Isle of Man cathedral dean who led refurbishment project honoured
The dean who spearheaded the refurbishment of the Isle of Man's Anglican cathedral has been honoured in the King's Birthday Honours ListThe Very Rev Nigel Godfrey, who was appointed dean of Cathedral Isle of Man in Peel in 2011 and has led its £3m upgrade, becomes an MBE.Dean Godfrey said the honour was a reflection of the community and "it belongs to a group, it doesn't belong to me".Former journalist John Watterson also becomes an MBE for services and dedication to sport on the island, and Cafe Lingo founder Karen Norton is awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM) for services to English learning.
Born on the island, Dean Godfrey spent two decades at Christ Church in Brixton in London before return to the island to take up the position in Peel.Under his guidance, the cathedral and its grounds have undergone extensive renovations.The restored cathedral was opened by the Princess Royal in October.Honoured for his service to church and community life, HE said when he was told about the honour he thought saw it as a reflection of the whole community he served."I hope that people that people will see it as an award for them," he said."At the very best I could be described as a jackdaw I suppose in pulling in other people's ideas and skills and gifts and enabling that community to speak for itself.I think it's that way round."
Retired journalist Mr Watterson first started in the newspaper industry at the age of 15 and went on to have a career the spanned five decades and included 38 years acting as sports editor.He said he was "a bit stunned" and "very honoured" to receive the recognition, which was "not what I expected at all".During his time in the industry, he said he was "really fortunate" that sport had "really taken off on the Isle of Man", allowing him to follow the careers of Manx athletes Sir Mark Cavendish, David Knight, and Yasmin Ingham."I'm very honoured to be involved in the early stages of their developing careers," he said.
A former primary school teacher in both the island and Merseyside specialising in supporting children with additional needs, Mrs Norton founded the community facility Cafe Lingo in Douglas with her husband in 2016. The the volunteer-led gathering place was established to help newcomers to the island from around the world overcome any language barriers by offering free English lessons and support.Since 2022, Café Lingo has welcomed Ukrainian families fleeing war, offering both practical assistance and emotional support in partnership with the One World Centre and local churches.Meanwhile, Bernard Moore received the Lieutenant Governor's Commendation for 40 years of voluntary service to scouting.Mr Moore remained as a leader with the first Marown Scouts throughout his decades of volunteering.The commendation said Mr Moore was "instrumental in maintaining a thriving scout section" and "his contribution extends beyond the scouting community and is marked by exceptional commitment, resilience and care".
Read more stories from the Isle of Man on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and X.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
35 minutes ago
- BBC News
Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn agree September rematch in London
Eubank and Benn agree September rematch 25 minutes ago Chris Eubank Jr will fight fellow Briton Conor Benn in a rematch in London on 20 September. Eubank beat Benn by unanimous decision after a thrilling bout at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in April, though the venue for their second meeting has yet to be confirmed. The fight took place 35 years after their legendary fathers, Chris Eubank Sr and Nigel Benn, first fought and garnered huge attention despite no title being on the line. All three judges scored it 116-112 in favour of Eubank, who extended his record to 35 wins in 38 fights. Eubank arrived at the stadium with his father by his side, despite the pair having apparently been estranged for a number of years.
