William visits estate on school trip
by Molly Watson
Prince William and a party of his Eton classmates have witnessed at first hand how the other half live on one of London's most run-down estates.
His visit to infamous Aylesbury estate in Walworth, one of the biggest social housing centres in Europe, was part of an A-level geography field trip.
The estate, which has also played host to Tony Blair and Neil Kinnock is seen as a showcase for the desperate need for urban regeneration. In an effort to tackle its serious drug and crime problems, it is patrolled by private security guards.
The Etonians, who did not wear their usual school uniform of white tie and tails, were driven around the estate in a bus before visiting the council-run Taplow neighbour-hood office and meeting the manager Mal Davies.
A Southwark council spokesman said: "We can confirm the visit did happen on Wednesday morning. It was part of an A Level geography field trip."
Boys from the school have been visiting the estate, which was built in the Seventies, for the last ten years but the party including Prince William was so low key that local tenants remained completely oblivious to their royal guest.
Southwark tenants' representative Gary Glover said "We didn't know about the visit until after it had happened. It was a coachload of schoolkids from Eton and Prince William happened to be among them.
"They just walked round the estate for about half an hour. I think it would have been a bit of a shock to such privileged people. The estate hasn't got a crime or vandalism problem but it is a massive concrete sprawl built in the Seventies which hasn't really worked. It needs a lot of money spent on it.
"We've had the Prime Minister there and now Prince William. It's all well and good these dignitaries coming round and having a look. But these visits need to be backed up by hard cash. Otherwise it's a waste of time them coming."
© Associated Newspapers Ltd., 12 February 1999