HE has done many jobs in his life but none have been more enjoyable as being clerk to South Cerney Parish Council.

Maurice McKee, owned his own typesetting businesses for many years and retired in 1997 but he was soon fed up with retired life and decided to apply for the role of clerk to South Cerney Parish Council in 1998.

After 17 years he stepped down this month but Maurice, 71, insists that he has had many happy memories about his time on the council and is grateful to the great support he has received from councillors.

“I didn't work for the money, I was working as clerk because I enjoyed the job.”

He said he knew little about local government before stating the job but he soon grew to love it and that is why he continued to work on the council.

His approach to his job as clerk was to try and act as a medium between the public and councillors. He would also never allow councillors to deal with local government, instead he would write to them on councillors' behalf.

“I am a contractor, I try to keep the level of communication jealously guarded through the use of the letter head,” he said During his time working on the council, Maurice said he has had many memorable experiences, including a council meeting he was baffled when a councillor seconded a motion made by the chairman and then voted against it.

Maurice explained that things became even more confusing when the votes were locked at five each.

He said when the votes are tied, the chairman can then use his ‘casting vote’ to decide if the decision is passed but the chairman appeared to forget and angrily told councillors that he was dropping the motion.

“I just couldn’t keep a straight face, but I couldn't show it.” smiled Maurice.

Maurice, who is a former corporal in the RAF, said he will spend his retirement visiting friends he has all over the world in places like France and America with his wife Tatjana who he wed last year.

Although he will miss the job, Maurice feels that it is time to step down as he does not want to be working for much longer.

He said: “I do not want to sit for a new term at 71 years of age. If I last for another term I would be 75.”

But Maurice will retire feeling perfectly content and full of happy memories of his time at the council.

And this sentiment was epitomised when he spoke about his retirement to councillors at his last parish council meeting this month.

He said to them: “The 17 years I have spent here have been amazingly fruitful for me.There has been downs but I have been totally absorbed with the ups. Of all the jobs I have done in my life this has been the most enjoyable . Thank you for your support in the time I have been here.”