A MALVERN pensioner is going to London to meet the Queen during a special Royal Maundy ceremony.

Bill Herring, aged 81, will travel to Westminster Abbey on Maundy Thursday, April 21.

Bill, who has been a church organist all his life, has been chosen to receive the specially minted Maundy money in recognition of his life-long service to the church.

He will be attending the invitation-only service at Westminster Abbey with his five sons. It will be televised live on BBC 1.

This year Maundy Thursday falls on the Queen’s 85th birthday so she will distribute Maundy money to 85 men and 85 women, in accordance with the tradition that the number of recipients is related to the Queen’s age.

Bill, who lives in West Malvern, has been a church organist for 67 years, starting when he was in his teens. During that time he has played the organ in 10 different parishes and during his National Service in Egypt played the harmonium for church parades and Sunday services in the desert.

As an organist Bill built up children’s choirs in the various churches he played at, starting with a choir at Windlesham in Surrey, where he was born. Since moving to Malvern in 1984 he has played the organ at St Andrew’s Church, Poolbrook, St George’s in Barbourne, The Church of the Ascension in Malvern Link and Cradley Church. Eight years ago he became organist at Mathon Church and still plays the organ there on a regular basis.

Bill said it was “a compliment” to be chosen to receive the Maundy Money but was glad to be attending the service with his sons as he is a little bit nervous.

The distribution of Maundy money by the monarch is a long established one and commemorates the humble service Jesus gave when he washed his disciples feet at the Last Supper. Centuries ago the English monarch would distribute food, clothing and money to the poor and wash their feet. Today the sovereign symbolically distributes purses of specially minted Maundy money to pensioners in recognition of service to the church and community.