THE president of the Lions Club of Tavistock battled through the snow and wind to attend a reception at Buckingham Palace at the end of February.

Paul German (pictured) attended the event, which was hosted by HRH The Countess of Wessex, who is not only the patron of the Lions Clubs of the British Isles but is also a member of the Wokingham Club.

The reception, which was attended by around 350 Lions from around the country, was held to celebrate the centennial anniversary of Lions Clubs International which was founded in Chicago in 1917 by businessman Melvin Jones.

During the reception, Lion Phil Nathan MBE, chair of the centenary celebrations said: ‘During our first century of service, Lions Clubs have touched millions of lives of people that needed us. One hundred years of service to the community is a remarkable achievement made possible by the selfless actions of many thousands of individual men and women, each of whom has sought to make their community a better place.

‘As we enter our second century, the cry for help from those in need will most certainly become louder as we as volunteers are ready to show that as Lions, we care and we serve.’

He went on to present the Countess with a Melvin Jones Fellowship in recognition of her hard work and support within Lions International.

Paul said that he had a fabulous time and that the Countess had taken the time to speak to most of the Lions, including himself.

His only problem was getting back home the following day as the heavy snow had caused major problems with the rail network and after catching two trains, the third one was the last one through Dawlish before the line was closed.

Despite this, he said that it was a visit and experience that he will remember for a long time to come.