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SUNDAY, MARCH 4, 1979
PRINCE CHARLES JOINS PICNICKERS ******
SEVERAL HUNDRED PICNICKERS WERE PLEASANTLY SURPRISED TODAY (SUNDAY) TO FIND PRINCE CHARLES IN THEIR MIDST AT A BARBECUE SITE THE SAI KUNG COUNTRY PARK.
AS THEY ATE THE IR BARBECUE LUNCH AND PLAYED ON THE PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT, PRINCE CHARLES SPENT ABOUT 20 MINUTES WANDERING THROUGH THE THRONG, TALKING AMICABLY WITH THE PICNICKERS. FOR THEM THE IR SUNDAY OUTING OFFERED MORE THAN EXPECTED.
AFTER PRINCE CHARLES COMPLETED HIS SHA TIN TOUR THIS MORNING, HE FLEW AN RAF WESSEX HELICOPTER FROM THE SHA TIN RACE-COURSE TO THE NEW LANDING ZONE AT THE COUNTRY PARK'S KEI LING HA MANAGEMENT CENTRE.
IN
ACCOMPANIED BY THE SECRETARY FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES, MR. DAVID AKERS-JONES, PRINCE CHARLES MET THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT'S ASSISTANT DIRECTOR (CONSERVATION AND COUNTRY PARKS) MR. MARTIN LEWIS AND SENIOR COUNTRY PARKS OFFICER, MR. JOHN WHOLLEY.
IN OPEN LANDROVERS, THE PARTY DROVE TO THE TSO WO HANG BARBECUE SITE WHERE PRINCE CHARLES MET SENIOR FIELD OFFICER (EAST), MR. Y.O. CHENG, AND MINGLED WITH THE PICNICKERS.
BUT IT WAS NOT ONLY THE PICNICKERS AT TSO WO HANG WHO RECEIVED PRINCE CHARLES.
AFTER THE PARTY PROCEEDED THROUGH THE TAI MONG TSAI BARRIER, PRINCE CHARLES MADE AN UNSCHEDULED STOP AT ANOTHER BARBECUE SITË TO VIEW THE SCENERY OF TSAM CHUK WAN AND SPEAK TO VISITORS TO THE PARK.
THE GROUP THEN CONTINUED TO PAK TAM CHUNG WHERE PRINCE CHARLES BOARDED THE WESSEX FOR A FLIGHT TO HARCOURT ROAD.
THROUGHOUT THE 40-MINUTE JOURNEY FROM KEI LING HA TO PAK TAM CHUNG PRINCE CHARLES WAS BRIEFED ON THE COUNTRY PARKS PROGRAMME BY MR. LEWIS.
MR. LEWIS SAID THAT OF HONG KONG'S TOTAL LAND AREA OF 1,055.61 SQUARE KILOMETRES, ABOUT 272.58 SQUARE KILOMETRES HAD BEEN EITHER DESIGNATED OR GAZETTED AS COUNTRY PARKS.
HE TOLD PRINCE CHARLES THAT THE SETTING ASIDE OF LAND FOR COUNTRY PARKS WAS FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE COUNTRYSIDE AS WELL AS PROVIDING A RECREATIONAL ASSET FOR OUR 4.7 MILLION POPULATION.
AND HE SAID THE POPULARITY OF THE COUNTRY PARKS WAS SHOWN TODAY WITH THE NUMBER OF VISITORS TO THE SAI KUNG AREA ALONE DURING REASONABLY INCLEMENT WEATHER.
MR. LEWIS SAID ABOUT FIVE MILLION PEOPLE ARE EXPECTED TO VISIT THE COUNTRY PARKS THIS YEAR AND THE DEPARTMENT WAS WORKING FEVERISHLY TO PROVIDE ENOUGH AMENITIES FOR THESE VISITORS.
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