Two Clarence Valley Council employees who have clocked up an amazing 69 years of service between then, were acknowledged at afternoon tea to celebrate their retirement, at the Townsend council depot on Friday. Brothers-in-law Peter Munro and Bob McLachlan spoke of their years working for the council and reminisced on what it was like back in the good old days. Peter Munro who clocked up 39 ½ years, told his fellow workers of his best and worst jobs over the years. Peter said that he was a keen swimmer and always had a set of goggles in his truck with him and would often have a swim in his lunch break. “One day I was asked if I would do a diving job at Yamba,” he said. “I later found out that it was in a two-and-a half metre treatment tank at the Yamba sewerage works. “My best job was when Jimmy Johnson (one of the foremen) was looking for someone to pick up a truck load of limbs from along the Brooms Head road. “It turned out to be a truck load of marry-ju-warna (marijuana). “I was told I had to take it straight down the highway to Grafton – don’t take any back roads, don’t go via the ferry at Lawrence – just straight down the highway,” he said laughing. ‘I had a police escort all the way. “It was so much fun and I got paid three hours overtime. “That was a good day, that one.” Bob McLachlan spoke next about his 29 ½ years with the council. “Well my time has been boring compared to that,” he said, referring to Peter’s story. Mr McLachlan went on to tell a story from many years ago when he was loading a truck with flood mud which had to be taken to Iluka to top dress the area in front of the Sedgers Reef Hotel. Whilst loading the truck he noticed a black snake in the flood mud and decided to put it in with the load. “When the truck got to Iluka and tipped the mud, the snake took off and headed straight into the pub,” he said. “There were screams and tables and chairs going everywhere. “We had a lot of fun back in those days.” When asked by the Independent what their plans were for their retirement, both men had different stories. “I go to the pool every morning and swim 24 laps and in the afternoon I walk eight kilometres,” said Mr Munro. “In between that I like fishing for groper at Shelly Beach and I also volunteer at Mareeba Nursing Home. “I do so many things now; I don’t know how I had time to work.” Mr Munro said that he has never had a day off sick since the age of 14; or any broken bones for that fact. As for Mr McLachlan, he is busy renovating his home, under the watchful eye of his wife Janelle.