Alderney is Duncan's 'world's edge'

ALDERNEY has benefited from extensive media coverage so far this year.After BBC show Countryfile featured spectacular footage of Longis Bay and the waters around Burhou in January, the island has been included in various national press articles.

A piece in the Daily Mail assessed the island's property market in January, while former Conservative MP Matthew Parris detailed a visit to Fort Clonque in his Times column last month.

Meanwhile, Olympic gold medallist Duncan Goodhew contributed an article to Country Living which detailed his regular summer holidays in the island. The piece appeared in the January edition and featured a beautiful photograph of Fort Corblets.

Duncan wrote: 'I start every day on our annual family break in Alderney with a swim before breakfast - the water's fantastically cold and the stretches of sandy beach spectacular. I've been going to the island since I was born. And now my children, Tor and Will, have holidayed there every year of their lives too.

'We spend a month in Alderney each summer - it's great to have that continuity. I call it emotional equity - as soon as I arrive, I have a sense of security and contentment. At the same time, it can make you feel as if you're on the edge of the world.'

Duncan went on to detail his family links with the island.

'Our association with Alderney goes back a long way. My mother met my father there. He was sailing around the coastline at the time and her parents owned a hotel where she was working for the summer. As a wedding present, my grandparents gave mum and dad a little house - actually, a pretty extraordinary cottage.

'From the top of the house, my brothers - Giles, Rupert, John and Neville - and I would look out of the window onto the harbour, which has a breakwater stretching out for three-quarters of a mile. It was often entirely submerged by a ferocious sea in winter. We could spot the magnificent Fort Albert on the right and there was a half-destroyed bridge over a gorge. As if that wasn't enough excitement for five boys, there were all the German bunkers to play in too.'

States marketing manager Joanna Parmentier welcomed the piece.

She said: 'Duncan Goodhew's article was very complimentary and describes the island as idyllic. Duncan is a fantastic ambassador for the island and needless to say there was a noticeable increase in hits on the VisitAlderney website immediately after the article was published.'

As well as coverage in Country Living, the island was featured on the front cover of the Good Travel Guide. A photo taken by Helene Matthews, whose father, Malcolm, lives in the island, was used by the magazine - and it's exactly the same shot as was used on the front cover of Alderney's latest tourist brochure.

Joanna added: 'The Good Travel Guide is not only circulated to a readership of 150,000, but is also distributed for free at travel shows in London and Birmingham.

'In terms of value to Alderney, this type of exposure in financial terms would be very costly. The fact the publication loved our front cover enough to feature it on the front of their magazine speaks volumes for the photographer, Helene Matthews, and is a credit to our tourist brochure and VisitAlderney. Also the fact that the cover was complemented by an article within the magazine and that the shelf life of the publication is three months adds even more value.'

And the positive publicity looks set to continue, with further TV coverage in the coming months.

Joanna said: 'Miranda Krestovnikoff, a presenter on The One Show and regular visitor to Alderney, said she would like to follow up the Countryfile programme.

'Also, a team from Alderney recently took part in Eggheads. All the team members worked hard at promoting the island and it is hoped the show will be aired soon.'