The municipal links between the Isle of Man and Liverpool have been strengthened with a civic visit, hosted by Douglas City Council.

Lord Mayor of Liverpool, Councillor Richard Kemp CBE, and Lord-Lieutenant, Mark Blundell - His Majesty's representative for Merseyside – paid a three day visit to the Island.

Amidst a busy itinerary, they were official guests at the annual Douglas Civic Sunday.

Accompanied by the Worshipful the Mayor of Douglas, Councillor Mrs Natalie Byron-Teare, JP, the delegation also met Lieutenant Governor Sir John and Lady Lorimer and Douglas Councillors, while the Lord Mayor visited Noble’s Hospital, met representatives of ‘Visit Isle of Man’ and had a tour of the Isle of Man Post Office headquarters.

There he received a presentation sheet of stamps to commemorate his visit, the ‘Our Gateway to the World’ collection which showcases Manx Links with Liverpool.

Mayor, Natalie Byron Teare, says retaining close links with our UK counterparts can be hugely beneficial.

‘It was a pleasure to welcome our guests from Merseyside and show them different aspects of our community, including a number of those which make Douglas such a vibrant and attractive place to live, work and visit.

‘While different in size, the challenges and opportunities local authorities face are often comparable so to have the opportunity to exchange ideas and best practice with some of our opposite numbers was of great value.

‘In the year that City Status was officially bestowed upon us, it was fitting that our visitors were able to join us for Douglas City Council’s annual civic service.

‘Civic Sunday is an opportunity for the whole community to join together, to celebrate and commemorate what we have, and to do so at St Mary’s, for the very first time since it was officially granted co-Cathedral status with Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral, was also most fitting.’

Lisa Duckworth, Chief Operating Officer at Isle of Man Post Office, added: ‘We were very pleased to welcome the Lord Mayor of Liverpool with the Mayor of Douglas and her Consort into Isle of Man Post Office and show them the hard work that goes on behind the scenes.

‘We were particularly pleased to discuss our world famous stamps with the Lord Mayor of Liverpool who is a keen philatelist and collector of Isle of Man stamps.’