SIR John Foley is getting on famously with being High Sheriff of Herefordshire and Worcestershire. Since taking up the appointment he has been out and about in the two counties visiting the police, fire and ambulance services, presenting awards, attending civic services and greeting visiting members of the Royal Family.

Sir John Foley, the enthusiastic, but sometimes unskilled gardener.

"I'm enjoying it enormously," he enthuses, listing future activities in store. He's also been asked to sit as Patron on the West Mercia Probation Care Trust, the probation service being a new area for him which has particularly sparked his interest.

"But it's one of many," he qualifies. "I'm very interested in supporting the police.

"This government idea of merging the whole of the left side of England with the whole of the right-hand side is absolute nonsense."

Suggest that the High Sheriff's role is a non-political one and he agrees absolutely and, gazing celingwards with studied innocence adds: "I've never heard of the two main parties in this country - well three . . . just."

The role has also given Sir John and Lady Foley the opportunity to reacquaint themselves with Herefordshire. "We've lived here but we've not lived here," Lady Foley explains. "We've met people and lost touch, this is a wonderful way of getting back."

Since their return, she has found out there's a lot more to Herefordshire than she first thought.

"I thought it suited me very much as a young mother but I think it will suit me very much as a working person and very much as an old lady - which are different lifestyles," she says. "I first thought it would be very nice for a bit and then I would want to go but I'm here now. In life you must never have decided ideas about things.."

Away from offical duties the couple enjoy golf (both are members of Herefordshire Golf Club), tennis and walking in "good countryside".

Sir John also likes reading and says he's an enthusiastic but, on occasions, "rather unskillful" gardener - when he gets rapped over the knuckles.

Lady Foley, meanwhile loves to write and is a member of a writing group which is shortly due to publish an anthology of members' work. She has also had two pieces broadcast on BBC Radio Guernsey. Her writing spills over into keeping in touch with friends worldwide via long e-mails.

"She's the expert on the computer, I'm quite happy with pen and parchment,"chuckles Sir John.

With their daughters visiting regularly from London and accommodating the other family members - their two cats - life is never dull for the Foleys and it seems a peaceful retirement is still a long way off once the year-long High Sheriff's role ends.

Lady Foley with Jasper, one of her beloved cats.

"I think we'll try to retire - we've tried three times now," says Sir John, "I'm sure I'll do other things. But I'm not sure what."

Whatever that is, it's bound to be - at the very least - interesting.