WHEN Ken Edwards leaves his job with outfitters Chas H Baker this summer, he’ll be going out in style.

Colleagues are treating him to a day at Salisbury races and have taken a private box for the man who used to run their schoolwear department.

Although he’ll be 70, Mr Edwards won’t be putting his feet up in retirement, but devoting himself to charity work.

The former Mayor of Salisbury is now chairman of Wessex Stoma Support Group and also travels the country as national chairman of the charity Mitrofanoff Support.

“I don’t think I could take it easy,” he said. “I’ve never done that in my life!”

Born in Salisbury, Mr Edwards, who lives with wife Pam in Bellevue Road, worked for Moss Bros in his youth. “They used to go round the camps doing military tailoring,” he recalled.

He also did a spot of pop singing in the 1960s and 70s.

“I’m a bit of an extrovert, I suppose,” he said.

He moved to London with the firm before returning to his roots, and having been elected to the district council, became the Liberals’ fulltime agent, building up their vote from 5,000 to 16,000 in the mid-1970s.

His 26-year council career saw him serve as mayor in 1979-80 and chairman in 1994-5. He was also a county councillor for four years.

He joined Chas H Baker 30 years ago and helped set up the hire department.

“I’ve stomped the catwalk at a lot of fashion shows at wedding fairs over the years,” he said.

“I started as a groom and finished up as father of the bride!

“Sometimes people bring in their children who are getting married, and say ‘you fitted me out with school uniform’.”

Mr Edwards represented the firm on the City Centre Management board, and on the BID steering group.

“I’ve kept up our involvement in what’s going on the city,” he said. “It’s all been thoroughly enjoyable."