Prince Charles meets Cheryl on whistle-stop trip to Tyneside
Report by Jonny Blair
Prince Charles visited Tyne and Wear for the first time since 2016 when he took a whistle-stop trip to Tyneside on Tuesday.
The heir to the throne rode the metro, unveiled a plaque, visited a clothing factory and even met pop-star Cheryl during his first public engagement since COP26.
After hopping off his 10:15am Royal Train to Newcastle, the Prince of Wales travelled from Central Station to Haymarket via Metro.
Taking the Metro
The journey celebrated forty years of the city's underground system and His Royal Highness unveiled a plaque at Haymarket marking the occasion.
His mother, the Queen, had performed the Metro's official opening back in 1981.
"It's a very original way of doing it," said Charles as he admired the new plaque.
Meeting Cheryl and young people helped by the Prince's Trust
A little later, the Prince of Wales was greeted by singer Cheryl to meet young people helped by the Prince's Trust.
He visited the Prince's Trust Cheryl's Trust centre in Newcastle and talked to people who have benefitted from courses to develop their confidence and skills.
She officially opened the centre - a joint project with her trust and the prince's charity - in 2018 after she raised £1 million of funding.
Cheryl, back in her home city, said: "It was incredibly inspiring to meet young people in Newcastle today and hear how transformational the Prince's Trust support has been for them.
Charles started his visit by icing a cake made by young people on one of the courses.
After meeting him, George Dent, 22, from Tynemouth, North Tyneside, said: "The cake making went well but it was a struggle for him to get the icing out.
Charles also met young entrepreneurs who have been helped by the trust to start their businesses.
Satwika Saran has set up a vegan and vegetarian sustainable delivery service in Hartlepool.
The 20-year-old uses tiffin boxes for the meals, which she collects afterwards, meaning there is no plastic waste produced.
Charles chatted to her about Bombay tiffin deliverers and she said he was interested in her business.
Taking an interest in 'green' clothing at Barbour
His Royal Highness was then ferried off to the South Shields-based, long-time royal clothing supplier Barbour.
The Prince visited their factory shop in Jarrow to mark the brand's '100-years of sustainability'.
Barbour starting re-waxing jackets in 1921, and the ecologically-oriented heir was apparently "impressed" by the initiative.