Douzaines delighted that nine months of planning paid off
HUNDREDS of islanders flocked to L’Islet to take advantage of the sun and get involved in the celebratory spirit of the Jubilee Jamboree.
Organised jointly by the Vale and St Sampson’s douzaines, L’Islet Common featured live music, dancers, stalls and games, all engulfed in Guernsey and Union flags.
‘It’s buzzing, absolutely buzzing, and it has excelled all of our thoughts and expectations,’ said St Sampson’s douzenier Kim Abbotts.
‘The weather couldn’t have been better and so many people have showed up, it’s unbelievable.’
The event, which took nine months of planning, showed the island’s patriotism through plenty of merchandise of the Queen, including custom T-shirts, fun outfits and face paint.
All bouncy castles and most children’s activities were free of charge, as Mrs Abbotts explained that the douzaines wanted islanders to have a day out to celebrate the Jubilee without having to spend lots of money.
The Waters family were at the event, and girls Amelie, 10, enjoyed a game of ‘poo in the loo’, where participants attempted to throw a brown rope into some toilets. Meanwhile, Charlotte, 9, decorated a model of the Queen and tried to base the outfit off of the one the Queen wore for her celebration the previous day.
‘It’s such a good turnout here and it’s clear they’ve put a lot of effort into preparing for this,’ said mum Sara.
‘It’s nice to see people having a good time in crowds again after Covid.’
John Bichard, of the Guernsey Classic Vehicle Club, said that it had been very popular with people who wanted to chat about the classic cars on display.
‘People have been really enthusiastic about the cars and a lot have been sharing and exchanging anecdotes,’ he said.
‘We have cars from different periods throughout the Queen’s reign, and we loving coming to events like this to show them off.’
The festivities on the common ran throughout the day, and several people said that the event had made them excited to celebrate for the rest of the weekend.
