Saying farewell to the Foleys

It seems like only yesterday that the Bailiwick opened its hearts to Sir John and Lady Foley, but the couple will soon have completed their five-year stay in the island. Reporter Mark Oliphant spoke to them about their time here THE Lieutenant Governor, Sir John Foley, and his wife, Lady Foley, are heading back to England at the end of the month after more than five years in Guernsey.

Originally in the military, Sir John served in, amongst other places, Borneo, Aden, Cyprus and Oman, as British forces marshalled the retreat from the empire.

'I had a very interesting service life. I served all around the world,' he said. 'My generation was very lucky to be in that position.'

During his distinguished career, he became director of the SAS, served in Berlin just before the fall of the wall, was commander of the British forces in Hong Kong between 1992 and 1994 and was then head of defence intelligence, sitting on the Joint Intelligence Committee.

In 1997, Sir John left his intelligence post and then spent three years taking on various projects, including becoming a member of the international board of Group 4, chairman of the British Greyhound Racing Board and setting up a management consultancy company called the Alpha Group.

'I was then written to by somebody I already knew in the Ministry of Defence who said that the roles as the Queen's representative in Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man were coming up and would I be interested in applying,' said Sir John.

'We then spent some time thinking about it. Then we said ?yes? and things unfolded.

'It was not a terribly easy decision. I had never been to the Channel Islands and my wife had only once been to Jersey for a very short visit.

'We were just thinking what and where were these strange islands that had a bit of French influence and some patois, what were they like?

'But at the end of the day a bailiwick with four islands was going to be more interesting than one island. We decided to go for Guernsey and have not regretted it since.'

Sir John was first written to in 1999. It was the first time the job was selected through open competition and not simply by invitation only.

Once he had been appointed as the future lieutenant governor, the couple paid a visit to the island in February 2000, ahead of his appointment in the May of that year.

'Well, the weather was actually not very good in the February but the visit really did confirm our thoughts that we would actually enjoy living here,' said Sir John.

'It was wonderful to think that we would be living near the sea,' said Lady Foley. 'Coming from Herefordshire, which is landlocked, it is wonderful to be so near the sea.'

Sir John's actual role is to be the Queen's representative in the Bailiwick.

'And as part of that you take a close interest in everything in the island,' he said.

'An undoubted highlight has been the realisation of the strength and depth of loyalty to the sovereign that there is in the Bailiwick.'

He said that this had come through in many ways, including during the many royal visits through his period in office, which included two by the Queen, in 2001 and 2005, Prince Charles, Prince Andrew and Princess Anne.

Lady Foley said that one of her highlights was to see everybody working together for the 2003 Island Games and what a success it turned out to be.

Sir John added: 'The highlights have been trying to immerse ourselves in the community as much as possible. The industry visits have been one such way and I have found them impressive, refreshing and thoroughly enjoyable.

'And of course both of us have also been involved in the whole community, especially with charities.'

He added that the celebrations last year to mark 800 years of allegiance to the English Crown were superbly organised and an appropriate reminder of the history of the Bailiwick.

Sir John said that a personal low point was representing the island at the Queen Mother's funeral.

'It was a sad occasion but that was a feeling I would think that I shared with most of the rest of the population,' he said.

Sir John said that he felt the Bailiwick blended the traditional and modern.

'The whole society is also unique in the way that it is very cohesive. Look at the way the island as a whole supported the 2003 Island Games and is extremely generous towards charities,' said Sir John.

'It is unique in the way that on the one hand you have a society that is at the cutting edge of financial services. Yet you also have farmers, while using modern equipment, that are farming the same bit of land that has been farmed for years.'

Sir John and Lady Foley are heading back to their home in Herefordshire on Wednesday 28 September.

Sir John is to become the high sheriff of Herefordshire and Worcestershire in March next year.

The couple said that they could not have coped without the support of all their staff and particularly Sir John's aide de camp Colonel Richard Graham.

'He has been both my right and left hand,' said Sir John. 'He has run the office with immense efficiency and will stay on for my successor. It is important there is continuity in the office.'

The new Lt-Governor, Vice-Admiral Sir Fabian Malbon, will be sworn in on Tuesday 18 October.

Sir John and Lady

Foley will look back with fond memories of the Bailiwick.

'I feel that I have been enormously lucky firstly to be chosen to come here and then in the five years here we have had such enjoyable and interesting times.

'It has been a wonderful appointment because the welcome, generosity and friendliness extended by the people to both of us has been tremendous. We shall be very sad to leave but will leave with the happiest of memories.'