Whisper it... There are some things that Jersey does better

While it pains me to say so, I do feel there are some aspects of 'life' in that island which are worthy of examination by our authorities.

The first notable difference was the ways in which the two ports handle passengers sailing between the islands.

In Guernsey, I was required to walk along the quay, walk down the car loading ramp onto the car deck and finally up a flight of stairs to the passenger lounge. Fortunately, the weather was fair but had it been raining I should have been very wet indeed before reaching the lounge.

In St Helier harbour, I left from the upper stern deck via a dedicated covered walkway.

The experiences were repeated on my return journey.

Whether the present boarding arrangements are down to the harbour office or Condor I know not, but I believe Guernsey must improve the present boarding and disembarkation arrangements for those using Condor services.

The second notable difference is the way Jersey manages vehicular and pedestrian traffic and the attitude drivers as a whole seem to have towards pedestrians.

I stayed in the heart of St Helier where there are good old-fashioned zebra crossings (the odd one complete with flashing Belisha beacons) as well as crossings with traffic lights.

The traffic light controlled crossings have the 'flashing' amber light, which allows drivers to drive through if there are no pedestrians on the crossing.

Crossing from the Pomme d'Or Hotel to Liberation Square is easily achieved by using two zebra crossings linked by a traffic island. Drivers were always – or so it seemed to me – prepared to give way at this very busy junction.

The third difference I noticed was the Jersey bus service, operated by the same company that runs our bus service.

The old Jersey slaughterhouse has been put to good use and is now, in part, a covered bus station.

There are frequent services – as often as every 15 minutes at peak times – to the more popular parts of the island with a fare structure which includes a £1.50 for a 'short' journey or £2 for a 'long' journey.

There is also a variety of season tickets – daily, weekly or monthly – to suit both holiday visitors and residents.

There are even double decker buses.

My final observation relates to the different experiences enjoyed on a visit to Elizabeth Castle compared to a visit to our own Castle Cornet.

As the tide was in, my visit to Elizabeth Castle began with a sea crossing aboard a modern-day DUKW-like amphibious vehicle.

The safety video shown on board was well worth watching in itself and some airlines could learn a thing or two in matters of presentation.

When the tide is out, it remains possible to use the DUKW in its wheeled format. The return fare is a modest £3.

I realise Castle Cornet is never cut off by the tide, but some sort of transport to the castle would be an advantage. I recall there was a tram service that operated along the sea front and included rounding the model yacht pond with a drop-off point for visitors to Castle Cornet.

The experience within Elizabeth Castle was different too.

Apart from a very interesting talk set in 1781 from an 'army surgeon', which is not a daily offering, the 'noon day gun ceremony' is a very different experience indeed.

In Guernsey, while you can almost set your watch by the firing, the whole thing is over in 10 minutes.

In Jersey, the ceremony took over an hour on the day of my visit. It involved visitors being 'volunteered' to parade with the gunner and then assisting with the firing when he eventually got around to firing the cannon at approximately 15 minutes past one.

According to the gunner, Jersey is the only place in the UK licensed to use 'black powder' to charge and then fire the cannon. However, be warned – it makes a very loud noise when it goes off.

My final comment relates to the planning process, which seems much more tolerant of redundant visitor accommodation being put to different uses such as retirement homes, apartments and the like.

I have in mind the long battles to put the old Green Acres and Ronnie Ronalde's/St Martin's hotels to alternative uses.

However, to end on a positive note, there can be no dispute that St Peter Port harbour beats St Helier harbour hands down.

Name and address withheld.