A Royal Visit to Oakham & Rutland Water!
Charles and Camilla are visiting Oakham and Rutland Water next week!
Here is the article in the Rutland Times:
Excitement has been building in Rutland with the news that the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall will visit the county this month.
Prince Charles and Camilla will make several stops during their trip on Monday, July 28.
Much of the visit will centre around Oakham and town mayor Jayne Woodcock hopes to see people lining the streets.
She said: “We want to make it a really vibrant place to be that day so people can come and see the couple but also have a bit of an extra weekend day.”
The Prince and Duchess will stop off at several spots around the county, including St John and St Anne Almshouses in Oakham.
The almshouses already have a royal connection, having been officially reopened by the Queen after restoration work in 1984. Prince Charles is patron of the Almshouse Association.
Dr Vivian Anthony is chairman of governors of St John and St Anne. He said: “We shall be delighted to show off our attractive almshouses and ancient chapel to our royal visitors and give them a chance to meet some of our wonderful residents and the governors who work so hard for the charity.”
St Anne’s resident Bob Hammond added: “We are looking forward to showing just what a pleasant and welcoming place we live in.”
Prince Charles will be asked to unveil a plaque during his visit. The Prince and the Duchess will also tour Oakham and meet business owners and the public.
The Prince, as patron of the Step Up To Serve campaign, will then meet young people involved in the programme before visiting Oakham Castle, where the Duchess will present a horseshoe to mark her first official visit to Oakham. Prince Charles gave a horseshoe in 2003.
Chairman of Rutland County Council, Charlotte Vernon said: “This is a special day for Rutland and I’m sure that our local community will be eager to catch a glimpse of The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall.
“The council is looking forward, in particular, to the traditional presentation of a horseshoe at Oakham Castle.”
The Royal couple will also visit Rutland Water, where they will meet Wildlife Trust volunteers and tour the reserve. Finally they will meet children taking part in the Walk a Country Mile initiative, aimed at raising funds for rural communities.
Peter Simpson is chief executive of Anglian Water, which owns the reservoir. He said: “We know how important it is to support the rural economy, and to encourage people to make a connection with the natural environment – both things that will be a feature of the Royal visit.”
Lord-Lieutenant of Rutland Dr Laurence Howard, added: “I am delighted they have chosen to visit our small and beautiful county and very much look forward to this special day.”
In 2009, Princess Anne visited the community wood next to Brooke Hill Primary School in Oakham and in 2010, the Duke of Gloucester visited Oakham School for its Combined Cadet Force centenary celebrations.
This article has been taken from the Rutland Times website (http://www.rutland-times.co.uk/news/local/rutland-will-be-proud-to-welcome-prince-charles-1-6185410).
The photo has been taken from the Leicester Mercury website (http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/Prince-Charles-Camilla-visit-Oakham-Rutland-Water/story-21644964-detail/story.html)