Buckingham Palace and Mastermind dates for Ludlow church pair

Shropshire church rector, the Venerable Colin Williams, will swap the pulpit for the infamous black leather chair when he takes part in the long-running BBC quiz show Mastermind.

And Mr Williams isn't the only one in the spotlight at Ludlow's Church of St Laurence.

The church's director of music and clerk of works, Shaun Ward, has been invited to Buckingham Palace for a garden party hosted by the Queen.

Both filming for Mastermind and the royal garden party happen on May 20.

The two have been preparing in different ways, with Mr Ward having a royal beard trim at Truefitt and Hill, barbers to the Duke of Edinburgh, while the rector buries his head in books.

Mr Williams said: "For years and years I have sat at home watching Mastermind and thought 'I can answer all of these questions'.

"But it's quite another thing when you're there under the blue spotlight.

"I tried last year but didn't get through the two sets of auditions.

"I thought I'd give it one more go this year and they have very kindly put me on one of the opening rounds."

His first specialist subject will be the English Reformation from 1532 to 1559 – when the Church of England broke away from the authority of the Pope.

"But if I get through to the next round I will have to agree other subjects," he said.

"I'm OK for my specialist subjects because I can read up for them, but the great unknown is the general knowledge round – the only easy questions are the ones you know."

While the rector is filming, Mr Ward will be hobnobbing with royalty, invited to one of four annual garden parties.

But he said he does not know who nominated him to attend.

"The first invitation came in February and it was completely out of the blue," he said. "I happened to be walking down the street in Hereford and the Queen's chaplain Kay Garlick saw me and said 'I'll be seeing you at the palace'. I said, 'You mean the bishop's palace?' and she said, no, Buckingham'."