Former Tory Cabinet Minister Lord Heseltine paid a happy return visit to Commissioners House yesterday to see the former derelict building returned to its past glory.

As Michael Heseltine, he visited the Island on holiday in the early 1980's when he was Environment Minister in Margaret Thatcher's government and was appalled at the state of Commissioners House.

He told The Royal Gazette Friday that when he returned to Britain he began writing letters to heritage organisations trying to get the building restored.

"When I visited Commissioners House it was a derelict ruin and when I got back I wrote letters saying this was a terrible shame and something should be done about it.

"When I came back I asked about it and I was told it had been restored and I am looking forward to seeing it."

Commissioners House, the former headquarters of the commander of the British Navy in Bermuda, re-opened in 2000 after being closed for decades.

Lord Heseltine is in Bermuda for the 50th anniversary of the 1953 Big Three summit meeting of Sir Winston Churchill, President Dwight Eisenhower and Prime Minister Joseph Laniel.

Lord Heseltine, a former British Defence Minister, was keynote speaker at the conference's black tie dinner at the Fairmont Hamilton Hotel Friday night.