WARM WELCOMES

BY HEATHER LARGE

Shropshire has rolled out the red carpet for King Charles III many times over the decades.

Among his visits to the county was one in 1978 when he officially opened the new £12million Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.

“I am delighted to have this opportunity of coming to Shrewsbury and in particular to Shropshire. Idon’t get to this part of the world too often,” he told the official audience.

His visit was just the tonic for scores of patients, and on the three mixed surgical wards, where the then prince spent nearly half of his two-hour stay,his impromptu chats were greatly appreciated.

In 1979, His Royal Highness travelled to Shropshireagain to mark 200 years of the Iron Bridge

His visit took him to Blists Hill, the Iron Bridge itself -wherehepaid half apenny to cross the bridge -and CoalbrookdaleMuseum of Iron.

He was back in Ironbridge in May 1989 when he opened the £250,000 Museum of the River

Welcomed by huge, cheering crowds he unveiled acommemorativeplaque and wasparticularly interested in a38ft model of the Gorge as it was in 1796.

The £40,000 mock-up was designed by Mr Jim Jones, who explained the history it depicted and the Prince made his own contribution to themodel by planting atree.

That day also saw him make aprivate visit. The Prince spent an hour at the Park on aprivate visit to National Trust propertyAttinghamPark before moving on to Dudmaston Hall, near Bridgnorth.

In 2001, thethen Prince of Wales paid tribute to the county’s struggling farmers while touring Harper Adams.

“The role of institutions like Harper Adams have never been more important,” he told staff as he unveiled acentenary stone at the campus

Later he did his bit to preserve apiece of local historybyplanting an oak sapling when he visited Boscobel House near Shifnal.

His Royal Highness planted the young tree next to thelegendary Royal Oak which was used to hide King Charles II in 1651. He touched it and said: “Good luck tree, all thebest,” before waving the spade in the air as the crowds clapped.

As patron of the Ironbridge Gorge Museums, he also visited CoalportChina Museum, where he met craftsmen and women whose businesses had been hit by county’s floods the previous year

Jonathan Harris, who runs Jonathan Harris Studio Glass Ltd, presented the royal with aone-off silver cameo bowl.

Prince Charles thanked Mr Harris for the gift and joked: “Are you sure you can spare it?”

Eight-year-old Francesca O’Shea, from the 2nd Coalbrookdale and

Ironbridge Brownies, was at the site working on aclay model of Sherlock Holmes which she designed in a competition.

“The prince said that it was avery good drawing and he asked me how Idid it. Iwas amazed when he came over to us,” she said.

And he was welcomed at Shrewsbury School where he was given atour of anew £1.75 million music building named after its retiring headmaster Ted Maidment.

As he approached the building, he was welcomed by afanfare, which had been specially composed for the occasion by music student Anthony Wiles. Mr Maidment said the royal visit had been very exciting all round.

“Wehad amost distinguished visitor to open amarvellous new building, and we could not have asked for more,” said Mr Maidment.

The then prince was given atour of the music suites within the building, including the Hillman Room for woodwind and the John Kirkland Room, named after the new music school’smain contractor.Healso had abriefglimpse of the percussion room, andthe Elaine and Malcolm Barr Room, which would be a centre for choral music.

Following his tour of the new music school, Prince Charles took aseat in the auditorium to hear the string orchestra rehearsing the firstmovement of Haydn’s Cello Concerto.

Soloist 18-year-old Andrew Hughes kept asteady hand throughout the piece and was later congratulated by the prince for his performance.

Before officially declaring the music school open, Prince Charles said: “It is aremarkableachievement to have something so specialhere.

“It is contemporary and yet it has that feeling of always having been there –it’sa timeless building.”

Other visits included one in 2007 when he flew in to help celebrate the 10th anniversary of The Defence Helicopter Flying School at RAFShawbury

The royal guest was called on to cut aspecial cake, which he did with great aplomb, using asword.

Smooth as adagger throughbutter, the ceremonial weapon sliced the massive, locally made confection straight across the centre, neatly dissecting the flying school’s own proud crest.