Bye royal appointment

After 28 years in office, Bailiff's secretary Tony Richings has decided it's time to retire. He spoke to Nigel Baudains about Royalty, refereeing and riled-up Frenchmen

TONY RICHINGS' 12-month trial period as Bailiff's secretary was to be extended - by 27 years. Last week he retired, on 30 December, ending a chapter of his life in which he served five Bailiffs, organised numerous visits to Guernsey by Royalty and political heads, appeased irate French fisherman on the steps of the Royal Court building and has been made an OBE.

Mr Richings spent his entire working life - almost 44 years - working in Court Row having started as a junior clerk to then HM Procureur, John Loveridge, on 5 February 1962. Then in September 1977 he moved to the Bailiff's office as understudy to Bailiff's secretary, Arthur Mahy, and when Mr Mahy retired that December, Mr Richings took over his post.

'On the very first day I took over as secretary, the Bailiff Sir John Loveridge called me into his office, opened the safe, and handed me a letter,' said Mr Richings.

Mr Richings was born in Guernsey on 26 October 1944. He went to school at Amherst, Vauvert, and the Boy's Grammar.

He recalls that the HM Procureur's office in 1962 was vastly different to what it is today and said that there were only two legal draughtsman at that time.

'It was during my time at the Law Officers' department that I gained a lot of knowledge about how things worked in the courts and the States.'

In the summer of 1977 Mr Richings applied for the job of Bailiff's secretary for which the States appointments board would make the final decision.

'Interviews were held in the jurats' room and I found it very daunting, having never gone through such a process before.'

The day after the interviews were carried out, Mr Richings was told that no decision had been made. Two weeks later he was summoned to the Bailiff's office and told he had been appointed to the job on a one-year trial basis.

Mr Richings' role doubled up with that of secretary to the Island Reception Committee - the group with responsibility for providing hospitality when prominent guests made official visits to Guernsey.

These were to include four visits to the island by the Queen - in 1978, 1989, 2001 and 2005 - and numerous others by her immediate family.

The Queen's visits stand out among the most memorable events in Mr Richings' time in the job.

'The one that really stands out for me was in 1989 as that was the only time I recall that the Royal yacht, Britannia, docked in the harbour,' he said.

It was a lovely evening and the band of the Royal Marines Beat Retreat on the quay. Mr Richings and his wife Margaret, whom he married in 1975, were invited to a reception on board.

My wife and I were virtually the first to be presented to the Queen and the Duke and as soon as she heard my name she said: "You're the one who has done all the hard work to arrange this".'

The Queen told Mrs Richings that she could not have seen much of her husband in the weeks preceding her visit.

'I'll miss many things about the job but not the stress related to organising Royal visits, as you not only have that to do, but your normal job as well,' he said.

Mr Richings made a total of four visits to Buckingham Palace and went on board the Royal yacht, Britannia, on three occasions.

Another visit that sticks in his mind was that of the Prince of Wales for the 50th anniversary of the Liberation in 1995.

He was in the leading car with police chief Mike Le Moignan as the party drove down St Julian's Avenue for the Prince officially to open the Liberation Monument.

Memorable visits were not restricted to Royalty.

In 1985 the current French president Jacques Chirac visited Guernsey as Mayor of Paris.

'At the end of the day he decided to go in to Town. He was the type of person who would say hello to everybody and I remember him going into a shop and buying a cashmere jumper.'

There were also trips by three Speakers of the House Commons - Betty Boothroyd, George Thomas 1st Viscount Tonypandy and Lord Wetherill.

But some visitors came for less diplomatic reasons.

In April 1997 about 12 French fishing boats, most from Normandy but some from Brittany, sailed into St Peter Port with their skippers, intent on discussing fishing rights with local officials.

The men marched to the Royal Court building, intending to make a presentation to the Bailiff.

There they were met by Mr Richings, a handful of police officers and an army of journalists.

Mr Richings politely refused the men entry to the building and they withdrew to the Sunken Gardens to consider their next move before trying again.

Mr Richings told them it was a Franco-British matter and impossible for Guernsey to engage in negotiations.

'We just didn't know whether they were going to turn angry or not.

'I sensed that people were getting a bit steamed up and to defuse the situation I said I was prepared to meet four French delegates in the Royal Court library.'

When he started out in the job, Mr Richings said he had taken a long-term view and he had never considered doing anything else.

'I've always considered that a key part of the Bailiff's secretary's role is to prevent the Bailiff from slipping on banana skins.'

Mr Richings served five Bailiffs - Sir John Loveridge, Sir Charles Frossard, Sir Graham Dorey, Sir de Vic Carey and Geoffrey Rowland.

He has also worked in co-ordination with six Lt-Governors - Sir Peter Le Cheminant, Sir Alexander Boswell, Sir Michael Wilkins, Sir John Coward, Sir John Foley and Sir Fabian Malbon.

He said the main changes in the job during the past 28 years related to the increased workload, both in the courts and in the States.

Prior to May 2004 and the governmental reform, preparation of the Billets rested with the Bailiff's office.

'On average, there were more than 20 per year over the 27 years and without the introduction of computers we would not have been able to cope with the increased volume.'

Prior to the microchip era, typed copies would be sent to the printers for the plates to be set up. Proofs were then returned to the Bailiff's office for checking before printing could start.

In November 1998, a letter fell through the letterbox of the Richings household that left a permanent memory.

Downing Street was forwarding Mr Richings' name to the Queen for his nomination for an OBE in recognition of his services to the Bailiwick of Guernsey. Included was a form asking if he would accept.

'I was totally gobsmacked and shaking as I was signing the form,' he said.

In March 1999 Mr Richings and his wife and sons, David and Matthew - now 28 and 26 respectively - went to Buckingham Palace to collect his honour.

Mr Richings' first job in his retirement will be to write his memoirs, which he said are likely to included a few surprises. He and Margaret will enjoy taking holidays at times more convenient to them and not dictated by whatever might be happening at work.

Away from the Bailiff's office, Mr Richings was a football referee for more than 30 years. He took the role on in 1970 following a request from his friend, then policeman Bob West, and took control of his last game in 2003.

He was a linesman for the Muratti finals of 1977 and 1994 but at times it was difficult to escape his role with the Bailiff's office.

On one occasion he was on the line at an inter-island game in Jersey.

Among those in the crowd behind was Jersey Bailiff Peter Crill, who was sitting next to the Lt-Governor's wife.

'He came up to me at half time and told me to ask the referee to tell one of the Guernsey players to moderate his language,' said Mr Richings.

'The Lt-Governor's wife said: "Oh Peter, don't be so silly, he's talking in Guernsey patois".'