It is hard for me to grasp the fact that this is the end of my fourth year as the Lieutenant-Governor.
Time has flown by, but Louise and I continue to feel very lucky to live in the Bailiwick and have done all we can to get out and continue to learn more about the islands we call home, and where I have now lived for longer than anywhere since I was 13 years old.
My memory of those days is increasingly sketchy, but I lived close to a Martello Tower on the coast, ate a lot of ice-cream and regularly went for a swim in the sea in all weathers. Continuing two out of three after 50 years isn’t bad.
This year has been as busy as any. The festivities on the 80th anniversary of Liberation in Guernsey and Sark were quite magnificent and once again showed these islands at their very best.
The marking of the 80th anniversary of Homecoming on 15 December in Alderney was also a very special day of reflection and celebration and all of these occasions were made more memorable by being able to talk with people who were there on the day and for whom history is still memory.
That the anniversaries were honoured by visits from the Princess Royal and Admiral Laurence, as well as the Duchess of Edinburgh, reinforced the affection that the Royal Family has for the Bailiwick, which always make them so welcome.
It’s been a big year in other ways. Teams from across the Bailiwick took part in the Island Games in Orkney, where medals and hearts and minds were won in equal measure and where officials were at pains to point out how much had been learnt from our experience in 2023.
West Coast glampsite Camp des Reves was awarded Guernsey’s first ever King’s Award for Enterprise and the Guernsey Conservation Volunteers earned the King’s Award for Voluntary Service, the first such award in four years.
We’ve also hosted, amongst other things, international sports matches, music and literary festivals, a Royal Golden Guernsey Goat symposium and cultural events to suit every taste, while a gorgeous summer helped to bring more people to the islands and show why they are so special.
Of course, none of us are immune to world events and their impact here.
The Bailiwick faces many of the problems that other communities have and the Guernsey Quality of Life Report published this year reminds us all that as lucky as we are to live here, many people face significant challenges in their lives.
The generosity of islanders is humbling, and I am privileged to have the chance to meet with charities and organisations that are doing so much to help others.
Whether it is through donations, volunteering, working or sometimes just lending an ear to those who have no-one to talk to, everything you do is needed and makes a difference. I am grateful to you all for your kindness. I hope as the year draws to a close that you all will be able to come together, find some time to take stock, perhaps have a break and to think about why this time is special. I am well aware that people will be working to keep us safe in the emergency services, hospitals and charities and my thanks go out to them.
I also know that some islanders will be facing this period with worry and concern and all are in my thoughts and prayers.
Finally, Louise and I would like to wish everyone a wonderful Christmas and we look forward to celebrating a New Year full of peace and opportunity with you all.
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