Le Viaer Marchi cancelled in its diamond anniversary year

And National Trust sites are being closed as the charity copes with the coronavirus crisis.

The flagship event, which celebrates traditional Guernsey crafts and culture, was due to take place at Saumarez Park on Monday 6 July.

But president Tony Spruce said they had to cancel. ‘We reached a point where we had to decide whether we could or couldn’t do it, as it takes months to prepare an event like this,’ he said.

If they had not taken the decision now they would have started to spend money on the event and stallholders would also have been investing in stock and planning. The event normally attracts up to 6,000 people and is particularly popular with older islanders.

‘We are thinking of doing something smaller later in the year or something even bigger and better next year,’ Mr Spruce said.

‘It is particularly hard as this was our diamond year – 60 years. We had a whole series of things planned.’

The Folk and Costume Museum at Saumarez Park is also closed. It would normally provide important revenue for the trust, through its shop, visitors and tours. The Cornet Street shop was already closed for some essential work and Mr Spruce noted that, with the cancellation of cruise ships and the closure of Victor Hugo’s house due to the crisis, there would have been little passing trade.

Les Caches Farm started being used for wedding blessings last year and this was meant to be the site’s first proper year. However, all the events have been cancelled due to concerns about large gatherings. The public is still allowed to use the site’s picnic benches however, which might prove popular as people are encouraged to go outside and enjoy nature.

‘It’s a bit of a disaster for us,’ Mr Spruce said. ‘It will be a big hit, as the Viaer Marchi is an important source of revenue for us.’

The Fermain loophole tower, which the trust had refurbished and was letting out, has also had to close due to cleaning staff being unavailable.