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GATE KEEPERS
I live by Windsor Castle – King’s bagpipes wake me up & we get card with special perks… but daily nuisance drives me mad
IT is heaving with tourists, the roads are regularly closed for big events and – being under the Heathrow flight path – the deafening noise of low flying jets fills the air.
But people living in the shadow of Windsor Castle say they wouldn’t want to live anywhere else, as they love seeing the Royal Family and “every day feels like a holiday”.
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Pensioner Peter Casey has spent the past three years renting a £1,255-a-month flat that overlooks the walls of King Charles’ historic Berkshire residence.
He is occasionally woken up by the noise of bagpipe players serenading our new monarch when he is home.
But showing off the incredible vista from his window, father-of-five Peter, 74, said: “It’s great living here.
"As soon as I walked into the flat and saw the view I said, ‘I’ll have it’.
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“I still have to pinch myself because every day feels like a holiday.
“There’s always something going on and Windsor has a great atmosphere.
“I look out the window and see all the tourists enjoying themselves - and the changing of the guard takes place three times a week - and it makes me feel alive.
“I used to come here with the kids when they were little, when we lived in London. We always had a fantastic time.
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“Now my children come round to visit and say, ‘Dad, you’ve made it'.”
'Constant racket'
Peter says the downsides of living in the historic town next to the River Thames include not being able to park and hearing the constant racket of buskers playing the same song on repeat outside his flat.
But suffering from tinnitus – a medical condition that causes unexplained sound to emanate in the eardrums – he likes the noise as it drowns out the irritating ringing he would otherwise hear.
Peter added: “Before moving here I lived in Langley, near Slough in Berkshire. I was on a dead-end street with nothing going on and it was miserable. I hated it.
“Now I see celebrities milling around outside my flat and there’s always a chance I’ll bump into King Charles, who I’m a big fan of as he’s the same age as me.
“His habit of listening to bagpipes in the morning doesn’t bother me.
“I open my windows most days and let the noise drift in because it’s silence that would kill me. The ringing in my ear becomes unbearable.
“I do occasionally hear bells chiming inside the castle at night but the only thing I find annoying is the buskers as they play the same tune over and over again. I wish they’d go away.”
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Windsor does see some odd goings on, such as when OnlyFans star Isabelle Berry, 33, stripped down to a thong for a photoshoot outside the King’s home last week.
The publicity stunt did not sit well with well-heeled residents like Christine West, who moved to Windsor after deciding to make a permanent home of her favoured holiday destination.
An ardent royalist, she can vividly recall the moment Queen Elizabeth II passed on September 8 last year - when she saw Windsor Castle’s flags being lowered to half-mast.
Christine, 68, was taking her five-year-old cockapoo Lottie for a stroll down the Long Walk, a tree-lined avenue created by King Charles II in the late 1600s that stretches for 2.5 miles from the castle, when she bumped into The Sun.
I love the monarchy and it’s a dream living in Windsor because we are given an advantage card that means we can visit the castle for free
Christine West, Windsor resident
She said: “I used to live in Hull in West Yorkshire and I would come to Windsor to visit my daughter.
“One day, when I was down for two weeks, I decided to stay.
“I love Windsor because it’s a big town with a village atmosphere. Everyone knows each other and says hello.
“It does get a bit annoying when Windsor fills with day trippers on the weekend and I can’t find a blade of grass to sit on in the park. I don't come to the Long Walk on Sundays because of that.
“But I live five minutes from the castle and I can hear the bagpipes and bands playing when I open my windows. It’s a pleasure for me.
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“My sister is bothered by the noise when she visits, especially the planes. She often says, ‘The 6am flight to Benidorm woke me up this morning.’
“But personally, I don’t hear them.
“I saw the Queen being driven close here about four years ago and I did shed a tear when she died. I saw the flags go down to half-mast when I was out walking and my heart sank.
“I love the monarchy and it’s a dream living in Windsor because we are given an advantage card that means we can visit the castle for free.
“There are annoyances like people doing silly publicity stunts and so on. But because there are so many police officers and soldiers patrolling the grounds you don’t have as much crime as you get in other parts of the country.”
'Uncomfortable'
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Windsor does have a homeless problem, according to shop assistant Amir Khan.
Officials were criticised for moving on the town’s vagrants ahead of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s fairy-tale Royal wedding at St George’s Chapel in 2018.
But Amir, 33, who works at a souvenir outlet on the high street where King Charles mugs cost between £5 and £8, says they have since returned.
He said: “There are a few homeless people living here and it’s not good for the tourists - it makes them feel uncomfortable.
“We’ve had one or two outside of the shop but it’s mainly after 6pm.
“I’ve been working here for six months and the last few months have been really busy.
There are a few homeless people living here and it’s not good for the tourists - it makes them feel uncomfortable
Amir Khan, Windsor shopkeeper
“You can see the town is filling up with tourists again now the weather is improving.
“People from Asia and America love coming here because there is so much history and it’s a beautiful town with nice, friendly people.”
Anisa Khan is a bartender at The Two Brewers pub on Park Street steps from Windsor Castle.
Its landlord says takings have been hit by a number of local businesses moving on, meaning they have to rely more on tourist dollars.
But Anisa, 20, said: “It’s fun working here as the customers are nice and friendly and Windsor is calm and peaceful. We never have any trouble.
“Most of the tourists want to try fish and chips, which we don’t serve, and a pint of London Pride as it sounds very British.
“I’m not sure they like it as it’s very different to the drinks they are used to back home.”
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Pizza problem
Software engineer Siri admits she only moved to Windsor so she could be close to Heathrow airport, which is a 12-minute taxi ride away, as she travels for work so much.
She has been caught unawares when big events have brought the town to a standstill, like the Queen’s funeral on September 22 last year, and the King’s Coronation on May 6 this year.
Siri, 30, said: “I’m indifferent about the royals, to be honest, and the past year or so has been quite interesting.
"The roads were blocked during the Coronation and we thought that would be annoying but we managed to avoid it by not coming into town.
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“But I did find it irritating when I was not able to order a pizza during the Queen’s funeral.
"The delivery guy said so many flowers had been dropped in the street it wasn’t safe for him to drive down our road.”
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