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The Prince of Wales visits North Yorkshire

22nd January 2008

The Prince of Wales visited North Yorkshire today to carry out engagements cancelled due to Foot and Mouth disease last year.

His Royal Highness first visited Hill Top Farm in Spaunton with farmers and business leaders as part of his Seeing is Believing Business in the Community programme.

The Prince toured the fields of the farm and talked to farmer Philip Trevelyan about his work. The Prince himself farms organically at Duchy Home Farm.

His Royal Highness also visited the farm's organic flour mill, which provides ingredients to Betty's tea shop in Harrogate.

Master baker Robin Osburn presented The Prince with an organic cob loaf at the mill.

Speaking afterwards, Mr Osburn said: "He's come to improve links between local farms like this one and heads of businesses like Betty's.

"It's really good that you can make a loaf of bread that is grown locally from a local farm."

He added: "We've developed this loaf especially from flour made here and it is a real honour to present it to The Prince."

The mill, which was opened at Hill Top Farm in 2006, uses grains from several farms in the area to produce flour.

Natalie Warriner MBE, Chairman of Ryedale District Council, said The Prince had always been interested in the farm's organic food production.

"This farm is the only real organic place in the area," she said.

"Farming of any sort is very hard anyway and to stick with it because of your principles is something to be commended."

The Prince then joined delegates from the Seeing Is Believing programme for a meeting on sustainable hill farming.

The scheme, created by The Prince, invites senior business leaders to see for themselves how businesses can play a role in tackling Britain's most pressing social issues.

The Prince tucked into mutton stew for lunch at another North Yorkshire farm.

His Royal Highness, who founded the Mutton Renaissance Campaign in 2004, met farmers at Grange Farm in Levisham.

The campaign was founded by The Prince to re-popularise mutton, the meat of two-year-old sheep.

Once widely eaten across Britain, mutton has fallen out of favour in past decades, with sheep farmers struggling to get a decent price for their ewes.

It was revealed today that mutton sales have increased by 20 per cent over the last six months.

The Prince then greeted the crowds outside the newly refurbished Royal Hall in Harrogate.

To the rousing sound of Harrogate Brass Band, The Prince waved to the hundreds of people who had been waiting to see him.

The crowd applauded as he switched on the lights to the Royal Hall, illuminating the grand facade of the Grade II listed building.

The venue, which was first opened in 1903, is said to have played a vital role in the cultural life of North Yorkshire.

But structural problems forced the building, which acts as a town hall, theatre and music hall, to close for restoration in 2002.

The Prince met members of the Royal Hall Restoration Trust in the Heritage Hall before being asked to cut the cake, which was in the form of the hall itself.

His Royal Highness was then shown around the Hall, including the 360-degree ambulatory that led around the building, by the Restoration Trust chairman Lilian Mina.

Phil Willis, Liberal Democrat MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, said the visit was the "icing on the cake" for the project.

The Prince last made a tour of the Royal Hall in July 2006 as Patron of the Royal Hall Restoration Trust, when much of the venue was a building site.

Mr Willis said: "The fact that this is a building restored to its Victorian glory in the 20th century is just fantastic."

The Prince was welcomed by more than 80 young musicians into the grand auditorium, which boasted stained glass windows, chandeliers and gilt decorated walls and ceilings.

His Royal Highness enjoyed performances from Tewit Youth Band, St Aidan's School Choir and two young solo choristers - Emma Whiteley and William Dutton.

Speaking to the 200-strong audience, The Prince congratulated the team of craftsmen and builders who had refurbished the hall.

"I cannot possibly tell you how thrilled I am to be here to see for myself the complete transformation that has been brought about in this magnificent building," he said.

"I came here in July and although there was a lot of activity all over the place, it was little more than a shell."

Before unveiling the plaque, His Royal Highness added: "I likened the Royal Hall to an elegant and lovely old lady who had fallen on somewhat hard times.

"I see she has been taken back in time to the beauty and splendour of her youth. The result is simply quite breathtaking."

The hall will hold its first public performance in April this year.

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