His Excellency and Lady Haddacks were collected from Government House at 9.30am in an executive people carrier on hire from the 4WD Centre. Peter Kelly acted as driver and guide for the tour of the district.

This photograph captures the official party outside Government House. Left to right: Harvey Briggs Captain of the Parish; Derek Crellin Chairman of the Commissioners; His Excellency; Lady Haddacks; Mark Williams Clerk to the Commissioners.

The first stop after viewing the Tromode Industrial Estate was Abbeylands Methodist Chapel and here Ollie Dobson, who has been organist at the chapel for 65 years (having started at the age of 11), gives a demonstration on the harmonium.

Officials of the chapel were introduced and here line up for the photographer. Left to right: Mark Williams, Ollie Dobson (Organist/Secretary), Keith Watterson (Chairman of the Rural Committee), His Excellency, Lady Haddacks, Harvey Briggs, Marian Watterson (Steward and Asst. Sunday School Teacher), Rev. Christopher Belfield, Derek Crellin, Howard Pilley (Treasuer).

At Heywood Court, the newest of the commissioners’ elderly persons complex, His Excellency was greeted by Margaret Cullen the warden.

The building was erected as joint venture between the commissioners and SSAFA. Half the apartments are occupied by commissioners’ tenants and half by persons selected by SSAFA. The running and maintenance of the part three storey building is in the hands of the commissioners.

Inside the foyer the official party met with twelve residents, selected to represent tenants of the commissioners and SSAFA. Mrs B. Bulley, Mrs I. Callin, Mr & Mrs F. Crellin, Mrs G. Hannay, Mr & Mrs L. Jones, Mr & Mrs A. King, Mr & Mrs T. Parker and Mrs P. Quayle.

At the Commissioners’ Office in Main Road all commissioners and some of the spouses were introduced in the boardroom. Here the chairman introduces Mrs Wendy Megson to His Excellency.

In the background is Gordon Astill and in the foreground is Brian Moore who has been a Rural Committee Member since 1992.

His Excellency signs the visitors’ book prior to being presented with a cut glass ships decanter engraved with the Onchan crest by Malcolm Smith of Manx Rockcraft and Celtic engraving. Following the presentation His Excellency made a short speech of thanks.

Lady Haddacks signed the visitor’s book and was presented with a large bouquet of flowers especially selected by Tom Long of Alexander Nurseries. Following the presentations, coffee was served.

His Excellency and Lady Haddacks carefully examine the decanter in its presentation box with commissioners’ chairman Derek Crellin.

After a group photograph taken outside the offices, the official party moved on to view the workshops and the new garage/storage facilities within the Hawthorn Villa complex.

The place of the clerk was taken by Tim Craig the Deputy Clerk who appears on the left hand side of the photograph. Chairman of the Works Committee, David Quirk lead the party around the technical side to the commissioners’ complex.

Next stop was Onchan Primary School where Cedar Developments had pulled out all the stops to have the new nursery classroom ready for an official opening by Lady Haddacks.

As the nursery has not yet opened, children from the reception class were on hand. Two pupils held a ribbon across the door which Lady Haddacks cut having been presented with a posy.

The children didn’t waste the opportunity to try out the facilities planned for pre-school children and Lady Haddacks thought the fishing game looked too good to miss the chance of taking part.

In the assembly hall the rest of the school quietly awaited their special visitors. When they entered the hall, Head Teacher, Sally Farrell, explained to the children the rôles of the Lieutenant Governor, the Captain of the Parish, the Chairman of the Commissioners and the Clerk to the Commissioners.

The official party was entertained by the school choir who sang ‘The Magical Travel Machine’ under the conductorship of Miss Angela Kay. The lively tune, with plenty of hand actions, was much appreciated by the official party.

At Ashley Hill School it was the turn of His Excellency to perform an opening ceremony. This time it was the refurbished kitchens which were the subject of a brief ceremony. The Head Teacher, Linda Smith has made a number of changes to the school since her recent appointment.

A new healthy diet menu offering hot food or a cold salad has been created and the new kitchen helps to bring this online.

His Excellency was introduced to the kitchen staff and then after inspecting the new facilities, he cut a tape across the doorway between the kitchen and the assembly hall/dining room where the school was quietly waiting.

A surprise for His Excellency was the presentation of an iced cake on an engraved salver by Jane King who is in charge of the kitchen staff. On the right of the photograph is Mrs Linda Smith the Head Teacher.

Lady Haddacks was presented with a planted basket of cyclamen by Rhiannon Mellor whose birthday it was that day.

All the pupils sang a song about vegetables and His Excellency addressed the school telling them that he regularly wrote to the Queen to tell her what was happening in the Isle of Man. He asked if there was anything the pupils thought he should tell her and one young lad very quickly responded that he should tell her Ashley Hill School has a new kitchen.

Back in the centre of the village His Excellency’s next call was at the Baillie Scott designed village hall (now called the Parish Hall) at the top of Royal Avenue.

The hall was originally opened on 22nd November 1898 by the Lieutenant Governor of the time, Lord Henniker as a village hall with Sunday School at the lower level. There are two trustees to own the hall but one of the trustees is actually five people.

The Captain of the Parish is one trustee and the other is the Vicar and Wardens of St Peter’s. The official party was met outside the building by Canon Malcolm Convery whilst the Captain of the Parish made his way inside the building by the side door in order to join the line up of trustees and others to be presented.

Following a tour of the building given by Nigel Cretney, a warden, appeal co-ordinator and chairman of the hall management committee,

His Excellency was presented with a framed print of Norman Sayle’s painting of the hall (prints are available at £35 each, unframed, from the Parish Office Tel: 675797).

In this photograph we have left to right: Malcolm Turner, Trevor Singleton, Derek Crellin, Canon Convery, Peter Cory, Nigel Cretney, Harvey Briggs, His Excellency, Lady Haddacks, Mildred Cooper, Elaine Cory, Joan Callister and Jane Cretney.

The next part of the tour was on foot and the official party were shown across the road by lollipop lady Lois Kippendale. His Excellency had obviously done his homework before the visit as when he was introduced he reminded Lois that she had done the job for 24 years.

The official party posed for the photographer in the bright sunshine in front of the Irish Limestone war memorial which was moved to its present site in 1982.

At the War Memorial, Peter Kelly explains about the Archibald Knox design on the Great War memorial to which the names of those who made the supreme sacrifice in the Second World War were added on three separate plain carved stones. In the background can be seen the village hall and the spire of St Peter’s Church.

Continuing their short walk, the official party made their way to the Onchan Pensioners’ Social Club in Morton Hall. Here the chairman of the club, David Quirk, introduced Guy Dickinson the treasurer, Greta Douglas the secretary and committee members Doreen Gardner and Paul Stevens.

Afterwards His Excellency and Lady Haddacks chatted to some of the club members.

Here David Quirk is captured listening to Lady Haddacks – but what was she telling him?

At the Village Green His Excellency looks at the Village Cross, erected in Millennium Year whilst Peter Kelly describes to the rest of the party the cross design carved into the front of the cross and the reason for it being erected there.

The final destination was The Max Restaurant on Groudle Road. Here the party was met by Karen Kelly, joint proprietor with her husband Nick. Lunch was taken by the official party, the commissioners, their spouses and two of the senior officers.