Marian returns from the land of dead grass to see her greener roots

FOR the first time in 60 years Marian Cullum has returned to visit the island where she was born and raised.

Mrs Cullum and husband Stan, both 79, now live in Atherton, Queensland, in Australia, where she has lived since emigrating in 1949 with her mother and brother when she was only 19.

'I wanted to come back home once more before I died,' she said.

She has since had five children, numerous grandchildren and acquired an authentic Australian accent.

'At the time I didn't want to leave,' she said. 'What did I want to go the whole way around the world for? But now I love it, I don't think I'd ever move back.'

Mrs Cullum was born Marian Brouard in St Peter Port in 1930 in a hospital, which, to her surprise, has since become a police station. As a child she lived in the Notre Dame convent for six years and attended the school, which she planned to revisit.

'The nuns were very kind to me. I was the only child there – I couldn't live with my mother because she worked until 10 every night.'

Her mother owned a knick-knack shop on the corner of Vauvert and Victoria Road.

Mrs Cullum was evacuated with the school in 1940, moving first to Bury outside Manchester then two years later moved to Weybridge in Surrey. She returned in 1946 and worked in the office at Ruette Braye Motors, where they sold Morrises.

'I took a picture outside with a Morris Oxford, as I never thought I'd own a car myself.'

She said the biggest difference she had noticed from 1949 were the thousands of cars now in the island.

'When I left you might have seen one every half-hour, now they're everywhere. I had also forgotten how small the lanes are.'

Her Australian-born husband, visiting Guernsey for the first time, agreed.

He said he was having difficulty with the French road names and the often erratic driving of islanders.

His overall impression, though, was positive.

'If I were younger I'd like to live here – it's the greenery and the beauty of the place.

'Back home it's all dead grass and gum trees. I do miss the blue skies and sunshine though – I could never live in mainland England, the weather's terrible.'

Mr Cullum said his wife's three most vivid memories of the island were the skating rink at St George's Hall, which doubled up as a dance floor on weekends, the Hotel Beaulieu – now the Carlton – in St Martin's and Jazz's Bar (Taylor's/Chaud Lapin) in the Commercial Arcade. Her favourite beaches were Vazon and Fermain.

Mrs Cullum is eager to meet any old friends who remember her from their youth, particularly Kenny Johnson, Jean-Louis Guillou and her colleague from Ruette Braye Motors, 'Babe' Bougourd.

The Cullums are staying at Green Acres Hotel for one more week.