1:22pm Friday 17th March 2006
By Emma Hutchings
Two long-serving Shenley councillors and former Hertsmere mayors have announced their retirements.
Good friends Bill Hogan and Tim Gilligan have served the village for 51 years between them, and have decided not to contest their seats in the parish council elections on May 4.
Irishman Mr Hogan, 75, of Mead Road, was a Labour Hertsmere borough councillor from 1986 to 2002, and served as mayor in 2001/2. He has served on Shenley Parish Council for 28 years.
He moved to Shenley in 1950 to work at Shenley Hospital, he has also worked as a fireman and before his retirement, he was a foreman for a construction company for 20 years.
He said: "The pleasure I had was in doing things for the village, and seeing that Shenley village was represented at a county and borough level.
"I enjoyed it and I'm very grateful to the people who supported me. I'm just pleased to have been a part of it all those years, and I've worked with some great people and clerks."
Mr Gilligan OBE, 87, of Mimms Lane, was a Conservative Hertsmere borough councillor between 1983 and 1991 the year he was mayor and a parish councillor for eight years.
He was awarded his OBE for services to the environment after setting up the Hertfordshire Groundwork Trust.
He said: "I'll miss the people you meet and having close contact with what's going on. I've got more than enough to keep me busy. I'm trying to move things along for the Peace Hospice," he said, referring to the new village group set up to fundraise for the hospice in Watford.
He said the achievement he is most proud of is helping to get St Botolph's church graveyard renovated and made accessible to disabled people.
Chairman of Shenley Parish Council Stewart Hunter said: "Bill has been a stalwart of the village for many years and takes a keen interest in everything. He seems to know everyone by name, can provide facts about anything and has got a great knowledge of everything that's going on in Shenley.
"Tim is more than willing to help if you're in a difficult situation. He spends a lot of time going through paperwork, making sure everything is correct. Being a councillor is not just about attending meetings, it's about being correct and he's first class at that.We should all join in wishing them a happy retirement."
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