IT was a royal occasion for Wellington and its town council when the mayor was invited to a prestigious event in London.

On Tuesday, May 12, the mayor of Wellington Cllr Mark Lithgow attended a garden party at Buckingham Palace.

He had been nominated to attend by his councillor colleague Andrew Govier, who said he felt the mayor deserved the honour as a thank you for the hard work he has put in to the town.

Explaining further why he decided to nominate the mayor for this special event, Cllr Govier said: “It was an honour to recommend Mark for this prestigious event. He has been a dedicated councillor for a number of years and was instrumental in the setting up of the Kings Arms Community Hub.

“In addition, his voluntary work in the community has been immense. He is a magistrate, volunteers for the Samaritans, St Margaret’s Hospice, Marie Curie, Bloodbikes, and many other local groups.”

He was ably supported by his wife, Sarah, who Cllr Govier said is another great community servant, particularly in her many roles within St John Ambulance.

Mayor Cllr Lithgow said: “I felt very honoured to be invited to the Buckingham Palace Garden Party as I was only one of many who worked hard to get the Kings Arms Community Hub up and running.

“We were lucky with the weather on the day and both the King and Queen were in attendance. There were about 8000 people at the party but the gardens were so big that it did not seem crowded, except around the King where everyone was packed in trying to get a photo.

“As I was able to bring a guest I was glad to bring my wife and consort Sarah who is very supportive of my many voluntary roles and is a keen volunteer herself!”