Afternoon Tea for Twenty two

A series of Afternoon Tea parties have been held over the years where His Excellency has invited Islanders celebrating their 100th Birthdays and their Big Wedding Anniversaries to Government House.

This year they welcomed 4 islanders who reached their 100th Birthday in 2024. The front page picture shows Mrs Cripwell chatting to Frankie Billington, a familiar name to anybody who has watched GADOC over the decades as she was treading the boards well into her 80's and even, on occasion, her nineties!

A surprise addition to the group was David Rowe who came with his wife, June, who was once a gardener at Government House and brought a Staff photo from his time at the House when Vice Admiral Sir John Coward was Lieutenant-Governor 1994-2000 (photo below, taken by John Fitzgerald. David is top left). Two of the staff in the photograph are still here now and the Butler, Vanessa, then a housemaid, was pleased to be able to meet David again.  

His Excellency and Mrs Cripwell moved around the guests as the piano player tinkled old tunes in the background and a wonderful time was had by everyone.