Guernsey in 1974 – Part 8

Guernsey in 1974 – Part 8

This is an extract from Peter Haining’s guide book of 1974, which is as much interest today for the historian as to the tourist, as many of the places and industries described in his book have long vanished. Please do not take it as a current guide..

Inns and bars

The Savoy Hotel (The Channel Islands Hotel, St. Peter Port): A “must” for the visitor who likes finding an inn with a difference. The Tudor Bar has what must surely be the most unusual collection of off-beat bric-a-brac in the British Isles. The room itself is typically Tudor and around the massive fireplace there are horse brasses, kettles, plates and fur covered seats. The piece de resistance, however, is without doubt quite unique for a pub—a richly ornamented toilet which serves as an ash tray! If all this is not enough incentive to visit The Tudor Bar, the beer also happens to be very good.

This is a fantastic piece of mid-century Guernsey tourist nostalgia. While visitors looking for the Savoy Hotel today will find the 4-star boutique hotel located in Jersey, Guernsey historically had its own highly popular Savoy Hotel operating in St. Peter Port during the post-war tourism boom. Its Tudor Bar was a celebrated local fixture famed for its heavily stylized, eccentric décor. The highly unique centrepiece—a miniature, ornately decorated ceramic toilet bowl utilized specifically as a bar ashtray—was a famous novelty talking point heavily logged in 1960s and 1970s holiday brochures. The hotel has since closed and transitioned into private development. 

Longfrie Hotel (St. Peter-in-the-Wood): No difficulty in spotting the country tavern—there is a life-sized model of a witch complete with broomstick and pointed hat sitting on the roof. It was originally an old Guernsey farmhouse built in the 16th Century but all the old world atmosphere has been retained in the conversion. In the Old Guernsey Bar, hot meals (including grilled chicken) are served.

The Last Post (St. Andrew): A small, typically rural inn, The Last Post is ideal for the visitor who wants to get away from his fellow holidaymakers for an hour or two. The pub is much used by Guernsey farmers and in its quaint, cool public bar all the latest agricultural topics get an airing. It is also one of the friendliest inns on the island and proprietors cellar can alway be relied upon. The pub is situated alongside the Routes des St. Andrew.


Fisherman’s Bar (Manor Hotel, Petit Bot): If you’ve never seen a giant chancre crab—and can pluck up the courage to face one—the Fisherman’s Bar is the place to put down for a visit. The crabs, which have been dried out in ants’ nests are on show in the bar along with fishing nets and lobster pots. The whole atmosphere is one that conjures up thoughts of the sea and not surprisingly it is much frequented by local fishermen. In the evening they can be found in the bar playing darts, piquet or euchre, a card game peculiar to Guernsey. The view from the bar across Petit Bot Bay is quite outstanding and the whole setting makes one want to linger.

The Manor Hotel at Petit Bôt was a famous valley hotel with incredible bay views. However, the hotel closed its doors for good in the early 2000s and was subsequently demolished to make way for luxury private residential housing. The legendary Fisherman's Bar is gone.

The Albion (St. Peter Port): One of the oldest and most famous inns on Guernsey. The Albion overlooks the harbour and is always thronged with cheerful holidaymakers and local fishermen. Despite buildings surrounding it, the inn has retained its old world look and is covered with ivy. The Albion boasts, three bars, a good cellar and the beer is invariably good.

The Yacht (St. Peter Port): The Yacht is only a few yards away from the Albion on the Esplanade and is the meeting place for visiting yachtsmen and local sailors. Here in a setting of old lifebelts, ships’ lamps, anchors etc., they meet to discuss boats and tides over a pint of best bitter. It’s an ideal spot to go if you want to crew on a yacht or get a fisherman to take you out on a fishing trip.

English & Guernsey Arms (St. Sampsons): The big attraction here is the full size Skittles Alley which is the only one of its kind on the island. The alley is usually much in demand, but it can be booked in advance. On certain nights there are tournaments, and it is fun watching the locals pit their skill against each other. If you can’t get on the alley there are always the shove ha’penny boards in the public bar.

Known affectionately by generations of locals as the "E&G," the English and Guernsey Arms was located on the Southside of the Bridge in St. Sampson. For decades, it was a central hub for traditional pub league games, including full-size indoor skittles and shove ha'penny. However, the venue later operated briefly as Blind O'Reilly's before closing down completely. The site was sold by the Liberation Group, and island planning frameworks have designated the former pub footprint for residential housing development.

Welcome Inn (Wayside Cheer Hotel, Grandes Rocques): The hotel overlooks the beach and is easy to spot because of the black and yellow cats spitting at each other on the roof. The bar itself is a piece of history preserved: low beams, old lamps and highly polished brass. A popular spot for evening cocktails, The Welcome Inn lives up to its name in making visitors feel really at home.

The Wayside Cheer Hotel was a legendary fixture overlooking Grandes Rocques Bay, famous for its historic ballroom dances, live music nights, and its signature roof ornamentation featuring cats. The Welcome Inn bar area leaned heavily on old-world maritime charm. The hotel permanently closed its doors to public hospitality following a severe kitchen fire and later administrative shifts. The property transitioned away from tourism entirely and operates under a States contract providing Key Worker Housing, meaning the hotel, bar, and restaurant are strictly closed to the general public.

