Fleetwood bred and Grimsby raised, descended from west coast fishing pioneers and the son of a Grimsby trawler skipper, Gordon has an abiding interest in the history of deep sea trawling.
In 1985 he guided a group of Waltham Toll Bar School sixth-formers in the production of a stage documentary The Trawling’ Trade.
In 2004 he was commissioned to write a poem for the service that marked the unveiling of the Grimsby Fisherman’s memorial statue.
In 2010 he published Grimsby Bound with Looking Back, a collection of poems in two parts. The first tells the story of C19th Century apprentice boys in the Grimsby Trade, the second a more contemporary reflection on the lives of modern fisherman.
Parts of Looking Back have been set for soprano piano and strings and were performed by International Diva Alison Peirce.
Grimsby Bound was given an musical setting by folk-rock band Merlin’s Keep.
What follows is a selection of poetry and prose that reflects the range of Gordons work in this field.