Prince Charles opens Kemble Station garden. (BBC News 25/07/2013)

[whole diary]

[JayMac]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

The Prince of Wales has visited a Gloucestershire railway station and received further congratulations on becoming a grandfather.

Prince Charles travelled to Kemble Railway Station, 10 miles (16km) from his Highgrove home, to officially open the once-derelict station garden.

There, he was shown how the station garden had been brought back to life.

The prince was presented with a card, flowers and soft toys as the small crowd passed on congratulations.

'Fantastic grandfather'

He told George Austin, 9, that it was a "great moment" when he met his grandson adding "it's fun to be a grandfather".

Sue Skinner, the grandmother of George, lives in Kemble and was visiting the station with her husband Peter and two grandchildren.

"I think he will make the most fantastic grandfather. He was brilliant with these two. Being a grandparent is very special," she said.

Brothers Oliver Horne, 4, and Daniel, 22 months, presented the prince with a card offering him congratulations on becoming a grandfather.

Their mother, Nicola Horne, 38, who lives in Cirencester, said she thought he was really touched.

"He asked Oliver 'Have you got a granny and grandad?' and Oliver told him he had", she said.

"It was great for the boys to meet him, they love the new baby and were so excited to see him on the television."

The Kemble garden, which includes a dry stone wall with built-in seating, was designed by local company Designspace Outdoors and worked on by staff and students from the Royal Agricultural University in Cirencester.

First Great Western undertook the work to improve the station and community environment.

During a short speech, the prince said he was "thrilled" to officially open the garden and paid tribute to Dawn Adams, a grandmother of 12, who has campaigned since 2001 to see the garden brought back to life.

Nice to see a few more plants and a few less weeds, which was what I saw on my visit to Kemble station on 5th June this year. The garden will no doubt look amazing once the plants start to grow out.

Sadly, when I visited, I got neither a meet and greet with local dignitaries or a commemorative plaque. 



Kemble is a gem of a station, beautifully kept and maintained. A credit to all the staff involved in its presentation. If only more FGW^▸ (First Great Western) stations had such care and attention....

[Phil]

Intrigued to know how the health & safety gurus managed to get permission to cover over that manhole cover in time for the Prince's visit.

[ChrisB]

Possibly only for the few minutes he was there?

[Red Squirrel]

Kemble is a gem of a station, beautifully kept and maintained. A credit to all the staff involved in its presentation. If only more FGW^▸ (First Great Western) stations had such care and attention....

Be even nicer if you could change there for Ciren and Tetbury...

[bobm]

..and for the sake of clarity and continuity as someone from this parish would say (and he does like Kemble too!) - the manhole cover was back in evidence this morning



I only had five minutes between trains but I couldn't see a plaque to say our future King had officially opened it, but then me eyes ain't as good as they used to be....

[Red Squirrel]

..and for the sake of clarity and continuity as someone from this parish would say (and he does like Kemble too!) - the manhole cover was back in evidence this morning

Can't you get maintenance covers in the form of a tray, so that you can fill them with gravel or pavers? Perhaps we should club together and buy them one?

[JayMac]

I'm wondering why it was felt necessary to temporarily cover it in the first place.

Were Brian's security detail afeared of militant republicans coming up from the sewers?

[Red Squirrel]

I'm wondering why it was felt necessary to temporarily cover it in the first place.

Were Brian's security detail afeared of militant republicans coming up from the sewers?

Well as you will know, they breed in the sewers, and eventually you get evil-smelling flocks of huge soiled militant republicans flying out of people^s inspection covers infringing their personal freedom.

[ellendune]

..and for the sake of clarity and continuity as someone from this parish would say (and he does like Kemble too!) - the manhole cover was back in evidence this morning

Can't you get maintenance covers in the form of a tray, so that you can fill them with gravel or pavers? Perhaps we should club together and buy them one?

You can indeed, but they are not rigid enough and so they get stuck and you cannot open them. Also if you just filled them with gravel you would not be able to see them so it would be difficult to find when you needed it.  I know you could have a good plan but it would just get lost and never be made available to the bloke sent to sort any problem.

[Chris from Nailsea]

..and for the sake of clarity and continuity as someone from this parish would say (and he does like Kemble too!) ...

... that'll be me, then? 

[ChrisB]

Could the photo simply have been photoshopped?

[JayMac]

Possibly.

The following ITV West Country news report briefly shows the drain cover in one shot. I'd assume the shot (at 1:19) was taken on the same day as HRH's visit. The shot could, however, be from before or after the royal visit; pre- or post- temporary replacement.

http://www.itv.com/news/west/update/2013-07-25/full-report-on-prince-charles-visit-to-kemble/

But photoshopping of the Press Association image is just as likely.

[Phil]

The Press Association and/or BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) photoshopped the image.

I was intrigued enough to contact the garden redevelopment team leader, and received the following response:

Hi Phil

Thanks for your email and for your interest in our project at Kemble.

I was present at the opening and can confirm the drain cover was still in place and uncovered. From looking at your photos, I think the only conclusion is that the camera angle played tricks in this regard.

I do hope you have chance to travel through Kemble at some stage to enjoy our garden and thanks again for your interest.

Kind regards

Sarah Tennant-Bell
Liaison Officer

[Chris from Nailsea]

Hmm ... 

That's not a camera angle playing tricks. 

I think the Kemble station garden redevelopment team leader is being commendably diplomatic in her response.

I do, however, share her hope that I, too, will have the opportunity to travel through Kemble again fairly soon! 

[TonyK]

As if we didn't have enough controversy with HS2^▸ (The next High Speed line(s))...


Of course, no-one will be travelling through Kemble for a little while just now, despite the kind sentiments expressed by Ms Tennant-Bell.