Sign the petition

Cutting our ferry service, as the Scottish government has seen, is not the best way forward. Increasing passenger numbers obviously pays dividends. Can I urge everyone who has an interest and desires the service to remain a success, to sign my petition to allow NorthLink the flexibility to sail to Norway. This would hopefully create more revenue, helping prevent further cuts.

So far between 40-50 per cent of signatures have come from Scandinavia, so come on Shetland, stand up and be counted. The petition closes on 29th of September. Please help me get 2,000 signatures before then and show the Scottish government the strength of feeling for our historical links to Scandinavia.

With the passenger ferry services from Newcastle having ceased and the service from Rosyth ending this year, Scandinavia is becoming less and less accessible to island residents. This would be an ideal time to encourage restoration of this link. All tourist businesses locally would benefit from increased trade with Scandinavia. http://www.gopetition.com/petition/38144.html

If you are unable to sign the petition online then paper copies are at Robinson & Morrisons, Weisdale; J & K Andersons, Whiteness; JB Autostore, Lerwick; C & C Suits, Lerwick; and the Viking bus station, Lerwick.

Many thanks to all the considerate drivers who have pulled over to allow me extra space to run at the side of the road, slowed down or peeped. This has helped to make all the miles I have covered in training for the Loch Ness marathon in October much easier and at times quite fun.

I am running this for the British Heart Foundation. If anyone wants to sponsor me for this worthy cause, please go to justgiving.com and search for Graham Irvine.

Heart disease is still the biggest killer in the UK today. Every two minutes someone in the UK has a heart attack and half of them die, every penny counts.

Graham Irvine
Whiteness