C5

For The Daily Gleaner

Stumble Upon

del.icio.us

Digg

Facebook

Print

Email

Speak Up

Three women from New Brunswick recently travelled to the Isle of Man for the first time to bring greetings from Lt.-Gov. Hermenegilde Chiasson to Isle of Man Lt.-Gov. Paul Haddacks and his wife, Canadian-born Lady Penny Haddacks.

Enlarge Photo

FRIENDSHIP: From left are Lianne Hodgeson, Penny Creighton, Karen Dunphy, Isle of Man Lt.-Gov. Paul Haddacks, Lady Penny Haddacks and Erma Wuhr at Government House, Douglas, Isle of Man.

The visit was arranged by Penny Creighton, chief executive of the charity Age Concern Isle of Man, whose daughter Nicola O'Driscoll, son-in-law Brian and grandson Dylan emigrated to New Brunswick in 2003.

"Nicky and her family moved to Burtts Corner," Creighton said. "They were far from home and strangers in a new country. But then along came three amazing women - Karen Dunphy and Lianne Hodgeson from Burtts Corner and Erma Wuhr from Chipman - who, together with their families, were kindness itself, going out of their way to welcome them into the community and make them feel at home.

"I cannot speak too highly of Karen, Lianne and Erma, three ordinary people who do the most extraordinary things, and I shall be eternally grateful to them for the neighbourliness and generosity they showed to Nicky and her family, which has now grown to five with the birth of their two Canadian daughters."

The three women spent two weeks in the United Kingdom; one in the Isle of Man staying with Creighton, and the other on the south coast of England, in Bournemouth.

"I thought it would be wonderful if during their stay they could present greetings from their lieutenant governor to ours, and for (Haddacks) to send reciprocal greetings," Creighton said. "Both lieutenant governors kindly agreed and on Sept. 15, I accompanied our three very special visitors to Government House, where they met Sir Paul and Lady Haddacks to exchange official greetings and gifts."

Chiasson sent his book of poetry, Beatitudes, bearing inside a salutation to the island's lieutenant governor and his wife. They reciprocated with a gift of a miniature decanter and two glasses engraved with the Three Legs of Man, (the island's national symbol) and the Government House crest.

None of the three women had visited the island before, although Hodgeson's husband Ken had been to the Isle of Man in 2007 to watch the world famous T.T. (Tourist Trophy) motorcycle festival, which was celebrating its centenary that year.

During their stay, Creighton said she ensured her guests saw as much of the island as possible, and were able to discover a little about the island's breathtaking scenery, largely unchanged in centuries, and more than 10,000 years of fascinating heritage.

The three women visited castles, villages and towns, travelled over the famous Mountain Road, (a section of the motorcycle course), were guests of honour at a welcome party and were interviewed on Manx Radio, the Island's principal radio station.

"All three thought the island was amazing and I was only too pleased to be able to extend the hand of friendship across the Atlantic from one nation to another, and offer these wonderful ladies hospitality after all the kindness they'd shown to my daughter and family," Creighton said. "Nicky, Brian and their children are now happily settled in Burtts Corner, but they value very highly their continuing friendship with these amazing neighbours who epitomise true friendship and generosity of spirit."