A FORMER teacher, who picked up his MBE at Buckingham Palace at the same time as the rock star Rod Stewart was knighted, was singing the praises of Burnley.

Colin Wills, 74, chairman of Building Bridges in Burnley received his award last week for services to Burnley.

At the Buckingham Palace investiture, where the singer became Sir Roderick Stewart, Mr Wills was accompanied by wife Freda and sons Paul and Mark.

He received his MBE from Prince William along with around 80 people with all sorts of interests and professions and from different parts of Britain and the Commonwealth.

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Mr Wills spent 21 years as head at Stoneyholme Primary School and also taught at Barden Junior School and Coal Clough Junior School where he became deputy head.

He has also been a United Reformed Church elder for more than 50 years.

Mr Wills, from Minehead Avenue, said: “Prince William, jokingly asked, ‘you don’t really build bridges do you?’

“I explained how, with others, I had helped set up Building Bridges in Burnley in 2001, after the serious disturbances of that year.

“I also mentioned that his father, Prince Charles had always taken an interest in the charity.

He replied straight away that ‘he’s a Burnley Football Club supporter’.”

Mr Wills said that when he got the letter informing him of the honour from Buckingham Palace he was ‘shocked and in disbelief’.

He said: “I thought why me?, I know of others who are far more deserving.

“But I thought I will run with this as it gives publicity to my faith and to the town where I have lived all my life.

“Burnley is a beacon town and we are on our way. Not only is the football team in the Premier League we are deemed the most enterprising town in the country.

“The occasion was very enjoyable and memorable and gave me a great deal of pride in my town and its people.

“I give thanks to those who I have worked with, and by whom I am equally blessed, inspired and encouraged, but who haven’t been rewarded by the Queen, yet.”

Among the other community work he has done is a being a member of Briercliffe Road Surgery Patient Participation Group, a member of NW Synod United Reformed Church Area and sitting on the Lancashire’s Statutory Advisory Committee on Religious Education.