Princess Anne visits Birmingham

Oct 10 2008 By Jasbir Authi

IT was smiles and cheers all the way as pensioners welcomed Princess Anne to Birmingham.

The Princess Royal officially opened the Perry Tree Centre, in Dovedale Road, Erdington, the first of four pioneering new sites catering for older people living with dementia, yesterday afternoon.

Pupils from nearby College High Specialist Arts School greeted her with Union flags before she was handed a bouquet of orange roses by Kirsty Lawler, aged ten, from Perry Common Junior Infants School and her friends.

Princess Anne then took a 90-minute tour of the complex with manager Mike White, Lord Mayor Coun Chauhdry Rashid and other officials.

The Princess chatted with long-term residents before visiting short-term ones and seeing the facilities provided by Birmingham East and North Primary Care Trust for in-patient and day rehabilitation care.

She ended her tour with a perry tree planting and plaque unveiling ceremony in the centre’s award-winning landscaped gardens.

Birmingham’s adults and communities boss, Coun Sue Anderson, said the centres would improve care standards for the elderly.