Buckingham Palace Garden Party, May 2024

The Captain of the Parish of Onchan and his wife were invited to the Garden Party at Buckingham Palace on 8th May 2024 and attended on what was one of the hottest days that year to date. They had the offer to attend the year before but Mrs Kelly was still experiencing Long Covid and so declined the offer.

On this occasion they were one of four couples from the Isle of Man attending on that date but the only Captain of the Parish selected. Despite the great number of people attending they did manage to see two of the other couples attending from the Isle of Man.

Attendees were permitted to wear their badge of office but not medals. Peter wore his Captain of the Parish insignia and was surprised at the number of people who commented 'Oh you are from the Isle of Man' when they spotted the three legs of Man in the centre of the medallion . For Peter, however, it meant missing the annual Andreas Benevolent Society parade and church service on Ascension Thursday at Andreas Church followed by a salad meal in the Parish Hall afterwards. This was the first time he had missed it since 1986.