AS we mark the 25th anniversary since she died in Paris on August 31, 1997, people across Devon have been remembering the day they met Princess Diana.

Among them is town, district and county councillor George Gribble.

As the then mayor of Bovey Tracey in 1983, it was his happy duty to welcome the Princess of Wales to his home town.

Her husband Prince Charles was paying an official visit to the Dartmoor National Park Authority offices at Parke, so Diana took the opportunity to visit the parish church’s playgroup.

Cllr Gribble recalled: ‘I met her at the Church of St Peter, St Paul and St Thomas. With my wife Faye, as mayoress of Bovey Tracey, we escorted her to the playgroup.

‘All the Bovey schoolchildren were there to see her. She had an obvious connection with the children and spent some time with each of them. Security was tight as I remember – there being a lot of plain clothes policemen about.

‘I remember her as a lovely lady and it was a very happy day.’