ONE of the leading figures in Chipping Sodbury’s free events calendar has stepped down from full-time volunteering.

Brian Hardy, who for eight years has helped run the town’s 10-day festival and Victorian evening, is hanging up his clipboard and preparing to spend more time with his grandchildren and go travelling.

Mr Hardy, 69, retired as a global programme manager for the Ministry of Defence in 2007 but quickly turned his hand to reviving Chipping Sodbury’s much-loved Victorian evening each December and joined the organising committee of the Sodbury Festival, which takes place every June.

“There are a lot of times in the year when my wife and I couldn’t go away because of this meeting or that one,” said the grandfather-of-six. “It wasn’t fair on her and there are things I have wanted to do for a long time but haven’t had the time to do them.

“This year in particular has been manic and it is time to say enough is enough.”

As well as helping to restart Victorian evening after a hiatus, Mr Hardy, of Bennetts Court, was also vice-chairman on the committee for several years. But his biggest legacy will be the Sodbury Festival of which he was a committee members for two years, vice-chairman for two years and chairman the last four years including for this year’s 30th anniversary celebrations.

As well as being praised as a diligent organiser, Mr Hardy secured flypasts during the festival carnival for the past four years by various Battle of Britain planes and the Red Arrows. He also booked numerous high profile acts, added new events to the festival programme and generated new sponsorship.

“I have tried to keep as many free events as possible with low ticket prices,” he said. “It is the biggest event in the town and I am happy with what we have achieved.

“I won’t miss the workload but will miss being involved and the people.”

Mr Hardy, who also helped established the Chipping Sodbury Big Lunch, will still help advise the festival committee and lend the occasional hand. He is not giving up volunteering altogether having recently become a trustee on the town lands’ charity.

Local historian and founding member of the Sodbury Festival, Jim Elsworth, has now taken over the helm of the event.

He said plans were well underway for the 2016 event, which will adopt a Kings and Queens theme.

“We started out 31 years ago with £50 in the kitty,” he said. “It has come a long way since then but has always been a community event.

“It is time to do my one-year as chairman.”