HIS Royal Highness The Earl of Wessex visited the University of Reading and Newbury Market last week.

Newbury Market traders were delighted when Prince Edward visited the market to show his support during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Market has been open every Thursday and Saturday throughout 2020, for essential items only during the two lockdown periods, and is now welcoming back traders ready for Christmas shopping.

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As an integral part of Newbury’s history and shopping experience, customers have enjoyed shopping outside in the fresh air and with lots of choice, the Market has welcomed a number of new customers and traders this year.

Market Manager, Mrs. Debbie Smith, together with the Mayor of Newbury, Cllr Elizabeth O’Keeffe, accompanied His Royal Highness around the Market, where he met a number of the traders.

Darren Bateson, a regular trader from Charlton Park Garden Centre said what a pleasure it was to meet The Earl.

He said: “We had a chat about how long the stall has been at Newbury Market, which is over 65 years and he genuinely took an interest in how we’ve been doing since lockdown.

"He stopped and talked to all of us traders at the Market."

The Earl also met coronavirus-focused scientists when he visited the University of Reading on Friday, December 4.

The Earl had a socially-distanced tour of the Health and Life Science Building, home to brand new teaching and research laboratories that have remained open to staff and students throughout the UK’s recent lockdown, including for work on research into Covid-19.

His Royal Highness met a small group of students from the School of Biological Sciences as they took part in practical biology class studying the physiology and evolution of birds, with some students learning face-to-face with their tutors in the lab, while others joined the class online.

The Earl also visited the revamped Cole Museum of Zoology and met its director, Professor Amanda Callaghan.

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Accompanied by the Vice-Chancellor and Lord Lieutenant of Berkshire, The Earl also met scientists working on new testing technology for the coronavirus, and had a chance to see different prototype diagnostics kits in action.

Professor Robert Van de Noort, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Reading, said: “HRH The Earl of Wessex is always a welcome visitor to the University, and it was an honour to introduce him to colleagues and students who are exploring areas of science that have grown in prominence over the past year.

“I am proud of the work they and many others at the University have done, both to find innovative solutions to the pandemic, and in maintaining our world-class research and teaching.”