Houmet Tavern (Grand Havre): Only a stone’s throw from the beach, the Houmet Tavern is worth calling in at any time of the day. Particularly attractive is the Alpine Lounge which has been done out in Swiss style. The tavern does particularly delicious snacks in the evening including hamburgers and onions. The house speciality is a cocktail called “Avalanche” but this is not quite as explosive as it sounds!

The beachfront Houmet Tavern was highly popular for its mid-to-late 20th-century themed rooms (like the Alpine Lounge) and classic bar food. While the historic building still stands prominently on the edge of Grand Havre Bay, the venue was completely taken over, deeply refurbished, and permanently renamed by the Liberation Group. Today, it functions as the family-friendly Puffin & Oyster pub and restaurant, known for its open kitchen, seafood menu, and modern coastal aesthetic rather than retro Swiss lounges.

Tropicana Bar (Hotel Continental, Jerbourg): This is Guernsey’s most southerly hotel, and perched at the end of - the Jerbourg peninsula it has a magnificent view of the sea and coastline. The Tropicana Bar is a piece of inspiration on the part of the hotelier and has captured a Caribbean atmosphere with palm trees, basket chairs and all manner of bright fittings. The hotel is at the far end of the Route de Jerbourg in St. Martin’s and there is a bus service to the door. Three nights a week there is dancing in the El Sombrero room which adjoins the bar, and in the gardens is a 9-hole putting green.

This perfectly matches mid-century Guernsey tourist brochures from the 1960s and 1970s. The Hotel Continental at Jerbourg Point was famous for its heavily themed, exotic spaces like the Caribbean-style Tropicana Bar and the Spanish-themed El Sombrero dancing lounge. While it remains the island's most southerly hotel site with spectacular cliff views, the themed venues have vanished. Following an upscale transformation, the entire property has long been operating as the prestigious 4-star Hotel Jerbourg.

Hunter’s Lodge (Forest Hotel, St. Martin): The work of Guernsey stonemasons is justifiably famous and this bar provides an opportunity to see some samples in a most impressive setting. The hotel is very close to Guernsey Airport and is often the first inn visited by holidaymakers. The cellar here is exceptionally varied and visitors can be offered spirits, Continental liqueurs and locally brewed beers and stouts. The meals here are also highly praised. .

Due to its close proximity to the airport terminal, the Forest Hotel was a prime gateway watering hole for arriving tourists. Its Hunter's Lodge bar was renowned for its beautiful exposed Guernsey granite stonework. In later decades, the hotel was renamed St. Margaret’s Lodge (and subsequently the Forest Park Hotel). Sadly, the property has been closed permanently since 2016. It fell into a state of severe dereliction, becoming an island eyesore to the point that local planning authorities issued formal enforcement notices requiring cleanup and redevelopment.

St. Saviour’s Hotel (St. Saviour’s): The Lounge and Public Bars in this hotel are frequented by both local fishermen and growers, and consequently it is a good place to hear the patois spoken. The Lounge Bar contains a very fine collection of Safari prints, while the Public has bar billiards, a shove ha’penny board and one of the few remaining ring boards. The fact that the hotel is used by local people speaks highly of the quality of its beer and spirits.

A heartbreakingly accurate piece of Guernsey's social and linguistic history. Affectionately nicknamed "The Ritz" by its regulars, the St. Saviour's Hotel (and its public tavern) was a vital community hub for western parish farmers, tomato growers, and tradesmen. It was historically one of the best places to hear Guernésiais (the native Norman-French patois) spoken naturally over a pint. It also preserved old-school pub gaming traditions like the "ring board". The hotel closed for good in 2007. Despite fierce campaigns by parish locals to save and reopen it, permission was granted to completely demolish the structure in 2011 to make way for residential flats.

 
Lucifer’s Bar (Hotel Bella Luce, Moulin Huet Valley): One of Guernsey’s most unusual bars in an equally unusual setting. The Bella Luce (the name means Beautiful Light) is actually an old Norman residence which has been superbly modernised. Lucifer’s Bar isa dark and mysterious bar which specialises in dispensing over 100 different kinds of liqueurs. Its setting has to be seen to be believed. There is a spacious garden to sit in and croquet can be played on the lawn.

The historical architecture is correct; the property originates from a beautiful 12th-to-16th-century Norman manor longhouse. In the 1970s, its atmospheric cellar bar, Lucifer's Bar, was a legendary dark-lit lounge heavily celebrated for its massive selection of spirits and liqueurs. After functioning for decades as an award-winning boutique hotel and gin distillery, the site was sold to new developers in 2022. The historic front walls remain preserved under strict heritage rules, but the modern extensions were almost entirely demolished to pave the way for a brand-new, ultra-exclusive luxury boutique hotel and wellness centre.

Captain’s Hotel (St. Martin): A picturesque, flower bedecked hotel, The Captain’s is invariably recommended by local residents when asked about Guernsey’s inns and taverns. The ‘“‘Olde Worlde Lounge Bar”’ full of antiques is certainly one of the most striking bars on the island and specialises in wines, spirits and liqueurs. The Patois Bar is where the visitor can hear the charming Guernsey patois spoken and for the price of a pint get all the information he requires about life and customs on the island. Outside there is a spacious, shaded terrace for sitting during the heat of the day.

