ROSSENDALE Mayor's attendant and chauffeur Bob Trickett will retire in April after 30 years of dedicated service - without a single day's holiday.

Bob, 62, of Tunstead Road, Stacksteads, worked seven days a week by choice and loved the job so much it became both his work and social life.

He took up his civic duties in 1970 as attendant and chauffeur to the Rawtenstall Mayor Alderman Ted Dugdale, and continued to serve each mayor through to the current Mayor Councillor Alan Neal.

He said: "I retire officially on April 18 but it will work out as May 3 because I am finally taking some holidays.

"I must have been mad and I am finally coming to my senses.

"You have got to adapt your way of life for this job because you become more or less part of the Mayor's family.

"It's a way of life that probably wouldn't suit some people but I really enjoyed it.

"It's strange because everyone I once worked with has gone now and I feel like the odd man out because everyone's changed and you have to start getting to know them again.

"It has come as a shock to be finishing work but I have had one or two bits of illness and my doctor said 'the notes are telling you to slow down and hang your clogs up'.

"It's a very time consuming and demanding position." One of the highlights of Bob's career was when he was chosen to attend a Buckingham Palace garden party in 1985 with the Mayor Councillor Vincent Clegg and his wife Caroline.

He said: "It was very nice and a big surprise because I have taken that many people over the years and I never thought of putting my own name forward.

"I had a driver for a change and sat back and enjoyed the view."

Bob has no definite plans for his retirement but will look forward to spending more time with his partner Anne Whitley.

He added: "My work was my hobby - it becomes your social life.

"I'll now probably be making the lunches and teas and become the chief cook and bottle washer.

"There will be nothing for Anne to do."

Before he began work as a chauffeur, Bob drove a bus for Rawtenstall Corporation for ten years and was a driver in the Royal Tank Regiment and batman to a brigade major two years previously.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.