Off to a Buckingham Palace garden party for David and Jane

David has been invited because of his dedicated and voluntary work in Embsay and the wider Dales community for the last 33 years. He will be accompanied by his wife, Jane, herself a community volunteer.

The two hour garden party is due to take place on Tuesday, May 9 - just three days after the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camila at Westminster Abbey in London. The investiture will form part of a long weekend filled with celebrations in Craven and across the country for the new monarch ranging from street parties to concerts.

David, whose father was a Scots Guard and who did sentry duty at Buckingham Palace before becoming a police officer, was a lay preacher for several Methodist churches in the Dales. He also looked after Embsay Methodist Church, organising services and looking after the building and grounds, including gardening, painting and maintaining the boiler. He also organised twice weekly table-tennis at the church and helped with the community cafe.

He was a founder member of the good neighbour's club, which provides trips for older people to Ilkley cinema, on boat trips and pub lunches. And was also a driver with Skipton and Craven Action for Disability (SCAD), driving the bus and taking people to the swimming pool at Craven Leisure, Skipton, where he also enjoyed a swim.

Both David and Jane were part of the Skipton Street Angels, which ran up until fairly recently, looking after homeless and vulnerable people out in the town centre on Saturday nights. Jane was also a volunteer with Citizens Advice for 14 years.

The couple, David in a lounge suit and Jane in a day dress with hat or fascinator, as per the dress code, will be travelling down to London for the party by train, where they hope to be able to have a look around the grounds of the palace.

David said: "My father was a Scots Guard and did sentry duty at the front of the palace, so I will be interested to see just what is behind the palace."