Palace venue for Lions centenary event

The invitation to the event came from HRH Countess of Wessex, patron of Lions Club International and the lucky Lion drawn from the Coningsby & Tattershall Club was Jackie Jewell.

The weather was abysmal as the reception took place in during one of the worst weeks of snowfall for decades.

However, being Lions, the stalwart members travelled from far and wide, with no concern about how they were to get home; they weren’t going to let a few feet of snow stop them!

Lion Jackie said: “It was quite a reunion, meeting old friends and new.

“HRH Sophie was delightful; she gave a heartwarming speech taking ownership of her Lions, saying how proud she was, when travelling around the world, that she never ceased to be amazed at the differences Lions made to so many lives.”

Having given a faultless speech, the Countess was then rendered speechless when presented with a Melvin Jones Fellowship, the highest accolade awarded to Lions for outstanding service.

Jackie added: “She definitely was not expecting that, but charmingly deflected the tribute by saying that she just received the accolades on the Lions’ behalf and it was in fact each and every one of the Lions who actually did the work.”

The journey home proved a mainly uneventful drive home the next day, until almost at her house, when she managed to drive into a snowdrift and had to be rescued by a local farmer.

Jackie said: “It was totally and utterly worth it; after all, who gets to drive right into the Palace, walk up the red carpet and spend an evening with so many good friends and such a lovely lady?”