This is the happiest entry on the list. Now known simply as The Captains, this flower-decked establishment in St. Martin remains fully operational and is still highly recommended by locals. While its interiors have modernized over the decades to serve excellent pub food and accommodate travelers, it still proudly retains its character as an authentic island inn.

Coach Bar (Hotel Les Douvres, St. Martin): A pub in the very best traditions of the word: low beamed ceiling, cosy atmosphere and unusual stable-type seats. The hotel is the nearest licensed premise to busy Saints beach and provides a complete contrast with secluded lawns and huge trees. The building itself is a modernised 18th Century manor house and the Coach Bar is easily spotted by the coach wheel which hangs over the entrance.

Highly accurate and still standing. Built out from an elegant 18th-century country manor, Les Douvres Hotel remains one of the premier country-pub-hotels in St. Martin, situated right at the turnoff toward Saints Bay. The property is widely celebrated for its cozy atmosphere, low-beamed ceilings, and family-friendly dining.

Cavalier Cocktail and Old Vienna Bars (St. Martin’s Hotel, St. Martin): The setting for this bar can be guessed from its name, but what is not as obvious is that it belongs (as does all the hotel) to- singing star Ronnie Ronalde. In the time since he took over the premises, Ronnie has created a spot humming with life and laughter. His Palladium Lounge, for instance, has a band playing every evening, and he himself appears in cabaret in the Wedgewood Room once a week.

Ronnie Ronalde (1923–2015) was a massive international variety hall star, famous for his extraordinary whistling, yodelling, and bird imitations. Foreseeing the decline of music halls, he moved to Guernsey in the 1960s and purchased the St. Martin's Hotel, which locals universally called "Ronnie Ronalde's". Following his departure in the late 1980s, the hotel eventually closed in the 2000s and fell into severe disrepair, exacerbated by a major fire in 2016. Long-awaited demolition crews began clearing the site to pave the way for a brand-new residential development.

The Pony Inn (Les Capelles, St. Sampson): The Pony Inn is one of Guernsey’s newest public houses and has been furnished in the best taste for maximum comfort. Already commended by the local people for its friendliness and quick service, the inn is also finding favour with visitors. The cellar is extensive and provides holidymakers with a chance to sample the home brewed beers.


Bavarian Cocktail Bar (La Favorita Hotel, Fermain): A spacious, modern bar overlooking picturesque Fermain Bay which was actually built by the Germans during their Occupation of Guernsey. The present owners have enlarged it slightly but the original Bavarian atmosphere, complete with Beer Steins for drinking, has been retained.

T his is historically exact regarding the infrastructure. During the 1940–1945 Occupation, German forces constructed reinforced bunkers and military quarters on the wooded slopes overlooking Fermain Bay. Following liberation, the owners of La Favorita Hotel cleverly integrated one of these sturdy concrete German structures, styling it into a themed "Bavarian Bar" complete with authentic beer steins—a highly popular post-war tourist gimmick. The hotel operated under the La Favorita name for decades. However, in the early 2000s, the property was purchased, entirely refurbished, and merged with its neighbor to form the luxury 4-star Fermain Valley Hotel.

Old and New in Prosecution: The Whistleblowing Law

Changes with the new Law

If Alison Renouf’s actions took place under the Draft Protected Disclosure (Protection of Whistleblowers) (Jersey) Law (presented in March 2026), her internal complaint would carry substantially stronger legal safeguards, while the exact manner in which she shared the video externally would still face major legal hurdles. 

Currently, Jersey has no statutory whistleblowing law, meaning tribunals evaluate dismissals like Ms Renouf's under standard contract and employment rules, where the States Employment Board (SEB) has argued she breached confidentiality.

Under Article 11 of the draft law, dismissing an employee for making a protected disclosure is automatically unfair from day one. This would shift the legal burden onto the employer rather than treating the case as a standard unfair dismissal claim. 

The draft law explicitly prohibits "less favourable treatment" or retaliation. Ms Renouf has alleged that after raising internal concerns, senior staff escalated bullying and restricted her work activities—conduct that would directly violate the proposed law. 

Article 12 renders any clause in an employment contract unenforceable if it attempts to prevent an employee from making a valid protected disclosure. The SEB’s primary defence, that she breached her contractual obligations of confidentiality, would not apply if her disclosure met the statutory criteria. 

The draft law requires the person or body receiving a disclosure to acknowledge it in writing, take reasonable steps to investigate, and inform the whistleblower of the outcome within a reasonable timeframe. This directly addresses Ms Renouf's stated reason for going outside the system, which was a lack of confidence that internal processes would act in a timely or meaningful way. 

Where Her Specific Actions Would Still Face Hurdles

Because Ms Renouf shared an internal meeting video directly with outside children's charities and protection agencies, the exact way she blew the whistle would still be heavily contested under the draft legislation:

To qualify for legal protection under the draft law, a whistleblower must report to a specific list of designated "receivers". Alongside the employer, this list includes an elected States Member, the Commissioner for Children and Young People, the Health and Social Care Commission, the Information Commission, and the Jersey Charity Commissioner. Independent children's charities are not on the statutory list of receivers, meaning sending the recording to them directly would likely fall outside the law's automatic protection.

