Sark has to balance old and the new
KING CHARLES was once again effusive with praise for the way of life on Sark as he addressed the islanders who had made their way to Les Cotils on Tuesday.
The King, as Prince of Wales, visited the island in 1995 and again in 2012. His first visit particularly saw him seemingly captivated by the island.
King Charles remembers Sark well and is clearly still fond of that unique way of life.
‘May you cling to all that is of timeless and enduring value about your unique way of life, while benefitting from the best of the new in order to safeguard your beautiful island and sustain your self-sufficient character,’ he said this week.
He described the island’s relationship with the Crown as ‘distinctive’ and said that he hoped that would continue as the island ‘moved forward in an ever-evolving world’.
And it’s that moving forward that is exercising minds, particularly as the Sark Property Company sets out to raise funds for its audacious bid to buy up a significant percentage of the island’s property.
The question remains – just how will Sark manage the process of change, which it must go through, while still retaining all that is best about itself?
Along with its challenges of raising the millions required, the Sark Property Company also needs to have this uppermost in its thoughts to convince islanders of the validity of its approach.