St Saviour’s Church is decorated for tea party

As community members and care home residents walked through the door, red poppies and the names of war veterans from the parish were spread throughout the church.

Diana Arundale, a volunteer with the church, coordinated a team of 12 women to complete the task.

On each of the window sills, crosses were placed in remembrance of the St Saviour’s residents who gave their life in the two world wars with a brief description of their lives.

The Dean, the Very Rev. Tim Barker, said it was impossible not to be moved by the memories of what it must have been like for those who left the beautiful island of Guernsey to go into the horrors of the world wars.

‘We cannot forget our history, or we are in danger or making the same mistakes in the future,’ he said.

Bailiff Richard McMahon said the annual Armistice Day tea party was important because many of the community members attending had a first-hand connection to the wars.

‘It’s an important day to remember those who fought for our freedoms, and it’s a nice community event to celebrate and commemorate the lives lost in war,’ he said.

Henry Le Noury, 98, came with residents from Maison de Beauvoir. He lived on Braye Road during the Occupation. He recalled memories from the era, and could even remember a few words of German that he picked up from occupying soldiers.

‘Everyone generally got on well with the soldiers,’ he said.

In particular, he recalled one fuzzy memory of the Germans allowing Guernsey residents to sing carols outside St Paul’s Church one Christmas.