Rare souvenir that had a lucky escape

A RARE souvenir supplement published to commemorate the investiture of Prince Charles as the Prince of Wales has emerged on the 50th anniversary of the event in Caernarfon.

Containing photographs from the ceremony and specially written articles by eminent historians and royal commentators, the 32-page publication was issued with the Caernarfon & Denbigh Herald the week after the ceremony in July 1969.

The supplement was found safely stored in a cardboard tube by Herald photographer Arwyn Roberts at home.

He said a supplement was rarely issued by the newspaper and this particular one had a lucky escape.

“It was January 1984 and I was dividing my time between the office’s print room and photographic duties,” he said.

“That morning, I was at work in the compositing room, where that week’s paper was being put together ready to be printed.

“I remember one of the compositing staff asking the other: ‘What’s that you’re smoking? It’s giving off an awful smell.’

“Little did we know at that time that the building was starting to catch fire.”

Soon after, the alarm was raised and the staff were shepherded out of the building and on to the Maes in Caernarfon.

They could only look on in horror as the blaze ripped through the roof and the fabric of the structure.

“Before I left, I nipped into the room where the old newspapers were kept and took one of these supplements out with me,” said Arwyn. ● The rare souvenir supplement published to commemorate the investiture of Prince Charles