XN000022-1980-02-09 — Page 3

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SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 1980

PRINCESS VISITS SAI KUNG COUNTRY PARK

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PRINCESS ALEXANDRA AND THE HON ANGUS OGILVY THIS (SATURDAY) AFTERNOON TRAVELLED TO THE OPEN COUNTRYSIDE FOR A FIRST HAND LOOK AT THE COUNTRY PARKS DEVELOPMENT.

IMMEDIATELY AFTER TOURING THE HIGH ISLAND WATER SCHEME, PRINCESS ALEXANDRA AND THE HON ANGUS OGILVY VISITED THE SAI KUNG COUNTRY PARK'S LATEST MANAGEMENT CENTRE AT HOI HA.

THEY WERE ACCOMPANIED BY THE GOVERNOR, SIR MURRAY MACLEHOSE, WHO PRESENTED THE NEW DIRECTOR OF AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES, MR JOHN RIDDELL-SWAN, AND OTHER STAFF INCLUDING MR MARTIN LEWIS ASSISTANT DIRECTOR (CONSERVATION AND COUNTRY PARKS), MR JOHN WHOLEY, SENIOR COUNTRY PARKS OFFICER, AND SENIOR FIELD OFFICER (EAST), MR Y.O. CHENG,

FROM A VANTAGE POINT OVERLOOKING THE PICTURESQUE MIST-SHROUDED SHARP PEAK ACROSS THREE FATHOMS COVE, MR RIDDELL-SWAN EXPLAINED THE COUNTRY PARKS CONCEPT TO THE ROYAL COUPLE.

THEY WERE TOLD THAT MORE THAN 42 PER CENT OF THE TOTAL LAND AREA OF HONG KONG WAS DESIGNATED AS COUNTRY PARKS. PRINCESS ALEXANDRA WAS ALSO SHOWN PHOTOGRAPHS DEPICTING A CROSS-SECTION OF THE COMMUNITY ENJOYING COUNTRYSIDE RECREATION AMONGST THE BOUNTIFUL FLORA AND OTHER NATURAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSETS OF HONG KONG.

PRINCESS ALEXANDRA THEN PROCEEDED TO PAK SHA O YOUTH HOSTEL WHERE SHE CHATTED WITH THE CHILDREN AND JOINED THEM IN GAMES.

THE ROYAL COUPLE WAS RECEIVED BY MR DAVID AKERS-JONES, SECRETARY FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES, WHO PRESENTED CHAIRMAN OF THE YOUTH HOSTELS ASSOCIATION, MR J.L. MCLEAN, EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBER, MR FRANK LIN MING-SHENG, TREASURER, MR RONALD HO YAU-HOO, GENERAL MANAGER, MR RAWDON LAU SIU-CHONG, EXECUTIVE SECRETARY, MRS ROSINNA NG CHUNG-YEE, AND RESIDENT WARDEN, MR LI KIU.

FROM THE ROADS (DE PRINCESS ALEXANDRA SAW THE 200-YEAR-OLD PAK SHA O VILLAGE IN THE VALLEY BELOW.

THE ROYAL COUPLE THEN PROCEEDED TO THE VILLAGE OF HOI HA WHERE THEY BOARDED A WESSEX HELICOPTER FOR HONG KONG.

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