MORE than a decade after they retired a group of former Advertiser workers have continued to meet up every week.

But this week their reunion was tinged with sadness at the death of one of their dearest friends.

John Easton, 75, of Shrivenham, died in a head-on car crash on Saturday afternoon, after turning the wrong way onto the A417 dual carriageway near Cirencester.

John worked maintaining the paper's printing equipment from the 1960s until he retired 12 years ago. But his co-workers said he was more than just a colleague, and had proved a life-long friend.

John's partner Maureen Peapell was in Thailand when she received the news of his sudden death, believed to have been caused by a stroke at the wheel of his car.

He also left behind his estranged wife Jean and two stepdaughters.

Shocked by the news of his death, his friends John Holman, Mick Nash, Ray Leonard and Paul Whitehead made a toast in his honour at their favourite pub.

John met his friends John, Mick and Ray, and other colleagues at The Grove in Drove Road every Tuesday, to put the world to rights over a pint.

"We have been coming down here regularly for the last 16 years," said Mick, as the group of friends sank a final pint in John's name. We come in every Tuesday. There have only been about three times we haven't met up in that whole time.

"There can't be many people who still meet up with their colleagues so many years after they finish working with them. We were a really close bunch and stayed good friends.

"It was a really great bunch of people to work with at the Adver."

John Holman said: "I had known John for about 40 years. He was a well-liked chap and was very good at his job.

"The last time we met up was last week. He was looking forward and seemed happy.

"He had a few health problems and he'd had some trouble with his heart, but we could never have guessed we'd be meeting up this week without him.

"John was a very loyal man, loyal to his wife, even after they split up, always going down there and doing jobs. And he was loyal to his friends. He would do anything for you.

"John was a very artistic chap, and liked to paint water colours and create sculptures. His house was like a picture book."

Ray said he had known John even longer than his friends as the pair worked together at Beard Construction before starting at the Advertiser.

"It must have been 50 years since we first met each other," he said.

"It really is strange not having him here and a big part of all of us missing."

Paul said although he had not joined the group for a drink at The Grove as often as his former colleagues he was still shocked to hear the news.

He said: "It was very unexpected.

"It always is when somebody dies, but John was the last person you thought would be going."