Prince flies in to see cheesemaker (From Western Telegraph)

Prince flies in to see cheesemaker

THE WEATHER was dull, but the mood was anything but, when Prince Charles dropped in on his old friend Leon Downey on Friday. The two men had met twice previously and share a passionate opposition to factory farming.

Flamboyant cheesemaker Leon Downey took his royal guest on a tour of the Llangloffan business he established with his wife, Joan, 25 years ago to produce unpasteurised and organic cheeses.

The relaxed nature of the visit was obvious from the outset. Prince Charles arrived at Castlemorris by helicopter and happily strolled across a rain-sodden field to meet the Downey family.

Mr Downey accompanied the Prince through the farm to the dairy and described the restoration of the farm buildings. This included the kitchen at Mill Cottage, a former mill, which is now used to make the organic bread sold in the shop.

The Prince's interest in the business, which had won one of his very own Prince of Wales Awards in the 1980s, was genuine.

As he watched Leon's son-in-law, Scott Lewis, texturing a vat of curd it would have been no surprise if he had rolled up his sleeves and joined in. 'It looks such fun,' Prince Charles, dressed in a white cheesemaker's hat, told Scott before being shown the room where the cheese is matured.

Up to half-a-tonne of cheese is produced weekly at Llangloffan and is a model example of a family-run enterprise. Scott's wife, Emma, bakes the organic bread, and Leon and Joan's second daughter, Joanne, and her partner, Vaughan Thomas, handle the mail order and internet business, as well as running the tea rooms.

The Prince delighted children from Mathry VC School who had waited patiently in the rain. The school roll of 52 includes Leon Downey's grandchildren, Matthew and Lottie Lewis.

The children had designed their own newspaper, 'Mathry News 2001', which senior pupils, Joe Pickles, of Trevine, and Michael Gates, of St Nicholas, handed to the Prince.

He spoke at length to the children. 'He asked them what they thought of homework and whether they had school lunches,' said headmistress, Mrs B. Thorne. 'He was also interested in the school and how the children had produced the newspaper.'

The Prince was presented with a basket of gifts, including cheese, bread and Welsh cakes produced by the Downey family.

His visit ended as it had begun, in heavy rain, but the relaxed Prince was still smiling as he boarded his helicopter. 'I suppose you would like me to 'say cheese',' he had joked with the assembled photographers.

Leon Downey welcomes his royal guest. PICTURES: Martin Cavaney Photography.