LIVING every day as if it was his last is Brian Glass's motto in life and his own experiences seem to bear out that principle.

Spells helping his parents in a cafe in Park Butts, Kidderminster, producing missiles, being a delivery driver and then contracts manager for a big national firm have made for interesting times.

And running his own business has now brought Mr Glass back to the heart of his community.

He owns Mr CleanCall's laundry and dry cleaners in High Street, Stourport, which has become a focal point of the town for those wanting to find out more about community news.

After suffering heart failure last year he realised how important Kidderminster General Hospital was, said Mr Glass, 48, and he is now one of about a dozen members of the Save Kidderminster Hospital Campaign committee.

He added: ''I thought I was going to die. I wouldn't go to hospital, being stubborn-natured, so the hospital doctors had to come out to me - hence my endeavour to save services at Kidderminster.

''It is nice to keep Stourport people informed about what is happening with the campaign, that we are still fiercely opposing the downgrading.''

He was born in a village in Cleveland and hopes one day to retire to the countryside.

Moving to Birmingham at the age of 13, and Stourport a year later, he left school to work at Kidderminster's Carlew cafe which was knocked down when the ringroad was built.

He manufactured missiles at IMI Summerfield for six years before he joined Initial Textiles as a delivery driver.

A rise through the ranks led to him becoming national contracts manager travelling all over the country.

Restructuring would have forced him to move to London, so instead Mr Glass returned to Stourport, with his wife Anne and children David and Caroline, to set up in business.

''It was either a hotel in Looe, in Cornwall, or buy this site for a dry cleaners - Stourport won the day,'' he explained.

''I had so many friends here that was obviously part of the choice.''

Part of that circle form the other part of Mr Glass's life - music.

He is lead vocals with 1960s band The Crestas which was formed in the swinging sixties and now does charity gigs.

His job has led him to join the town's business association of which he is chairman.

He sees the association's strength in its members' diverse interests which lead to visitor-pulling events such as the Victorian Weekend Extravaganza and initiatives such as flower baskets lining the town centre streets.