JEFF Osborn, 64, is a Trowbridge town, district and county councillor. At the age of 15 he joined the Merchant Navy and after four years at sea he enlisted in the Army, serving in places including Germany, Cyprus and Aden.
He also spent time in Hereford attached to the SAS.
On leaving the army after six years, he went to work in Cheltenham, before going to study at Lancaster University in his late 20s. In 1974 Mr Osborn moved to Trowbridge when he got a job teaching at Trowbridge Technical College, now part of Wiltshire College, and worked there for 24 years. He has been a Trowbridge town councillor and West Wiltshire district councillor since 1996, and a Wiltshire county councillor since 2001.
For the past 18 months Mr Osborn has been chairman of the League of Friends of Trowbridge Hospital. He married Helen, who is a special needs co-ordinator at St Augustine's Catholic College in Trowbridge, in 1967 and they have two daughters.
What do you like most about living in Wiltshire?
When I first came to Trowbridge it was the relative ease of access to places like Bristol, Bath, London and the Forest of Dean, which is Helen's birthplace. Now it's a sense of space and the intimacy of its towns. Trowbridge is just the right size to know a good amount of people and to be able to have an impact on it.
Where would you recommend for a good evening out and why?
I don't eat out very often because my wife and two daughters are such good cooks, especially with organic food, and I like to do a good curry myself. I like places with lots of character that are tucked away, like the King's Arms at Monkton Farleigh.
Who would be your ideal dining partner and why?
If not Helen, then I would choose between a historic and contemporary figure. The historic one would be William Morris, the 19th century designer, craftsman, author and political activist, and the contemporary would be Bruce Kent, a former Catholic priest and peace campaigner.
They would both have plenty to contribute to the conversation.
Which local landmark or attraction would you recommend?
It would be the stones at Avebury.
You get to touch them, walk among them and really feel the past.
What is your favourite book and why?
If I had to choose one book it would be George Eliot's Middlemarch, which is the most complete novel in the English language.
I also like Dickens and read quite a bit of history and biography, and poetry by people like Kipling, Auden and Larkin.
What is your favourite music and why?
This really shows my age!
I like Bob Dylan, David Bowie, the Rolling Stones, Joni Mitchell and Bruce Springsteen. These choices definitely put me in the 60s and 70s categories.
How do you relax?
With my family I guess. When I'm with my six-year-old grandson Barnabus, we often construct things out of Lego, and end up with bits of it all over the floor. We also like walking along the Kennet and Avon Canal, and I enjoy watching Trowbridge Town at Woodmarsh.
What keeps you awake at night?
Not very much! If I've eaten too much cheese maybe.
But I sleep very well, my wife says I sleep too well.
If you were stranded on a desert island what three things would you take?
Firstly animals, seeds and plants so I could be self-sufficient.
I'd also ask for my good health, and I'd take a guitar so I could learn to play and nobody would have to listen to me practising.
Keywords: Trowbridge Town, Mr Osborn
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