Tiwice Marlborough mayor Nick Fogg said the Queen was on top form when she made him an MBE at Windsor Castle.

The town councillor, who lives in Oxford Street, was named in the New Year’s Honours list for services to the Jazz Festival and the community.

He said: “It was good fun and it was lovely to see Windsor Castle. I’ve been twice before but I’ve never seen it in all its splendour before.

“The Queen was utterly charming and was very on the ball. It was a delight to meet her. I’ve met the Duke, Princess Anne and Prince Charles before but never Her Majesty.”

The father-of-six was joined at the castle by his wife Edwina and sons Tom and Joe last Friday.

He said: “You’re only allowed three guests so we had a bit of a ballot.

“Afterwards we went to my favourite tapas bar in London for a family lunch where there were 18 of us so it cost me a fortune. It was a lovely day.”

Coun Fogg has become a well-known figure in the town since moving to Marlborough in 1978 to take a teaching post at Marlborough College.

As well as starting the Jazz Festival, he was involved in the Marlborough Literary Festival and has been a town councillor since 1982.

The 72-year-old first mooted the idea of a festival in the town when he became mayor in 1985 and a year later the Marlborough Music and Arts Festival ran for an entire week in June.

The first three-day jazz weekend was introduced in 1990 and the Marlborough Interna-tional Jazz Festival, as it is now known, was born in 1997. It has attracted jazz stars including The Jools Holland Big Band, Georgie Fame and Claire Teal.

Coun Fogg said: “I don’t know where I will keep the medal. I suppose it wouldn’t be proper to pawn it so I’ll probably keep it in a drawer somewhere and bring it out on special occasions.”