COLLEAGUES at the West Looe Town Trust gathered to wish a good friend and co-worker a very happy retirement.

John Currah has been clerk to the Trust for 15 years, and a trustee for seven years before that.

John began early working life as a TV engineer, and had jobs with South West Rentals, Rediffusion and Granada. After being made redundant, he trained with the Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) and found that the role of advisor suited both his interest and acumen for all things financial, and his good way with people.

In 1999, John joined the West Looe Town Trust (WLTT) as a trustee, covering for the then clerk Keith Wilson when needed, combining this voluntary position with his CAB job. Eventually he was asked by the chair at the time Geraldine Oliver if he would take on the role of clerk.

“It was a natural progression,” says John’s wife Alison.

“He’s a very shy, unassuming person, who’d be squirming to hear people praise him, but he is very kind, and good with people. He’s calm and can diffuse a situation if people are angry. People have a lot of respect for him because he takes time over things, and gives time to people.”

The West Looe Town Trust was founded in 1873. It owns a range of properties in the town as well as some small car parks, amenity areas and the open spaces of the West Looe Downs.

Its charitable aims are to help those in need through sickness, age or financial difficulty, to improve life for people in the town, and to support those in education, and it ploughs surplus income into these goals.

Among just some of the many projects John’s been involved with is the provision, by WLTT, of five good-quality affordable flats and a house to let for local people.

The Trust also offers educational grants of £500 each year to some 80 students from Looe, and in total, over the past four years, John has administered more than £233,000 in grants to groups and individuals in the community.

“This included £56k during 2020, and given we had COVID, this is a real achievement,” said Sue Pengelly, who’ll be taking over the reins as the new clerk to the Trust.

“Through his contacts and working with local groups, John has maintained a fantastic level of support for the people and children of Looe.”

John has been working alongside Sue and will have his official last day on Friday.

“He has left a real clean seaworthy ship to take over,” she says, “in true Cornish boatbuilder style!”

Colleagues cannot speak highly enough of John and his contribution to the Trust: Lorna Stevenson describes him as a “perfect gentleman, and a man of honour and integrity, who is always prepared to go the extra mile to help”.

And from long-serving trustee Jimmy Dingle: “I’d like to say that John has been an exceptional clerk.”

He added: “I have worked with literally dozens?of clerks during my forty-odd years of public?service, and John Currah is definitely in the top three. ….I can’t remember who the other two were.”

John and his colleagues enjoyed a delicious morning tea spread at the Trust office on Monday and it was the chance to share memories, and wish John well in the next chapter of his life.

He’ll not be too far away though, as while he and Alison have some plans to travel, he’ll continue in the role of trustee.

“I’ve loved pretty well every minute of this job,” he said.

“Being a West Looe boy born and bred, I’ve always looked upon it as more than just a job. It’s been great to be able to put things back into the community. I’ve learned a lot along the way.

“It’s been a dream-come-true type job.”

On Monday evening, John and Alison had a swim at one of their favourite spots along the coast from Hannafore. The couple plan to visit their son Richard in Canada, and a grandson they’ve not yet met in the flesh, as well as spending more time with their other children: Daniel, who’s in York and has two sons, and Patrick, who’s in Liskeard and has two daughters.

John will continue to dabble in the stock market and may take up the family history research he’d been doing a long time ago.

And together with Alison, (with whom he laughingly says he has a ‘mixed marriage’, she being from the East Looe side of the bridge), he’ll do more of the swimming and walking they both enjoy.

Chairman Colin Crabb said: “On behalf of the Trust I would like to wish John a long and happy retirement.

“John has been a major asset to the Trust with his calm, loyal, dependant, and unselfish service over many years.

“Being born and raised in Looe, John has lived through many changes, giving us the benefits of his detailed knowledge of the town and its local families.

“Thank you for your company and for doing such a great job. Enjoy your retirement and the time you can now spend with your family and friends.”