THE visit of HRH, the Duke of Edinburgh, to Cardigan in the wake of the Mwldan floods of June 1993 has been recalled by numerous townspeople this week.

Cardigan had been among several areas of Wales which experienced very heavy thunderstorms, resulting in local but very severe flooding.

Prince Philip visited the town in the immediate aftermath of the floods, viewed the flood damage at first hand and spoke to several residents whose homes had been hit.

Local butcher Huw Madog was one of the local heroes who met the Prince.

Huw, 61, was among a number of people who rushed to the aid of residents in a block of flats who found themselves trapped by rising floodwater after the River Mwldan burst its banks.

“I can remember it as if it was yesterday,” he recalled this week. “The water was so deep that Dai Phillips, a local farmer, told me to jump into the bucket of his Manitou tractor.

“But the tractor tipped over, threw us into the water and I found myself doing the doggy-paddle to try and stay afloat.

“At one point I was on the roof of the ATS garage.

“Luckily, we managed to get those people out – it was a team effort and I was just one of that team.

“We were introduced to Prince Philip who’d flown in to Aberporth a couple of days later.

“He seemed a nice chap – and it was very nice of him to turn up and see us all the way from London.”