News
The Prince of Wales visits West Wales
26th October 2009
The Prince of Wales made a low-key visit to Llandeilo, in West Wales, where he toured local shops, a number of which sold local produce.
During his visit to J H Cooper Ltd, the town's traditional butcher, he was presented with a freshly produced string of plain pork sausages packed in ice.
Earlier he had toured the town's civic centre where several dozen stands exhibited an array of home-produced cakes and pastries.
He also spoke to Paul Davis, 60, who was exhibiting rare varieties of apple cultivated by Dolau-Hirion Fruit Trees.
He said the Prince had been very interested in his work and had popped a small apple into his pocket to munch on later before he left.
"He liked the look of the Pitmaston Pineapple which is very fruity and, as its name suggests, has a pineapple-like flavour.
"I said 'take one if you want' and he put it in his pocket to eat later."
Earlier in the day the Prince visited a unique organic mattress factory.
Abaca Organic, of Tycroes, near Ammanford, is the only organic mattress-maker in the UK registered with the Soil Association, which certifies the materials used in the products.
Rhiannon Rowley, company MD, said the fledgling firm, set up four and a half years ago and which has a workforce of just eight, is booming.
Made of several layers of closely-knit wool, layered around an interior of woollen stuffing, the mattresses are sewn together at the edges using organic cotton and are naturally fire-retardant and therefore chemical-free.
The company is hoping that The Prince of Wales's interest in their product will boost business further.
The company chief also revealed today that she has high hopes of buying organic wool from His Royal Highness's own sheep stock at his Welsh farmhouse near Llandovery.
"At the moment things are going very well and we're growing by 25% despite the recession," Ms Rowley said.
She said that she'd raised the subject of organic wool as she led the Prince on a tour of the factory.
"We opened a conversation on the subject and that is what I was hoping to do at this point," she said.
But she acknowledged that clinching wool from The Prince of Wales's own organic flock could transform the business - "it would be wonderful", she said.
Later on His Royal Highness visited the village of Cwmdu, where he drank a half pint of Evan Evans beer at the local pub.
He toured the village shop and chatted with the local postmistress and also met the village quiz team.
The Prince of Wales was also serenaded by hymns sung by pupils from the local primary school as he toured the village chapel.
The visit included a tour of a series of holiday cottages belonging to the National Trust and run by the Cwmdu Community to help underpin its fragile rural economy.
His Royal Highness concluded his one-day solo tour of west Wales by officially opening the newly-renovated Llandovery police station.