A CELEBRATION marking 45-years' service as a parish councillor was marked at Bidford's annual parish meeting last week.

Councillor Frank Spiers has represented the local community since 1970 and the meeting was attended by the current parish councillors, members of the community and others that had served with Cllr Spiers, known fondly as Mr Bidford, over the years. A presentation was made by the High Sheriff of Warwickshire, Janet Belle-Smith.

During his long time on the parish council he was chairman of the council twice: 1974-76 and again 1980-82 and seen many changes in Bidford amongst them: The relief road – now known as the B439 – built to take the traffic from a congested High Street; a new fire station; the closure of Bidford High School in 1984/85; a new primary school built on Bramley Way, which included the library (now run by volunteers) and the parish council meeting room. He has also witnessed a growth in the population from 2,880 to 5,300 – almost double and still growing.

Cllr Spiers has also done a lot of things for the local community and will be especially remembered for the annual carnivals, held in the August Bank Holidays each year, when he was parade master dressed immaculately in his red jacket, black trousers, top hat and highly polished shoes leading the procession from the playing fields on Dugdale Avenue, down Victoria Road, crossing the relief road on to the High Street and then over Bidford Bridge.

In June 1995 Cllr Spiers was awarded the MBE for services to the community and is immensely proud of the fact that when the Queen presented him with his medal the words “Bidford-on-Avon” were heard in Buckingham Palace.

The parish council and the local community are grateful to Cllr Spiers for all he has done over the years and wish him all the best.