TAUNTON Deane Mayor Marcia Hill has spoken publicly for the first time about the devastating loss caused by two miscarriages.

Mrs Hill and husband Julian had only ever spoken to a handful of family and friends about the tragedies almost 50 years ago.

Fortunately the couple went on to have two healthy daughter and are now proud grandparents twice over.

"We never forget, but we always wonder what it would have been like," said Mrs Hill.

"It was devastating at the time, but there wasn't any support back then and you were just expected to get on with it.

"It was part of our life, but we moved on."

The couple had only been married seven months when Mrs Hill had an emergency operation that meant the chance of having children were "virtually nil".

They hadn't even talked about having children until then, but she decided to undergo fertility treatment at a clinic set up at Musgrove Park Hospital, Taunton, in the late 1960s.

"It resulted in two pregnancies, but both ended in miscarriages at an early stage," said Mrs Hill.

"But after five years we had Samantha (now 41) and Kate (36) with the help of the clinic.

"We always wanted girls and Julian and I often think what might have been - we may have had four girls, which we've actually got now as Samantha also has two daughters."

Mrs Hill revealed her heartache at the annual Angel Tree Service for grieving parents who have suffered baby loss at St Mary Magdalene Church, Taunton, on Sunday.

"I understand the sense of loss of people in different circumstances - some mothers actually gave birth," she said.

"Mine were both lost before the 'safe' date, which is why we only told a few people.

"It was devastating at the time. It's become more distant over the years, but every now and then we get a fleeting wonder."

Sunday's service, led by Musgrove chaplain the Rev Viv Henderson and team chaplain Susie Parsons, was attended by a number of parents who have experienced loss.

It included reading the names of babies who have been lost, placing pebbles in a pool of tears in remembrance of their short existence and writing tags for the Angel Tree.