John Prescott was at a party to thank long-standing Labour member and Didcot councillor Les Hitchcock.
An honorary freeman of the town, Mr Hitchcock, who will be 90 in May, has given more than 50 years' service to the area.
Mr Prescott, who presented Mr Hitchock with a golden long-service award marking his "lifetime's commitment to the Labour Party" pointed out that one of his first achievements as a councillor was to organise a weekly rubbish collection for Didcot -- by horse and cart.
Mr Prescott also presented him with a garden seat on behalf of the town's Labour Party. "People like Les are the backbones of their communities," he said.
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