I was delighted to welcome a party of students from Munich to see the Guildhall and Mayor’s Parlour on Monday.

Later in the day I attended the opening of the Worcester Books for Free shop in Cathedral Plaza. It is an interesting concept promoted by Shaylesh Patel of Healthy Planet, a sustainability and conservation Charity. The project has, to date, saved 1.6million books from landfill and relies solely on volunteers.

The Mayoress and I attended a reception on College Green on Tuesday to celebrate Quality Solicitors Parkinson Wright, who are celebrating 50 years in Worcester.

Wednesday was Worcester’s big day – the long awaited royal visit. The Mayoress and I were able to meet Her Majesty The Queen and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh.

Firstly, we attended the Hive. We were given a tour of the building before welcoming The Queen to Worcester.

Then we had to make our way to the Guildhall to arrive before The Queen so I could greet her. We were driven through the packed streets, a truly memorable experience, where we felt the genuine affection for Her Majesty. This was a true tribute to our city’s citizens, who must have been at least eight-deep in places!

At the Guildhall we welcomed The Queen and then there was a reception, giving a chance to meet local volunteers and citizens.

Luncheon was the highspot, as I sat next to Her Majesty and had an opportunity to talk with The Queen who was well-briefed on issues in Worcester. She was remarkably easy to talk to. What an experience to then be asked to propose the Loyal Toast!

Later I presented Her Majesty with a porcelain plate depicting scenes of the city, painted by local artist Francis Clarke.

We didn’t attend the service at the Cathedral, but we were happy to host a tea party to say thanks to all those staff and visitors who had made the visit such a success.

Afterwards I made my debut on the BBC’s Midlands Today, which was broadcast live from the Cathedral cloisters. I shared a platform with the Mayor of Hereford to recount our memorable experiences of the day.

On Thursday, Jill and I attended King’s Day, a service of thanksgiving and commemoration at the Cathedral, to celebrate the leavers from the sixth form at King’s School. This was a great opportunity to visit the school’s new boathouse and to enjoy the singing of the school choir and orchestra.