Retired Fraserburgh firefighter receives coronation invitation
- Published
John Anderson and wife Margaret at a garden party at the Palace of Holyroodhouse
A retired firefighter, who thought a message saying he had been awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM) was a scam, has been honoured by royalty again.
Fraserburgh grandfather John Anderson has been invited to the King's coronation.
The 72-year-old says he feels "privileged" at being asked to attend the historic event on 6 May.
He is one of 450 BEM recipients extended the honour in recognition of their contributions.
The medal recognises the achievement or contribution of service to the community in a local area.
This might take the form of sustained commitment in support of a local charitable or voluntary activity, or innovative work that has delivered real impact in the community.
Mr Anderson received the award in 2020 for his community work throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.
In the early stages, he helped to set up a call centre where those who had Covid could call for a food parcel and have it delivered to their home.
Following this, he also set up a community food pantry which he said there was a great need for.
Images of the natural world, including wildflowers, birds and insects, adorn King Charles III's invitation
Mr Anderson is looking forward to going to London to witness the coronation.
He told BBC Scotland: "I am thrilled. It is quite an honour to be one of the 2,000 people invited and to sit in Westminster Abbey with all the pomp and glory going on, maybe rubbing shoulders with a film star or a king or a queen.
"It is going to be quite a day."
He explained how he thought he was the victim of a scam when he received the initial text message telling him he would be receiving the BEM.
Mr Anderson said: "I was on holiday with my family.
"We had been getting quite a lot of scams on the emails through the pandemic, so I just thought it was another scam.
"My son-in-law, who's a police officer, had a look at it and made a few calls and he said it was right enough.
"It was very out of the blue as well."
Mr Anderson served with Grampian Fire Brigade for 44 years.
He established and ran the local Blue Light Festival to promote the good work of the local emergency services and community safety.
John Anderson will attend King Charles III's coronation at Westminster Abbey
He also helped with large-scale rescue operations in Scotland, including a nine-hour mission to rescue an individual trapped in rubble after the Stockline factory explosion in Glasgow.
John also joined "International Rescue Corps" (IRC) over 30 years ago, providing help worldwide in the wake of disasters.
He has been on deployments to countries across the globe such as Turkey, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Algeria, Mozambique, and Afghanistan.
Mr Anderson was also awarded the Queen's Fire Service Medal back in 2000, an accolade he said he was "shocked" and "chuffed" to receive.
He plans to fly down to the capital and see a show before attending the coronation.
More than 850 community and charity representatives from across the United Kingdom have been invited to enjoy the coronation service from Westminster Abbey.