Nub News gets Up Close with people person Gordon McLeod and how a dog walk led him to become Hadleigh town mayor

While Dick Whittington walked into London with little more than his cat and went on to become mayor, Gordon McLeod first entered Hadleigh with his dogs and wife Carol and discovered although the streets may not have been paved with gold, they offered the couple something far more valuable.

It was love at first sight for the couple after finding Hadleigh in their search for a pub that allowed dogs, after being turned away from the Brewers Arms in Polstead, meant they continued their walk which led them to the market town.

Gordon recalled: "Carol looked at map and said there was some place called Hadleigh nearby and had a pub which allowed dogs

"We walked from Polstead, and we came down Holbeck's Hill, and first saw old Hadleigh.

"As we were walking down the High Street we looked at each other and for the first time in our married lives we agreed and said 'I could live here'."

Gordon and Carol had been loosely searching for a new place to live and visiting the area in their motorhome after deciding they would not be staying in London when he retired from the fire brigade after 30 years service.

On their checklist was a place that had a good infrastructure, had a strong community spirit and was geared up to cater for them when they became elderly.

Carol took charge as Gordon completed his term as a Watch Commander in an east London fire station and it was not long before she found the ideal home for them in 2017.

"Carol found a house in Millers Lane, which is her maiden name, and she loved it " said Gordon. "I had no choice and we moved to Hadleigh the day before our 24th wedding anniversary."

Being an outgoing pair, they soon integrated into Hadliegh life with Carol getting a job at The Cock Inn and Gordon getting to know the locals.

He said: "It was through those guys that I got the community spirit.

"The people here are amazing. I love hearing their stories, about themselves, about what Hadleigh was like before and the history of the place, like learning about where we live and how Partridges bus garage was there." It was the classic entry in public life for Gordon who was afraid to air his views in the pub and share other residents concerns. "I never really knew anything about being a councillor but these guys got me to stay in a by-election and somehow got elected," admitted Gordon. Although Labour by birth and upbringing, Gordon admits to voting Conservative in the past but represents the council as an Independent. However, it was not a smooth introduction to council life as Covid struck and council business was restricted to Zoom meetings which Gordon admits he did not enjoy. He said: "I don't even like emails or the phone much, I prefer face to face. I'm a people's person and Zoom took that away from me. "Now that we are back to normal as such I'm re-engaging with people again and I really enjoy that." If his arrival in Hadleigh was somewhat serendipitous, the elevation to town mayor owed more to right place right time. After being voted in as Frank Minns deputy in September 2020, Gordon stepped in as deputy for a couple of meetings earlier this year and when the former Royal Navy commander resigned he was voted in last month as the new man to wear the ceremonial chains. As someone with years of experience cutting out fires Gordon, who was nicknamed 'Flash' by his fire brigade colleagues, is hoping prevention can quell the flames of discontent at Hadleigh's council meetings, which at times have been akin to a pantomime. He said: "When I was running meetings in fire brigade there were a lot of like-minded people with a common goal. "At council you have a lot of people with differing views, which is great because they give a different point of view and whereas you may thinks 'that's what I want', they will point out that may not be quite right for Hadleigh and this is what you may want to do. "It has been a wake up call for me, and things can get heated, but if you can sit back, take all points on board and not just discard them, but evaluate them and realise while you may not like the way it was put across, they may be right. "From that you can do the right thing for Hadleigh, and I see that working anywhere." While Gordon enjoys his archery wife Carol, who he met when she taught him to drive, is a keen tennis player and the couple have two grown up sons. They are also keen gardeners and Nub News conducted the interview during break as the couple were planting hedgerows and trees on the boundary of the town cemetery. Flash Gordon is hoping his style will lead to less friction and has vowed to be as inclusive a possible. "I bounce ideas off lots of people because I like being out and about," he said. "I may be the mayor for now but it is not just me, it is us. "We are a team, and by that I don't mean just the other councillors and the the people in the office, but all the people of Hadleigh. "There is a lot going on and I would like to see more members of the public getting involved in the working groups and contributing their ideas and skills. "We have the Queen's Jubilee, Armed Forces Week but we are already looking at Christmas and what we can do for Hadleigh then." Gordon recognises the town council has suffered a deal of reputational damage in recent times but believes things can get better. "My skill is people, not pushing a pen or knowing every word of every policy but if I can get the right people around us then we can make things happen. "We have had few bloody noses recently but we can keep working to get it right. the town is getting bigger and we need to improve the infrastructure and we need to people to be able to do that. "I see me as someone which can steady the ship and make things work. I'm excited by the prospect but it also scares me." Although a relative newcomer Gordon is confident he has built up a good network that can help the town show its best self. He added: "It is big year for Hadleigh but we have a lot of wonderful groups in the town, the history society, gardening society, RBL, HEAT, and so the list goes on, and they all have wonderful people. "We have the Community Forum, which we are a part of and that is a great hub. Hadleigh is an organism, sometimes it is symbiotic sometimes it turns in on itself on itself, that is something we have to work on." Although clearly not completely comfortable in being thrust into the limelight Gordon accepts having a higher profile is part and parcel of the role but is determined to represent the people he has come to admire. "I have been happy doing things in the background and have met some lovely people doing that." he said. "They are so passionate about what they do and it has been good being about being councillor as it has meant I have been able to meet them." "I was hoping someone else would step up but as I was deputy I was there. This is an interim for me as there will be a new mayoral election in May and you never know which councillor may come forward. "If I stay mayor then I will do the best I can but I won't be doing it on my own." Using his own experience as a measuring stick, Gordon has called on more people to out their heads above the parapet and volunteer. He said: "I would advocate anyone who has lived in Hadleigh for some time and wants to do something, then stand. It look as if the council is a bit feisty sometimes but it is not always like that. "If you gave a view or passion them step up and push that forward for Hadleigh. I was one of these muttering in the background and someone said if you can do better set up and I did.' He joked: "Perhaps people don't know me that well because they voted me in."