By Press Release
The Isle of Wight has a new High Sheriff, and she has promised to well and truly behave herself for her year in office.
Dawn Haig-Thomas has taken over the role from Kay Marriott, and she made the promise, as all High Sheriffs do, as she made her declaration on taking the office in front of Island dignitaries and invited guests on Monday at her home, Barton Manor, in East Cowes.
The ancient appointment is a royal prerogative and is made by the Sovereign ‘pricking’ the name of the chosen candidate on a vellum parchment with a long needle called a bodkin. The role is non-political and unpaid, and indeed incurs considerable personal expense. Dawn will play a leading role in Royal visits to the Island, act as the returning officer if there are any elections during the year, and support the judiciary, the police, other emergency services, churches and voluntary organisations. Although in theory, she is now responsible for collecting the King’s taxes, these days the role is largely ceremonial, but that doesn’t mean the High Sheriff doesn’t do important work.
Outgoing High Sheriff, Kay Marriott, made a speech before passing on the badge of office to her successor, who has chosen literacy as her theme for the year. In her acceptance speech, Dawn told how the ability to read is a key determining factor in the success of a child’s life, even more so than their family or economic background. She has had a flying start, with a ‘soft’ launch of her Schoolreaders charity project, which she described as “an email to a few friends”, getting 36 volunteers to go into schools every week to hear children read.
Dawn, and her husband, Alex, moved to the Island with their three children in 2012, and loves life here. She has been vice-chairman of sailing charity, UKSA, and says her new role is “an amazing honour”, but describes Kay’s year as “a hard act to follow”.
Hopefully, she will not have to carry out similar duties to Kay’s historic role last September when she proclaimed the accession of King Charles III after the death of Queen Elizabeth.
Dawn’s Under Sheriff is April Newton, and her chaplain for the year will be the Revd. Steve Sutcliffe.
Pictured: Kay Marriott, Claire Critchison and Dawn Haig-Thomas