Octagenarian ‘overwhelmed’ by service
BELL-RINGER David Warner, 88, from St James’s Church, Newbold Verdon, was 174th in the line to receive Maundy money from the Queen.
The former chief accountant for Caterpillar at Desford was nominated for the honour in recognition for his service to the village church.
He has been both church treasurer and churchwarden, the latter at an especially demanding time when the church was without a minister.
At the age of 82, he took up bellringing and now rings regularly at St Peter’s in Market Bosworth and at practice sessions at St James in Sutton Cheney, as there is no bellringing band in Newbold Verdon.
Widowed two years ago, he said his thoughts at the service were with his late wife Eileen, who introduced him to the church and who he said would have loved the occasion. “It was incredible. Overwhelming really. “Eileen would have loved it and would probably have received the Maundy money rather than me.”
But he added: “The Queen gave me a beautiful smile. That smile will stay with me.”
It was the first time Mr Warner had met the Queen personally.
The closest he’d been to the sovereign previously was attending an event in Horse Guards Parade, London, held to mark the 60th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, where the Queen was in attendance.