Dawlish News

Princess Anne visited a convalescent home for retired railway workers in Dawlish as part of a whistle-stop tour of Devon and Cornwall.

She toured Bridge House, the last remaining facility of a network created around the country more than a century ago, and officially opened a new set of rented apartments.

The princess met staff, local dignitaries, young children and chatted individually to each one of the two dozen guests in residence.

She walked around the four-acre garden estate yesterday, wearing a terracotta-coloured overcoat, calf-length boots and gloves, with sporty white-framed Team GB sunglasses to shield her from the bright sunshine.