GORDON Moore, the Royal British Legion's number one poppy seller in Swindon, spent a happy afternoon mingling with celebrities at Buckingham Palace.

The 90-year-old war veteran, of Summerhouse Road, Wroughton, travelled to the Palace for a garden party with his granddaughter, Amanda Whitfield.

Mrs Whitfield, 40, said: "It made his year. The gardens were huge and there were marquees and marching guards.

"At one point we were just five feet away from the Queen."

Mr Moore chatted to several celebrities, including Dad's Army's Bill Pertwee, radio personalities Tony Blackburn and Terry Wogan, actress Prunella Scales and racing expert John McCririck.

He even got a kiss from singer Petula Clark.

A couple of days earlier, at another garden party in the Palace grounds, a 17-year-old streaker had run past the Queen with his trousers around his ankles.

Swindon charity worker, John Holmes, of Windsor Road, was at the party but did not witness the event.

Mrs Whitfield, from Lacock, near Chippenham, said she believed all the guests had behaved themselves at Thursday's event.

The entertainment was confined to scheduled acts like the Pipers of the Scots Guards and Band of the Grenadier Guards.

Former Artilleryman Mr Moore was invited with many members of the Not Forgotten Association, an organisation for disabled ex-service personnel.

The widower, one of the oldest guests at the party, is an active member of the Royal British Legion and a familiar figure on the streets of Swindon during poppy week.

He has received a special certificate for his services to the appeal.

Mr Moore belonged to the Swindon Gilbert and Sullivan Society for 27 years, and in 1999 starred in Yeoman of the Guard at the age of 86.