A Wright royal day out for Ken and Anne

HONOURED: MBE couple Anne and Ken Wright

A SELFLESS Saddleworth couple got a pat on the back from Prince Charles when he presented them both with an MBE for services to the community.

Ken and Anne Wright were nominated for the award because of the tremendous amount of work they do for the arts and voluntary sector.

Ken (80) and Anne (73) were the only husband and wife couple to both receive an MBE at the prestigious ceremony at Buckingham Palace.

Back home in Dobcross after their adventure, Ken said: “It was wonderful — an absolutely fantastic day. By the time it was all over it seemed like the whole day lasted only 10 minutes, and now we are back home it seems like it all happened a month ago.”

“There was high tension, it was very organised and everyone was absolutely charming.”

Ken and Anne are heavily involved with Delph’s Millgate Arts Centre and amateur theatre company The Saddleworth Players. Both also help to run the Talking Newspaper for the Blind and have been involved with Meals on Wheels.

Ken’s involvement with amateur theatre goes back 60 years, first as an actor, then in management, originally in Shaw, and with the Delph company since 1965.

He is also heavily involved with the Huddersfield Canal Society and helped the Women’s Royal Voluntary Service.

Anne was treasurer with the Saddleworth branch of Cancer Research UK for 20 years and helps Saddleworth Voluntary Service, a luncheon club for older people.

The day was an honour neither Anne nor Ken will forget. Ken said: “It was lovely because we were able to take two guests each. A taxi drove us into Buckingham Palace, where we were welcomed by a Chelsea Pensioner, then we were taken to a room full of magnificent pictures and chandeliers.

“We spoke to Tim Brooke Taylor and Jessica Ennis, the pentathlete, who both got awards, and there were a lot of military people there. We were announced for services to the community.

“Prince Charles asked us what we did, then thanked us for doing it and said how nice it was that people put themselves out to do these things. He was very charming and very friendly – and had a nice firm handshake.”