SETTLE woman Ruth Evans, who is co-ordinating next week's Royal visit to Craven, said she was astonished when Prince Charles wrote to her out of the blue in January.

Mrs Evans, guided walks co-ordinator for the Friends of the Settle-Carlisle Line, wrote to the Prince's office at Clarence House last year when the Friends group was celebrating its 30th anniversary.

"I thought it would be a lovely idea to invite the Prince to join in our celebrations and offer him the opportunity to travel along the famous line," she explained.

"Unfortunately I received a reply from his office to say he was very sorry, but his diary was full although he would love to visit the line at some time in the future.

"I was amazed when in January this year I received another letter to say he was available to visit in March. I was thrilled that he had remembered my invitation," she told the Herald.

From the word go, Mrs Evans was bestowed with the task of co-ordinating the itinerary for the Prince's visit on Tuesday, which will give him his first trip on the Settle-Carlisle line.

Prior to alighting the royal train at Settle at around mid-day, the Prince will enjoy a walkabout in Clapham at 10am before visiting the offices of the Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust, of which he is patron, to launch a new £1 million Donate to the Dales appeal.

At Settle station he is to be met by children from Austwick School, station master Tim Parker and district and county council dignitaries. The Prince will be accompanied by the Lord Lieutenant of Yorkshire, Lord Crathorne.

It is strongly rumoured that he will take to the footplate and drive the steam train for part of the way along the route, which will stop at Kirkby Stephen and Appleby Stations.

At Kirkby Stephen station he will unveil a plaque to commemorate its £350,000 renovation.

Mrs Evans has spent the last few weeks sorting out the Prince's itinerary of meeting guests and assuring Clarence House that she will do everything in her power to ensure he sticks fairly close to the timetable.

"As the day of the visit gets closer, I have to admit to being terrified something goes wrong because I have been the main point of contact with the Prince's office. We have gone around all the stations he is visiting, going through our paces to check times so that everything is timed as near to the minute as possible.

"I have been in conversation backwards and forwards with Clarence House so many times to check on certain points, I've forgotten how many. I really hope the Prince enjoys his visit and his first trip on the Settle-Carlisle line and am praying that everything goes smoothly," she said.