TODAY, Queen Elizabeth II will overtake her great-great-grandmother Victoria as the country’s longest-serving monarch.

And one Headington resident knows how it feels to be in a job for more than 60 years.

The Rev James Cocke is the vicar of All Saints’ Church in Lime Walk and has the impressive title of the Church of England’s longest-serving priest.

He has worked in the Curch for 63 years, firstly becoming a deacon in 1952. He was ordained in Christ- church, Dorset, in 1953 and has served the Headington parish for 58 years.

Due to the 89-year-old’s record service, he was asked to talk about his experiences on a BBC television celebration of the Queen’s long and illustrious career.

Speaking to the Oxford Mail, he said: “I think she will be hailed as one of the greatest of all our monarchs.

“She has provided all of us with incredible spiritual leadership and public service.”

Although MrCocke has not met the Queen, he has had a brush with royalty in the past.

In 1967 Princess Margaret opened the All Saints’ Church hall, and in 1971 he met the Duchess of Kent at a centenary celebration for the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre.

He has also attended a royal garden party at Buckingham Palace.

He said: “It would be an honour to meet the Queen, but one doesn’t aspire to it as such.”

During almost 60 years as vicar at All Saints’ Church, he has seen a lot of changes in Headington, including the building of the John Radcliffe Hospital.

He said that one of his proudest achievements was developing a “thriving musical culture” at his church.

In 1989 he helped in the procurement of an organ from the now closed church of St Philip and St James in Woodstock Road.

Mr Cocke featured on the BBC’s The One Show on Monday.

During the programme, he spoke about his memories of the Queen and what it felt like to be in the same profession for more than 60 years.

As part of the programme, the father-of-four went to Windsor where he met other people who had been in the same job for at least 50 years. Professions varied from nurses, to lollipop ladies, to panto dames.

He said: “It was a very pleasant day and it was nice to meet people from all different walks of life.”

Although he is well past retirement age, he has no plans to leave the parish.