Latest news with #Wadebridge
The Independent
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
William and Sophie sample gin during rare joint outing
The Prince of Wales sipped gin with the Duchess of Edinburgh when the pair made a rare official outing together. William and Sophie touched paper cups and said 'cheers' as they sampled the drink at the Royal Cornwall Show – the prince's first visit as the Duke of Cornwall. The pair were mobbed by crowds at the event at Whitecross, Wadebridge near Bodmin, who wanted selfies with William and to shake their hands. The prince and duchess tried Saint Sithney Cornish gin and afterwards William described it as 'very light'. They also sampled the prince's favourite tipple, cider, and as the alcohol consumption mounted William joked about stronger spirits: 'I've been caught out with whisky a few times – I think I can do it, then it catches you out.' The pair spent the first few moments touring food stalls and stopped at jellies, jams and other produce made by the husband and wife team Wendy and Andy Knight from Home Farm Cornwall. William spread some spicy pumpkin chutney onto a piece of popadom, after asking for something 'not too hot' and quipped: 'When anyone says a little bit of spice – it's quite hot.' But he approved of the taste: 'Yummy, really good, there's definitely a bit of spice.' The prince knew what he wanted when they visited the Rattler Cornish Cider stall and turned down an offer of an alcohol free drink, saying he '(needed) the real stuff, cannot drink zero' and asked for the 'original'. He told Laura Clerehug who was manning the stand that 'everyone remembers their first Rattler' and after taking a drink, said: 'Needs a bit of ice in it, like a bit of ice.' During his tour of the show, William was intrigued by a robot dog-like device being developed by the University of Plymouth that can test the biodiversity of agricultural land, with farmers from William's Duchy of Cornwall participating in the research. He quipped 'what will the sheep make of that – dogs hate it I'm sure' – and watched as it rolled on to its back like a real canine. In the Duchy of Cornwall hub marquee, a large number of mental health charities and organisations working in Cornwall had been gathered and he chatted intently to the representatives. Husband and wife Serena and Elliott Jolly founded Sunrise Cornwall, after Mrs Jolly's younger brother committed suicide, to provide safe spaces for bereaved family and friends to talk and share their experiences. Gesturing around to the other organisations, William suggested to the couple they all 'find a way to help each other out, the synergy will make a greater impact, I hope that's something you can talk about'. Mrs Jolly said afterwards: 'Suicide isn't a dirty word, we have to be able to talk about it.'
BBC News
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Royal Cornwall Show: Prince William and Duchess tour event
The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Edinburgh got the chance to sample some of the stock on offer at the Royal Cornwall Show during a royal duo headed down to the event at the Royal Cornwall Showground in Wadebridge on Friday to take a tour of the site and speak to visitors and groups taking part in the their visit, Prince William and his aunt went inside the Food and Farming Pavilion and tried some of the items being showcased as large crowds followed the pair Royals then ventured off to separate parts of the show, which started on Thursday and runs until Saturday. Prince William, who is the Duke of Cornwall, is a patron of the Royal Cornwall Agricultural Association (RCAA) - the charity which organises the three-day event each Duchess of Edinburgh is also the RCAA's vice-president and a patron of the Association of Show and Agricultural Organisations - and previously visited the event in 2014 when she was the Countess of Wessex.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Prince William's hilarious reaction to a taste of gin on rare joint appearance with the Duchess of Edinburgh
The Prince of Wales lived up to his reputation as 'One Pint Willy' when he recoiled while sampling local Cornish gin with the Duchess of Edinburgh at the Royal Cornwall Show today. The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Edinburgh arrived today in Wadebridge, Cornwall for a busy day of royal engagements in a rare joint engagement as patrons of the Royal Agricultural Association that organises the show. This year's edition marks the first time that William - who is known as the Duke of Cornwall when he is in the region - has attended the event and it appeared the day was off to a flying start as he tried gin at one of the stalls. It comes after Mike Tindall revealed he nicknamed William 'One Pint Willy' because 'he is not the best of drinkers' during a podcast appearance in 2023. Zara Tindall 's husband, the Ex-England rugby star, said: 'He is known to me as One Pint Willy because he is not the best of drinkers, coming from a sport where it is built on the social aspect and a couple of beers being sunk quite often. 