HRH The Princess Royal chatted with directors, staff and customers during a visit to East Anglian building supplies company Kent Blaxill in Colchester last week (March 20).
She was greeted by Simon Blaxill, managing director of the company, and was introduced to the waiting directors on a sunny but breezy morning.
“We were truly honoured to have a visit from HRH The Princess Royal,” said Mr Blaxill. “She was extremely friendly with everyone she met and struck up numerous conversations on all manner of topics, as well as taking great interest in the development of Kent Blaxill across the past 175 years.”
Inside the company’s showrooms, The Princess Royal was introduced to Laura Downing, decorating centre manager, and some of her team with who she discussed aspects of designer paints, ranging from trends and colour selection to advising customers and online shopping.
She also stopped to chat with a group of long serving staff, asking about their careers with Kent Blaxill, as well as showroom management and the directors of EH May, the customer with the longest links with Kent Blaxill, and the directors of subsidiary company Global Stone.
The Princess Royal was then escorted round to the glass department where she met management and discussed some of Kent Blaxill’s glazing projects, as well as the company’s curved glass cutting skills.
Finally she signed the company’s visitors’ book before leaving for her next appointment at Colchester Castle.
