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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 1980
PRINCESS ALEXANDRA VISITS TAI O AND CHEUNG CHAU
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HRH PRINCESS ALEXANDRA TODAY (WEDNESDAY) VISITED TAI 0, THE OLDEST FISHING VILLAGE ON LANTAU ISLAND, AND THE RURAL TOWNSHIP OF CHEUNG CHAU.
THE PRINCESS WAS DELIGHTED WITH THE VISIT AND DESCRIBED IT AS WONDERFUL.
THE PRINCESS ARRIVED AT TAI O IN A WESSEX HELICOPTER PILOTED BY FL. LT. T.E. DUGGAN OF 28 SQUADRON ROYAL AIR FORCE STATIONED AT SEK KONG.
SHE WAS ACCOMPANIED ON THE 15-MINUTE FLIGHT FROM HMS TAMAR BY HER HUSBAND, THE HON ANGUS OGILVY, AND THE GOVERNOR, SIR MURRAY MACLEHOSE.
ALSO ON BOARD WAS GROUP CAPTAIN TOM BENNETT, COMMANDER, RAF.
AT TA O PRINCESS ALEXANDRA WAS MET BY SECRETARY FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES, MR DAVID AKERS-JONES, WHO PRESENTED THE DISTRICT OFFICER ISLANDS, MR NICKY LO, TO HER.
MR LO THEN PRESENTED SEVEN LEADERS OF THE LANTAU RURAL COMMUNITY, ONE OF WHOM, MR YUE YUN-HEI, CHAIRMAN OF TAI O RURAL COMMITTEE, GAVE AN ADDRESS OF WELCOME. HE SAID TAI O, ONE OF HONG KONG'S THREE BIG FISHING HARBOURS, HAD RETAINED ITS CHARACTER AS A FISHING VILLAGE.
+THE LONG HISTORY OF THIS FISHING VILLAGE HAS A NEW AND MEANINGFUL PAGE ADDED WITH THE GRACEFUL PRESENCE OF YOUR ROYAL HIGHNESS, WHICH RADIATES WARMTH AND FILLS OUR HEARTS WITH JOY,+ MR YUE SAID.
ALSO GREETING THE PRINCESS WERE HUNDREDS OF FLAG WAVING AND CHEERING SCHOOL CHILDREN FROM FIVE LOCAL SCHOOLS AS WELL AS A LARGE CROWD OF LOCAL INHABITANTS, MANY OF THEM FISHERFOLK. MANY CALLED +HELLO! HELLO!+ AS THE PRINCESS PASSED.
A LION DANCE WAS PERFORMED BY THE TUNG HING SHE BEFORE THE PRINCESS SET OFF TO WALK ALONG WING ON STREET, WHICH WAS LINED WITH WAVING RESIDENTS AND CHILDREN, DOZENS OF YOUNGSTERS SWARMED ALONG BEHIND THE ROYAL PARTY. THE PRINCESS CONTINUALLY WAVED TO THE CHILDREN.
PRINCESS ALEXANDRA THEN BOARDED THE ROPE FERRY TO CROSS TAI O CREEK. THE FERRY, THE ONLY ONE OF ITS KIND IN HONG KONG, IS OPERATED BY THE LOCAL RURAL COMMITTEE ON A NON-PROFIT MAKING BASIS FOR THE CONVENIENCE OF THE LOCAL COMMUNITY.
ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CREEK, THE PRINCESS WALKED UP MARKET STREET, ALSO LINED WITH RESIDENTS.
/SHE STOPPED
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