“This is the closest I’ve come to an opening for ages,” declared Princess Anne as she prepared to officially open the brand new sixth form building at the IW College.
Displaying her notoriously sharp sense of humour and quick grasp of the situation, Princess Anne wittily pointed out that opening a building that had literally only had the finishing touches applied the day before must have been her closest call on the official opening front for quite some time.
Miller Construction, using Island contractors for much of the work, completed the new £5m building in five months. Working flat out to have it finished for the new term, around 125 students are now enrolled on the AS, Yr 12 courses that will be housed predominantly in this building.
The airy, well-equipped three-storey block has a fresh lime green theme throughout, with the occasional touch of orange. Top of the range Apple computers are installed in practically every classroom, including the two staff rooms.
Princess Anne first toured the ground floor laboratories, speaking to white lab coated students about their studies, and was then ushered into what will be the common room to meet invited guests, including Chair of the board of governors David Wake and his fellow governors, High Sheriff Peter Kingston, leader of the Council David Pugh and deputy council leader George Brown.
All the attendees were pleased that the Princess took the time to chat to each person, to whom she was introduced, not simply shake hands and move on. Princess Anne then moved to the plaque where college principal Debbie Lavin made an amusing and eloquent speech about the building process and the hurried preparations before handing over to the Princess to perform the official curtain opening routine.
The room was buzzing with happy conversation by the time the Princess made her way back out to the reception area where she was presented with a bouquet from head of the sixth form Ruth Acton’s four-year-old daughter Cerys.
Prior to the sixth form block opening the Princess had enjoyed a meal in the college restaurant hosted by the Queen and Royal family’s representative on the Island, Lord Lieutenant Major General Martin White, and had met Andrew Turner MP for the Island and his partner Carol Dennett, Leader of the Council Ian Stephens and his wife Sandy, Superintendent Norman Mellor from the police and the Lord Lieutenant’s cadet amongst many others.
The Princess had visited HMP IW before heading over to the college.
