All ages keen to exhibit in the Eisteddfod

Guernsey Eisteddfod Society committee members hosted a sign- up event at the Grammar School on Saturday, and were also ready to refund fees paid for the music and speech and drama sessions which were cancelled due to lockdown earlier this year.

Janet De Jersey, shorthand and typing executive, said it had been steady for entries.

‘You would not believe the range of ages that have come in today,’ she said.

‘I’ve seen young ones right up to people in their 90s.’

Needlework executive Margaret Girard had received 62 entries within 90 minutes.

‘I’d like to go way over the 100 mark to show what the island can do,’ Miss Girard said.

‘Needlework is a pick-up thing with a big range of mediums, there are so many people doing it on the island. Hopefully those that have done it for a long time will pass their skills onto the younger ones. There are a few people I know who I’ve had to say their work is good enough to enter.’

Nick Domaille was entering his creations.

‘I made a coffee table, floating stand, a carving of a wood spirit and I made some table lamps out of a fire extinguisher and a glass head,’ he said.

‘I picked up the glass head from a jumble sale and had a bright idea to put a bulb in it. I put a little sun hat on it as a lamp shade.’

Photography entries were slower than usual.

‘It may be because people haven’t been on holiday, it has stifled enthusiasm,’ said Chris Tostevin-Hall, Spectrum Guernsey president.

‘I always take my camera everywhere with me on holiday. You can do the same here but normal life tends to get in the way.’

Robin Millard, president of the Guernsey Photographic Club for 37 years and Eisteddfod photography executive, said: ‘I think there are so many opportunities to take photos on the island. If people are really keen photographers, there is so much here with Alderney, Herm and Sark too.’

Entry refunds were available but not many bothered

REFUNDS were offered for those who had entered the music and speech and drama classes, which were cancelled earlier this year, but early indications yesterday were that many people intended to leave them as donations for the society.

School and group entries had already been refunded.

Music executive Katherine Wegerer said that many helpers were on hand to refund entry fees, but demand had been low.

‘Anything not refunded goes to pay Beau Sejour. We gave it plenty of advertisement, so I’m not sure if people are unaware we’re doing it or if people are being altruistic.’

English, speech and drama executive Shaun Winterflood agreed it had been quiet.

‘There are lots of small amounts to be refunded so it could be that they wish to donate it. We have 73 entry fees to refund in speech and drama which are just individual entries, that doesn’t include schools, and there are 94 in modern languages.’

Chairman Alan Brown hoped the cancellations would generate extra interest in next year’s festival.

‘Some people have come in and rebooked for next year. Fingers crossed it all goes well and goes ahead as normal.’

General secretary Barbara Minta added: ‘Next year hopefully we’ll be able to have our 100th-year celebrations.’