A protected disclosure must relate to a specific category of wrongdoing defined in Article 2, such as a criminal offence, a breach of a legal obligation (like health and safety or data protection laws), or environmental damage. While Ms Renouf raised safeguarding and governance concerns following dismissive remarks about the Independent Jersey Care Inquiry, she would still need to prove she held a "reasonable belief" that those remarks or actions constituted an actual breach of the law rather than poor leadership or policy disagreements.

The draft law does not give whistleblowers blanket immunity to commit unlawful data breaches when gathering or distributing evidence. Because the meeting recording involved sensitive safeguarding discussions and third-party personal data, the SEB could still argue that distributing the raw video to non-statutory third parties went beyond what was reasonably necessary to make a protected disclosure.

Even if Ms Renouf won an automatic unfair dismissal or detriment claim under the proposed law, tribunal compensation for whistleblowing retaliation is proposed to be capped at £30,000 total (aligning with Jersey's discrimination claim caps).

A Government Response

On 10 November 2026, Chief Minister Senator Lyndon Farnham and the Council of Ministers announced that internal government whistleblowing arrangements have been strengthened to allow civil servants to report concerns about senior staff to an independent body outside the government system.

The announcement followed public scrutiny over the ongoing employment tribunal of former safeguarding partnership lead Alison Renouf. 

According to the Council of Ministers statement on 10 November 2026, a new provision permits government whistleblowers to step outside the internal civil service hierarchy and take concerns directly to an independent body not involved in the government whenever the complaint involves senior staff members. 

Ministers acknowledged that lessons must be learned from how Ms Renouf's case was handled and pledged to strengthen political oversight of internal government processes. 

The government announced a formal review of its internal data privacy arrangements alongside a mandate for civil servants to maintain respectful and appropriate language at all times. 

Ministers reversed the States Employment Board's earlier legal push to suppress evidence, agreeing that the January 2025 internal meeting recording can be played in open court at the tribunal, subject to standard personal data and privacy safeguards. 

During her tribunal, Ms Renouf stated she went outside internal channels because she had lost confidence that government processes would handle complaints against senior officials fairly or in a timely manner.

Policy vs. Legislation. These changes are internal human resources and governance policies rather than statutory law. While they create a safer internal pathway for current civil servants, they do not carry the statutory weight, automatic unfair dismissal protections, or legal overrides of the Draft Protected Disclosure (Protection of Whistleblowers) Law.

Senator Farnham confirmed that Ministers are awaiting the conclusion of Ms Renouf's tribunal before issuing a further statement detailing additional safeguarding and governance reforms.

The U-Turn and the Change of Minister After the Election.

The March 2026 draft was presented by former Social Security Minister Deputy Lyndsay Feltham (of Reform Jersey) just before the June 2026 election, explicitly as a consultation draft rather than a finalized law. When Senator Millar took over the portfolio after the election, she stated at a 22 September 2026 Scrutiny hearing that she had read the Employment Forum's report but had not yet read the draft law itself, and questioned whether existing reporting routes were already sufficient.

Deputy Carina Alves, who lodged Proposition P.72/2026 to force a 31 January 2027 deadline, pointed out that the States Assembly unanimously backed the law in July 2023. The Jersey Employment Forum subsequently ran a full public consultation and published its unanimous recommendation for statutory protection in June 2025.

Legal analysts and Reform Jersey members noted that the March 2026 report (R.41/2026) already contains a complete, ready-to-lodge draft law alongside detailed explanatory notes.

Opponents contend that the sudden stall stems from a shift in political priorities following the June 2026 election. Notably, Senator Millar had previously supported Deputy Alves's original whistleblowing proposition when serving as Social Security Minister in July 2023, making her reluctance in 2026 a sharp point of criticism during this week's States sitting!

In conclusion

The signal sent by the delay pursued by the Minister sits badly with the Council of Ministers statement. Elaine Miller's argument that delay is needed because the UK is also revising its law was not mentioned at the Chamber Lunch when she was speaker (11/11/2026), she just said it needed further consultation to get it right.

When Senator Millar first indicated she would not prioritise the law in 2027, she cited competing priorities like the cost of living and noted she had not yet read the March 2026 draft law. This does not improve confidence in her stance.

In fact, the UK government's whistleblowing consultation explores broadening protections, such as covering volunteers, charity trustees, non-executive directors, and self-employed workers, alongside potentially mandating internal whistleblowing policies with civil penalties. Meanwhile, Minister Millar has cited concerns over business administrative burdens and tribunal complexity as reasons to slow down.

Jersey spent nearly three years moving from the July 2023 States vote to the June 2025 Employment Forum report and the March 2026 draft. For many observers, pausing a baseline law that still leaves Jersey well behind 1998 UK standards looks more like a political reset after the June 2026 election than a technical necessity.

