The medieval fair organised as part of the Queen’s diamond jubilee event at Salisbury Cathedral on Tuesday gave a shop window to all the towns of Wiltshire.

And they took full advantage of it as they displayed their history, sometimes very ancient, and their current projects and plans for the future.

The Devizes tent was a good example. The Potterne Mummers were in attendance as well as the Devizes Regency Dance Group.

This group was set up after the hugely successful Regency ball held to mark the bicentenary of Devizes town hall in 2008.

Those attending took classes in period dancing, which turned out to be so popular they kept it up and now perform demonstrations throughout the county.

One of Devizes’ biggest employers, Wadworth & Co, had a bar in the tent and the brewery’s master cooper, Alastair Simms, the last master cooper in England, showed his skills.

He renewed his acquaintance with the Duke of Edinburgh when HRH visited the Devizes tent. Mr Simms said: “We’d met before when the Duke visited Devizes a couple of years ago.

“He remembered and was still interested in our work.”

Prince Philip also met Paul Martin and Wayne Ritchings, the only two signwriters employed by an English brewery.

Nine groups were represented in the Marlborough community area tent including the Kennet Valley Driving Club, which teaches disabled people how to drive a horse and carriage.

The Duke spent a few minutes speaking to members of the club.

Group leader Maggie Lewis said: “The Duke chatted quite a bit, but then he is very interested in horses and carriages.”

Inside the tent the Duke saw work by the Marlborough Embroidery Guild and viewed Action for the River Kennet’s project to save the waterway from over-extraction. He met volunteers from the Merchant’s House museum in the High Street and spoke to Ros Martin, who was dressed as the merchant’s wife.

She said: “I was introduced to him as Mrs Bayly, who had nine children. He replied, ‘Really? I thought that sort of thing had gone out of fashion’.”

The Pewsey community area tent was graced by a visit from the Queen. She saw a timeline of historic events that had taken place in Pewsey and an extraordinary painting by June Pearson of East Grafton of the landmarks of the area, which the artist had only completed the day before.

Peter Lemon, of the Wilton Windmill Society, was dressed in full miller’s kit and had samples of the windmill’s produce.

Councillor Jerry Kunkler had welcomed Her Majesty to the tent. He said: “I told her we shared a love of horses and apologised for not having any equestrian subjects in our tent.”

Ian Pollard, of Malmesbury Abbey House Gardens, was dressed as King Athelstan, one of the town’s notable former residents, to welcome the Duke at the town’s display.

Mr Pollard and his wife Barbara are better known as the Naked Gardeners and the Duke noticed their display on his way to the tent.

Mr Pollard said: “He asked me, ‘what do you know of those people?’ I replied, ‘well I’m one of them’. He asked, ‘do you garden naked all the time?’ I said, ‘only when the weather’s warm’.”

The Duke was particularly taken with a model of Malmesbury Abbey, complete with a spire that collapsed in the 15th century.

Mr Pollard said: “It was taller than Salisbury’s, but it was made of wood. It still must have made a racket when it came down.”

Not every town’s display got a royal visit. Among those disappointed were the tent for the Royal Wootton Bassett and Cricklade community area.

Alison Bucknell, who wore a tabard boasting A Post Card from Lyneham, said: “We’re not at all upset we are not getting a royal visit.

“We are just delighted to be here to show people what a wonderful place we live in.”

At the Chippenham community area tent, staff had entered the spirit of the event and dressed in colourful medieval costume.

Sue Wilthew, the town council’s chief executive, said: “We were told it was a medieval fair and we wanted to show that town council staff are not stuffy or standoffish.”