Alderney Week leaps back for 75th year

From Monday 5 to Saturday 10 August the island hosts its 75th festival, bringing an explosion of colourful floats, competitions, and parades to the Bailiwick’s northern isle.

‘Accommodation has been pretty much booked up since March,’ said Vicky Chandler, who along with husband Wayne heads the organising team.

‘I actually had trouble getting accommodation for our acts.

'There may be one or two camping places left, but otherwise anyone thinking of coming has to keep an eye out for cancellations.’

Mrs Chandler said that preparations for the six-day event were going really well.

‘We are pretty much ready and now just waiting until it all starts,’ she said.

‘It’s our 75th year and the highlight is still the cavalcade on the first day. When the event started this was pretty much all there was, but now we have events all week.

‘The cavalcade is a great day with floats, music, stalls and games, and this year we have a stunt rider over from the UK too and live music with vocal trio The Knightingales.’

During the week there are many events from art exhibitions to quiz shows to the man-powered flight challenge.

‘We finish with the torchlight procession to close on the Saturday night where we walk down Victoria street to a bonfire and fireworks,’ said Mrs Chandler.

‘I believe all the ferries are booked up and flights too but again it might worth looking for cancellations.’

The Aurigny website still showed a smattering of flights available to and from the island throughout the week.

Alderney Ferry Services co-director Charlie Smith said the company was ‘mentally busy’, not just through festival week, but either side as well.

‘We don’t have a spare seat out of Alderney until the 15th, five days after the festival ends,’ she said.

‘That’s even though we have both boats running on up to three rotations plus our Cherbourg service.

‘We do get cancellations, but everyone’s hanging on to their seats at the moment.’