Just your average Monday: King Charles III Visits Burton Upon Trent!
King Charles III visited JCB Headquarters in Uttoxeter and Tower Brewery in Burton as part of his visit to Staffordshire.
By Tom Drysdale
“So how strong is this exactly?”
For many, Monday is often seen as the most challenging days of the week, but today was certainly an exception.
The King’s visit was part of a series of events marking the 80th anniversary of JCB, a company that was recently awarded the Royal Warrant in January. His Majesty arrived at their headquarters dressed in a long green overcoat and was greeted by a guard of honour formed by two JCB machines.
While at the factory, King Charles had the opportunity to meet apprentices, employees, and the families of long-serving staff. He also toured the backhoe loader assembly line, where he even helped fit a wheel onto one of the backhoe diggers.
The royal visit caused quite a stir on social media, with local residents excitedly sharing the event. Jacob Collier, MP for Burton and Uttoxeter, was present to welcome His Majesty at Burton train station, and shared a video of the occasion with the caption, “I was honoured to welcome His Majesty The King to Burton this morning.”
“Where’s the pub?”
“Drink lots of water and you’ll be fiiiine”
After his visit to JCB in Uttoxeter, the King proceeded to Tower Brewery in Burton Upon Trent. Established in 2001 by John Mills, the brewery is an independent, family-run business that has become a cornerstone of Burton's brewing heritage.
His Majesty’s visit to the brewery provided him with an opportunity to learn about the brewing process and Burton's rich ale-making tradition. Tower Brewery operates from a renovated water tower, originally constructed in the 1870s by Thomas Salt & Co. John Mills transformed the building, which now produces award-winning beers. For his efforts in restoring the building, Mills received a Civic Society Award, recognising his work in preserving the structure's historical significance.
Dressed in a stylish grey suit, King Charles embraced the brewing process, opening the steam hatch as part of the gravity-fed process facilitated by the tower which supplies water pressure and feeds the grist case.
The King also took the opportunity to pull pints at Tower Brewery and was even photographed enjoying one himself! Reports indicate that His Majesty was in good spirits throughout his visit!
On the visit, Jacob Collier said “I had the pleasure of introducing His Majesty The King to a number of small businesses, charities and breweries from across Burton and Uttoxeter.” He went on further to explain: “I was very proud to showcase some of the amazing people who do such great work in our community. There are so many wonderful organisations here that truly make our town so special.”
We at Burton Echo hope that King Charles had a memorable time in our historic town.
Jacob pulls!
Have a positive community story to share? Email Tom Drysdale at teamburtonecho@gmail.com, and we’ll do our best to bring it to life!
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