Charles and Camilla charm county

The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall hit Shropshire running on their royal visit to the county.On a brief visit yesterday, their first together to the county since their wedding three years ago, the couple brought sunshine and smiles.

They were due to visit a year ago but last summer’s floods made that impossible.

In much better conditions, they travelled on the Severn Valley Railway with the royal train hauled for the first time by a gleaming steam engine, the King Edward I, brought in for the occasion from its home at Didcot Railway Centre in Oxfordshire.

After a busy morning in Worcester and Kidderminster, the prince and duchess took the picturesque 16-mile train journey to Bridgnorth to celebrate the reopening of the line after a £3 million repair project in the wake of last year’s floods.

On the way they stopped at Hampton Loade railway station where they were joined by Lord Lieutenant Algernon Heber-Percy and his wife Jane.

The prince and duchess stopped off to greet station master Steve Dockerty and long-time Severn Valley Railway members Bill and Muriel Bennett who have lived in the station house at Hampton Loade for more than 50 years.

Then it was full steam ahead for the short journey into Bridgnorth.

And on a sunny afternoon the royal visitors were met by the biggest crowd of the day. They watched the prince unveil a plaque marking his visit.

He talked of the childhood memories the train trip revived for himself and his wife, as well as paying tribute to those who kept the railway going year by year.

The prince got the chance to be driver for part of the train’s journey.

He also tried a cool half pint in the station’s bar, the Railwayman’s Arms.

Shropshire’s High Sheriff Anne Gee, county council chairman Brian Gillow and Bridgnorth District Council chairman Councillor Ed Shirley headed the Bridgnorth reception committee along with station master Chris Walton.