.. and probably increase the coverage of golf and bowls!
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Yes newsie, you are welcoming her now, but i wonder how long it will be before you turn on her when she doesn’t want to deal with you. Never mind, no doubt you can make up something and add a gate to the end of it. I wish the woman all the luck in the world, she will need it.
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Our job is calling to account so the answer to your ‘how long?’ questions is as soon as she puts a foot wrong, as with everyone. We’re only ‘for’ Argyll.
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Indeed, but who calls you to account?
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Simon
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Maybe Simon could point out some of the errors in this piece then. I will leave it to him.
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By the look of this site she’s got her work cut out. What few on here seem to have twigged is that Ms McNicol will be required to protect the council’s reputation, just the same as her predecessors will have tried to do. From what I’ve read of Argyll & Bute Council, it has been its own worst enemy, conducting some kind of witch hunt until it had nobody in place to prevent the complete car crash that was the Martha Payne/NeverSeconds fiasco. Ms McNicol is no longer a journalist, she has been employed to act as gamekeeper rather than poacher. No doubt, in due course, she will fall foul of the self-righteous vitriol all too apparent in this blog. Best of luck to her, I wouldn’t have touched the post with a barge pole.
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