A Short Story: The Forgotten Name

The Forgotten Name

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

The names were cut deep into the granite of the parish war memorial. Each November, wreaths were gently laid at its foot and the familiar words were spoken. Children read the names aloud, the old bowed their heads, and the dead were remembered. The church clock struck the eleventh hour Silence was kept. The last post sounded on the trumpet. Yet there was one who was not there.

Visitors passed the memorial every day. Their eyes moved across the rows of letters, searching for fathers, brothers, uncles, grandfathers. None could find his name, for it had never been carved. No one spoke of him now. He was unknown. But there was always hope, always a song for the loveless, and no one was beyond that shining love.

My song is love unknown
my Saviour’s love to me;
love to the loveless shown,
that they might lovely be.

Rain had fallen that morning. Drops clung to the stone and darkened the engraved letters. Beyond the memorial the church tower stood grey against a pale sky, and below it the village carried on with its ordinary life. The church bell tolled the hour.

He had marched away with the others in the summer brightness of enthusiasm and duty. He had believed, as so many did, in service given "entire and whole and perfect". He had kissed his mother goodbye and promised to return. The band had played. Flags had waved. The world had seemed simple then. But war proved less simple.

The shells came without pause. Day and night they screamed overhead and tore men apart. Earth shook. Trenches collapsed. Friends disappeared in clouds of mud and smoke. Sleep became impossible. Fear became constant. Something inside him broke.

Few accounts recall the trauma. But Private Clarence Booth's diary gave a first-hand account of the terror: "Nerves all gone. Shaking like a leaf. Cannot control myself... The noise is deafening, and I feel my head splitting open.” Our soldier knew this trauma.

No wound marked his body. No blood stained his muddy uniform. Yet his hands shook uncontrollably. At night he woke screaming. When ordered forward he could no longer obey. His mind remained trapped among explosions that never ceased. Others called it cowardice. The officers called it desertion. The sentence was swift. Only a friend wept, and softly whispered the words of a hymn: “And for His death they thirst and cry.” For another had also been unjustly condemned, and would stand beside him now, unseen by a cruel world, reaching out with a hand scarred by nails.

On a grey morning he stood before a firing squad. Around him the war continued its endless harvest. He was not old. He was not brave at that moment. He was simply exhausted beyond endurance. Afterwards, papers were signed. Records filed. A family informed. Shame settled over his memory like another burial cloth.

When peace finally came and the memorial was raised, his name was omitted. The stone honoured sacrifice, duty, service. His story sat uneasily among them.

Years became decades. Those who had known him died in turn. The war itself passed into history. Yet memory is a curious thing. It does not always follow the lines cut into granite.

For beyond the countries that draw borders and keep records, beyond courts martial and official verdicts, there is another country. Its armies cannot be counted. Its king cannot be seen. Its fortress is a faithful heart. There, perhaps, the frightened and broken are not dismissed so easily.

And there's another country I've heard of long ago,
most dear to them that love her, most great to them that know;

There, perhaps, the trembling soldier who could endure no more stands beside those who died charging machine guns and those lost at sea and those buried beneath fields of crosses. Not because his suffering was greater. Not because his failure was erased. But because mercy sees what judgement sometimes cannot.

The rain eased. Sunlight touched the memorial stone. Names gleamed briefly before the clouds closed once more. Among them there remained an absence There was a space among the names, an empty place where a name should have been, a name never spoken. Only the eye of faith could see that hidden scar.

A recording angel is a story for children. But sometimes we are told to become as little children, because that is a path of wisdom. And so let us see this recording angel, in a land of shining clouds and mists, and the angel was ready. Beyond the bounds of this scarred world, on a scroll so long that no one could ever count the names upon it, as the soldier fell beneath the bullets, an inscription had been made. 

The soldier had not been forgotten. Far beyond human records and human condemnation, the forgotten soldier whose name was never carved was already written there..

In the sight of God he was not a deserter, not a coward. He was always and would always be “Simply: Known Unto God.” The inscription on so many gravestones of the fallen.

Wars would not have the final word. The country of God would welcome him in, for in that country her ways are ways of gentleness and all her paths are peace.

Mourners in the Rain

Mourners in the Rain

Mourners are standing in the rain
For poppy wreaths and fallen plight
Those brave young men came to fight
Fell in muddy fields of dread and pain

War horse with a blood soaked mane
And unmarked graves so out of sight
Mourners are standing in the rain
For poppy wreaths and fallen plight

Outside the church, down the lane
Memorial marks that darkest night
We gather here, in a solemn sight
Wars will come, and wars will wane
Mourners are standing in the rain

1986 - 40 years ago - November Part 1

1986 - 40 years ago - November Part 1

3-9 November

PLANS for the new golf course above Beau Port are thrown into doubt once more when Senator Dick Shenton announces that he intends to see that the issue is re-debated by the States. Meanwhile, it is claimed that use of the Beau Port land for the golf course would jeopardise a £1/4 million potato contract.




Labour MPs George Foulkes and Alf Dubs recommend that the Channel Islands' constitutional relationship with the UK should be the subject of a House of Commons Select Committee on Home Affairs inquiry.

Nurses throughout the Island's hospital system refuse to use the cook-chill food preparation method because they say that their union was never consulted about its introduction.

