THE Duke of Gloucester got a royal welcome from staff and students at Oldbury Wells School when his helicopter landed there on Wednesday.
The Queen’s cousin is pictured above with headteacher Sarah Godden and some of the 100 year seven flag-waving students who greeted him.
He was also welcomed by the Lord Lieutenant of Shropshire, Algernon Heber-Percy before being presented to Mrs Godden and meeting staff.
The duke then boarded the royal train at Bridgnorth’s Severn Valley Railway station and travelled to Highley where he opened the SVR’s new £3.7m visitor centre.He was greeted at Highley by pupils from the primary school, who lined up with more than 200 others.
The visit began with a tour of Highley signal box before the cutting of a ribbon to formally mark the reinstatement of Highley station footbridge, after an absence of 35 years.
Following a guided tour of the Engine House Visitor Centre by curator David Mee, the royal visitor unveiled a plaque to formally declare the new attraction open.
The duke, a patron of the Severn Valley Railway for more than 10 years, was due to open the Engine House in April but had to cancel because of illness.
The facility has been open unofficially since last year, allowing visitors hands-on experience of eight full-size steam locos.