Rev Canon Derek Kerr goes on the road again with his collection of royal memorablia

His next stop will be at the Holy Trinity Church of Ireland in Woodburn, Carrickfergus where he’ll be displaying hundreds of items which relate to the British monarchy.

Rev Kerr, who is rector of the Drummaul, Duneane and Ballyscullion parishes in Co Antrim, said: "I’ve gone round churches with a box of memorabilia for 30 odd years giving what I call my ‘Royal Bits and Pieces’ talk – it’s a bit of a roadshow.

"I’ve been given a lot of items, people have been lovely.

"People often give me stuff and say, ‘will you take this because when I die my family with throw it in the bin’.

"I always take it because while you often get a lot of regular stuff that’s the same, sometimes you find a wee treasure in the midst of it.”

Asked what his most treasured item was, he said: “It’s a lovely little rattle that my mummy, who has been dead almost five years, was given as a baby to celebrate the silver jubilee of King George V.

"That sat under lock and key in our china cabinet for years – it’s just as well it did for I would have had it ruined over my wee brother’s head if I’d have got hold of it.

"I don’t bring it out much because it’s particularly fragile but when it comes to the big exhibitions I tend to let it be seen.”

The exhibition in Holy Trinity will run from Monday, October 31 to Friday, November 4 from 2pm to 4pm and from 7pm to 9pm.

Rev Kerr will be in the church on the Friday to give his talk, of which he said: “There’s historical facts in it but a lot of it just a carry on, a bit of laugh.”

Rev Kerr has met several members of the Royal family including the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh and King Charles, then Prince of Wales, and his wife Camilla. He also went over to London for the Queen’s platinum jubilee and her recent funeral.

Explaining his passion for collecting royal items, he said: “I’ve always been fascinated by castles and old houses, King Arthur, knights and jesters – it’s an era during which if I’d been alive I’d have been shoveling out the stables with everyone else.

“As a figurehead the monarchy is something people can support even if they don’t agree politically. They don’t have absolute power, if they had absolute power I don’t think I’d like it either.

“Where the Queen was concerned she was a figurehead that was loved by many.”

Rev Kerr was the first minister in Holy Trinity Church in Woodburn – a church plant from St Nicholas' Church in Carrickfergus.

The current minister is Rev Dr Alan McCann, a former Irish League footballer with Glenavon and Portadown.

He said: “Derek and I worked together as curates, we’ve been friends for over 30 years.

“We recently had the Prince and Princess of Wales here, so his royal exhibition ties in nicely.”

The exhibition is free to visit in the church, though people can leave donations.