Guernsey

On Tuesday 5th September I started my holiday to Guernsey in the Channel Islands. I had wanted to visit there because my grandma was from Guernsey and I also wanted to visit the small nearby Isle of Sark. I wanted to visit Sark because a book that I really like is set there (what a geek!).

I flew from Southampton to Guernsey and the first thing worth mentioning is the restrictions on hand luggage that I had to deal with – no liquids or cosmetics of any sort (so no lip balm) and size restrictions. They were happy to check in any extra luggage you had though so no worries there. I also had an empty water bottle which I wanted to take with me and at the ticket desk and the first gate they said it would be fine but at the security checkpoint they took it off me and threw it away. If I’d known I would’ve put it in my check-in luggage!! This probably sounds really petty and stupid but it was a bit annoying.

Anyway, arrived in Guernsey and got a taxi to the camping ground I was staying at. The office was closed and it was already getting a bit dark so I found a site, pitched my borrowed tent and boiled some water on my borrowed cooker for pot noodle dinner. Thanks lenders!

Day two started with a walk to the nearest bus stop which was about 15 minutes away and near an ‘attraction’ called the Little Chapel, which I never actually managed to visit close up! I took a picture of it from across the valley though…

Got the bus into the main town of St Peter Port and bought some groceries (woohoo!) and then caught the bus to go right around the outside of the island. The buses have a flat fare of 50p so it was definitely worthwhile and a good way to get my bearings. The round trip took about 1hr 45min but I got off about three quarters of the way round to go for a walk. The south coast of Guernsey has amazing cliffs and there is a walkway that goes all the way along the cliff tops from St Peter Port to the south-western corner of the island. It was an absolutely gorgeous day so I spent The rest of it walking along this path, although I did get a bit disoriented at one point near the start and had to scramble back up the cliff through gorse :-I

The first fort I saw on my walk!



























An example of the really cool coastline.













And a not-very-good picture of me, but I had to prove I was actually there!

Guernsey has lots of forts and lookout posts along its coasts from World War II because it was occupied by the Germans from 1940 to 1945 and they constructed a lot of fortifications around the island. I saw these on my walk and there was one spot where a cannon (not sure if this is what you call it) had been restored and put into the pit like it would’ve been during the war – that’s a bad explanation so here’s some pictures… You could walk into the pit through a trench dug into the ground. I was actually a bit nervous although I had no reason to be! It was very surreal.























































There were also some lookout posts that you could walk into that were very dark so I didn’t venture far. All in all it was a really nice way to spend the day, topped off with simple pasta and sauce for dinner back at the campsite. Yum! I actually missed cooking for myself when I was at Little Canada! Possibly partly because the food there wasn’t brilliant… (that’s actually a compliment)

I was lucky enough to be in Guernsey for the Battle of Britain air display, which is one of the only ones that you don’t have to pay an entry fee for. SO I watched that and took some pictures but there are some really good ones here, especially the ones of the Red Arrows, who are the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team.

After the display I went to the Guernsey Museum which had a bit about the history of Guernsey and an exhibition about one of Guernsey’s most famous people.

The view out over the harbour from the museum garden.












Castle Cornet at St Peter Port, which I didn't actually manage to visit












On Friday I went to Sark, which was the absolute highlight of the trip so I will write a blog entry about that day all on its own :-)


The view of St Peter Port from the boat on the way to Sark. The building with four towers is part of Elizabeth College, the boys high school.




Saturday was the day that I left but not until the evening so I filled my day with going to the Occupation Museum and Lihou Island. The occupation museum was all the about the time when the Channel Islands were occupied by the Germans in WWII and what life was like. There is a lot of equipment and clothing and things like that from the war and even a tractor that a man made out of bits and pieces and used up until about 20 years ago! There were also stories from locals and from Germans who have been back to visit since about their lives at that time, and a street scene set up as it would have looked then.

Lihou Island is off the western coast of Guernsey and there is a causeway exposed at low tide that you can walk across. It’s quite small and there’s just one house on it, which was being renovated when I went there. There are also the remains of an old priory which was apparently used as target practice by the Germans during the war.

After that I had to go back to the campsite and pack up and head back to the Isle of Wight ready for work the next day. It was a really good break though and I definitely needed the time away so I didn’t go crazy!

Reunion

The last day of the season was Friday November 10 and the next night was the reunion which is held every year. Anyone that has worked at Little Canada during the season can come back for the night. It was a really good night! There were awards early on, a finger buffet dinner and a band and music till 3am. Good times...

(if you want me to name everyone/anyone in these photos let me know but I figured it wouldn't mean much and if you were there then you'll know them anyway!)

 

 

 

Halloween Party!

On Sunday 29 October there were no kids on centre so the manager organised a Halloween party and we also had some fireworks since it was pretty close to Guy Fawkes night. The fireworks were a bit of a disaster but the party was really fun! Pics to prove it...

Girls in the caravan before the main event



























Gimps... don't ask













People on the pool table

Woody and Tim













The ever non-PC, Dave the suicide bomber


















Hollie and Matt













The eeevil surgeon

Flour everywhere!! There was a game earlier involving flour and of course it just got spread around...











Dave and the gimps













Pumpkin :-)













Unfit for work...

Poison Ivy/woodland pixie (that's me) and Verity the spider












Rob and Hollie


















A penguin and a two-headed monster













Hannah and Vicky with a witch. Oooo