Last updated 11:57, Friday, 06 June 2008

The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh this afternoon opened a £1.5 million food technology centre at Penrith.

The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh at the food technology centre in Penrith

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The centre will provide modern food and drink production facilities and was developed with cash from the Northwest Development Agency by Cumbria Rural Enterprise Agency and its Distinctly Cumbrian team as part of their support for local food and drink producers.

The Queen was making her first visit to the county since 2002 when she hosted a garden party in the grounds of Carlisle Castle.

In Penrith, she unveiled a plaque to mark the occasion and was presented with a Laird’s Larder hamper containing Cumbrian food and drink from almost 20 local producers.

CREA chief executive Bob Clark said the centre was an important investment that will give growing businesses the opportunity to expand into new facilities, to share costs with others and to make the most of a prime location for distribution across Cumbria.

Waiting to see them at Penrith was Debbie Atkinson, of Catterlen, near Penrith and her two daughters Rachel, eight and Hannah, six.

Debbie said: “I took the girls out of Plumpton school so they could see the Queen today. We saw Prince Charles at the toffee shop in Penrith a few years ago and that was really good. I think it’s important for children to see members of the Royal family.”

The Queen was taken into the building by Mr Clark and was introduced to Tony Brunskill, chief executive of Eden district council, Colin Nineham, leader of the council and other invited dignitaries.

There was no question of The Queen not liking what was on the menu at the Underscar Manor Hotel near Keswick - she chose all the items herself in advance of her visit for a lunch hosted by Cumbria County Council.

Her Majesty and Duke of Edinburgh paused to admire the spectacular panoramic view of Derwentwater and the Derwent and Borrowdale fells when they arrived at the hotel.

The Queen took time to wave to a small group of children who had taken an hour off school at lunchtime so they could see her arrive.

Katie and Adam Jackson, aged eight and six, went along with mum Sue and grandmother Doreen Poulson. The youngsters, who attend Threlkeld School, waved their red, white and blue windmills.

Mum Sue said: “We have been to see Buckingham Palace and wanted to see the lady who lives there.”

Pauline and Derek Harrison, who own Underscar along with their business partner Gordon Evans, are used to catering for some high profile celebrities, including television presenter Jonathan Dimbleby and the Queen’s photographer John Swanell.

But Mrs Harrison said: “Having the Queen as a guest is the ultimate.”

Her Majesty joined 34 official guests for the lunch after being welcomed at the entrance to the Underscar at Applethwaite by Mr and Mrs Harrison and the Deputy Lord Lieutenant John Fryer-Spedding and his wife Clare.

On the menu was a starter of quail with a leek and pine kernel cannelloni and sweet and sour sauce followed by a main course of local roe deer with a venison casserole, wild mushrooms, carrots with cumin, spring cabbage with juniper berries, home made potato cakes and, for sweet, a summer fruit pudding.

They arrived at the hotel following a visit to the new Cumberland Pencil factory at Lillyhall, near Workington.

Speaking after that, Workington MP Tony Cunningham said: "It was a fantastic occasion, absolutely brilliant.

"She takes so much time with people. She doesn't just turn up and rush, she talks to the workforce. She has a sense of humour, her workload is incredible and she has such a tight schedule.

"I was talking to one or two of the workforce and they were saying they were great admirers of the Queen and it was thoroughly enjoyable.

"The faces of the kids, all with their flags and smiling was brilliant. It will be a day these children will remember for the rest of their lives.

"I can remember when I was a little five-year-old and she visited the steelworks. I can still remember it.

"I only had a quick word with her and I said it was a great honour and she said she is thoroughly enjoying the day. She was really pleased to be here."

Pencil factory worker Andrew Howarth, 40, of Walker Street, Cockermouth, said: "The Queen was asking about the machines.

"She was impressed with how it went from being a raw pencil to being a painted pencil. She was only with us a short time but seemed genuinely interested in what we were doing. She was warm and friendly."

"She asked what were were doing and seemed interested. When Prince Philip walked past I gave him the Masonic handshake."

As The Queen and Prince Philip toured the factory, staff stopped work to take mobile phone pictures of them as they passed. 

Someone in the royal party dropped a piece of paper and the Duke of Edinburgh picked it up, saying he was doing his bit to be environmentally conscious.

Also in the royal party are Countess Airlie, Private Secretary Edward Young, Squadron Leader Andrew Calane and Paul Ephgrave.

On their way in to the factory, they were greeted by local dignitaries, including mayor of Workington Bill Bacon, mayor of Allerdale Allan Caine, the mayor of Keswick Roger Purkiss, David Martin, director of partnerships at Allerdale council, Mr Cunningham and factory managing director David Sharrock.

Mr Sharrock's daughters Arabella, 12 and Isabella, nine, presented the Queen with bouquets.  

Hundreds of people, including youngsters from Ashfield Junior School, waited outside the factory for a glimpse of the Queen.

One of those waiting was Beryl Murray, 69, of Crosthwaite Court, Workington. She said: "It's been a lovely day. I could see her very clearly from where I was. The outfit she had on was lovely. The last time I saw her was 49 years ago in Middlesbrough."

The pencil factory was her second appointment of the day, following her arrival earlier in the morning at Whitehaven.

She arrived by Royal train at Bransty station and was driven round the town through a sea of Union flags.

Hundreds of excited school children and well wishers waited to greet the Queen and the Duke on the harbourside.

The Queen was dressed in a co-ordinated outfit of blue and fuschia floral print dress, sky blue coat and matching hat trimmed with bold fuschia flower. She had a brooch on her lapel and was carrying a black handbag.

The Duke was wearing a grey suit.

Eve Bateson, 10, of Ennerdale and Kinniside School said: “I thought it was really exciting because she is someone I look up to and I have always wanted to see her in person.”

However, it wasn't all cheering and waving – she faced three Barney the Goose protesters on the harbourside.

They were demanding to know what has happened to the town's famous goose, Barney.

Whitehaven Harbour Commissioners took the decision in March to banish Barney from the harbour - he'd been blamed for an attack on a woman's ankle.

And later their chairman Gordon Thomson advised “that the goose which was causing concern on the harbour has now been removed and placed in safety away from the general public.”

But the public aren't happy about the 'disappearance' of their favourite goose.

An Egremont woman, Janette Wynne, last week wrote to the Queen asking Her Majesty to help locate Barney in her capacity as patron of the Royal Society of Birds.

But that small protest didn't detract from the Royal visit.

The Queen went on to unveil a plaque at The Beacon before the Royal party walked round to the Sugar Tongue at 10.45am, accompanied by Gordon Thompson, chairman of the Whitehaven Harbour Commissioners, and Gerard Richardson, chief executive of the Whitehaven Festival Company.

There was a salute from the One O’Clock gun.

The Queen inspected both the Whitehaven Sea Cadets and a US colour party, which formed up in front of her and the Duke.

The Royal couple took their seats at the Sugar Tongue where they heard Whitehaven’s version of the John Paul Jones Raid given by town crier Rob Romano.

The Queen then handed to the Defence attache at the US Embassy, Capt Jeff Miller, a framed copy of the newspaper report of the John Paul Jones Raid.

At 11.20am there was a 10 minute display by RAF Hawk jets. This was followed at 11.45 by a 15 minute display by a Hawker Hunter - which the Royal couple did not see because they had already left for the pencil factory.

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