Avid Queen and Freddie Mercury fan, Mick Hoole, has received the greatest tribute of all - an inclusion in a new book about his favourite band.

"Lap of The Gods", an anthology about Queen and Freddie Mercery, has stories and interviews with people who worked and knew the band and fans like Mick.

And on page 142 the entry "Spare Ticket" was written by Mick from Ettiley Heath who met Sir Brian May backstage at a concert.

"My piece is really tells the tale of how I ended up meeting Sir Brian May - it is heavily condensed because I needed to keep it fairly short," said Mick to became a fan as teenager at school in Birmingham.

"I wrote it about five years ago and it's taken all time to be published- it's the brainchild of a DJ from Manchester I know named David Geldard."

Mick has seen the band lie around four times or more and first got hooked on Queen while at school.

"A friend said he'd bought a record by a band called Queen. We went to the sixth-form common room, played it and I was hooked from there! Think I was aged about 14 then."

Mick, 64, who moved to Sandbach with his wife and family around 28 years ago, and is a volunteer at Sandbach United Football Club and a regular face there, has amassed a fair collection of Queen and Freddie Mercury memorabila.

And this includes a copy of a Sir Brian May guitar which sits proudly on display in his Masefield Way as well as a copy of the statue in Montreux where Freddie lived in latter years and where the band has a recording studio.

"They're just an awesome band. I met Sir Brian May by. I literally bumped into him. What a great guy. He looks you straight in the eye and listens intently."

Mick explained in 'The Spare Ticket' chapter in the book how he went to a concert with Spikes All Stars or the SAS band. Sir Brian May and Roger Taylor announced they would join the band at the last minute.

"Brian was enjoying a beer but not chatting to anybody else so I saw this as an opportunity and as it turned out we had a great chat about dear Freddie.

"I managed to mention the four occasions I had seen Queen live and the fact was 22 years ago ..."

And Mick need not worry about losing touch with Sir Brian May for The Connor Ruscoe Memorial Fund set up in honour of an eight-year-old boy, a Queen fan, who had an inoperable brain tumour also involves Sir Brian May. Queen fan. .

"Sir Brian May got to hear about Connor and agreed for the charity set up in his memory to use his name," said Mick who helps run and organise events for the charity.

"Lap of The Gods", an anthology about Queen and Freddie Mercury is available to buy from Amazon here. All profits go to The Mercury Phoenix Trust.

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