Seafront Sunday ‘brings Town to life’

Various stalls and entertainment lined the roads from The Quay to North Esplanade and there were also activities on the Crown Pier.

Yesterday’s lead was taken by the GSPCA, with Taste Guernsey, the Arts Commission, and Motorsports lined up to have their turns at various times on six more dates between now and 1 September.

Wellbeing Animals Guernsey had its first presence at a Seafront Sunday yesterday. The pet therapy charity was launched in January last year.

Chairwoman Marguerite Talmage said there had been a lot of interest.

‘We take our dogs to care and residential homes, day centres, and most wards at the Princess Elizabeth Hospital,’ she said.

‘Several people have been interested in signing their dogs up and people from several establishments have said they would be interested in having visits from us.’

Dogs have to undergo a test of about 30 minutes to make sure that they do not react to sudden noises and are happy to be stroked and handled.

Senior finance administrator Sharon McHenry visits Maison de Beauvoir Care Home with her French bulldog, Bella, while her partner, Ashley Smith, takes their other dog, Poppet aka Pops, to Brock Ward at the PEH.

‘It’s all about the wellbeing of the people we visit,’ she said. ‘Some people will have had pets until they went into care and they get so much from them.

‘The persona of someone can change when they see the dog and it enables owners to interact with people. My partner said that a person who lives with dementia smiled for the first time in ages and started talking when the dog was put on their lap.’

Passengers from the Crown Princess cruise liner which anchored in the Little Russel yesterday mingled between attractions with the local folk.

Chief ambulance officer Mark Mapp, 45, and son Harry, 11, were among those enjoying the day.

‘Seafront Sunday brings the Town to life,’ he said. ‘I think it’s wonderful, especially when the cruise ships are in and the place just thrives.’