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News

HRH visits Bank Farm and Rochester Cathedral in Kent

20th March 2007

The Prince of Wales visited Kent today to see a farm that supplies food to Clarence House and to attend a fundraising concert led by Jools Holland at Rochester Cathedral.

For his first engagement of the day, The Prince visited Bank Farm in Aldington, near Ashford in Kent, to meet suppliers, producers and customers.

The farm, which has been farmed by the same family since 1918, supplies The Prince's official London residence with fresh seasonal produce.

Bank Farm's owners, Douglas and Stephanie Wanstall, act as a distributor for around 70 small producers from Kent and the surrounding counties and supply their produce to venues including local schools, the Ivy restaurant and the Ritz and the Royal Brompton Hospital.

The diverse range includes meats, eggs, fruit juices, crisps, cakes and vegetables.

The Prince revealed that his Highgrove estate supplies potatoes and carrots to local Gloucestershire schools and said that customers wanted local seasonal produce.

Dale Penfold, co-founder of Cook Trading Limited, which produces fresh and frozen meals using locally sourced ingredients, said after meeting The Prince: "He's very friendly and talkative. He knows what he is talking about."

Stephanie Wanstall said: "We supply Clarence House with fresh local produce, anything British that's in season, and he wanted to come and see where his tea comes from.

"He's always spoken out about people buying local and organic food. He's got his own company, Duchy Originals, he's very passionate about it.

"It's good for us, our customers and suppliers, they're due some recognition."

The farm has been a Linking Environment and Farming (LEAF) demonstration farm for five years, welcoming groups such as schoolchildren and Friends of the Earth on educational visits.

Afterwards, The Prince lunched at the Turkey Mill in Maidstone where he presented the Spirit of Kent award for outstanding contribution to public life in the county.

The award is the initiative of the Lord Lieutenant, Allan Willett CMG, and aims to celebrate Kent, its unique history and culture, and to contribute positively to its future.

The Prince presented the Spirit of Kent award for public service to the county to Edwin Boorman, President of the Kent Messenger newspaper group.

His Royal Highness also presented The Queen's Commendation for Bravery award to Pc David Dummington, an unarmed officer who apprehended an armed burglar.

During the day, The Prince was presented with two copies of Nang magazine by young photographer Zoe Holloway, 22, who accompanied the Sun's royal photographer Arthur Edwards on a work experience trip.

Nang is produced by students in East London. The magazine's title is East London slang for cool.

The Prince promised Zoe: "I'll study the Nang," and turning to an aide, laughed and said: "Remember the ning nang nong," a reference to the Spike Milligan nonsense poem "On the Ning Nang Nong". It was voted one of the UK's top ten comic poems in 1998.

Later in the day, The Prince attended a special concert by Jools Holland and other artists in aid of the Rochester Cathedral Music Campaign at Rochester Cathedral.

Rochester Cathedral is England’s second oldest cathedral and was founded in 604AD by Bishop Justus. The present building dates back to the work of the French monk, Gundulf, in 1080.

At the heart of the concert was a new setting of the Mass, composed by Jools Holland and commissioned by the Bishop of Bath and Wells.

The Rochester Cathedral choir collaborated with Ruby Turner, Louise Marshall and Beverley Knight during the performance.

Money raised by the concert will go to a central fund that is not only dedicated to the continued maintenance and essential repair of Rochester and Wells Cathedrals, but also to create an endowment for Rochester Cathedral to preserve cathedral music.

The Music Forever Campaign aims to raise £10 million in order to conserve and improve the cathedral fabric, enhance visitor and education facilities, and to ensure that the tradition of choral music lives on into the future.

After the concert, Ruby Turner said: "These cathedrals are very, very important, it's what we stand for. We can't stand by and let them crumble."

Beverley Knight said: "I grew up in the church, that's where I first started to sing aged four behind the pulpit with my mother and sister.

"I can't begin to explain the feeling and the verve and the edification that it brings so many people together. That special experience should be preserved."

About 700 people bought tickets for the event and The Prince joined the audience in a standing ovation.