A head housekeeper at a care organisation says a once-in-a-lifetime invitation to a Buckingham Garden party is a huge honour.
Helen Briscoe, who works at Pendine Park In Wrexham, will attend the prestigious event on May 12 alongside Wrexham Mayor Tina Mannering.
The pair have been close friends since childhood and are celebrating major milestones in their respective roles.
From leading the city as Mayor to rising through the ranks in the care sector, the duo are set to mark their success together at one of the royal calendar’s most exclusive occasions.
When Cllr Mannering was elected Wrexham’s mayor, she had no hesitation choosing Helen to be her Lady Consort.
Helen said: “It has been the honour of my life to support Tina in her year as Mayor. The functions we have been privileged to attend and the hard-working people from our community we have had the pleasure of meeting, have all been truly amazing.
“But to find that we have been invited to the Royal Garden Party is the icing on the cake.”
Colleague Maggie Langford, a nurse at Pendine’s Bodlondeb care home, said: “We are so thrilled for Helen. She really deserves this treat. She is much loved by everyone here.
“She is so much more than our housekeeper, she is a genuine friend to staff and to many of our residents, who look forward to seeing her smile every day.”
Helen lives in Hope with her partner, farmer, Raymond Williams and has worked at Bodlondeb for nearly 14 years.
She said: “I am fairly new to the care sector compared to many of those who have given such long service to Pendine Park. But as soon as I came here I felt welcome and part of the wonderful Bodlondeb family.
“I have become quite attached to the residents and love to hear about their stories, their hobbies and lives before they came here.”
In earlier years Helen was a taxi firm admin assistant before moving to work at Bradley Village Shop, which was then owned and run by her long-time friend, Tina.
Helen said: “Tina has always been a pillar of the local community and will do anything she can to help people. It has been a privilege to witness her in action as she has committed herself so fully to her mayoral role.”
Among her more recent duties Mayor Tina Mannering attended a milestone birthday party and celebration of long service for two of Helen’s colleagues, Bodlondeb manager Ann Chapman, and Pendine Park consultant adviser Sarah Longhurst.
Helen laughed: “It was an absolutely lovely day, though a little surreal being greeted in an official capacity at the place where I actually work.”
“I could never have imagined myself taking on a role like Lady Consort were it not for the fact that Tina asked me. We are great friends who have been there for each other for years, in good times and bad, so we knew we would get along.”
“Going to Buckingham Palace is the stuff of dreams and it will be so interesting to meet the other guests.”
Helen has bought a special dress for the occasion but she is also looking forward to donning the official mayoral regalia for a final time, a gold chain adorned with enamelled Tudor roses and Prince of Wales plumes on enamelled shields with lions and crosiers.
It also includes a miniature portrait of the late Queen Alexandra in a circle of diamonds and, above the shield, the borough crest reads ‘Fear God, honour the King’.
Helen explained: “I believe there are only two of these particular style of chains in the world and the other one is owned by King Charles himself.
“When I first wore it I was told that he always takes an interest in it and asks about it whenever he visits Wrexham. It really would be astonishing if we got the chance to speak to him about it.”
