THE owner of a quirky local shop who wrote to Prince Charles and Camilla before their recent visit to Westcliff was thrilled to receive a response.

Sally Tyrie, who owns second-hand shop Sally’s Out of Curiosity, in London Road, Westcliff, wrote to the Royal couple prior to their visit to the Palace Theatre last week.

She said: “I wrote to them a week before the visit and said how excited I was to have them visiting the area. I invited them for a cup of tea and a piece of cake and said it would be lovely if they could pop by.”

Sally, 63, couldn’t believe her eyes when she received a response from Clarence House the day after the visit.

She said: “It was a lovely letter, it had ER on the front with Buckingham Palace. The letter said they were pleased I’d thought of them and it was nice of me to invite them for tea and cake, but they wouldn’t have time to stop by on this occasion.

“I was thrilled, because I didn’t think I’d get a reply.”

To mark the occasion of the royal visit, Sally dressed up the front of her store with patriotic decorations, including bunting and flags and wrote “Charlie is m’darlin” in red letters on the windows. This caught the prince’s eye as the couple left Southend, leading him to roll the car window down and wave at the shop.

She said: “It was incredible! As they went past they slowed right down, undid the window, looked across and waved. I was so excited I was jumping up and down.”