The Prince of Wales marked his 54th birthday with a busy day of engagements in Manchester. Central to the day was the theme of skills and training, as the Prince visited a number of venues involved in improving qualifications and nurturing talents.
The theme was in evidence at the first engagement of the day, the Skills City vocational show in Salford. The four-day skills event showcase was set up as a joint enterprise by The Prince's Trust and independent training organisation UK Skills. The event aimed to stimulate and inspire 80,000 visitors with 'have-a-go' demonstrations of vocational skills and careers.
| The Prince of Wales watches a soldering demonstration |
The Prince of Wales watches a soldering demonstration at the Skills City exhibition |
| > View large picture in new window |
The Prince of Wales toured the specially constructed city, housed in an enormous temporary structure covering 17 acres. Interactive exhibits covered more than 40 different trades and over 100 skills, from pattern making, thatching and wood turning to hairdressing, stonemasonry and welding.
During his tour, the Prince tried his hand at a spot of bricklaying supervised by Andrew Atkin, a second-year brickwork apprentice at Accrington and Rossendale College.
The next stop for the Prince was the new Cheetham Hill office of Jobcentre Plus. Accompanied by Nick Brown, Minister for Work and Leigh Lewis, Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, the Prince took a guided tour of the facilities, met staff and was given a potted history of Jobcentre offices in the UK.
His Royal Highness met four local people who had recently found employment through Jobcentre Plus, as well as several employers who work in partnership with the job organisation.
The Prince also viewed special touch-screen job points, which enabled people to search for any type of work locally, nationally and internationally.
At the end of the visit The Prince of Wales unveiled a plaque to commemorate the occasion, and he was presented with a Jobcentre Plus tie and badge.
Musical talent was highlighted at the next engagement, at Cheetham's School of Music in Manchester. The specialist school provides vocal and instrumental training for young people. It will celebrate its 350th anniversary in 2003.
The Prince of Wales met pupils and staff and attended a lunchtime concert, which included a rendition of Happy Birthday by a group of barbershop singers.
| The Prince of Wales views a museum exhibition |
The Prince of Wales meets a former member of the Manchester Regiment in the unit's museum |
| > View large picture in new window |
The final call of the day was at the newly refurbished Ladysmith Gallery, part of the Museum of the Manchester Regiment, in Ashton-under-Lyne Town Hall. The Prince was greeted outside the town hall by a large crowd, many offering birthday greetings.
The army unit was formed from the 63rd and 96th regiments in 1881 and fought in major conflicts including the Boer War, World Wars One and Two, Palestine and Malaya. It was amalgamated with the King's Regiment (Liverpool) in 1958. One of the regiment's most famous members was Wilfred Owen, the war poet who was killed in action just 7 days before the end of the First World War.
| The Prince of Wales views a book in the Manchester Regiment museum |
The Prince of Wales views archives in the Museum of the Manchester Regiment |
| > View large picture in new window |
The gallery had recently reopened following major refurbishment. New features include an extended World War One trench, a medals room featuring the five Victoria Crosses won by the Manchester Regiment, and interactive exhibits to help visitors understand more about life in the Manchester Regiment.
After viewing the galleries, the Prince unveiled a plaque and was presented with a bottle of whisky distilled in the year of his birth, 1948.
|