AFTER spending the best part of 15 years creating and building his own Swindon family, Paul Booth is hanging up his McDonald’s apron to spend time with his real family.

The 52-year-old has been at the forefront of the golden arches in Swindon, Cirencester and Stroud since the turn of the century, but has now made the decision to step down.

With the guidance of his wife over the past six months, Paul has weighed up his decision, after more than 30 years with the business.

“There were a range of reasons,” he said.

“The primary reason, I suppose, was quality of life. I want to spend more time with my family.

“I’m entirely responsible for the situation I find myself in.

“I love the job, but when I get a spare hour now I might look for something else to do.

“It was incredibly difficult and I keep saying I’m going to really miss the people involved in the business.

“In a local business like this, it’s not only the people involved in the business, but all those I came into contact with outside the business.

“I’m chair of the inSwndon BID and I loved working with local groups as a part of that role.”

Paul began with McDonald’s as a trainee manager in 1983 at the restaurant in Northampton, where he advanced to assistant manager via Letchworth.

He was a restaurant manager before the age of 25 at the hamburger chain’s Lowestoft outlet and from then it became a rapid rise for Paul, who quickly took on more and more responsibilities.

In his time with McDonald’s he has spent time working in Romania, Hungary, the Republic of Moldavia and the Republic of Ireland.

Since he came to Swindon in 2001 and took on the town centre and Greenbridge outlets, Paul has taken control of six more restaurants and accrued a vast array of experience.

Despite his relatively early retirement date, Paul has not yet committed himself to any other ventures off the back of his McDondald’s adventure, but don’t count him out of a busy future just yet.

“Call me again in six months,” said Paul.

“As it is at the moment, I’m spending time with the family and friends. I really have no specific plans, but in six months I might be telling you a different story.”

Tomorrow is Paul’s final day at the head of his restaurants, when he will hand them over to Carl Room, a franchisee from Oxfordshire, who is soon to move to the area.

Carl, who himself has known Paul for 30 years, feels his experience would be best put to use in a role as a councillor in Swindon.

When asked about this possibility, Paul said: “I have no other plans.

“I won’t deny I have really, really enjoyed that aspect of the business.

“I have said it many times, it’s very important local business gives back to the local community, I suppose by way of thank you to the customers that are visitors to our business on a daily basis.”