WHEN the Prince of Wales visited Teesdale last month he left behind a lasting reminder in the form of a signed book, which is to be auctioned on Sunday to raise funds for the charity he took a specific interest in.

Other items to be auctioned at the Moorcock Inn at Eggleston at 7.30 will be sold in aid of the air ambulance appeal, but the book, The Garden at Highgrove, written by Prince Charles and Candida Lycett Green, will be sold on behalf of the Upper Teesdale Agricultural Support Services, which is based at Middleton in Teesdale.

The book, which is signed and dated by the Prince, was presented to the charity by Prince Charles when he visited on October 24, with the intention that it be auctioned to raise funds to support the charity's work.

The Prince, who was no stranger to Middleton in his younger days, when he regularly made private visits to the home of the late Sir Joseph Nickerson at Middleton House, had specifically asked to see at first hand the work done by UTASS at its converted cottage in Horsemarket.

The value of the service, which was strained almost to breaking point at the height of the foot-and-mouth epidemic, obviously impressed him enough for him to leave his contribution towards its future.

UTASS project manager Diane Spark said: "We were delighted to receive the signed book as a gift from Prince Charles and welcome the opportunity to have it auctioned locally. We are also grateful to the Moorcock for letting us piggyback the book on to their auction in aid of the air ambulance."

* As the D&S Times went to press it was announced that UTASS had received the largest ever lottery grant paid out in Teesdale.

The £190,625 from the community grant fund is to finance the costs of the project for the next three years.

Project manager Diane Spark said everyone was delighted. "It means that we can continue our much-needed and valued support work in trying to prevent problems from getting to the desperate stage," she added