XN000022-1987-04-09 — Page 8

THURSDAY, APRIL 9, 1987

SPECTACULAR WELCOME FOR SIR DAVID WILSON

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BUSY HONG KONG TODAY (THURSDAY) ROLLED OUT THE RED CARPET TO STAGE A SPECTACULAR WELCOME FOR SIR DAVID WILSON, ITS 27TH GOVERNOR.

PEOPLE FLOCKED TO THE NEAREST VANTAGE POINTS OR GATHERED ROUND TELEVISION SETS TO WATCH THE ARRIVAL AND THE SOLEMN SWEARING-IN CEREMONY.

LIVE TELEVISION COVERAGE ALLOWED THEM TO CATCH THEIR FIRST GLIMPSE OF SIR DAVID, LADY WILSON AND THEIR SON ANDREW SHORTLY AFTER THEY STEPPED OFF THE PLANE AT KAI TAK INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AT ABOUT 2.35 PM.

THERE TO GREET THEM WERE THE ACTING GOVERNOR, SIR DAVID AKERS-JONES, AND LADY AKERS-JONES.

STEPPING INTO THE VIP ROOM FOR A SHORT REST AND QUICK CHANGE, SIR DAVID EMERGED RESPLENDENT IN WHITE UNIFORM FOR THE DRIVE TO TSIM SHA TSUI EAST TO BEGIN HIS CRUISE ACROSS THE HARBOUR.

CAMERA-TOTING TOURISTS, OFFICE WORKERS AS WELL AS CHILDREN LINED THE SIDES OF THE PIER TO WATCH SIR DAVID BOARD THE GOVERNOR'S LAUNCH, THE LADY MAURINE.

A PLEASANTLY SURPRISED SIR DAVID WAVED AT THE CHEERING CROWD.

EVEN THE BUSTLING HARBOUR CAME TO A MOMENTARY STANDSTILL AS THE LADY MAURINE SAILED TOWARDS QUEEN'S PIER ESCORTED BY A FLOTILLA OF MARINE POLICE LAUNCHES, HMS PEACOCK AND HMS SWIFT AND THE WATER-SPRAYING FIRE SERVICES VESSEL, THE ALEXANDER GRANT HAM.

OVER HEAD, FIXED-WING AIRCRAFT AND HELICOPTERS OF THE ROYAL HONG KONG AUXILIARY AIR FORCE, THE ARMY AIR CORPS AND THE ROYAL AIR FORCE FLEW PAST IN FORMATION WHILE A 17-GUN SALUTE WAS FIRED FROM HMS TAMAR.

AN EVEN LARGER CROWD WAITED AT EDINBURGH PLACE WHERE SIR DAVID DISEMBARKED. AS CAMERAS CLICKED AWAY TO RECORD THE MOMENTOUS OCCASION, SIR DAVID STEPPED AS HORE.

UNDER THE PORTICO OF QUEEN'S PIER, SIR DAVID WAS WELCOMED BY THE CHIEF JUSTICE, SIR DENYS ROBERTS, AND LADY ROBERTS. THE CHIEF SECRETARY, MR DAVID FORD, AND MRS FORD, THE COMMANDER BRITISH FORCES, MAJOR GENERAL ANTHONY BOAM, AND MRS BOAM, THE BISHOP OF HONG KONG, THE RIGHT REVEREND PETER KWONG, AND MRS KWONG, THE ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP OF HONG KONG, THE MOST REVEREND JOHN BAPTIST WU, THE SENIOR EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEMBER, SIR S.Y. CHUNG, THE SENIOR LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL MEMBER, MISS LYDIA DUNN, THE DIRECTOR OF XINHUA NEWS AGENCY, MR XU JIATUN, AND THE DOYEN OF THE CONSULAR CORPS, MR HERMES DUARTE ARIAS.

AS THE