Three Guernsey people named in New Year Honours

Julia Bowditch said she wanted to accept the award on behalf of all the Island Games volunteers

Three Guernsey people have been recognised in the New Year Honours.

Raymond Evison, who has won 33 gold medals at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, has been appointed CBE for his services to horticulture.

Meanwhile Julia Bowditch, games director of the Guernsey 2023 Island Games, has been appointed MBE for her services to sport.

Government House manager Vanessa Wakeford was awarded a silver Royal Victorian Medal.

Lieutenant-Governor of Guernsey Lt Gen Richard Cripwell praised their work.

"These awards recognise remarkable service," he said.

"What they share is the fact that all three recipients have done so much for the bailiwick and its reputation.

"I am sure that islanders will join me in congratulating each of them for their outstanding contributions, which have also enriched the life of our community," Lt Gen Cripwell added.

Mr Evison, the vice-president of the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) since 2005, has created more than 200 new clematis species and cultivars.

Raymond Evison has won 33 gold medals at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show

He said: "It's really a tremendous honour to be made a CBE, a great honour for my family and our Guernsey Clematis team, for horticulture and for Guernsey and for myself. It was such a great surprise.

"It came totally unexpected. It's fantastic. I am tremendously proud to represent Guernsey and I have been involved in the Royal Horticulture Society, exhibiting and, since I came to Guernsey, we built up the business and in 1997 we won our first gold medal [at the Chelsea Flower Show]."

He said his team had once provided the clematis plant flowers used in floral decorations "when her Majesty the Queen gave a state banquet to the president of China some years ago".

He added: "I am very much looking forward to Buckingham palace. We received the Order of the British Empire that was a great occasion."

'Huge team effort'

Ms Bowditch said being made an MBE was a "big surprise" and she was "very grateful" for the honour.

"Guernsey 2023 was a huge team effort, so I want to accept the award on behalf of all the 1,200 plus volunteers, without them the games would not have been possible," she said.

Vanessa Wakeford became the Government House house manager - previously known as butler - in 2007

"I can't stress enough how amazing the volunteers were, they were always willing to roll up their sleeves to help.

"From mopping up sweat on the badminton courts to stuffing 5,000 welcome bags, the unpaid volunteers went above and beyond to ensure that the Games ran smoothly."

Ms Bowditch added: "I can't think of another time I will be invited to Buckingham Palace so it will really be a quite exciting day for me and my family.

"It's really exciting thinking about it and how proud my mum would have been as well, so it is quite emotional."

Ms Wakeford, who in 2007 became the first female house manager to the lieutenant-governor of Guernsey - the monarch's representative in the bailiwick - received a silver Royal Victorian Medal.

Prior to that she had worked at Government House on an ad hoc basis before being formally employed as senior housemaid in 1993.

The award was established by Queen Victoria in 1896 as a personal award to recognise "distinguished personal service" to the monarch and their household.

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