News
TRH spend a third day in Wales
23rd June 2009
The Prince of Wales reminisced about his time cleaning boots as a cadet on a visit to a school today, joking "I think I still bear the scars".
The Prince and The Duchess of Cornwall were on the third day of their annual Summer tour of Wales.
The Prince was inspecting the Combined Cadet Force (CCF) at Treorchy Comprehensive School, South Wales, in his capacity as Colonel-in-Chief of the Welsh Guards.
In a speech he said: "Today reminded me of my time in the cadet force when I was in school.
"I can understand something of what was involved, particularly cleaning boots and various other tack which kept us all very busy."
The Prince conducted the cadets' first-ever inspection together with The Duchess.
The CCF is a Ministry of Defence-sponsored youth organisation which provides opportunities in schools for young people to develop leadership skills.
Treorchy CCF, which is affiliated to the Welsh Guards, started last year as one of six pilot schemes aimed at increasing the number of recruits in state schools.
There are now 80 pupils in the Treorchy CCF.
The Prince told cadets they should be proud of the First Battalion The Welsh Guards serving out in Afghanistan.
The Prince said: "I think we owe the members of the First Battalion and all those who are fighting in Afghanistan our support and gratitude, for the fact they're prepared to put up with such impossible conditions in order to achieve their objective."
While at the school, The Prince also announced a new Welsh youth initiative called Young Dragons, under which all of the uniformed youth organisations in Wales are joining forces.
The Prince said the initiative was born out of a conversation he had with North Wales Chief Constable Richard Brunstrom on the Royal Train a year ago.
The Prince said: "I must say it's taken me 25 years or more to get to this point.
"It always seemed to me an awful lot of wasted potential and human assets were also being wasted here.
"So many young people respond to this opportunity, particularly at that stage in life where so often it seems you need a bit of challenge and adventure."
He said he hoped more adult volunteers would be recruited as there were so many young people wanting to join organisations like the Scouts, Guides and St John's Ambulance.
"Long ago when I was young I joined the Coastguard - can you believe it? - when I was at school in Scotland," he said.
"In those days we would practice the entire drill for rescuing people on the cliffs and man a watch tower on the cliffs up on the Moray Firth hoping an aircraft carrier would run aground so we could go to a rescue."
The Prince and The Duchess were treated to a number of demonstrations by the CCF including a march past, canoeing in the school swimming pool, the climbing wall and the gun run.
The school's headteacher, Bethan Guilfoyle, said: "They were very homely and very friendly with all the children, asking how they enjoyed it.
"I was very excited. It's a privilege to have both Their Royal Highnesses here, particularly for the pupils."
The Duchess later officially opened the new £10million South Wales Fire and Rescue Service headquarters in Llantrisant.
The Duchess was particularly taken by Sammy the fire investigation dog, stroking him and asking about his special fire booties to protect his paws.
"He looks a very well-mannered dog, very well-trained," she told his trainer, Station Manager Matt Jones.
While at the new building, The Duchess was given a demonstration of how the control room works and listened to a recording of a genuine 999 call about a house fire.
She expressed concern about hoax calls and said she could not believe people would do such a thing.
The Duchess was given various demonstrations by both firefighters and budding teenage firemen and firewomen, including rescuing a dummy horse and cutting a victim free from a car crash.
She then visited the headquarters' gym, where she discussed exercise with finance department worker Sue Lawrence, who was working out on an exercise bike.
The Duchess told Ms Lawrence: "I think I'll stick to walking!", and expressed concern about Sue’s knees when told she had recently run a marathon.
The Duchess ended her visit by unveiling a plaque in a slightly unusual way.
A firefighter abseiled from the roof of the building to hand her a rope which she then pulled on to remove the plaque's cover.
The new headquarters brings together the senior management team and 350 members of the service's operational, administrative and support staff, who previously operated from seven different locations, all over South Wales.
They support the 1,600 frontline firefighters who operate out of 50 fire stations across the area.
Later in the day, The Prince officially opened the Ortho Clinical Diagnostics plant in Pencoed, near Bridgend, South Wales.
The state-of-the-art manufacturing facility, which is owned by Johnson and Johnson, employs about 350 people and produces immunodiagnostic tests to help detect diseases early before they progress and become more serious.
Immunodiagnostic tests indicate the presence or level of a protein to help diagnose disease in categories such as thyroid function, reproductive endocrinology, cardiology, anaemia, metabolism, oncology and infectious diseases.
The Prince visited the company in 1981 when it was known as Amersham International and was based on the outskirts of Cardiff.
One of the remaining employees who met The Prince that day was Mari Smith.
The 51-year-old regulatory affairs manager from Llanharan said: "He asked what I was doing then and what I was doing now and whether it was difficult to get products licensed and how long did I think I would be here for.
"He is so charming. He really is."
The Prince, who wore a white protective coat and shoe covers inside the plant, asked 45-year-old Richard Pounds how he had been able to "get away" with wearing normal clothes.
The team leader from Cardiff said: "I told him if we put these clothes on when we get here then we don't have to wear overalls."
While there The Prince praised the new plant in a speech to the entire workforce.
"It is a pleasure to be able to join you and to see what you are doing today and assist in the opening of the new plant," he said.
"I think some of you are aware I did visit your company further down the road in Cardiff.
"I have already managed to bump into two people I met there who must have been 14!"
He added: "I have been particularly intrigued, going around the facility, by the immensely high specification and all the technology involved.
"I just went to see one of the biggest array of pipes I have ever seen. It was a veritable plumber's dream. I'm just glad it works."
He also praised Johnson and Johnson's baby powder, saying he was brought up on it, as were his children.
"Thank God it is still there and the smell is still the same," he said.
During the speech, The Prince stressed the importance of protecting the environment.
After hailing the part of the Johnson and Johnson company statement which gives consideration to ecological issues, The Prince said: "I just wanted to say today that the pharmaceutical sector is absolutely crucial in terms of responsibility that the sector has to protect bio-diversity and eco-systems for the future; particularly for our children but most for our grandchildren.
"Without eco-systems we haven't got a chance in hell and I don't see how we can get through."
He added: "There is a desperate need for the private sector, especially the pharmaceutical sector, to help in the vital battle to save rain forests and protect vital eco-systems for the future."
Later in the day, The Prince joined up with his wife at the EcoDysgu holistic education centre in Tondu.
The centre was this year's winner of The Prince's Foundation for Integrated Health Awards for Wales.
The not-for-profit holistic education centre is set in 42 acres of the countryside and offers workshops and courses combined with complementary therapies.
The Prince and The Duchess were shown around the sensory garden and told about the reflexology treatment they offer.
Beth Ellis, a 21-year-old youth provision manager for Youth Bettws, said: "He was really approachable and really lovely. He was really interested in what we do here."