The inquest into the death of the 19-year¬old Glaswegian girl who died in October when she was the victim of an alleged hit-and-run accident reveals that she had drunk the equivalent of almost 10f1. oz. of spirits.

The Jersey Farmers (Trading) Union warns that it may have to halve its business and lose half its 18-strong workforce if it is unable to find new premises.




The Bailiff, Mr Peter Crill, decides to examine the administration of the Police Court following the resignation of the Magistrate, Mr Bob Day, because of the Court's "inefficiency".

The Solicitor-General, Mr T. C. Sowden, reveals that a major investigation into the way in which drugs are prescribed in the Island is underway because of "shortcomings" in the system.

10-16 November

THE States Police take the unprecedented step of offering an amnesty to people who admit minor drugs offences. The amnesty is linked to a new anti-drugs campaign.

Postman Mr Frank Burgess and another man, Mr Gus McInnes, rescue a two-year-old boy when fire breaks out at 2 Daisy Villas, Lewis Street, St Helier.

Although the States committee set up to investigate a defence contribution to the UK Government still favours the minesweeper unit offer, the possibility of an additional Jersey volunteer defence force is proposed by Defence Committee president Senator John Ellis.

 

John Nettles, the star of BBC television's "Bergerac" series, is a hit in real life as well as on the screen in Australia. His travels Down Under are part of Jersey Tourism's presence at a major international travel conference.

It is suggested that d'Hautree School is to close because of falling rolls. Education president Deputy Philip Mourant confirms that "changes are being considered".

 

Another major row surfaces in the Parish of St Brelade. The Constable, Mr Len Downer, comes under fire for failing to report back to parishioners on matters raised four months previously.

The joint venture between Sealink and Channel Island Ferries is threatened when writs are exchanged over alleged breaches of agreements made when the decision to cooperate was taken.

Guernsey in 1974 – Part 7

Guernsey in 1974 – Part 7

This is an extract from Peter Haining’s guide book of 1974, which is as much interest today for the historian as to the tourist, as many of the places and industries described in his book have long vanished. Please do not take it as a current guide.

Bays for bathing – Part 3

Perelle Bay: Perelle is a small, rocky bay which has its natural beauty somewhat marred by the large number of greenhouses which almost creep onto the beach. At the back is a huge £400,000 reservoir which was created by “drowning” a small valley of 7 farmhouses and 600 trees and now supplies Guernsey’s water. As the visitor walks along the bay towards the south he will pass a tiny islet with the remains of an ancient stone building on it. This is Lihou and the ruins are the ruins of a priory. Immediately inland from here perched beside the road is the Dolmen grave of le Catioroc. It was here, say local legends, that Guernsey witches would gather to hold their sabbats. There are other prehistoric remains at Perelle including a 10-foot menhir, Le Crocg, which is worth visiting for its unusual shape. The modern world, however, is represented by the Atlantic Hotel with its strange V-shaped windows. Here, overlooking the bay, an excellent meal from the varied menu can be enjoyed.

 This is highly indicative of mid-to-late 20th-century Guernsey. During the peak of the island’s "Growing Industry" (the tomato and flower boom), vast fields of industrial glass greenhouses (vineries) were erected right up to the coastal roads. While many have since been demolished or left derelict as economic focus shifted to finance, remnants of these structures still dot the landscape around Perelle.

In 1974, Guernsey did indeed have its own Atlantic Hotel located right on the west coast overlooking Perelle Bay. The distinctive building featured a bold, mid-century design with striking V-shaped (or zig-zagged) windows angled out toward the sea to maximize the coastal views and spectacular west-coast sunsets. Decades later, the property underwent substantial changes, was completely refurbished, and today operates as the popular Driftwood Inn.

Vazon Bay: Vazon is considered by many to be the most popular of Guernsey’s bays—certainly its wide sweep of sand, good bathing facilities and excellent sun record lend weight to this claim. It is here at regular intervals that sand racing is held; a motor sport which can be very exciting. Surfing is also: possible when the conditions are right. Fort Houmet (now known as Fort Hommet) at the northern end of the bay was built in the 19th Century, but during the German Occupation was spoiled by the addition of new concrete fortifications. On this same headland there is a cave, Le Creux des Fees, which according to local stories is yet another of the island’s many “entrances to Fairyland’. The bay is well provided with facilities including a restaurant. The Golden Sands which has a particularly attractive goldfish pond decorated with ormer shells. There is also a beach shop, and deck chairs and floats can be hired.

There is a significant geographical mix-up. Le Creux ès Faies (The Fairies' Cave) is a beautifully preserved Neolithic passage grave dating to around 3,000–2,500 BC. However, it is not located at Fort Hommet or Vazon Bay. It sits roughly 5.5 kilometres further south along the coast on the L'Erée headland (overlooking Lihou Island) in the parish of St. Pierre du Bois. Channel Island folklore does indeed claim it was a portal to the subterranean kingdom of the fairies, who would emerge at night to dance on the headlands

In the 1960s and 1970s, The Golden Sands was a well-known local venue situated right on Vazon Bay. Decorating features with the iridescent, pearlescent shells of the ormer (the prized local sea snail) was a popular traditional Guernsey craft. While the name has long since faded from the modern landscape—the site was later known as Perry Nook and today operates as the family-friendly restaurant Crabby Jacks—the building remains an iconic Vazon fixture.

