THE man responsible for helping to re-open the Kinneil Museum in Bo'ness has decided to retire — after 30 years in post.
Jack Sanderson joined Falkirk Town Council in 1973 as museum curator with only a handyman underneath him.
When he stood down at the start of May as Falkirk Council's cultural services director, Jack was in charge of a team of 70 staff and 11 properties.
But staffing increases are not the only changes the 60-year-old of Rivaldsgreen Crescent, Linlithgow, witnessed during his 30 years with the council.
When he first started in 1973, the council was hoping to set up a new museum and Jack was given responsibility for a temporary stop-gap premises in Falkirk.
However, with local government re-organisation in 1975, he was also given responsibility for Kinneil Museum — a stable block in Kinneil House.
The property, developed by Bo'ness Town Council, was taken over by Falkirk District Council and Jack was responsible for installing a new collection, which opened in 1976. That same year, he also took on responsibility for Grangemouth museum.
He said: "Within the space of three years, we had managed to open another two museums for the public. It was great at that time because you could really get things done — today, there's too much red tape.
"I've never stopped going since I joined the council but the level of central government control now means it takes you 10 times longer to do things."
However, taking a back seat was not easy for Jack — who was also responsible for over-seeing a 10-year, £3.7 million refurbishment of Callendar House in Falkirk, creating an interactive museum for visitors.
"The day I retired was one of the worst days of my life," he said. "I felt that I wasn't leaving colleagues, I was leaving friends. It really was quite a wrench."
To mark his retirement, colleagues organised a special party at Callendar House and presented Jack with a digital camera and a framed picture of him in the drawing room under one of his favourite pictures.
As for Kinneil Museum, before retiring Jack had set the wheels in motion for the opening hours to be extended to 10am to 4pm — they had been cut back in 1996.
He had also started a programme of improvment works at Bo'ness Town Hall.
Developments still to come include a bar being installed for special performances, with Bo'ness scenes dotted around the watering hole.
Jack and wife Inez have two grown-up children, Stephen (30) and Gillian (32), and one grand-child.