'That is one I will give away for the Prince of Wales.' And it appeared Mike's observation was spot on as William's eyes widened after he took a sip of his gin drink at the Royal Cornwall Show after he and Sophie raised their cups at the show. William and Sophie appeared comfortable and relaxed in each other's presence, as the royals shared a good-natured laugh after they arrived at the agricultural show on Friday, June 6. The pair opted for smart casual ensembles, with the Duke of Cornwall picking a grey sport coat with a light blue shirt for his visit. He completed the look with a navy tie and matching accessories. Still sporting the beard that left royal fans swooning, William greeted well-wishers who had gathered outside the venue in Wadebridge in Cornwall. Meanwhile, Sophie was beaming as she waved at crowds, with the Duchess also wearing a greige checked blazer that she paired with a tan, calf-length skirt and a light pink shirt. She finished her outfit with burgundy boots and a forest green bag with tan accents, and accessorised with a diamond pendant necklace and timeless gold hoops. Sophie's makeup was fresh and dewy, as the mother-of-two wore a light layer of foundation, the faintest hint of blush, and a soft pink lipstick for the occasion. Upon their arrival, their Royal Highnesses were shown around the Royal Cornwall Food and Farming Pavillion as they inspected dozens of stalls stocked with artisanal food and drink from producers across the region. In addition to the gin tasting, William and Sophie also tried pints of Rattler cider at the agricultural show as the Prince was subjected to what may have been some playful teasing about his alcohol tolerance from Sophie. He was later seen holding up a hand, possibly to signal he needed a break from the spirits. During the show, William will also visit the Duchy of Cornwall hub, days after he revealed his fresh approach for the estate he inherited from his father upon King Charles' accession to the throne. In an interview with The Telegraph's Royal Editor Hannah Furness, who spent a day travelling alongside the Prince of Wales, 42, as he visited his tenants, the royal shared how he was modernising the land and property empire. This includes encouraging people involved with the Duchy to speak openly, with the Prince telling his staff to 'please give [everyone] proper authority to say what's really going on. Not being polite because I'm in the room,' ahead of a meeting in Dartmoor. Elsewhere, Matthew Morris, the rural director of the Duchy, revealed how employees 'no longer feel the need to put on a tie when the Duke of Cornwall is in town' - perhaps unlike when Charles - who is often smartly dressed in a full suit - visited. The publication also noted how William will communicate with staff via WhatsApp and ask questions over the social media platform in order to keep updated. But while the Prince is seemingly taking a more modern approach to the estate compared to his father, the pair do share a 'healthy impatience'. Ben Murphy, estate director, admitted that the royal has a 'healthy impatience, as his father did', while secretary Will Bax said the father-of-three is 'pretty ambitious' and 'pretty demanding', which he added, is 'great'. He added that the Prince - who is looking to improve the estate so it has even more of a positive social impact, while keeping its key community spirit - and his team are 'seeking to remove any ambiguity'. The aim for the Duchy's mission, which is to deliver a positive impact for people, places and the planet, to be more understood by the public comes after the property and land empire, as well as the King's estate, the Duchy of Lancaster were investigated by a Channel 4 Dispatches documentary: The King, The Prince & Their Secret Millions. In line with the Royal Cornwall Show's efforts to spotlight rural mental health, William will meet heads of local charities at the Duchy of Cornwall hub, which aligns closely with the Duke's passion for supporting the mental health of his farming tenants.
BBC News
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Why the 'truly agricultural' Royal Cornwall Show matters
From farmers showing their prize animals, or businesses showing off their latest ranges of machinery, the Royal Cornwall Show celebrates everything related to farming. Farmers, competitors, organisers, exhibitors and businesses have shared what makes the event special for them. The Royal Cornwall Show has roots that go back to 1793 when the Cornwall Agricultural Society was formed and a ploughing match was held near days it is the Royal Cornwall Agricultural Association, and since 1960 the event has been based in Thursday and Saturday, about 120,000 are expected to attend this year to see some of the abundance of displays, from animals to food, floristry to Hodge, who has a dairy farm next door to the 95-acre showground, is one of the stewards in the countryside area and has been attending since the followed in the footsteps of his father who started stewarding in 1968 and did it for 40 years. "My brother is a steward, my father in law is a steward, and my brother in law is a steward so we do quite a bit to help," he said."[My father] was chief steward of the main entrances and met all the royals - he loved it."In that time he said he has only missed one day, in 1978, when his mother made him stay at home because he was unwell."I remember being mad that I had to go and spend the day with Nan... I made a miraculous recovery and away I went the next day," he said. Mr Hodge said the event was a chance "to see everyone in the farming community coming together" from across the county and beyond."It's truly agricultural, unlike some of the others which have tended to move away from that... it is certainly in the top four or five shows in the country as being very agricultural, but it does cater for other things as well," he daughter Bea, 24, is chairwoman of the Wadebridge Young Farmers club and has been on site for several days preparing for the club's display, having won last year with the club's Dad's Army themed entry. She shares