Western Morning News (Saturday)
Magical feel, on long-awaited return to islands
IAM the world’s worst packer. The thrill of seeing suitcases, unused for so long, was just too tempting. Subliminally do I think I’m going on a world tour? Anyway, I realise I’ve packed five pairs of shoes and a fleece, plus a ton of other stuff – stopping short of a ball gown and wellingtons.
Sitting at a truly dire ferry port café I’m resisting the bacon rolls that look as if they were prepared pre-lockdown. The coffee has been sourced from the sump of the ferry and I’ve just managed to spill most of it over my crotch on my new, never before worn, pale grey chinos. It’s a really great look…..
Such was the start to our holiday to Guernsey. The sun was shining, and the thrill of a change of scene began to permeate. The Channel Islands really are lovely, and we were looking forward to exploring them after many years absence.
The island has a relaxed air. No litter, no graffiti, no chewing gum on the pavements. People chat away in an open and friendly way. They don’t have the need to hunch over their phones, grunting as they slide past you pushing you into a corner or off the pavement as happens on the mainland.
Guernsey recently was pushed into the limelight by the film ‘The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society’ which was based on the historical novel by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows published in 2008. It’s a great book, a real insight into life on the Channel Islands under the German occupation. Lily James and other famous names starred in the film which was released in 2018. For those who loved the book and the film, as I did, I was a little disappointed to learn that all the settings in the film were shot in North Devon.
Locations on the island were difficult, apparently. The decision must have been disappointing for the good folk of Guernsey, but the magic of the story is easy to capture when wandering round the island.
The Guernsey Occupation Museum was set up and is still run by Richard Heaume, who began collecting bits of wartime memorabilia when he was a small boy – from spent cartridges to uniforms and a myriad of artefacts left by the Germans who occupied the demilitarised islands from June 1940 to 1945. He took over one of this family’s farm cottages and the museum was born.
It now houses every aspect imaginable of the war years on the Channel islands, particularly Guernsey. Heart-breaking stories about the island’s deportees, Jews who were taken to Auschwitz, all very thought provoking and interesting.
Vehicles, artefacts, letters, documents – it’s a place that can easily absorb a day, and at the end, you can get a cup of tea from Richard in the small café.
Just up the road – and at 12 miles long, everything is just up the road in Guernsey – is “The Little Chapel”. It was created in 1914 by Brother Decdat who planned to make a miniature version of the grotto and basilica at Lourdes. The entire surface is decorated with seashells, pebbles and broken china, all in a mosaic style. The building only takes 8 people and exudes a wonderful peace despite its size. Well worth a visit.
We were lucky with the meals we had on the island. One favourite was Christies in St Peter Port. I’ve never eaten at such a clean place before and the food was delicious. What better than to sit out on a balcony overlooking the harbour, eating a huge fresh fruit salad and proper Greek yoghurt, followed by a choice of dishes ranging from devilled kidneys, pastries that melted in your mouth, or mounds of light scrambled eggs and island smoked salmon.
And dinner was great there too. We took the ferry to Sark – one of the very few places in the world where no cars are allowed. It’s part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, which means it has its own set of laws based on Norman legislation. It also has its own parliament and only has about 500 residents.
It’s a strange feeling being in a place with no cars. Tractors chug around to the farms and meet people from the ferry to take them to the main street. The shops are small, covering the basics. The pub is quaint and probably unchanged for centuries. Long may it last. The island scenery is beautiful. If you’re tired you can probably get a ride on a horse-drawn carriage, but otherwise its worth exploring on foot, ending up perhaps at Le Seigneurie Gardens, complete with a maze, walled vegetable garden and a magical flower and shrub area, complete with a nice café.
All good things come to an end, and our trip did, rather abruptly when we arrived at the ferry port to discover our pal had booked the return back to Portsmouth. Fine but our cars were in Poole. A midnight taxi ride got us back to our cars and as Hubs heaved my suitcase into the boot I made a note to self. Only four pairs of shoes next time, no fleece. Ballgown?
Maybe….
People chat away in an open and friendly way. They don’t have the need to hunch over their phones