VETERAN husband-and-wife Stratton St Margaret Parish Councillors John and Eileen Foley are to stand down after more than 90 years’ combined service.

John, 84, will have been a member of the parish council for 51 years by the time he leaves next year, while 82-year-old Eileen has been a member for 40.

John decided to go because his sight is failing following treatment for a life-threatening arterial condition, making reading council papers difficult, and Eileen decided it would be best to make her own break at the same time.

The couple moved from Reading into the Upper Stratton home where they still live in 1967. John had been appointed transport manager for Plessey and Eileen was the first cook supervisor at the new St Catherine’s Catholic Primary School.

In addition to their parish council work, both served on Swindon Borough Council and John, who has been involved with the Labour Party for 70 years, was also a county councillor.

John said: “I’d done various things in the party but when we came to Swindon the late Arthur Miles called on us and introduced himself as the local councillor.

“We got talking and he said to me 'why don’t you stand for the parish council?’. I thought ‘why not?’ - thinking it was an easy job, but little did I know!”

During their time on the parish council, the couple have helped the organisation with important projects such as the Grange Leisure Centre, the Meadowcroft Community Rooms and the new war memorial.

They have seen the parish change from what was still essentially a rural community into a far more populated place with important industrial and commercial estates in its midst.

John, who chaired the parish council for a total of four years, added: “When we first came here we could walk across Ermin Street past Kingsdown School and be out in the country.

“Now you’ve got to go three miles to do the same thing, it’s been built up so much.”

The couple have a son, a daughter, three grandchildren and a great grandchild.

The family name will continue to be associated with serving the community on the parish council as both their son and daughter-in-law are members.