RUSS Green, the Forester’s village correspondent who quite literally put May Hill on the map, has died only a few days before his 85th birthday.

Russ, who reported the news from May Hill and the surrounding area for The Forester and its predecessor The Dean Forest Mercury for almost 60 years, was a familiar sight around the lanes in the area on his little Honda motorcycle.

The Forester staff who worked with him remember Russ as being unfailingly polite and modest and scrupulously punctual at getting his copy in ‘before deadline’.

In many ways he was ‘Mr May Hill’ playing a very active part in local affairs and was still in charge of local neighbourhood watch crime prevention panel and many more organisations, writing and editing the May Hill Reporter magazine for 47 years.

He met the Queen twice, once at a Buckingham Palace garden party 1995, and again as a recipient of Maundy Money at Gloucester Cathedral in 2003.

But, one of is finest moments came in 2005 when he successfully took the Ordnance Survey to task over May Hill village being omitted from their maps.

The discrepancy came to light when singer and TV personality Isla St Clair became hopelessly lost while trying to get to May Hill Village Hall to take part in a concert.

When she finally arrived at the hall, two hours late, she explained her difficulties to Russ who promptly wrote to the map makers.

A few months later an OS inspector turned up on Russ’s doorstep to set the cartological record straight.

The Forester’s former editor Viv Hargreaves said: “Russ Green was a remarkable village correspondent who may well have broken a record with more than half-a-century of contributions to the newspaper.

"Russ was the eyes and ears of the communities he covered near his May Hill home. Newspapers rely on these wonderful correspondents - who often come up with great stories amongst the parish pump.

“The blue Morph character who roamed May Hill causing much hilarity and a little concern was one such story which Russ tipped us off about. We all have fond memories of Russ."