Pictured above is His Excellency Sir John Lorimer, Lieutenant Governor of the Isle of Man, and King Charles' representative on Mann.

Yesterday Loaghtan Books was honoured by a visit from Sir John and Lady Lorimer.

.......

The King's representative came here.

Here.

ARGH!

His visit was of course a huge honour, but it did bring with it some difficulties.  As our delivery drivers will testify, vehicular access to the office is, frankly, awful.  While I was sure that His Excellency's driver could cope, I had visions of the official limousine getting scraped on our famously hostile hill.

Tentatively I suggested to Sir John's PA that he and Lady Lorimer might arrive on the Manx Electric Railway, and we would meet them at the Dreemskerry tram stop.  Rather to our surprise, they not only came on the MER but on an ordinary service tram.  Good for them!  In Sir John's position he could have requested the Royal trailer, if not a 'Special', and it would of course have been done.

We met them at the stop of course, getting momentarily entangled in passengers getting on as well as offering sympathies to the conductor whose mother had recently passed away.  Eventually the Lieutenant Governor and his lady managed to extricate themselves, incognito, from the old tram and we escorted them up the hill.  

I will admit that, strange as it sounds, this was my biggest worry.  Sir John and Lady Lorimer like walking and are very fit.  He is the only Lieutenant Governor not only to have entered the parish walk - an 84-mile walking competition which visits every parish on Mann - but also to have finished it (I'm seriously impressed by that); most competitors drop out along the way.  Loaghtan Books' senior partner is also a keen walker.  The junior partner (me) likes walking but is not very fit and injured an Achilles tendon some time back which has still not completely healed.  This makes walking awkward and slightly uncomfortable.  I'm also getting over a slight cough which makes me breathless.  I was going to struggle and pant.

Sir John and his lady are diplomats however and politely ignored my puffing up the hill.  (Thank you.)

Well, we made it at last and ushered them in.  Coats were collected, drinks dispensed (for you lot giggling at the back, that's tea and coffee, not gin) and biscuits offered.  I had intended to make some biscuits - the home-made touch you understand.  Then I remembered my skill at cooking (not) so we thought bought biscuits might be a better idea.  They were.  Certainly the senior partner thinks so as he gets to finish them off.

Then we settled down to chat.  I have no idea why Sir John and Lady Lorimer thought it would be nice to visit us, but I'm delighted they did so.  They.are nice people.  I must admit to being slightly surprised:  I expected more stuffiness.   We talked about Loaghtan Books of course, but also about a whole range of other things too.  Apart from the chat, I think the thing which made the biggest impression on them was the view from our offices.  It is spectacular, we're very lucky.

After an hour or so they left, this time by limo which had, despite my worries, successfully braved our dreadful access (I knew he could really).

So... the King's, or as he is known here, the Lord of Mann's representative has visited Loaghtan Books.  We were flattered.  The island is well served.

(And I really like his hat...)


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