PRINCE TURNED ON CHARM IN 1978 VISIT TO THE POTTERIES
On the day the Duke of Edinburgh is laid to rest after his death aged 99, MERVYN EDWARDS looks back at a memorable visit by Prince Philip to Stoke-on-trent...
IT might be said that the Duke of Edinburgh blotted his copybook in Stoke-on-trent.
After all, wasn’t it he who described the city as a ‘ghastly place’ when he met city MP Joan Walley during a Buckingham Palace reception in 1997?
The remark, which came to light in Tony Blair’s political memoir, A Journey (2010), incurred the wrath of many Sentinel readers, engendering debate about whether Prince Philip had been in earnest, or whether he had addressed our Joan with a naughty twinkle in his eye.
Perhaps this is as good a time as ever to remind readers that on his visit to Stoke-on-trent in March 1978, local people found him something of a pussycat.
Gaffe-prone Prince? He was far from it, with one Sentinel headline running ‘Royal charm goes down a treat.’
The Duke had a busy time of it on a five-hour Royal tour of North Staffordshire.
The highlight of his sojourn saw him officially opening Edinburgh House, the £1 million YMCA headquarters in Hanley.
It had actually operated since the summer of the previous year, but this right royal occasion was enjoyed by everyone concerned.
Special exhibitions were laid on as the organisers well and truly unfurled the red carpet for the Duke – but as we all know in the Potteries, everything stops for tea.
Prince Philip exchanged a few
words with Miss Christine Chong, of Malaysia, who was serving behind a tea stall.
Persuaded to sample her wares, he remarked that although he had drank Japanese tea before, it was the first cup of China tea he’d tried.
“It will help your digestion,” responded his host, winsomely.
Not that the Duke was above giving some advice of his own.
Upon meeting the building’s chef-in-charge, Malcolm Newman, he recommended that a Malaysian
recipe might be added to the menu. “It involves bamboo shoots rolled in meat and covered in a sauce,” revealed Mr Newman, later. “It sounds delicious and I might try it.”
Having inspected the 10-storey building’s dining room and kitchen, the Duke declared that he was honoured such a splendid place had been named after him, congratulating all those who had planned the project and raised money for its construction.
After a tour of the living quarters of the YMCA, he signed a visitors’ book in the foyer, using a gold pen.
There, he met Eric Simpson, who had joined the YMCA 76 years earlier.
He also met 200 pupils from St Mark’s Cofe Infants and Middle School in Shelton, who were given an hour off their lessons to see the Duke.
Of course, there is a price to pay for everything – and they were expected to write an essay on their return.
There was disappointment, however, for ex-seaman George Tagg of Hanley, who had wished to present the Duke with some historical documents that he had collected on the Royal Navy.
“Some of these documents go back to 1300,” lamented George, “and I wanted to present them to the Duke and chat to him about our days serving in the Royal Navy. I spoke to an official but he wouldn’t let me get anywhere near him.”
Next stop was a trip to the Sixth Form College, where the Duke was welcomed by a sea of pupils from Fenton Manor Primary School.
Prince Philip unveiled a commemorative plaque at the college and chatted to officials about the staff-student advisory committee. He also met students in the library.
There was a call at Michelin before he visited two GEC factories at Stafford, where the Duke was presented with a gift crafted by the Corning Company of Stone – a glass polo player on horseback. A welcoming placard declared “Nice to see you – to see you nice.”
These sentiments were echoed by Tina Dixon, who attended the reception in Stafford.
She enthused: “He’s smashing. It’s the first time I have seen a member of the Royal Family. I can’t wait until I get home to tell my mum. He’s lovely.”