Prince Charles greets Brympton Almshouse residents. 3/3/5HIS Royal Highness the Prince of Wales has paid a visit to Salisbury to meet staff, residents and trustees of the Almshouse and Welfare charities.

A few hardy royal supporters braved the sleet and icy winds to greet Prince Charles as he arrived at Trinity Hospital and Brympton Almshouse last Thursday afternoon.

Waving union flags, they cheered the royal visitor, who was delayed after his helicopter was grounded by bad weather, forcing him to travel by car.

The prince remained tight-lipped about the plans for his forthcoming wedding to Camilla Parker Bowles and the controversy surrounding the Queen's decision not to attend the civil ceremony at Windsor town hall. But he said he was delighted to be in Salisbury and see the work of the Almshouse charity, as he is national patron of the Almshouse Association.

Prince Charles was met on his arrival in the city by Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire John Bush and Wiltshire chief constable Martin Richards.

Salisbury's Almshouses have roots dating to the 1370s and continue a long tradition of caring.Today, 175 elderly people live in 11 Almshouses, and many residents got the chance to meet their royal guest at a reception and tea party.

A prince on the doorstep

Prince Charles with long-time almshouse trustee Derrick Alford. 3/3/5THE first leg of the Prince's Salisbury visit took him to meet residents at Trinity Hospital, in Trinity Street, the oldest of the city's Almshouses, where one lucky lady had a personal audience with Prince Charles on her doorstep.

Evelyn Pepper (88) thought she had missed out on her chance to greet the royal visitor, as she had not been lucky enough to be one of those drawn to meet him.

But as the prince walked through the hospital's courtyard and spotted her in her doorway, he was more than happy to pop over for a quick "hello".

"I'm all of a tremble - I've gone all wishy-washy," said Mrs Pepper after the Prince had left. "I'm not much of a talker, so I didn't know what to say to him, but it's been a wonderful day."

They chatted about life in the hospital, where Mrs Pepper has been resident for three years, but she said she hadn't used the opportunity to press Prince Charles on his wedding plans.

"I thought I'd better not," she confessed.

On his arrival, the prince was introduced to the directors of the trustees and charity staff by Lady Jo Benson. He apologised for keeping everyone waiting in the cold, before being shown the chapel, where he met organist Garnet Swatridge and a group of delighted residents for an informal chat.

"He was a perfect gentleman," said Rosemary Thomas. "He made you feel special when you spoke to him."

Another thrilled resident, Bea Buickhous, added: "It's marvellous how he thinks of different things to say to people."

She also felt their meeting had more than made up for missing out on the chance to have tea with the royal."We were a bit miffed that we couldn't get over to Brympton to meet him, but I bet they didn't get anywhere near that much time with him," she said.

"He was very friendly," said Mary Williams.

"He kept eye contact whenever you spoke to him. I hadn't expected him to be so kind."

'He was easy to talk to - he really listened'

Prince Charles chats with Brympton Almshouse residents. 3/3/5THE Prince of Wales' second appointment was a reception and tea party at Brympton Almshouse, in Harnham.

He was met by chairman of Wiltshire county council Allan Peach, Salisbury district council chairman Patrick Paisey, and district councillor Sheila Warran-der, before enjoying tea and cakes with about 90 residents.

The prince spent a few minutes at each table, hearing about life in the almshouses. At one table, he sat next to one of the oldest residents, 97-year-old Nell Jay, who held his hand while they talked.

"He's wonderful," she said.

Prince Charles also chatted to Louise Bailey (93) and her friend Joan Thomas (83).

"I talked to him about the cathedral because you get a lovely view of it from my room and I know he's interested in buildings," said Mrs Thomas.

Mrs Bailey added: "I said how much we liked it here because we've lived here for 19 years."

War veteran Horace Good-man, who will be 91 in April, told the Prince about his time as a prisoner of war. "He was very easy to talk to," he said. "He really listened."

Trustees of the charity were also invited to the reception.

"This is good for the almshouses because it raises our profile and it's good for Salisbury," said Derrick Alford, who has been a trustee for 28 years.

After the prince had met all the residents, 98-year-old Dorothy Neate presented him with a book called Caring, which is a history of the Almshouses.

In a short speech, the prince said: "As patron of the Alms-house Association, it is a pleasure to be here and to meet the wonderful staff who keep the whole thing running and make sure you are looked after in the way that you are.

"It is always a joy to meet the residents and I am pleased to find so many of you in your 90s.

"I would like to have more time to listen to your stories and recollections but I wish you well and have been pleased to see you all."

Chairman of the trustees Lady Benson thanked Prince Charles for his visit and for listening about the heritage of the almshouses and their plans for the future.

"It couldn't have gone better - it was a wonderful occasion," she said afterwards. "It has been a day to remember for everybody."

Clerk to the trustees Ed Wall, who helped to organise the royal visit, agreed. "It was wonderful how much empathy he had with the residents and this was a big event in their lives," he said.

"It was a great occasion."