Guernsey urged to ‘Decorate Your Place’ for Island Games

Organising committee volunteers are finalising details for the Games and islanders are being encouraged to decorate their place to celebrate the festival of sport.

‘After a difficult few years, the Island Games will put a smile back on people’s faces and we’d love to see more flags flying than ever before,’ said communication and events co-ordinator Amanda Hibbs.

‘We’re calling on Guernsey residents to help us make the Games magical, and we’re hoping that the whole community will get behind this effort.’

Local athletes have said how much it means to them to be competing on home soil, and they cannot wait to see the flags flying.

They have suggested keeping up Liberation Day flags and bunting to make the island bright and colourful.

Avid crocheter Tamara O’Brien has built up a reputation for her crotched postbox toppers. She has already embraced the spirit by making a postbox topper for each sport.

‘I’ve had this planned for about a year. I wanted to include every sport so I have been making 14 toppers, which will be put out all around St Peter Port, Envoy House and the airport,’ she said.

‘Each one will feature a different sport on it and things that they use in the sport.

‘This is my hobby that has taken over my life.’

All postboxes have to be measured due to varying sizes and shapes, and each topper takes several weeks to make. The postbox topper outside the Town Church has an athletics theme, and includes the items that are used in the sport, such as hurdles, shot put and javelin props, as well as mascot Jet the Puffin.

It has been sponsored by the family of the late Owen Le Vallee MBE, who was the driving force behind the second-ever Island Games, which was hosted by Guernsey in 1987.

‘Be as colourful and creative as you like, have fun, wave flags from balconies, hang them from windows, adorn your garden, you could even festoon your shed,’ said Mrs Hibbs.

‘People may be poised to paint the island green, but you could also choose flags from some of the visiting islands, from Greenland to the Falkland Islands, the choice is yours.’

This weekend’s Youth Games and upcoming school sports days will be Island Games-themed.