Charles shows he's on the ball at village local

Prince Charles amazed regulars at the Old Crown, in Hesket Newmarket, in Cumbria, with his relaxed, chatty manner over his 40-minute stay last week. Charles, who was launching a new Camra/Pub is the Hub guide to saving village pubs, surprised many by engaging locals in a darts match ­ during which he threw a treble 14 ­ and then trying his hand at pool, potting a ball from the tightest of angles. After helping the pub chef to prepare a chicken korma, he then proceeded to down a pint of Doris's 90th Birthday Ale, one of the pub's best-selling beers, named after a late, revered villager. Licensee Lou Hogg, who bought a 21-year lease off the village co-operative in September, said the visit was a "day to remember" for the locals. "Everyone was impressed by the Prince's deep concern for the plight of the countryside and rural villages," said Hogg. "But it's clear the role of the village pub is instrumental in his desire to see places such as Hesket Newmarket operate a sustainable rural economy. "We all had a fabulous day which we'll cherish for a long time. "Naturally the pub was very busy ­ but filling the till with money was not really the point." Charles told villagers: "It's a model example of a village co-operative which has saved its pub from closure but is even more than that. "The Old Crown is at the centre of most village activities and provides a wonderful array of services including a library, cash-back facility and is closely linked to the village post office and shop "We are trying to stop the terrifying increase in the number of pubs which are closing each week and seeing whether pubs can take on some of the services which villages are losing such as post offices and shops.