A blind veteran will enjoy a week of activities with fellow former servicemen and women at a charity’s training centre.

Les Brown, of Maldon, will spend a week at Blind Veterans UK’s training and rehabilitation centre in Brighton as part of a drive to bring together veterans who could be alone at Christmas.

Mr Brown, 89, served from 1945 and spent seven years in the Royal Horse Guards Regiment, spending his first year as a personal servant of Queen Mary.

Originally from Marylebone in London, Mr Brown used his knowledge of the city to protect the Queen every day.

However, when he was 81, Mr Brown suffered from macular degeneration, a disease that would eventually cause him to lose his sight.

He said: “I was driving and suddenly I couldn’t see the lights on the car in front of me anymore.

“I was diagnosed with macular degeneration and since then I would describe my limited sight as very grey in colour.

“Of course at first I was devastated, but as with all these things in life you have to get used to it.

“Luckily I found out about Blind Veterans UK and no word of a lie, I have had the best years of my life with them.

“They lifted me out of the isolated oblivion that I was experiencing during my early years of sight loss.”

Mr Brown has spent his life singing in barbershop quartets and is one of the founding members of blind veteran’s choir Vision in Song, who recently made their public debut at St Marylebone Parish Church.

He has sung at the church for more than 80 years since he was a young choirboy.

Mr Brown hopes to launch a choir while in Brighton with his fellow veterans, who will all spend Christmas together.

He added: “I’d normally spend Christmas with my family but I’m conscious that with my sight loss I’ve become a burden and I’d like to leave my family to enjoy Christmas without having to worry about me.

“It’s going to be a brilliant experience and hopefully I’ll be able to get as many blind veterans together as possible for a bit of a Christmas sing-song.”