He admits that the town has been "a fascinating place to be" and says he's enjoyed every minute of it.

The long-standing vicar bids farewell to South Tyneside after spending more than a decade at the helm of one of our oldest churches.

Yesterday, he led worship at St Hilda's Church in South Shields Market Place for the final time, today he's set to go back to his home town of Darlington with his wife Maureen.

The 64-year-old grandfather said: "The experience of ministering to the 'Folks o' Shields' has been a remarkable one, not least because it is such a diverse place right in the town centre setting where my parish is situated.

"It's been marvellous being here for the past 13 years, and it is really down to the people of the town who have taken me to their hearts.

"It hasn't just been those who regularly attend St Hilda's Church, but all those from the surrounding area with whom I have shared so many things, especially those intimate moments in their lives."

Living in Darlington, County Durham, after the war, Ray Burr left school at 15 to follow his father to the Whessoe engineering company.

He played for the firm's cricket team, and after he'd served his time, he became a quality control engineer.

But instead of rising further up the production line, he was summoned by the church instead.

He regularly attended church as a youngster but drifted away through his early adulthood.

It was only as he went to St Mark's Church in Darlington to pick up his children from Sunday school that he found his calling.

He said: "I'd stand at the back and just think there was something about it. Stephen Sandham, the vicar, gently steered me towards ordination.

"I've no doubt that having worked in industry first has helped my ministry."

He became a priest in 1986, served curacies in Hartlepool and Sherburn, became Rector of Easington Lane, and, for the past 12 years, has been beside the sea.

When he came to South Shields in 1995 he was welcomed with open arms at St Hilda's Church, a grade II listed building.

A lot of Rev Burr's time has been spent ensuring that its upkeep has been maintained for future generations.

He's liaised with the local council, along with English Heritage and other funding bodies, who have all helped in his quest to maintain the historic church.

About £750,000 has recently been spent on mainly external restoration of the building, which was extensively damaged by German bombing in 1941.

He oversaw the transformation of the rear of the church into a visitors' centre, and the church's bells were brought from St Aidan's in Blackhill in 1999.

The father-of-three and grandfather-of-six said: "St Hilda's Church is one of those churches which lends itself so wonderfully well to the big occasion, such as Mayor's Sunday, big memorial services or times of remembrance, as well as celebration."

He remembers his first visit to the church. He said: "It was like walking into the Tardis, it just seemed to get bigger and bigger the further I went in, but it's a very lovely place.

"I can still see in my mind's eye, 10 years down the line now, the continuous stream of people who came to St Hilda's over the days after the death of Princess Diana, simply to find a place to share with others a time of prayer, to light a candle or to lay some flowers, and, of course, to leave a message in a memory book."

Rev Burr and his wife Maureen, who've been married 43 years, will return to Darlington, close to the factory where it all began.

Looking back at his time with the church, he said: "There's a lot of hierarchy, but you don't see much of the bishops, and archdeacons are few and far between too.

"I also didn't realise how different South Shields would be from Easington Lane, where the rector knew everyone.

"Here in South Shields it's been much more difficult because hardly anyone lives in the town centre."