While Vazon Bay is well-served today by modern facilities—including public toilets, large car parks, kiosks, and surf hire facilities—the old-fashioned beach-shop rental of commercial deck chairs and inflatable swim floats has vanished. Modern visitors generally rely on the local surf school for technical gear hire or bring their own beach setups.

Cobo: There is plenty of sand and beach space between the rocks in this bay, with bathing at all times except in a restricted area which is clearly marked. Part of Cobo is actually another little bay, Albecq, which is separated by a dramatic golden-brown rock formation. If the visitor looks closely, he will be able to spot the rock which has been aptly named “Lion Rock’’. At the other end of the bay is Grandes Rocques, a massive, rugged stretch of rocks which provide ideal scrambling for small boys and can be utilised as diving stages. For the less adventurous there is plenty of sand as the tide retreats. They bay is particularly well equipped with tea rooms and restaurants. For the beachcombers, Cobo provides many little pools at low tide where sea anemones, sponges and corallines can be found.

Port Soif, Portinfer, Port Grat: Three small bays which can be recommended for those seeking solitude—but Port Soif is the only one with a really extensive area of sand. This bay is, best at high tide when the rocks provide opportunities for diving. It is possible to surf at Portinfer when the tide is low, but bathing of any kind is not advisable here when the sea starts to recede. Port Grat has interesting pools for children at low tide. Facilities for refreshments are not very plentiful and a picnic is often the best answer.

This is exceptionally sharp advice that matches modern safety guidelines. Portinfer is recognized as one of Guernsey's most prominent, punchy reef/beach surf breaks. However, the bay is choked with sharp, unforgiving rocks. Surfing and swimming at low tide or on a rapidly receding ebbing tide is highly discouraged for casual beachgoers due to the exposure of these jagged rocks and strong, deceptive undercurrents.

This was highly accurate for the era the text was written and remains fair advice today, though amenities have improved slightly. Port Grat still has no commercial kiosks on its actual shore (the nearest public toilets and snacks are around the headland at Rousse). Portinfer is also wild and undeveloped. However, Port Soif now features a well-established beach kiosk (Surfside at Port Soif) and public toilet blocks, meaning visitors no longer have to completely rely on a picnic packed from home.

Grand Havre: Grand Havre is carved out of the coastline of Guernsey like a huge U and can satisfy practically every wish of the holidaymaker. There are large areas of sand where bathing is safe and the small harbour provides good fishing facilities. Here, if you’re lucky, you will see the local fishermen setting out with their lobster pots, or returning with the catch, which soon finds its way into the nearby restaurants. For the holidaymaker who is not happy until he has seen some ancient remains, Grand Havre has much to offer in the way of dolmens and menhirs. There are also wide expanses of open land for the hiker, and it is said that the air in the Clos du Valle is the most bracing on Guernsey. Adjoining Grand Havre is the attractive sandy beach at Pembroke which is good for bathing and has all the usual facilities for refreshment and the hiring of deck chairs and floats.

Le Clos du Valle is the northern peninsula of the island. Historically, it was a separate tidal island cut off from the rest of Guernsey by a salt marsh channel known as the Braye du Valle. In 1806, the British government drained and dammed the channel for military defense, permanently connecting the two landmasses. The area features ancient megalithic remains (such as the nearby Les Fouaillages and Dehus Dolmen), and being a flat, exposed northern headland, it has traditionally been celebrated in local lore for its fresh, "bracing" maritime air.

Geographically, Pembroke Bay curves around the northernmost tip of the island, right next to Grand Havre. It is widely considered one of Guernsey’s finest expanses of white sand. Refreshment facilities are excellent today, featuring The Beach House cafe and the Pembroke Slipway Kiosk. However, traditional beach hire for vintage canvas deck chairs and inflatable rubber floats has changed. Instead, modern visitors can hire active watersports gear like kayaks and stand-up paddleboards through local providers like Outdoor Guernsey

L’Ancresse Bay: Like its neighbour, Grand Havre, L’Ancresse has much to offer all the family. On the sandy common just behind the bay is an 18-hole golf course for father, while mother and the children can settle down on the large sandy beach for a day of sun-bathing or swimming. There is a most attractive little anchorage which has been created by the piling up of stone and this is much used by small pleasure craft. The best restaurant here is at the Pembroke Hotel which apart from supplying meals at a reasonable price (it even has an extensive wine list) also has a “Ply Park” with swings and slides for the very young and a nine-hole crazy golf course for their elder brothers and sisters. It is also worth crossing the road from here to see the aviary full of tropical birds which is situated in the grounds of L’Ancresse Lodge Hotel. L’Ancresse Bay was, by tradition, the place where Duke Robert (father of William Conqueror) first introduced the famous Guernsey breed of cattle to the island. Whether this story is true or not, the cattle can still be seen today grazing on the common.