her father's devotion to the show, and said she had also never missed a day."Even when I had exams, I would walk up in the afternoon - not even my maths GCSE was going to stop me going to the show," she said."So many farmers don't go out and about because they are so busy doing their farming. "The show is just such a big three days in the calendar and they know when they get to the show they are going to see someone they know." Animals are at the heart of the show, with thousands across the site, including sheep, horses, pigs, goats, rabbits and pigeons and many cattle lines are the highlight for many visitors, according to show organisers, with the cattle ring being a popular spectator from 16 breeds of cattle will compete for more than 200 prizes - with the ultimate accolades being for those named as supreme beef champion, or supreme dairy Warren is a dairy farmer from St Buryan in west Cornwall and has taken 15 animals this year, a selection of Guernseys, Jerseys, Holsteins and years ago he had the supreme dairy champion, a Jersey, 10 years after achieving the same with a Guernsey."It's a bit like training at athlete - it takes a lot of planning, but you need a bit of luck too," he said. 'I sleep with my cows' His animals were taken to the showground on a lorry and two trailers on Tuesday to settle into their surroundings - and Mr Warren also makes himself at home. "I sleep with my cows, lying beside them on straw bales or perched in an old reclining chair we take along," he said."I probably get four or five hours sleep a night - you wouldn't do it if it wasn't enjoyable."Preparations include taking about 700kg (110 stone) of fresh feed to the site each day and milking the cows at just the right time so they are "at their optimum" when they enter the is not the only "trick of the trade", Mr Warren explained."We use a bit of hairspray, give them a bit of trim and use a hairdryer to make their backs look as straight as possible for the judges," he whether his cows enjoyed their time away from their day jobs on the farm, he said: "They get a lot of pampering and just lie down and wait for food to be put in front of them. "It's a relaxing time for them." For big and small businesses, established large-scale manufacturers or first-time artisan producers, the show provides the "perfect showcase of Cornwall's diverse and thriving business landscape", said the Cornwall Chamber of South West Business Council estimates exhibitors generate about £20m during the Vincent is part of the third-generation of his family to have taken the farm machinery business, Vincents, to the showground."It is the biggest machine stand at the show - I have tried scaling back but it just doesn't work," he said."As a family we have been going every year for 60 years. My grandfather has attended every show - he is 91 this year and will be there again."The business has always had the same prominent stand on "the main drag", and this year will have 51 units on display, ranging in size from a leaf blower to huge tractors, excavators and mixer wagons. 'Real team effort' While some trade is done at the show, Mr Vincent said it is more "about being a great opportunity to connect with customers"."People are in a different frame of mind at the show, a bit more relaxed and social," he said."Each stand has a vibe and we want customers to come and feel welcome, with absolutely no expectation of buying anything."It does put pressure on the business, and is costly - the lead-up is intensive. "The team has had to prepare the machines and staff have been moved around, but when we finish the guys are proud."It is a real team effort and everyone pulls together." The food and farming area is described by its organiser Hairy Harford as "the thing most other county shows have lost"."To be in, you have to be from Cornwall," he said."We are really proud of what we've done, and Cornwall should be proud of the food and farming producers."The area has 60 producers of goods ranging from pickles to peanut butter, garlic to gouda, spread over three company, Helston-based Vicky's Bread, will sell about 1,500 to 2,000 loaves said: "We are there selling bread and will sell a lot, but that is not why we are there. For us it is fun. "We see our customers and are excited to see them, and they are excited to see us.""The Royal Cornwall, with Yorkshire and Wales are the last shows that are very real. "You've got farmers, proper people, big tractors - it hasn't just become about the rides like some others. It is a real agricultural show."
BBC News
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Royal Cornwall Show: Prince William attending event with aunt
The Prince of Wales is due to visit the Royal Cornwall Show on Royal Diary said Prince William would attend the event at the Royal Cornwall Events Centre in Wadebridge on Friday with his aunt Sophie, the Duchess of William, who is the Duke of Cornwall, is a patron of the Royal Cornwall Agricultural Association (RCAA), the charity which organises the three-day show, which begins on Duchess of Edinburgh is the RCAA's vice-president and a patron of the Association of Show and Agricultural Organisations. Royals have previously visited the annual show with the then Prince Charles and and Duchess of Cornwall attending the 2022 event - the first to be held after the Covid-19 Johnson, who was prime minister at the time, also visited the show that Duchess of Edinburgh previously visited the event in 2014 when she was the Countess of year's show will be open from 08:30 BST until 18:30 on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
