Liberation your way – with respect
IT WILL be a while before judgement will be passed on whether new style Liberation Day was a winner this year or not. Opinions on the subject are frequently strongly held and seem to be fairly evenly split in the run up to 9 May this year.
Our assessment of the day around the island was fairly mixed. While some took the invitation to party very seriously, the commitment from other parishes appeared less so. Island-wide events varied widely.
Certainly there was no lack of enthusiasm from people to see the cavalcade, but how many islanders missed the hustle, bustle and, inevitably, alcohol in the centre of town? We, and the organisers from Education, Sport & Culture Committee, are likely to be guessing at that.
One thing that doesn’t change about 9 May is its importance to the island’s soul. Whatever you do on the day, formally or informally, it is just important to be able to reflect on what was happening 80 years ago, and what it means to us as an island today.
Robert Rinder, the TV celebrity and lawyer who has made a name for himself with a series of holocaust documentaries, was on his first visit to Guernsey but instinctively understood and was able to frame the Occupation and Liberation Day against World War II and current events in Ukraine.
So we can mark Liberation Day in our own way – but do so with respect.