With hard hats, head torches and waterproofs on, the Lieutenant Governor Sir Richard Gozney and his wife Lady Gozney ventured through The Great Laxey Mines.

Formerly a place bustling with action and filled with sounds from extracting lead and zinc, the mines are today quiet with only a select few visiting its depths for research, conservation - or in this rare case, having curiosities quenched.

Escorted by members of the Laxey Mines Research Group, the special guests spent about two hours underground going 200ft below and 650metres into the mine.

Pete Geddes, who heads the group, explained that Sir Gozney was inspired to set up the visit after the former Mayor of Douglas John Skinner told him about his trip down the mines with the group.

’From what I’ve heard the Lieutenant Governor likes to have a look at the surface of the site and enjoys walking around,’ Mr Geddes said.

’His response to me was: "I wouldn’t mind a look around the mines down there".

’I was told that Lady Gozney would like to come and look also. We took them as far down as we care to take. The whole shaft itself is 2,000ft deep. We took them to three shafts. The first being the Cornish shaft which has a steel bridge with water that has flooded right to the bridge’s surface. Then to the engine shaft before the low level stuff on hands and knees. They saw some beautiful colour staining and rare cave pearls that are underwater.

’From there we went into the Welsh shaft where we examined the giant rocking beam before coming back.’