Duchess opens North Star campus

8:59am Thursday 30th November 2006

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AS A royal helicopter flew over Swindon College it was clear this was no ordinary day.

In fact, the Duchess of Cornwall was on her way to open the state-of-the-art North Star building.

She landed close by in Faringdon Road Park and was driven in a silver Lexus, closely followed by a silver BMX X5 full of bodyguards.

As she stepped out of the car an excited crowd cheered and clapped.

Principal Jonquil Brooks greeted the duchess as she walked up a red carpet and into the £17m building.

Swindon College dates back to 1843, when staff from the Great Western Railway were trained there.

But in September the college entered a new era - saying goodbye to its dated Regent Circus building as students moved into the new North Star building.

The campus provides the college with industry standard facilities in art and design, hairdressing, computing, music, trades and plumbing.

In all, an extra 10,500 square metres of purpose-built learning facilities and workshops have been added to the existing site and confirm the college's position as the leading provider of vocational, work-based education in the area.

The college also has specialist facilities for catering, engineering, construction and beauty students.

And this is what the duchess wanted to see.

"It's fantastic," she said. "It's lovely to see the students looking so happy."

The royal visitor was taken round the campus. Her first stop was the hair salon where she inspected the work of trainee hairdressers.

Next, a group of performing arts students showed off their talents.

Dressed in black, they looked terrified as they prepared to jump into action to perform Step In Time from Mary Poppins.

But all nerves were gone as the duchess smiled at the group.

"I'm so pleased I got to meet her," said 17-year-old Lauren Card.

"It was quite nerve-racking performing the routine in front of a royal but she looked like she enjoyed it.

"She said to me it was very good."

The duchess saw an engineering display in the library.

You could hear a pin drop before she arrived but her smile put the students at ease and they looked comfortable telling her about their course.

BA (Hons) fine art student Hannah Brooks, 21, said: "It was a real honour to speak to the duchess.

"I showed her my work and she seemed to be really interested in what we were doing.

"I felt really nervous as she walked into the room but she put everyone at ease, she seemed really down to earth and friendly."

After unveiling a plaque to commemorate her visit, the duchess greeted the crowd who had gathered to catch a glimpse of her.

Suzanne Allen, 47, who is studying ceramics, leant forward to shake the duchess' hand as she passed.

"She looked much younger in the flesh," she said. "She was all smiles and her hands were really warm.

"She was lovely. She said Lovely to meet you.'"

Mrs Brooks was thrilled the visit went so well.

"This has been a huge project and we are very proud of our college and delighted the duchess visited us," she said.

Were you there? Send us your pix.

For more pictures from this event, click here.