Old Quarter welcome regains its sheen

The sign was removed in early January with the use of a mobile crane as its condition had deteriorated since it was put up in 2012.

There had been concerns it would eventually have become dangerous if left in place.

To restore the sign, contractors Siteweld removed all the old black paint and rust, re-welded where necessary, and repainted it in new blue and gold colours.

The new paint should have a lifetime of at least six years.

Members of St Peter Port douzaine, including constables Diane Mitchell and Ken Acott, were in attendance as the sign went back up on Sunday. Mrs Mitchell said the restoration aligned with the douzaine’s vision to make Mill Street, and indeed the whole of town, more attractive for locals and visitors.

‘We are obviously aware of the number of properties in and around Mill Street that are derelict and unsightly, hopefully this is the first step to making the area more appealing and hopefully welcoming some more niche shops in future,’ she said.

She said the cost of the work had been about £3,000, or 0.15p per St Peter Port resident.

Mr Acott said the sign had originally been the brainchild of a Mill Street proprietor, and following an anonymous donation, work on its construction by metalworker Ian Daish began in 2011.

It was then erected on 6 January 2012.

‘It was up for 13 years so it definitely needed work being done to it and I’m pleased it’s happened. It looks great with the new blue and gold colours,’ Mr Acott said.

‘If we are going to attract more people to the area and make it look good for tourists – especially cruise ship passengers in the summer – we need to do more of this sort of thing.’