A WOMAN who had the "great, great privilege" of meeting the Queen Mother twice has spoken of her fond memories of the smiling royal who always took an interest.

Jennifer Haynes, of Crundalls Lane in Bewdley, met the then Queen in the early 50s and again in 1999. Jennifer Haynes has happy memories of her meetings with the Queen Mother.

As a six-year-old Jennifer Townsend, who was the niece of Harold Langdon, the Mayor of Cambridge, presented her with a bouquet at the Royal Show in Trumpington near the city in July 1951.

And their paths crossed again three years ago at the Racing Welfare Charities Millennium Appeal at St James' Palace in London where Jennifer was a guest and the Queen Mother was present in her role as patron.

"She came in with her corgies in tow," said Jennifer.

"She spoke to various people and I was presented to her. I told her I had had the great honour of presenting some flowers to her in 1951 and she said 'you must have been a very little girl then'.

"She was very, very interested and said it was like a bridge from then until now."

Jennifer lived in Worcester, where she was a pupil at St George's Infants School, at the time of the first encounter but moved to Wyre Forest in 1973.

She now does voluntary work for Kidderminster's Kemp Hospice, which cares for people with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses.

Jennifer was sad to hear of the death of the Queen Mother, who she described as a "great asset" to her country.

"Meeting her was a great, great privilege. I felt she carried out all her royal duties with great dignity.

"You always saw her with a smile on her face."