With a 17-gun salute from the Regiment and praise from the Premier, Governor Sir Richard Gozney bid a formal goodbye to Bermuda yesterday.A ceremony featuring dignitaries from across the spectrum of public service took place on the lawn outside the Cabinet building.Premier Paula Cox led the tributes to Sir Richard, who is handing over the reins later this month to George Fergusson, after four-and-a-half years.Ms Cox said the Government and Governor share an “important special relationship and social contract”.She continued: “I think to be a Governor in Bermuda is not easy and it can be a minefield for the uninitiated.”However, she thanked Sir Richard for being inclusive and for his “non-interference in domestic affairs”.She said her administration “much appreciated” the way he handled the job and that he was appreciated “not only by the Government but by the people of Bermuda”.The Governor then extended his “warm thanks” to the Government for all the work they have done together.He also thanked the Regiment and police, noting that recent successful prosecutions stemming from the wave of gun crime that began three years ago have been “one of the most satisfying elements” of his tenure.Sir Richard said his time in Bermuda has been “stimulating and fun” too.“A Governor is bound to enjoy Bermuda. I defy anyone, man or woman, not to do so,” he said.He went on to highlight his belief that Bermuda will find a way to rejuvenate its economy, as it has consistently managed to do for the past 400 years.“A country and an economy is like a bicycle: easy to propel forward once it’s moving, unhappy when standing still. A bit harder in a headwind, or up a hill; but the hilltop always beckons,” he noted.“You Bermudians have propelled your bicycle up some unlikely slopes to very profitable hilltops.”He listed past endeavours, ranging from privateering to growing onions to the insurance industry.“What next? As the saying has it, ‘prediction is difficult, especially about the future’. However, as long as you Bermudians maintain your confidence in Bermuda, your self-confidence, I think you’ll be ready to stump up the investment needed for the next reinvention of the Island,” he said.Sir Richard added that he and his wife, Diana, “wish you every success on your most elegant bicycle”.The ceremony was attended by a host of politicians, judges, magistrates, and top civil servants and business figures. It also attracted the curiosity of a number of tourists and passers-by.Sir Richard arrived at the ceremony in the state landau carriage, drawn by two black horses. The Governor’s standard was unfurled, followed by the playing of the national anthem.His rank as Commander in Chief of the Regiment was marked with a 17-gun salute that boomed out across Hamilton.He also inspected the guard of honour the troops formed for him before leaving in a convoy accompanied by police motorcycle outriders as the national anthem was played again.The new Governor is due to arrive in Bermuda on Tuesday.