REVEREND Canon Edward Gee celebrated his 40 years as an ordained priest on Saturday, with friends, colleagues and family filling St Andrew's Church at Kildwick.

Canon Gee served in the Wakefield diocese before he retired to Glusburn, where he assists Kildwick Church, and has also helped out in the Steeton and Lothersdale parishes.

"I help out when vicars are ill or on holiday and when there is a vacancy, which there has been twice since I came here," he said.

Canon Gee was ordained in Wakefield Cathedral in 1962, after a career in insurance. Stricken by tuberculosis as a child, he said this was one of the things that strengthened his faith in God.

He spent his whole working ministry in the Wakefield area and remembers significantly the support the church gave during the miners' strikes and helping resettle Ugandan Asians. "While I was at Castleford I had a year of the miners' strikes and that was a very sad time, of course. The churches in Castleford supplied soup kitchens and meals for the miners' families," he said.

He moved to Glusburn 10 years ago with his wife Marjorie, and along with his many clerical duties he enjoys walking and woodwork.

An active man, he takes 'holidays' to preach in North-West Scotland and has also preached in Sicily.

Canon Gee said: "We are thankful to have been surrounded and supported by so many good friends. We are grateful to God for all those happy years. We continue to be blessed in our retirement as we share in the life of St Andrew's, Kildwick'.

A collection amounting to over £500 was taken at the service. This will be given equally to Work Aid and Harvest Help, which St Andrew's Church is supporting this year at harvest time.