The new mayor of Swindon was born on July 18, 1939, in Bayswater, London, younger by an hour than twin sister Elizabeth. She was an honoured guest at Friday’s mayor-making ceremony.

In 1960, Michael Bray was called up for National Service and chose the RAF where he was to stay for 32 years as a dental technician and administrator, becoming one of the most senior NCOs in the RAF.

He said: “ I thought, ‘I’ll see the world at someone else’s expense’, and so I took on a regular engagement of nine years.”

His postings included Hong Kong, Aden and Cyprus where he met his now wife and mayoress Ruth on his 23rd birthday.

The couple have a son and daughter and four grandchildren. Their first married home was in Swindon’s Goddard Avenue, where they moved in 1964 after he was posted to RAF Yatebury. They were to settle in Swindon permanently in 1980.

“The people of Swindon are not recognised for what they really are,” he said. “They are really a very generous, kind and loving people.

“When I went to Lyneham in 1980 or 1979 we bought a house in Freshbrook. I was living out of a suitcase for five days a week and could be assured that if my wife needed help she could go next door, either side, or up the road and someone would help.”

Coun Bray left the RAF in 1990, then spent 13 years on the staff of the Crown Court before retiring. A strong believer in public service, he first stood in a council election in 2000. Before his military service, he’d been a Young Conservative. He was defeated by 37 votes by Michael Dickinson, who was then a LibDem but is now a fellow Conservative in Lydiard and Freshbrook. He has been a councillor since 2006.

He plans to use his casting vote as mayor by voting with the administration – something he insists he would do if there were a Labour or LibDem majority instead of the slim Tory one.

“My philosophy,” he said, “is that I’m here to serve by returning what was given to me when I was a very young man in Swindon.”