The negatives and positives of visiting the island

Negatives

n Imagine, just for a minute, that you embark on a vacation and while you are at your destination you are presented with copious amounts of roadworks and diversions. What type of impression would you be imbued with? Would you want to visit that destination in the future? I articulated to friends halfway through our holiday that it felt as if the whole of Guernsey was being excavated.

As Guernsey is a small island, the effects of the roadworks are exacerbated, which will be keenly felt when holidaymakers visit. There is an indication that the States and certain companies do not see the bigger picture of how all this disruption affects Guernsey and the views of tourists, who I doubt will want to return. Surely, there is a more cohesive and professional way to do this, as this issue seems only to happen in Guernsey?

n While in Guernsey we shopped at a very well-known food retailer that has two branches in Guernsey. A bag of shopping, that was not even full, was purchased containing basic items (milk, bread, ham, cheese, sausage rolls, etc.) and it cost around £30. Perusing shops in Town and the Bridge, we were alarmed to find a tea towel retailing at £40, just because it is ‘organic and good for the environment’. Aurigny charged us both £160 for our flights, so we were already £320 out of pocket. Then there are the obscene property prices and rents people are being charged. The list we can compile on how expensive Guernsey is almost endless. Locals will probably read this letter and say, ‘Yep, this is standard... nothing new there’. What impression is this giving to the outside world? In comparison, imagine what we, living in England, can get for the fraction of the costs being forced on Guernsey citizens? We have recently bought a house in England; if we still resided in Guernsey we would barely be able to afford to rent, let alone purchase a property. Instead, we live in a two-bedroom bungalow with a front and back garden, garage, private driveway, and spacious kitchen. How much would that type of property fetch in Guernsey? The greed one sees in Guernsey is abhorrent. Speaking to family during our trip, I stated it has already begun, but we have no doubt in the next 100 years or so that Guernsey will be an exclusive enclave just for the wealthy, while ‘poor’ locals will slowly be forced out of the island. This is a sad, sad indictment of what is currently happening and the future goals of certain people, companies, and States of Guernsey. Can something be done about this predicament? Yes. Is it too late to reverse this trend? Maybe. Do individuals/companies have the power to better assist? Yes. Do they want to assist and change Guernsey back to the ‘good old days’ so it’s affordable to everyone? No. A very depressing predicament indeed.

Positives

n With the weather (mostly) lovely, we partook in visiting the beach and going on coastal walks. Guernsey’s beaches are excellent and can rival most in the world, while the coastal walks are superb. When we were on the plane back to England, I commented that the beaches and walks are one thing I will miss the most. As a donkey, I adored going on these beaches and coastal walks, yet only fully appreciate them now. Living in England whereby the nearest coastline is an hour’s drive

away makes you appreciate those

things more. Furthermore, these activities are free and a great way to spend a day, especially with a scrumptious picnic. Locals need to recognise how wonderful the beaches and walks are; appreciate and cherish them as this is one aspect that makes Guernsey a desirable place to visit. If locals had full recognition of how wonderful the coastline is, I doubt there would be calls to keep that overflow car park open at Grandes Rocques and allow the States to continue their nature reclamation work. Yet, nobody truly misses something until it completely disappears.

n Little Chapel, Castle Cornet, Lihou Island, Saumarez Park, Victor Hugo, the Cup and Saucer. Significant tourist attractions combined with the ‘unique’ way of island life compared to the UK or, dare I say, Jersey, are other positive aspects locals may not fully appreciate. When we were growing up, there was also the Strawberry Farm, pitch and putt golf courses and a proper Liberation Day celebration with an actual funfair. People seem to look back with rose-tinted glasses, yet current attractions and the general, relaxed way of island life ensures Guernsey still has enviable positives. When we visit Guernsey we always try to visit the Little Chapel and Lihou Island; two attractions that hold special memories in our heart.

To conclude, we hope this letter has illustrated that Guernsey still has many positives that locals should be proud of. Guernsey is not perfect, yet that statement is true wherever one resides. Locals should be somewhat grateful with what Guernsey offers. We emphasise ‘somewhat grateful’ because the negatives are really starting to damage the island and, in turn, the people who reside there. We saw and experienced this first-hand during our vacation. Therefore, we hope that the ‘powers that be’ actually see the harm the outlined negatives are causing and do something tangible about it, or that locals mobilise together to enact profound change. Our next visit to Guernsey might be late 2025, so we wait with bated breath and hope things change for the better for all concerned. A la perchoine.

MR AND MRS K HAINSWORTH

Dane Bank

Denton, Manchester.