POPULAR Amesbury vicar the Rev Peter Lewis is retiring at the beginning of June after 22 years in the town.

Mr Lewis, who has worked in south Wiltshire since the early 1970s, is leaving Amesbury to enjoy his retirement with his wife Mary in Bourton, near Zeals, on the Wiltshire-Dorset border.

Mr Lewis (61) said he would be taking with him fond memories of Amesbury and its residents.

Hesaid: "Over the years, my wife and I have made many friends here, as we have been involved in the community a lot."

During their time in Amesbury, Mr and Mrs Lewis helped set up the Friends of Amesbury Church and have overseen the repair and restoration of the church and its roof, the acquisition of a replacement organ and the repair of the bells.

Mr Lewis, who was born in Liverpool and in his early days lived in Newcastle and Birmingham, was ordained in Blackburn in 1965 at the same time as his father.

Mr Lewis was ordained priest and his father deacon but tragically his father died suddenly shortly after his ordination, at the age of 51.

Mr Lewis worked in Birmingham for four years and then moved to Sherborne where he was vicar of St Paul's.

His next move was to the Chalke Valley, where he served with the Chalke Valley group, with special responsibility for Bishopstone and Stratford Tony.

Between 1971 and 1980, he was also chaplain to Salisbury's Old Manor Hospital.

He moved to Amesbury in August 1980, to start what was to become a long association with the town, during which he established himself as a popular member of the community.

His wife is a teacher by profession and spent 15 years at Winterbourne Earls school and several years at St Martin's School in Salisbury.

Mr Lewis's final service will be a special one in Amesbury parish church at 11am on Sunday, June 2.