News
TRH continue their annual Summer tour of Wales
22nd June 2009
The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall continue their Summer tour of Wales today with a visit to a hospital and hosting a reception for supporter of a children’s hospice at their Welsh home.
During their visit to Llandovery Community Hospital, The Prince and The Duchess separated to make individual visits of treatment rooms and wards, where they spoke with patients and staff.
The Duchess met a former policeman who once worked at Buckingham Palace.
The Duchess, who is Patron of the Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists, chatted to Brian Johns and talked about his feet problems with a nurse in a podiatry treatment room at Llandovery Community Hospital.
The former Metropolitan Police officer informed The Duchess that he had worked at Buckingham Palace for two years in the mid-1960s as a Palace guard.
As The Duchess of Cornwall scrutinised his feet, he explained: "I have had this for about 15 to 20 years, and this is about as good as it has been."
"I've come on a good foot day, then," The Duchess replied.
The Duchess moved on to a geriatric ward, where she climbed on a special patient transporter.
Called a "steady", the four-wheeled upright transporter is usually manoeuvred by two nurses, who are able to move an infirm patient around with ease.
"We use it for taking patients to the bathroom or transporting them from one place to another, it's brilliant and makes our life a lot easier," said nurse Mair Price.
The Duchess climbed aboard with ease and unfolded the two halves of the contraption's seat before saying: "You can't say I don't try everything out."
She added, after getting off, "at least I know how it works now".
She then walked round speaking individually with each patient before joining her husband in another ward, where he was chatting with Harry Moore, the hospital's oldest patient, aged 92.
He told The Prince that he was a former trooper with the Household Cavalry and showed him a photograph of himself taken in 1936 in full uniform on guard in Whitehall.
He also said he had taken part in the public funeral parade for King George V.
"I wish my grandmother was alive to meet you," The Prince told a visibly emotional Mr Moore.
Outside, The Prince and The Duchess were greeted by up to 250 cheering children from the nearby school of Ysgol Rhys Pritchard.
They walked among the children, stooping to speak to them and receiving gifts of flowers.
In the afternoon they held a reception at their farmhouse home for more than 100 volunteers and supporters of Ty Hafan.
The family hospice for children, in Sully, South Wales, is celebrating its 10th anniversary and The Prince is Patron of the charity.
He highlighted the vital work that up to 640 volunteers do to keep funding for the hospice rolling in, working free of charge in shops and raising cash through a wide variety of events every year.
The Prince began by saying how proud he was to be Patron of Ty Hafan and to take part in its 10th anniversary celebration.
He paid tribute to the "fantastic courage" of its founders and praised the people of Wales for their individual generosity.
The Prince also paid tribute to the efforts of the army of volunteers who work for the hospice.
"A total of 360 volunteers working free of charge in 15 shops gave Ty Hafan £450,000 of their time last year," he said.
He added: "Businesses in South Wales also contributed more than half-a-million pounds in sponsorship."
He said together with the efforts of individuals they helped generate the £2.5 million a year Ty Hafan needs to keep going.
"Today, I have met all sorts of people who climb peaks and run marathons and have survived to tell the tale.
"Both do an enormous amount and an enormously important task.
"Quite literally Ty Hafan could not survive without all of you here today and your contribution is enormously important and much, much appreciated."
Among more than 100 volunteers invited to lunch with The Prince and The Duchess today was Blair Lundie, from Nelson, in the Rhymney Valley.
He has raised almost £40,000 for the children's hospice by completing 13 marathons over the past decade.
"It was a tremendous experience meeting The Prince and The Duchess and also having the opportunity to meet up with other volunteers who all share a common aim and commitment," he said.
Elizabeth Read, a Director of Fundraising for the hospice, praised the unselfish attitude of its volunteer army.
"For many their satisfaction comes from a child's smile or a mother's sigh when she's at the hospice, that's what they do it for," she said.
She added that the efforts of everyone combined were vital in keeping the hospice going and it was difficult to single out anyone in particular.
But she said the 360 volunteers who work in 15 hospice shops play a crucial role.
She said their wage-free efforts meant the cash they generated went straight to Ty Hafan.
At the end of the afternoon reception The Prince and The Duchess were presented with a giant handmade card created by children at the hospice.
The Prince and The Duchess continue their tour of Wales tomorrow when they visit Treorchy School, in Mid-Glamorgan, and carry out a combined cadet force inspection.