She was smiling and waving out of the window even before the Range Rover had pulled up to a halt.
Sarah, Duchess of York, visited the tearoom run by Linthwaite charity Ruddi’s Retreat this lunchtime and took time to make it a special day for everyone.
She chatted to anyone who wanted to speak to her and posed for countless pictures, making sure no-one was left out.
This afternoon she was visiting the University of Huddersfield where for the past three years textile students have been set a design task by her with this year’s theme back to nature.
After visiting Ruddi’s Retreat the Duchess said: “This is typical of the university’s vice-chancellor Bob Cryan to bring me to this kind of charity. It’s just the perfect example of community spirit - this is like a modern village hall where people can chat and have a cup of tea which is something I have always wanted to do.
“If I set one up I’d call it MAT which is short for Mothers Army Tearooms.”
And she was delighted to meet nine-year-old Ruddi Waterworth-Jones who had inspired his mum, Ali, to set up the charity which gives families with seriously ill children the chance to get a free holiday in a caravan owned by the charity at Primrose Valley.
As soon as she saw him waiting to present her with flowers she said: “Hey, Ruddi, so nice to see you.”
And when she had him posing for pictures with pupils from Linthwaite Clough and Linthwaite Ardron which he attends, she said: “I’ve a feeling you’ve done this before - you’re a real professional.”
She brought him a bearskin hat as a present and baskets filled with posh teas and other treats for Ali.
Upstairs award-winning cake decorator Tracy Hirst from Linthwaite showed the Duchess and Ruddi how to put icing on a cupcake so they teamed up to have a go.
“Mine’s like the leaning Tower of Pisa,” said the Duchess. “Oh, hang on, it’s fallen over. It’s just like the Generation Game this.”
She met families who are benefiting from the caravan. Nicki Hobson, of Cowlersley, is going soon with her six-year-old son Kaiden who has Down Syndrome, his 11-year-old brother Callum, daughter Natalia and grand-daughter Leyla.
“I’m dead excited,” said Nicki. “We haven’t been on holiday for years, we just couldn’t afford it otherwise.”
Four-year-old Savannah McCallister from Slaithwaite has been battling leukaemia and her family has been twice to the caravan.
Mum Emily said: “It gave us wonderful breaks before Savannah had to go through more chemotherapy. It was only when we got to the caravan we realised how much we needed the break. Absolutely everything you can think of is there.”
Ali said after Sarah had left: “She was absolutely amazing. Even though she’s just left I can’t believe she’s been here to see us.”
Ruddi has been invited to Windsor Castle on Saturday for the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at St George’s Chapel.
At the university the students were asked to draw inspiration from old herbal recipes and flowers from wild kitchen gardens. Then, the brief was to create designs suitable for children’s fashion and a matching garment for a doll, or for a child’s bedroom interior and the interior of a doll’s house.
One student revisited her own childhood and come up designs inspired by the dandelion and burdock that always accompanied fish and chip suppers!
