THE former owner of one of the region's best known bakers has swapped bread and cakes for battleships and cruise liners.

Mr John Murray, the former managing director of Murray's the Bakers, which closed in August after 77 years in business, has been appointed chief executive of the British Marine Equipment Council in London.

The council covers a broad spectrum of companies in the marine equipment sector, ranging from those involved with merchant and naval ships to suppliers of infrastructure for ports and terminals.

It also sets the standards for environmental cleaning up companies through its division known as the British Oil Spill Control Association.

Mr Murray explained how he came to be involved in something so different from running a bakery: "I simply answered an advertisement in the press. They were looking for somebody with business experience combined with an active role in trade association affairs.

"I have no previous experience of the marine industry but they were keen to import ideas from outside that sector and I have a lot of experience of trade associations.

"The council has lots of directors with technical expertise, but they wanted somebody with a fresh perspective to pull the whole thing together."

Mr Murray has previously been involved with organisations such as the town centre forum and chamber of commerce in Darlington, as well as the National Association of Master Bakers.

"The business issues here are similar to any other company," said Mr Murray. "There are people involved, people to be managed, systems to be organised and extensive networking.

"The difference is all the acronyms they have in this industry. I seem to spend most of my time trying to work out what all these letters stand for."

At the moment Mr Murray is commuting between London and the North-East each week, but plans to move his family south later this year.

"We are looking at schools down this way for the children, Jonathan and Abigail, and are looking to relocate at the end of the summer term," he said.