After well over 40 years enjoying the life of a journalist in Shropshire I will be hanging up my pen and notepad (not chisel and stone as some colleagues have unkindly suggested) next month.

But before I take my leave I plan a few blogs on events and people that have stuck in my mind as I’ve gone about my reporting duties.

That might not be quite as easy as it sounds – I can recall in detail my first day in work as a cub reporter back in October 1968 but remembering who I spoke to at the Shirehall last week is another matter!

Ah well, here goes….

“Gentlemen – His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales.”

A split second after these words were spoken, Prince Charles was standing just inches away from me and I was gripped by panic.

Not for one moment did I – or reporters from other newspapers – think HRH would agree to an interview.

But he did on that far off day in the early 1970s.

Over the years I have been fortunate to meet and interview many well known people, mostly politicians – including Tony Blair when he was Prime Minister, and David Cameron shortly after he became Tory leader.

But meeting Charles is the only time I have been tongue tied – and I put it down to youth.

I was on my first tour of duty with the Shropshire Star, working as a reporter out of the old Oswestry office.

Mid Wales was part of the office ‘patch’ and I was sent down cover the visit of the Prince of Wales who had come to see early restoration work on the Montgomery Canal, a project of which he was patron.

We were somewhere near Welshpool – I can’t recall exactly where – and we asked one of the royal officials accompanying Charles if there was any chance of having a word with HRH. Nothing ventured, nothing gained we thought.

Off went the official and minutes later he was on his way back, closely followed by Charles.

The official announced: “Gentlemen – His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales”.

Standing before the three of us was a very relaxed Charles.

“Good morning gentlemen and what would you like to know?” he asked.

There was what seemed a long silence before I was able to say: “Erm, er, erm, well, er, erm.”

Fortunately an older journalist from another well known regional daily got his wits together and said something along the lines of: “Thank you sir. What are your impressions of what you have seen today?”

Easy as that, and we were up and running with some good quotes.

Charles could not have been more obliging and friendly.

Some years later, and for another paper, I covered another of his visits to the Welsh border.

I didn’t get to speak to him but followed him around and was allowed to be in touching distance of him. He seemed genuinely interested in the people he was meeting, and was very relaxed and open with them. Witty too.

On show in the dining room at home are couple of old black and white photographs of a very young looking reporter (with long dark hair) meeting an equally young looking Prince of Wales.

The pictures never fail to grab the attention of dinner guests and they find it hard to believe that this reporter was once tongue tied.