The Independent
36 minutes ago
- The Independent
Wimbledon 2025 commentators and presenters: BBC line-up including Clare Balding and John McEnroe
The 2025 Championships at Wimbledon will be available free-to-air on the BBC in the United Kingdom. Carlos Alcaraz is eyeing a third consecutive title in SW19, and is also looking to become the second player to win Roland Garros, Queen's and Wimbledon in the same year. World No 1 Jannik Sinner and British No 1 Jack Draper are the other favourites in the men's draw. World No 1 Aryna Sabalenka is the favourite for the women's title, with 2022 champion Elena Rybakina and French Open winner Coco Gauff also leading contenders. Czech player Barbora Krejcikova is the defending champion. Emma Raducanu, who missed out on a seeding, leads the British contingent in the women's draw, having overtaken Katie Boulter as British No 1 recently. Clare Balding is the lead presenter for the third year running. John McEnroe will return as a pundit but Nick Kyrgios, an addition last year, will not return. Who are the BBC's commentators and presenters? Clare Balding is the lead presenter on the BBC's coverage, aided by Isa Guha. Guha will present in the morning on BBC Two, before Balding takes over in the afternoon and evening on BBC One. Qasa Alom will host Today at Wimbledon, available from 9pm in week one and 8pm in week two. Among the list of pundits are John McEnroe, Martina Navratilova, Billie Jean King, Pat Cash, Tracy Austin, Tim Henman and Annabel Croft. Specialist commentary is provided by Andrew Castle, Chris Bradnam, James Burridge, Pat Cash, Naomi Cavaday, Matt Chilton, Andrew Cotter, Annabel Croft, Katherine Downes, Jo Durie, Colin Fleming, Paul Hand, Daniela Hantuchova, Dom Inglot, Abigail Johnson, Anne Keothavong, Robbie Koenig, David Law, Nick Lester, Alicia Molik, Ryan Harrison, John Lloyd, Ronald Mcintosh, Alison Mitchell, Nick Monroe, Nick Mullins, Pete Odgers, Arvind Parmar, Louise Pleming, Simon Reed, Candy Reid, Sam Smith, Liz Smylie, Mel South, Andy Stevenson, Todd Woodbridge plus Jayant Mistry, Louise Hunt and Katie O'Brien for the Wheelchair events. What is the TV schedule on Monday 30 June? 10:30 - 19:00 - Live coverage - BBC Two 10:30 - 21:00 - Live coverage of outside courts - BBC Red Button/BBC iPlayer/BBC Sport website 14:00 - 18:00 - Live coverage - BBC One 19:00 - 22:00 - Live coverage - BBC One 22:00 - 23:30 - Wimbledon Highlights - TNT Sports How to watch Wimbledon on TV Wimbledon will be shown live on the BBC in the UK, with full coverage of the tournament available to watch on BBC One, BBC Two and across BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website. TNT Sports will air a daily 90-minute highlights show and will also have live coverage of both singles finals. If you're travelling abroad and want to watch Wimbledon, then you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN roundup is here to help: get the best VPN deals on the market. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are and also with the terms of their service provider.
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Jack Draper embraces status as new leader of British tennis at Wimbledon
Jack Draper has vowed to embrace being the new leader and figurehead of British tennis as he begins his Wimbledon campaign as a top contender for the championship. Draper will face Sebastian Baez of Argentina in his first-round match on Tuesday, a long-awaited homecoming for the 23-year-old after enjoying a remarkable rise during the past year. Only a few years ago he sought out advice from Andy Murray and other top British players as he tried to understand how he could fulfil his enormous potential. The fourth seed is now the point of reference for all other British players and many have already asked him for his thoughts on their own journeys. 'It's very nice when people reach out,' Draper said. 'I think within British tennis, especially, people know the work I've been through, the adversity I've gone through with injuries, the type of person I am where I'm always wanting to progress. I'm always wanting to understand how I can be better as a player.' An example of Draper's newfound authority came last year when Hannah Klugman, one of Britain's most talented youngsters, arranged a lunch meeting with him through her coach, Ben Haran. She views Draper's advice as instrumental in helping her to find her way again. Klugman, who reached the French Open girls' final this month, will make her grand slam debut on Monday against the 29th seed Leylah Fernandez after receiving a wildcard. 'My message to her was that everyone's on their own journeys,' Draper said. 'But regardless, if you look at a top player, or if you look at someone who's doing incredibly well, it doesn't necessarily mean they've got it all figured out and they're not in the state of struggle themselves. They just know how to deal with it better. 'In a sport like tennis or in any sport, people think it's easy. You go out there, win, you feel great, but the challenge is there every day to perform and to be better. So my message to her was that everyone's the same. It's just how you deal with it. So don't be afraid of the doubts and the fear and the anxiety and the struggles that come with the tennis world.' Carlos Alcaraz, the defending men's champion, opens play on Centre Court on Monday against the veteran Italian Fabio Fognini. Other headliners on the opening day include Aryna Sabalenka, the world No 1, who begins against Carson Branstine, a Canadian qualifier, and Emma Raducanu, who faces the 17-year-old British wildcard Mimi Xu. Draper has been handed a difficult draw as he tries to manage the elevated pressure and expectations that come with his new status but is determined to show the country his potential. 'It's a great opportunity here at Wimbledon and a great chance to hopefully show the British public what I'm able to do on a tennis court, and the type of personality I am,' he said. Sign up to The Recap The best of our sports journalism from the past seven days and a heads-up on the weekend's action after newsletter promotion Along with the pressure that comes with competing in one of the biggest tournaments in the world, the players will have to deal with searing temperatures at Wimbledon throughout the first week. In a sport that frequently takes place in hot conditions, however, many of the top players were not particularly concerned about the prospect of performing in elevated temperatures. 'I just tell myself I'm from Florida,' Naomi Osaka said, smiling.
