AS far as pillars of the community go June Webb is the pinnacle.

The 71-year-old who was born in Redcliffe Street has not only run the road’s pub The Famous Ale House, but has spent the last 21 years working on the Even Swindon Community Centre committee in Jennings Street and cooking up 150 roast dinner’s for Rodbourne’s annual pensioners’ party.

The mum of three, grandmother of eight and great grandmother of four, who now lives in Watling Close, says she cannot imagine living anywhere but Rodbourne.

“I was born at 174 Redcliffe Street and from that moment Rodbourne was always going to be home,” she said.

“It was a lovely road where everyone knew everyone and if you didn’t meet on the doorstep you met in the Even Swindon Hotel, which is now the pub.

“Rodbourne may be a part of Swindon but it will always be a village to the people who live here.”

When June was six her mother died and she was looked after by her grandmother.

Her aunt Mary Jefferies later bought 174 Redcliffe Street and lived there until three years ago when she passed away.

“My grandmother didn’t like drink so when I grew up and started courting a boy who lived in the pub I didn’t want to tell her,” she said.

June Haynes, as she was then known, married Royal Navy electrician Ivor, now 75, at St Mary’s Church’ Rodbourne Cheney’ three days before the Christmas of 1956. They went on to run the Famous Ale House where Ivor grew up, for three years during the seventies taking over from his parents.

“Everything was Even Swindon then,” she said. “Even Swindon Primary School, Even Swindon Hotel. When we set up the community centre it came as no surprise that everyone wanted to call it Even Swindon Community Centre.

“It’s always been Even Swindon because Old Town was up high, town centre was in the dip and we were on the even. All us Old’uns call it Even Swindon.”

Even Swindon Community Centre remains the hub of the community with the rooms used every day for clubs and gatherings and booked up months in advance.

The building’s architect was so pleased with his creation he held his wedding reception there. And the centre remains so popular, the committee cannot even celebrate its 20th birthday next month because the function room is booked.

The centre’s weekly bingo club is also a massive hit with well over 100 people travelling from as far as Chippenham to be there.

“One lady that used to travel from Chippenham for bingo actually moved here recently,” said June.

“The area has always been predominantly older people because of the railway and people growing up here, but more recently we have had some new younger faces. You can tell just by looking at how our tots group is growing.

“Mind you when you have lived here as long as me and have seen so many people grow up it’s easy to still think of them all as children.

“We’re the one thing you won’t get anywhere else – a friendly village right at the heart of a town.”