Mayor meets former teacher for Centenary Coin presentation

It was a case of history repeating itself recently when the Mayor of Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council made a special presentation at Garvagh Museum.
This picture from 1983 is on display in Garvagh Museum and shows Richard Holmes as a young pupil at Boveedy Primary School making a presentation to teacher Mrs Jennifer Gardiner to mark her retirementThis picture from 1983 is on display in Garvagh Museum and shows Richard Holmes as a young pupil at Boveedy Primary School making a presentation to teacher Mrs Jennifer Gardiner to mark her retirement
This picture from 1983 is on display in Garvagh Museum and shows Richard Holmes as a young pupil at Boveedy Primary School making a presentation to teacher Mrs Jennifer Gardiner to mark her retirement

Councillor Richard Holmes gifted a bespoke centenary coin to Museum volunteer and his former Primary School teacher Jennifer Gardiner, replicating a moment from his childhood.

As a schoolboy, he was chosen to make a presentation to Mrs Gardiner to mark her retirement from Boveedy Primary School, a moment remembered in an old newspaper clipping on public display in the Museum.

Commenting on the turn of events, Councillor Holmes said: “I remember that day from 1983 well, but I didn’t think I would end up meeting Mrs Gardiner again as Mayor to make another presentation to her.

The Mayor of Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council Councillor Richard Holmes presents one of Council’s Centenary Coin to Mrs Jennifer Gardiner on behalf of Garvagh MuseumThe Mayor of Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council Councillor Richard Holmes presents one of Council’s Centenary Coin to Mrs Jennifer Gardiner on behalf of Garvagh Museum
The Mayor of Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council Councillor Richard Holmes presents one of Council’s Centenary Coin to Mrs Jennifer Gardiner on behalf of Garvagh Museum

“It’s certainly one of life’s unpredictable coincidences especially as the article from the time is among the museum’s exhibits.

“It was an honour for me to have this opportunity and I would like to thank Mrs Gardiner and the other volunteers for accepting the coin on behalf of the Museum.

“It was designed by Council as part of our NI 100 programme, and it’s a special memento of how we marked 100 years of Northern Ireland in the Causeway Coast and Glens. Each of Council’s Museums have now received a coin for their collections and they’ll help us to remember the significance of 2021 in the years to come.”