MALCOLM Fish, the man in charge of Malvern Lynx Marching Band, has been invited to tea with the Queen at a Buckingham Palace garden party on Tuesday, July 16.

As well as running the 30-strong band for the past 20 years, the retired postman has been running crib competitions and other events to raise money for Malvern Cancer Care. In ten years, he has raised £10,000 for the charity.

"My best friend's daughter died with cancer and they started doing a skittle thing to raise money and I thought 'I can help out if I do a crib event'. I felt we had to do something."

Mr Fish will be taking his wife, Valerie, to the garden party.

"We're looking forward to it," he said. "We don't know what to expect. It's something out of this world."

The couple will have tea in the marquee and will be joined by the Queen for two hours.

Mr Fish said: "They say she mingles right through. I don't know what I will say to her but I have never been short of words before!"