This is an excellent piece of mid-to-late 20th-century nostalgia. Decades ago, the Pembroke Hotel stood near the beach and served as a major social hub for families, complete with an outdoor play area and a miniature crazy golf course. Today, the hotel no longer exists in that form; the beachfront footprint is anchored by modern eateries like The Beach House restaurant and kiosk. For family crazy golf today, visitors head inland to locations like Oatlands Village.

This perfectly dates the text to the peak of Guernsey's post-war tourism boom. In the 1960s and 1970s, L'Ancresse Lodge (later operating as the L'Ancresse Bay Hotel) was a highly popular resort hotel that drew visitors with unique features like its exotic bird aviary and regular ballroom dances. The hotel eventually closed its doors, and the building was successfully converted into private residential apartments (renamed L'Ancresse Lodge apartments). The tropical aviary is long gone.

Bordeaux: There is a lot about this bay which is as French as its name. The harbour is small and picturesque and it is here that the visitor will find the Guernsey fisherman in his most natural environment and at his ease. Bordeaux’s great claim to fame lies in its connection with the island’s famous exiled French author, Victor Hugo. For it is the setting of much of his great work, The Toilers of the Sea. If you have read the book, the words become doubly alive after spending an hour or two in the bay. Just a few yards off the shore is a tiny islet, Houmet Paradis, which can be reached at low tide and is a delightful spot to sit and contemplate the beauty of the coastline. The road from Bordeaux to St. Sampson is particularly attractive and on the way passes yet another old 18th Century fortress, Vale Castle. The rocky pools which are left by the tide in this area, incidentally, are worth studying for the rare zoophyte specimens which can be found in them.

Geographically exact. Houmet Paradis sits just off the coast of Bordeaux and is fully accessible on foot via the seabed at low tide. However, modern travelers need to know that it is now a protected nature reserve under the stewardship of The National Trust of Guernsey. To protect ground-nesting birds, landing on the islet is strictly prohibited between April and July each year.

This is historically inaccurate. While the road itself does connect the two areas and pass Vale Castle, the castle is far older than the 18th century. Archaeological evidence traces the site back to an Iron Age hillfort (500–600 BC), and the stone medieval castle structure seen today was built between 1370 and 1400.

L’Eree: There are several quite extensive areas of sand in this sheltered area which is suitable for bathing at any time of the day.' From the headland is a causeway which leads to Lihou Island, ““The Holy Island”’, which is mentioned in a special section of its own. The most impressive sight here is Fort Saumarez, a low, compact fortress which nestles on a slight hill. The fort is named after Lord de Saumarez, an Admiral in the British Navy, who established a record in naval history: he fought a battle in sight of his own home. The engagement, against the French, took place not far from the fort and because of Lord de Saumarez’s knowledge of the treacherous, rocky water, ended in an English victory. During the occupation the Germans strengthened the fort considerably, turning the tower into a look-out point and honeycombing the ground with tunnels. These are still visible today and the tower can be climbed. The area is particularly rich in history— not far from the fort, for instance, is a large flat area of land where an aerodrome was going to be established before the war. There are also, on the dunes which separate this area from the sea, the ruins of a plant which was built at the beginning of this century to try and extract gold from sea water. The cottages which stand not far away from here were believed to have been a witches ‘colony many years ago, and the few tenants who still live in them delight in telling blood-curdling stories, mostly pure imagination, to gullible visitors!

Structurally accurate, but modern access rules have changed. Between 1940 and 1945, German forces heavily fortified the headland, constructing a massive, four-story concrete Marine Peilstand (artillery observation tower) right on top of the old British stone structure. Concrete bunkers and trenches still surround the base. However, for safety and structural preservation, the interior of the concrete tower is locked to the public and cannot be climbed on a standard visit, though the exterior remains an imposing landmark.

The Clerical Class Sketch

The Clerical Class Sketch

(Three figures stand side-by-side in a row. Archbishop is tall, aristocratic, wearing elaborate, immaculate vestments. Vicar is of average height, wearing a crisp, sensible cassock. Working-Class Professional/Safeguarding Advisor is shorter, wearing sharp, modern corporate-wear and holding a clipboard.)

Archbishop: (Looking straight ahead, then peering down his nose) I look down on them because I have an ancient pedigree, institutional power, and a direct line to God. I am leadership.

Vicar: (Looking up at the Archbishop) I look up to him because he represents the hierarchy and holds my career progression in his hands. (Turns to look down at the Advisor) But I look down on her because she lacks an Oxbridge divinity degree and doesn’t understand the unwritten social etiquette of the diocese. I am the institution.

Advisor: (Looking directly at the camera, completely deadpan) I know my place. I am the professional advisor.

Archbishop: I have a staggering sense of entitlement, but I call it "moral authority." Sometimes I tolerate her because it looks good for our public relations.

Vicar: I am deeply uncomfortable with her presence, but I mask it behind a veneer of pastoral gentleness. I treat her professional challenge as "insubordination" and her straightforwardness as "aggression."

Advisor: I am welcome at the table, provided I remain suitably grateful for the food parcel and never actually question their decisions.

Archbishop: I get a profound feeling of spiritual and social superiority over them both.

Vicar: I get a feeling of nervous deference from him, but a reassuring feeling of superiority over her.

Advisor: (Cranes her neck up, looking at both of them) I get told I have a working-class chip on my shoulder.