Prince William recalled a part-time job from his youth selling CDs at a 'dodgy car boot sale' during a visit to the Welsh village of Skenfrith. The Prince of Wales was reminded of the role by Rod and Helen Wyatt while learning about the area's flood defences.
'First time I met you, you were this high,' Mr Wyatt said, holding his hand waist high. 'In Glanusk Estate – you sold me a CD from a bric-a-brac stall.' William laughed and replied: 'Dodgy car boot sale, yes I remember that.' Mr Wyatt joked: 'Still doing that?' and the future king said: 'No, I don't sell… it's dried up a bit that one, perhaps I should reopen it.'
Flooding impact on Skenfrith
Mr Wyatt's wife noted they could not recall the CD's title, and the prince admitted: 'I got up to a lot… we had some fun round there.' The visit focused on how communities have been affected by recent flooding and measures being taken by local authorities and other agencies to mitigate future incidents.
Skenfrith has faced four major floods in six years, with the most recent last winter causing the biggest impact after the River Monnow swept through the village. Storm Claudia brought a month's rain in 24 hours to parts of England and Wales.
Mr Wyatt, who has lived in his home for 10 years, joked about the experience, telling William: 'We had to give up really, we got two bottles of Prosecco and went to watch Strictly upstairs.' William replied: 'It must be so demoralising for you now, the worry each year you've got to go through that again, potentially, is becoming more frequent. They keep talking about a one in 50-year event, it doesn't make sense anymore.'
Holistic approach and tree planting
William said: 'It might be in the researching and scientific point of view – it's happening every year now, it's mad. So, it's trying to understand how we can do a better holistic view of the whole catchment area, so we're dealing with the whole problem.' He listed ideas including 'slowing the water down' using farming landscaping remedies, tree planting, and better monitoring 'so we know when things might be getting worse'.
He discussed these ideas in detail during his next visit on Thursday, meeting representatives from environmental charity Stump Up for Trees at Great Tre-Rhew Farm in Monmouthshire. The charity, founded in 2020, aims to plant one million native trees across south Wales and the Bannau Brycheiniog, formerly known as the Brecon Beacons.
William joined volunteers harvesting seeds from a field maple tree and planted a sessile oak tree, designated as the national tree of Wales. He spoke to Kate and Jim Beavan, of Great Tre-Rhew Farm, and Jenny Knight, director of Stump Up for Trees. After the visit, Dr Knight praised William for 'looking at not just the problems but the solutions as well'.
Partnership and cider
Representatives from the Duchy of Cornwall also joined the visit to share learning about nature recovery and climate-resilient forestry, and to start a long-term partnership. Dr Knight described how that 'knowledge exchange is so valuable' and said working together across different areas would have a greater impact.
At the end of the conversation, William discussed his enjoyment of cider, which is made on the farm. 'He said "one pint a day keeps the doctor away",' Dr Knight added. William ended his visit by travelling to Monkhall Farm in Herefordshire to meet 25-year-old Harry Davies, the incoming tenant of the Duchy of Cornwall's first regenerative farm business tenancy. Regenerative farming aims to restore soil health, increase biodiversity, and improve the water cycle rather than depleting natural resources.
