VETERAN Tenbury councillor Tony Penn and his wife Janet have been reflecting on the past year and how it compares with their experiences as young people when they lived in heavily bombed Coventry during the dark days of world war two.

Mr Penn, who will soon be 87, represents Tenbury on Malvern Hills District Council.

He and his wife are active members of the village and church community in St Michael’s where they live.

As with many people 2020 has been an extraordinary year for Mr and Mrs Penn, forcing them to stay close to home.

But Mr Penn has been kept busy with his council work and has got used to having meetings on zoom.

Mr Penn is a heritage champion for Malvern Hills District Council and believes that Tenbury’s unique and historic buildings like The Round Market, Pump Rooms and Regal cinema are important to the future of the town as a tourist destination.

He has watched the town suffering in 2020, firstly from devastating flooding and then from the coronavrus pandemic.

As someone who likes to look for the positive Mr Penn enters 2021 a much improved pianist thanks to lessons from his wife during the long days of lockdown. They are looking forward to being vaccinated early in the New Year.

“Next year will be special as our granddaughter Becky, is expecting a baby in February,” said Mr Penn.

“This will make us great grandparents for the first time! Even more exciting is the news that it will be a boy!

“Having had three daughters and subsequently five granddaughters, this really will be quite an event for the family!”