THREE visits to the High Court in London and an afternoon garden party at Buckingham Palace have been the highlights of the career of Fordingbridge council clerk Helen Tague.

Mrs Tague retired last week after being employed in the town hall for 31 years.

She started there as minutes secretary working four hours a week. She took over as clerk in 1983.

Over the years the responsibilities of the job grew and her hours increased to 26 a week.

In her time she worked with numerous councillors, saw the council through the transitions from parish to town status and from having a chairman to a mayor.

“The days of (councillor and chairman) Fred Reeder were the most memorable, he did such a lot for Fordingbridge,” she said.

The late Oliver Cutts took the parish council to the High Court over a planning issue. Mrs Tague, along with councillors Reeder and Geoff Warr attended the hearings.

Then there was the palace garden party in 2002 when the town’s first mayor, Cllr Jean Willis and she represented the Hampshire Association of Local Councils.

“Ian Newnman put on a Rolls Royce and chauffeur with white gloves. There we were waving to our public in the back,” she said.

Also in her top three memories was the Queen’s Golden Jubilee year which coincided with the 20th anniversary of the town’s twinning.

Mrs Tague will continue to be involved with St Mary’s Church and other local organisations.

“Fordingbridge is my home. I was born here, lived here; never lived anywhere else, and that’s probably what’s been so enjoyable: living and working in the town you were born.”