COUNCILLOR Graham Davies will be retiring from his role as mayor next month, after a year as South Ribble's first citizen -- and it's certainly been eventful!

Coun Davies told The Preston Citizen: "It's been a wonderful occasion. It's very pleasing to represent the borough of South Ribble as the first citizen.

"We have done some wonderful things and met some wonderful people."

One of the many occasions that stands out was meeting the Princess Royal at a charity auction for the North West Carers Trust.

"We met Princess Anne when she came to Leyland about a month ago, as the president of the Princess Royal Trust for Carers," he said.

"There were one or two millionaires at the event. I took my cheque book, but the auction started off at £500

" Some of the items went for £12,000. We raised quite a lot money that evening!"

And he said the Leyland Festival was also an event to remember, even though the weather was a great concern.

He and his wife Margaret, the mayoress, have also spent a lot of time visiting local schoolchildren.

"I wrote to all the primary schools and asked them if they would like to invite us to speak to the children about the mayoralty."

Since then, they have chatted with more than 2,000 children, aged between four and 12.

"What was so enjoyable was the questions the children raise, for instance do we live in a castle and are we rich? And have we met various famous and important people -- like David Beckham?"

His wife Margaret has accompanied him as mayoress on many occasions.

"She has thoroughly enjoyed being the mayoress," he said.

"We are both political animals anyway."

Coun Davies has been a South Ribble borough councillor for 14 years. And he was elected a county councillor in 1981, after a stint as union branch officer at his workplace.

He worked for the Post Office at Bamber Bridge for 38 years, maintaining and repairing PO vans.

And he is looking forward to a break, having already completed his year as deputy mayor before becoming mayor.

He hopes the couple, who have been married six years, will have more time for their respective families.

"I have one daughter and three grandchildren and Margaret has four girls and two boys. Between us we have 19 grandchildren. There's a birthday nearly every other week!" he laughed.

Coun Davies will be succeeded as mayor by Coun Norman Crossley on May 23.