| Mr Letford said the stress and long hours involved in being a civic leader was the main reason he had to undergo a triple heart by-pass operation last year.
He talked about his heart surgery after being told that Helen,the wife of Aberdeen’s Lord Provost John Reynolds had a stroke on Sunday.
Aberdeen Lady Provost Helen Reynolds is currently being treated in Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, the same hospital that Lord Provost Letford underwent his operation.
Mr Letford said that many lord provosts and their families struggle to cope with being “thrust into the limelight”.
“The stress of the lord provost job can lead to health problems — I was certainly one of the casualties,” he said.
“A lot of people might think that the job is all about having dinner parties.
“But the number of hours that provosts work are very long — you might be picked up at 8.30 in the morning and not get home until half past ten at night.
“The job, if you do it properly, is a huge time commitment.
“I know that Helen Reynolds attends a lot of civic events with her husband and does a lot of charity work in Aberdeen.
“I think how you deal with being thrust into the limelight a lot of the time depends on the job you did before.
“A lot of people are not used to the attention and their actions being put under scrutiny.”
Lord Provost Letford said that Lady Provost Reynolds would be in excellent hands at ARI and said that he would be sending a message of support.
“I’m extremely sorry to hear about Helen’s stroke,” he said.
“I’ve met her on many occasions and she is a credit to the city.
“I know that she is involved in a lot of charity work and does a very thorough job.
“Being treated at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary she is in the best possible care.
“The hospital gives first class professional care and I couldn’t have asked for better treatment when I was there.
“We will immediately send Helen a message of support.
“The lord provosts from the different cities are quite a close knit group — we do meet each other at occasions.
“I usually see John and Helen two or three times a year.
“I couldn’t put the stroke down entirely to the stress of the job, but I do know that Helen takes her work very seriously.
“Doing the job of lord provost properly can mean it takes over your life. But it’s a great job.”
A spokesman for Aberdeen City Council said, “The Lady Provost became ill during a service at Oldmachar Church on Sunday evening.
“She went into hospital that night and she received physiotherapy and a CT scan yesterday.
“She has lost some movement in an arm and a leg but hopes to come out of hospital in the coming days.” |
