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HRH visits the University of Wales and launches a new P.R.I.M.E. Cymru mentoring scheme

6th June 2007

On the third day of The Prince of Wales’s annual summer tour of Wales, His Royal Highness launched a new mentoring scheme for his charity P.R.I.M.E. Cymru and took part in a ceremony to celebrate 100 years since King Edward VII laid the foundation stone of the University of Wales.

The Prince, who is Chancellor of the University of Wales, wore black and gold academic robes for the ceremony in Bangor.

The impressive ceremony mirrored the original ceremony held in 1907. Crowds of schoolchildren gathered in glorious sunshine and the Menai Bridge Band provided the music just as they did 100 years previously.

The Prince took part in a procession into the Prichard Jones Hall where he unveiled a plaque, written in Welsh and Latin, to mark the occasion.

After beginning his speech in Welsh, The Prince announced that he was to become Patron of a campaign to raise money to restore the Grade I listed university building.

The Prince said: "This is a university which is proud of its history and has a long and distinguished academic record.

"I am very pleased to be present here today as this particular milestone for this splendid building is reached.

"I join you in celebrating the ceremony in which my great-great-grandfather took part 100 years ago.

“The “college on the hill” has a very special place in the memory of generations of hundreds of university students and shows, if I may say so, the long term sustainability of traditional architecture.

“This institution is also very proud of its tradition of fundraising which dates back to the very foundation of the university college in Bangor in the late 19th Century, and to the immense generosity of the people of North Wales and elsewhere.

“I am delighted to be associated with the efforts to raise funds to restore this remarkable university building and I wish the university every possible success in its efforts and in its continued drive for excellence.”

The audience was entertained by music from harpist Einir Wyn Hughes, 23, from Pwllheli.

Miss Hughes, who has recently graduated from the university with a Masters in music, played The Harpist's Farewell.

Afterwards, she said: "It was a huge honour to play for The Prince. He told me he had enjoyed it very much."

The National Poet of Wales, Gwyn Thomas, read a poem, The College On The Hill, which The Prince had specially commissioned to celebrate the day.

Following the ceremony, The Prince visited an exhibition featuring memorabilia from the original 1907 event, including a menu of pigeon and mint ice-cream.

Later, The Prince met children from Hillgrove School in Bangor, who waved Welsh flags as His Royal Highness greeted them.

Jason Jones, 16, from Llanfair PG, said: "I told him I was sitting my GCSEs and he said good luck. He was very charming."

Bryony Keyes, 15, from Tregarth, said: "He saw our prefect badges and asked what we did. We just laughed and said 'Nothing - we just get a badge'.

"It was great to meet him."

The Prince later visited Llynnon Mill, the only working windmill in Wales, in Llanddeusant on Anglesey.

After touring the beautiful 18th Century building, which still uses traditional stone to grind grain and make flour, His Royal Highness joined local schoolchildren for a bite to eat.

The youngsters, from Llanddeusant Primary School, were practising Iron Age bread-making with basic tools and an open fire under the guidance of expert Mark Buxton.

The Prince was eager to sample some of their home baking and proclaimed their freshly made bread "incredibly good" and "very tasty", to the delight of the schoolchildren.

After being shown round two reconstructed Celtic round house buildings, he was introduced to a wood carver known traditionally as a bodger.

Hugh Roberts spoke with The Prince about the use of his pole lathe before His Royal Highness tried his hand at carving.

The Prince was then shown work done by a local thatcher before unveiling a wooden plaque commemorating his visit.

His Royal Highness was then presented with a painting and an Iron Age axe head by school pupils before he was waved off by around 70 well-wishers.

Later, The Prince visited Neuadd Lwyd, a five-star country house bed and breakfast in Penmynydd, Anglesey.

The B&B is owned by former midwife Susannah Woods and her husband, Dr Peter Woods, who started the business with help from The Prince's P.R.I.M.E. Cymru scheme - which aims to help older people who want a change of career.

His Royal Highness was given a tour of the house, which is a former rectory, and sampled some local produce in the kitchen.

Eating a strawberry, The Prince revealed that his own strawberries at Highgrove had been ready two weeks earlier than usual and that he had also had a good crop of asparagus this year.

Chef Delyth Gwynedd presented The Prince with three hand-made vintage silk cravats made by her sister, Bethan, for himself and Princes William and Harry.

The Prince then officially launched a new P.R.I.M.E. Cymru scheme providing volunteer mentors for older people who want to get into business.

In a speech, His Royal Highness said: “P.R.I.M.E has recognised that we face, throughout the UK, a very great problem that large numbers of older people are not able to find work.

“As time goes on, and if someone continues to be rebuffed, they simply lose confidence and self belief, making it ever harder for them to get back into work.

“The experience of the Prince’s Trust has shown that providing support through an unpaid volunteer mentor, who offers someone a sounding board, and who listens and provides advice, can actually make all the difference to helping a person rebuild their confidence, and then to take the steps to get back to work.”

His Royal Highness concluded his trip to North Wales with a private visit to St Gredfaels Church, next door to the bed and breakfast.

Later in the day, The Prince of Wales as President of The Prince’s Trust and P.R.I.M.E. Cymru, will host a dinner for Welsh entrepreneurs on board the Royal Train, Bangor.

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