Honour bestowed on Northampton Boys Brigade members selected to help out at Queen’s garden party

Three of the 21st Northampton Boys Brigade members had the honour of attending Buckingham Palace for the Queen’s annual garden party.

Luke Boyes, Jack Impey and Connor Elmore were the first members of the Northampton Company to be selected for a long time and made up some of the fourteen members nationally that attended.

One of the boys said that the event will “stay in his memory for a long time” and all of them explained that although the event was hard work it was an “absolute privilege” to attend.

Guests included the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, former Prime Minister Theresa May, and Brian Cox CBE.

The duties of the Boys Brigade representatives included guarding the palace steps, keeping members of the public in the correct areas, and helping guests find their way around.

The garden party had around 8,000 attendees, which the teens helped look after. Following the event, they were treated to afternoon tea alongside like the guests, as well as lunch inside the palace and a tour of the gardens.

Although being very nervous, they left Northampton by train in the morning and after arriving at the palace they quickly settled into their roles and enjoyed the day.

Maria Hope, Captain of 21st Northampton Boys Brigade based in Moulton said that she was “extremely proud” they had been selected to go.

The individuals have to be 18 years old to be entered into a nationwide draw and the luck could be repeated again next year with more members eligible for selection.