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Prince Charles with resident Yusuf Kurtha, Richard Linley and Faruque Ansari. |
Prince joins in Almshouses’ 150th birthday celebrations
WHILE his mother sends out cards to mark 100th birthdays, Prince Charles went one better and attended a 150th birthday on Wednesday.
The Prince of Wales came to the St Pancras Almshouses in Southampton Road, Gospel Oak, which was opened back in 1859.
The Almshouses were originally established to provide an alternative to the workhouse, and Prince Charles was given the chance to look around the flats the charity provide for people aged 50 and over.
He was joined by the Holborn and St Pancras MP Frank Dobson and the Mayor of Camden, Faruque Ansari. The chairman of the Almshouses, former ITN newsman Richard Linley, accompanied the Prince as he met residents including jeweller and artist John King, who lives in the Almshouses with his wife Samantha.
Mr Linley said: “He was very interested to hear about the role we play, and we spoke about listed buildings and how you can make them fit for the modern world.”
In a speech to the residents and visitors, Mr Linley said: “Our strength, like the Monarchy, is continuity.”
Although the Almshouses were built 150 years ago, they date even further back. Originally they could be found in Wilkin Street, near Prince of Wales Road, but when railway companies started building through the area they paid for a move. Not everyone was happy with the new site – Karl Marx’s wife Jenny von Westphalen, who lived nearby, complained about noise and dust from the building works. |
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