RESIDENTS of Wanborough have paid tribute to a former vicar, who has died. The Rev Geoffrey Powell was responsible for setting up the village's parish magazine in the 1960s and it is still going strong today.

He has been described as father figure who had time for everybody.

The Rev Powell died on Saturday. He was a diabetic who also suffered from Alzheimer's Disease.

Margaret Greenwood, of Yonder Way, said: "He was such a sweet person. He was a very kind man who would listen to anyone.

"People with problems in the village would go to him and he would be a father figure."

Today Mrs Greenwood's husband Bryan edits the parish magazine and has done for 25 years but it was the Rev Powell who started it.

"Not only would he collate everything for the magazine, he would type it up, run the copies all off and deliver them himself as well," Mrs Greenwood said.

"He was a gentle, compassionate man who lived for that church. He was passionate about the church and passionate about the village."

The Rev Powell, who campaigned for the speed limit to be reduced to 30mph in Wanborough High Street, also introduced altar flowers to the the church.

Mrs Greenwood, who is now secretary of altar flowers, said: "He started it for people who wanted to commemorate an anniversary.

"He provided two brass vases and on the day of the anniversary people could put flowers there.

"He insisted they were always fresh flowers, he had a dislike of artificial flowers."

The Rev Powell, who was inducted to the Wanborough church in September 1975 was also on the Highworth Rural District Council He was one of the first voices to express concerns about drug dealing in Swindon.

In November 1966 he said there was evidence people were trying to sell drugs in the town.

But he said he did not want to make too much of a song and dance about it as this would only bring it to the attention of young people.

In October 1966 he offered his services as a toilet cleaner.

Talking about plans to get a cleaner for public toilets at Covingham he showed what a visionary he was by saying: "Everything Swindon does seems to be twice as expensive."

David Gent, who has been churchwarden at St Andrew's in Wanborough for the last 10 years, said: "He was vicar when we first moved to Wanborough.

"He was an extremely pleasant man and a good vicar."