‘One way or another we will be ready for summer’ - Lihou warden
Lihou is in a race against time and tide to be ready for the summer season.
Six months to the day since Storm Ciaran ripped across Rocquaine Bay and battered the islet, removing part of the house’s roof, causing damage to electrical systems as well as plaster and paintwork, repairs are still being done.
The house, which is equipped as a residential hostel and used by schools and private groups, has been empty since the storm hit, but is due to reopen to guests on 1 June.
‘We have 28 kids booked in so everything has to be done, and after that we are full of school bookings for weeks,’ said Steve Sarre, the warden of Lihou House. ‘It’s good to have a deadline to work to, but this is a bit scary.’
Roofers completed work last week and a window that popped out has been replaced.
The house’s electrical system has now been repaired, meaning the whole house finally has light and power, and water can be accessed from a bore hole.
Most of the work remaining is to the water-damaged interior.
As any islander knows, getting any building work done can be difficult, but throw in the added complication of a structure that can only be accessed by tractor at the lowest tides, and is often cut off for more than a week, and it becomes apparent what a logistical nightmare repairing the house has been.
‘If someone doesn’t turn up, it doesn’t put me back by a day, it can put me back by a week,’ said Mr Sarre. ‘If someone doesn’t make it I just have to do the work myself. I’ve spent about 90 of the last 180 nights alone on the island.’
Mr Sarre worked as a photographer at the Guernsey Press before he made the decision for a complete change of profession.
‘I was always quite good at DIY and now I know how to plaster, a fair bit of electrics and a lot more about bore holes and solar panels than I ever thought I would,’ he said.
Insurance has covered the vast majority of the repairs, as well as a loss of earnings from cancelled bookings.
‘Channel Insurance Brokers and the adjusters have been really good,’ said Mr Sarre. ‘They have been really quick to respond to our emails and with help and advice, which has made at least one thing slightly less stressful.’
As well as the obvious roof repairs, works include a new electricity board and water pump, new lintels above some of the external doors, new internal plasterboarding, decorating and carpets.
Everything involved in the repairs has to be taken over to the island by tractor, except the tradesman, who have to walk.
‘Every nail and tile has to be unloaded at one end, loaded into the tractor and brought over here. That’s all the scaffold, all the tools and every tin of paint,’ he said. ‘I’ve lost count of the number of trips I’ve done since the damage – it must be in the hundreds. I did six the other day just taking back rubbish from the building works.’
The Lihou Charity LBG, previously known as the Lihou Charitable Trust, has taken advantage of having so many tradesmen on the island to undertake some other work, including stripping back and adding waterproof tanking to two bedrooms on the ground floor.
‘They are slightly below ground level so prone to damp, with so many people here it made sense to get them done,’ Mr Sarre said.
Following a week of favourable tides, the island will be completely cut off for five days this week.
Mr Sarre said he would then be working weekends and bank holidays to make sure the house was ready.
‘The following week is the bank holiday and although I’ll be here it’s unfortunately another day we lose when tradesmen are off,’ he said.
‘It’s going to be a challenge, but one way or another we will be ready and open for business.’
An earlier version of this article incorrectly listed the re-opening date as 1 July.
