CONSERVATIONIST David Holmes had already had a brush with Royalty when Prince Charles visited the How Hill Trust at Ludham.

Now Mr Holmes, who is the Trust’s director, is set to meet the Queen as well after he was awarded the MBE for services to environmental education in Norfolk.

During his 27 years as director of the How Hill Trust at Ludham, he has taught 4,000 schoolchildren and 1,500 adults annually about the importance of keeping the Broads’ environment free from pollution and keeping the water quality a high standard.

Now the father-of-two’s services have been recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours, appropriately just before he was due to retire from the charity.

He said: “I am delighted. Obviously it is really heart warming to be recognised at long last after all these years. I have been at How Hill for 27 years and obviously I am going to retire quite soon so it is a nice thing to get an award at the end of your working life.

“It is also recognition for the Trust’s work.”

Mr Holmes lives with his wife Sue, 60 in Mundesley and has two children Kirsty Kwiatkowski, 35 and Christopher, 30.

He grew up in Norfolk and said his interest in conservation started when he went fishing and sailing as a youngster.

He started out as head of the upper school at Flegg High in 1979 before joining the How Hill Trust in 1984 and helping to establish the charity’s work in providing residential andday courses for school pupils and adults.