Meeting the Queen with pen tucked behind ear!

London" She'd probably ordered her Christmas turkey already, as well as the ham.

But just in case the Queen wanted something extra for her festive feast — bacon-wrapped sausages, perhaps — William Lloyd Williams brought his pen to write it down.
 
The butcher met the Queen to receive his MBE last week with his trademark pen tucked behind his ear.

The Welshman, who was honoured for his services to the meat industry, is known as something of a character in his home town of Machynlleth in Powys and always has a ballpoint pen ready to take an order.

He said that when the news spread of his nomination his customers' first question was whether he would still have it behind his ear at Buckingham Palace. So he asked the palace for permission, and it was granted.

Local butcher

"When I got through the gates my wife said to me, ‘Wil, take the pen off' so I did but while I was queuing up to go into the hall I put it back on again.

"The Queen did look and she smiled. I was accepting the award on behalf of the old-fashioned butcher and as far as I'm concerned a pen is the symbol of your independent local butcher."

Williams owns and runs the abattoir and butcher's shop founded by his grandfather in 1959. He is an enthusiastic campaigner for local producers, has won a string of awards for his meat and was a finalist in BBC Radio 4's Food and Farming Awards in the best local retailer category.

His ballpoint pen drew a few comments at the palace, including one from Royle Family star Sue Johnston who spotted it before the ceremony. She was there to collect an OBE.