Shropshire Star

Shropshire set for royal visit of the Duke of Gloucester

Shropshire will welcome its second royal visitor in six months when HRH the Duke of Gloucester makes a visit tomorrow.

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In the morning he will officially open Shrewsbury's Museum & Art Gallery before heading to the Severn Valley Railway.

The event will form part of the heritage line's 50th anniversary celebrations and the start of the Autumn Steam Gala. The duke's arrival comes just five months after the visit of Princess Anne.

Sir Algernon Heber-Percy, the Lord Lieutenant of Shropshire, will meet Prince Richard at Bridgnorth station where he will meet senior staff, young volunteers and founding members before unveiling a plaque to mark 50 years of the SVR and signing the visitor's book.

The duke will then be invited to join a push-and-pull steam locomotive and autocoach for the nine-mile return trip to Hampton Loade. He will try his hand at driving the heritage locomotive for the outbound journey.

The duke will be given a tour of the Bridgnorth locomotive works and the boilershop. Clare Gibbard of the SVR said:

"We are thoroughly looking forward to sharing the developments since His Royal Highness was last here three years ago and introducing him to some of our staff, volunteers and apprentices old and new."

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