TWO treasured volunteers from Walkerburn-based charity Home Basics enjoyed a date with the Queen last week at Holyrood Palace.

Nessie Henderson and Miriam Adcock were among the guests at the Royal Garden Party on Wednesday.

Nessie has been volunteering for the past 13 years with the charity that helps the homeless and people on low incomes furnish their homes.

And she has also dedicated 25 years of her time to volunteering at the Thrift Shop in Innerleithen.

Miriam, who is responsible for social media at Home Basics, was invited to the Garden Party for the work she has done with JogPeebles over the past nine years.

The volunteer jog leader helped set up the group in Peebles in 2009 and has continued to be a driving force for locals pulling on their trainers ever since.

Carola B?ttcher from Home Basics was delighted that both volunteers enjoyed a special afternoon with the Queen.

She told us: "It was a sunny and hot day in the gardens and both ladies really enjoyed their experience and returned with tales of royal archers, pipe bands, fashion and cucumber sandwiches.

"Both also managed to catch a glimpse of the Queen herself.

"Volunteers are such an invaluable part of any charity, and it is great to see, that just sometimes, their hard work can be rewarded in such a way."

Also among the guests at Holyrood was former Peebles MP, David Steel, with his wife Judy.

Lord Steel, who went on to become the first speaker in the new Scottish Parliament, was a guest within the Royal Tea Tent with Her Majesty, the Duke of York and the Earl of Wessex.