Prince Charles puts his Royal stamp on East End community centre

Prince Charles put his own mark on a community centre in Bow as he sat down with disabled service users to try out different stamps on a ceramic tile.

A Royal car carrying the Prince of Wales pulled into the Bromley by Bow Centre in St Leonards Street, just off the Blackwall Tunnel, this morning in what was the first visit by a Senior Royal to an Olympic borough this year.

First to shake his hand by the centre gate was a nearby resident who had pinned a medal to his suit jacket showing he was a guard at the Queen’s Coronation in 1953.

Abdul Kadir, aged 77, of Devons Road, who had been tipped off about the visit, grabbed the moment and baffled the security escort surrounding the Prince to tell him his story.

Inside the gate His Royal Highness was greeted by flag waving children from the nursery based at the centre as he was shown around.

It is his third visit to the centre, which is said to be close to his heart, because of it’s integrated approach to health care and well-being through social activities.

It houses a GP service, complimentary therapy, art studios, gardening projects, and social enterprises, including a cafe, under one roof.

During his more than hour long tour the Prince was shown how to decorate ceramics by former school cook Maureen King, 65, who has been in a wheel chair since falling over in the kitchen. At first Prince Charles expressed: “There is nothing more embarrassing, how do you do this?”. But as he got the hang out it, as he tried out different stamps on a ceramic tile, he said: “This is fun. I can go on for hours.”

Ms King said afterwards: “We had a laugh. He is very nice and chatty.”

Before departing his Royal Highness also visited allotments run by a group of women, many from a Bengali background, and planted a tree in the garden.