MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Speaker of UK House of Commons on five-day visit to St. Elena

Sir Lindsay was delighted to be able to present Jonathan with his Guinness World Record certificate recognizing him as the oldest living chelonian

The Speaker of the House of Commons Sir c MP, arrived at St Helena to begin his five-day visit to the island. This is the first ever visit by a Speaker of the House of Commons to the British Overseas Territory of St Helena, in the south Atlantic.

Sir Lindsay has a full schedule of engagements and activities. This includes meeting with a range of charity and business groups, young people and schoolchildren, along with the Legislative Council, Executive Council and officials. He has also been invited to attend and address a formal sitting of the Legislative Council on Friday morning.

Whilst here, Sir Lindsay is keen to encourage the revival of the St Helena Youth Parliament and will also be planting a tree in a new endemic garden.

Sir Lindsay was received at the airport by the Governor Nigel Phillips, Chief Minister and Speaker Gunnell, before travelling to the Governor’s official residence, Plantation House. Whilst there he met the oldest St Helenian resident, 192-year-old Jonathan the tortoise.

Sir Lindsay is the proud owner of a pet tortoise, so was delighted to be able to present Jonathan with his Guinness World Record certificate recognizing him as the oldest living chelonian (tortoises, turtles and terrapins).

Sir Hoyle presence follows on a recent four day visit to St Helena of the Duke of Edinburgh, the first by a member of the Royal Family since the Princess Royal visited in 2002 and the first to arrive at the island's airport.

St Helena is the UK’s second oldest Overseas Territory, and has been visited by several members of the Royal Family before. Previous visits have included The Duke’s mother Queen Elizabeth II and grandfather King George VI in 1947, and his father Prince Phillip in 1957.

HRH undertook a range of engagements whilst in St Helena. As well as a public event on the Grand Parade, the Duke will officially opened the airport and engaged with a cross-section of the St Helenian community through a number of other events.

As well as meeting a wide variety of St Helenians, the Duke was also received by the island’s oldest resident, 192-year-old Jonathan the tortoise.