A smooth tailwind carried Bermuda's new Governor Sir John Vereker to the Island an hour early yesterday.

The British Airways flight carrying the new Commander-in-Chief and Lady Vereker hit the tarmac shortly before 5:30 p.m.

“While now is not the occasion for a formal speech, I am very pleased to be in Bermuda finally.” Sir John said in brief statement to members of the assembled media.

He added that he had been frustrated by the delays prior to his arrival and that he was sure Bermuda had been as well.

“My wife and I are looking forward to discovering Bermuda and Bermudians and to making our home here,” he said before the couple were whisked away to their new home at Government House by Bermuda Regiment driver Sgt. Jason Harold.

The Governor's car was escorted into Hamilton by a motorcade with two Police officers on motorcycles at both the front and the rear of the small procession.

Sir John and his wife were officially greeted by Lt. Col. David Gibbons of Regiment, Police Commissioner Jonathon Smith, Chief Fire Officer Vincent Hollinsid and Airport Operations Manager Lester Nelson as well as Deputy Governor Tim Gurney and his wife Denise.

In a departure from past practice, not a single member of Government was on hand to welcome the new Governor on arrival at the airport.

When Sir John's predecessor, Governor Thorold Masefield, first arrived in Bermuda in June 1997, he was greeted by then Premier Pamela Gordon as well as five Cabinet Ministers.

Lord and Lady Waddington's arrival in August 1992 drew then Premier Sir John Swan and Lady Swan to the airport as well as a host of Members of Parliament and their spouses.

The Waddingtons were also greeted by roughly 30 independence supporters however.

Bermuda's new Governor left the position of Permanent Secretary for the Department of International Development to come to Bermuda, which he held since since 1994.

The 56-year-old Sir John originally joined the Ministry of Overseas Development in 1967 after completing his education at Marlborough College and Keele University.

Over the course of his career he served as Private Secretary to three Ministers of Overseas Development as well as working for the World Bank from 1970 to 1972 and in the Policy Unit of the Prime Minister's Officer from 1980 to 1983.

He was promoted to Under Secretary for Asia in Overseas Development in 1983 and in 1986 became Under Secretary for Development Policy and Principal Financial Officer.

On promotion to Deputy Secretary in 1988, he joined the Department of Education and Science where he had responsibility for higher education including the establishment of the national student loans scheme, and later for schools policy.

Sir John was awarded a CB in the 1992 Honours List and a KCB in 1999.

He has been a board member of the British Council, the Institute of a Development Studies and Voluntary Service Overseas.

Sir John and Lady Vereker have two children.

The new Governor will be officially sworn in by Chief Justice Austin Ward tomorrow.