LEDBURY'S town clerk was eagerly looking forward to the Queen's return to the town today - after seeing her as a child when she last visited 50 years ago.

June McQuaid, aged 58, who has been town clerk for 20 years, was only eight years old when the Queen visited Ledbury in her Coronation year 1953.

She was living near to the station on Homend in the town with her parents Kath, 81, and Leon, 87, who ran a guesthouse and garden centre in Ledbury.

"I just remember we moved to near the station in Ledbury and I sat on the wall as she went past," she said.

"I really can't remember much else about it at all but I do remember we had a television to watch the Coronation."

Now Mrs McQuaid is getting excited about the Queen's return to the area with the Duke of Edinburgh for a day-long visit to rural and agricultural communities in Herefordshire.

As part of the visit, the Queen will join the elderly residents at Ledbury's Harling Court for the day.

Mrs McQuaid will accompany Ledbury Town Mayor Keith Francis earlier on in the day to a picnic attended by the Queen with 3,500 guests at Much Dewchurch.

"It is exciting that she is coming to Ledbury again as it's not something that happens every day," she said.

"I hope the people of the town will be out to see her as well."