The Queen's Pier Story .. .. ..

AGM Press Release - 7th November 2007

It was ‘standing room only’ on Wednesday evening when about 100 members packed the board room at Ramsey Town Hall for the Annual General meeting of Friends of Queen’s Pier when those present unanimously voted to re-elect their serving committee en bloc.

In addition to the formal procedures the main interest was centred on the recent Questionnaire that had been circulated and its interpretation. Allan Bell and Mrs Anne Craine, as Government Ministers as well as MHK’s for Ramsey, both gave brief reports coupled with re-assurance that there was no suggestion that any financial burden would fall upon Ramsey Ratepayers. The Queen’s Pier was a national treasure and any funding would be found by National Government. The issue was not one of money but of Government Will and it was hoped that a strong response to the Questionnaire would give a clear mandate to Tynwald to get on with it.

In concluding his report the Chairman drew attention to the supportive attitude of English Heritage towards their English Piers and regretted that the same could not be generated on this Island. He outlined the substantial mount of favourable publicity the Pier had obtained in various magazines over the year such as National Piers Society, Manx Transport Review and Manx Tails and thanked all those members of the Press and TV for their ongoing support.

The opportunity was also taken to thank the Members of committee for their hard work with especial sincere and warm thanks to the Town’s MHK’s, past and present, for their valuable and ongoing support over the years.