Former headteacher Roger Fern is to serve a second term as Mayor of Ipswich, 12 years after he first took on the role.

The Labour councillor was mayor in 2004/5 which was a traumatic year for his party – halfway through they lost power to a Conservative/Liberal Democrat coalition which ran the borough for the next six and a half years.

He is to be proposed for the Mayoralty at next month’s annual meeting of Ipswich Borough Council

He was born during the Second World War and moved to Ipswich with his family in 1957 – very quickly becoming an avid Town fan.

He has been a season ticket holder at Portman Road for more than 30 years.

Mr Fern went to Northgate Grammar, as it then was, and teacher training at Westminster College, Oxford before becoming a secondary English teacher and eventually a primary headteacher, finally an education adviser/inspector and retired in 2003.

He met his wife, Pat, at school. She trained as a nurse at Ipswich Hospital and they were married in 1966.

They have two daughters, Sue and Lizzie.

Mr Fern said: “A few years ago Pat was diagnosed with dementia.

“I know at first hand, at least some of the challenges and frustrations facing those living with dementia and their carers.

“Nevertheless, we shall celebrate as well as anyone our golden wedding anniversary with family and friends in 2016!”

He represented Stoke Park on the council from 2002-6 and from 2007 has been a councillor for Sprites ward.

After his previous term as mayor, Mr Fern and a group of others set up the Ipswich Umbrella Trust and ran the Community Resource Centre. This has now become the Chapman Centre in Black Horse Lane and is part of Ipswich Housing Action Group.

His consort will be his oldest granddaughter, Ellie Griss. Ellie completed her training at UEA last year and is an operating department practitioner at Ipswich Hospital.