THE PRINCE OF WALES.

Waikato Times, Volume 103, Issue 17384, 21 April 1928, Page 21 (Supplement)

THE PRINCE OF WALES.

GIVES A WITTY SPEECH. THE FAME OF WORCESTERSHIRE. The Prince of Wales was the guest, of Mr Baldwin, the British Prime Minister, at the second London dinner of the Worcestershire Association, held in London, and he made a witty speech, which caused roars of laughter, when responding to the loyal toast. lie said. “Lord Plymouth has told you that when he was called upon to propose this toast at very short notice he relied upon Lord Cobham’s notes. (Lord Cobham should have proposed the toast, but was too ill to be present.) I will tell you a secret. Lord Plymouth happens to have a very good friend, and that good friend happens to be one of my private secretaries. (Laughter.) And he did exactly as I do when 1 find myself in rather a tight corner—flying to my private secretary for help. 1 got in first. (Laughter.) “In the course of my researches — and unfortunately they have been rather hurried ones because I have been rather busy in the last few days—l started to jot down some of the things for which your great county is famous. But I began by putting the word ‘sauce’ right out of my mind—(laughter) —because I was determined that whatever else I did or did not do I was not going to make a single joke about Worcester sauce. “And in the same kind of way I decided not to say very much about your good River Severn, because it seems to me that its main function is to keep your county almost in a slate of per- “ That kind of thing is very good and very useful for trade in Egypt, but it is not good in Worcestershire. (Laughter;. Grass on Sheep’s Back. “And then I remembered having seen a recent reference in the newspapers to a Worcestershire farmer who was reported to have found grass growing on the back of some of his sheep. (Loud laughter.) I was compelled to put that on one side rather reluctantly, because 1 thought that would he a marvellous new theme for after-dinner

speeches. But I felt before it was put on the market that it would need a little rnanent inundation. (Laughter.)

more investigation, although it obviously points lo a corollary—that Worcestershire farmers do not let grass grow under their feet. (Laughter.) "So my list of a few days back of the noted products of your county was not progressing very favourably, until suddenlv inspiration carne to me and 1 noted down quickly china, cider, cricket and Lord Coventry—(cheers and laughter)—who was playing a prominent part in your county before most of us were.born. (He will be 90 in "Now the realisation that all these items began with 'C suddenly reminded me that, of course 1 should have started one letter earlier in the alphabet, and I should have headed my list with another product of Worcestershire for which we all have such affectionate admiration—my host Mr Baldwin." (Cheers.)