Category Archives: Alderney

May 7, 2013 · 7:29 am

A Bank Holiday Moment on Alderney before I Resume my Virtual Tour

Many people I’ve been in touch with didn’t feel up to writing a piece for my competition but instead they shared with me their favourite spots on Alderney. Here are their interesting and varied answers:

Em’ said that he loves walking his dog along the path from Platte Saline to Clonque because the sea is wild, scenery rugged and you often never see a soul.

M’ said that his favourite spot was Cachaliere Pier.  ‘It was a bit of a scramble but it was there I saw Granville Fritilliaries whilst soaking up the sun. Mind you the cliff top walk along from Longy was lovely too.’

B’ said that she loved coming back to the hotel in the evening and popping up to the terrace at The Harbour Lights and just enjoying the end of the day looking over Braye Beach.

V’ said that the Black Rocks at Saye Bay was one of his best fishing spots and he held wonderful memories of many happy hours there.

J’ described the views from the clifftops over Telegraph Bay, especially when you can look over to the other islands of Guernsey and Sark.

P’ said his place is locally known as the Frying Pan Battery at Longy Bay, part of the Victorian defenses.  With views over the long sweeping bay over to Fort Raz and France in the distance, it’s a wonderful place for a walk, take the dogs for a run or just to sit.

S’ said ‘6 of us went to Alderney from Torquay on a boat called the Devonian ALDERNEY was sweltering and the Steam Train was kind of cute.’

J’ said ‘My wife goes to Spain but why should I want to go away for a holiday? I have all I want right here.’

And my favourite spot? That’s difficult because there are so many, but the top one must be standing on Douglas Quay at Braye looking out across the beach towards Fort Albert and out to sea, imagining all those travellers arriving at this idyllic spot over the centuries. And my favourite bay has to be Corblets and Arch. On a sunny day you can’t beat them anywhere in the world. Magic!

Looking out over Braye Beach

Looking out over
Braye Beach

I asked another islander E’ and she wrote, ‘everywhere on Alderney, but my most favourite must be sitting in my garden weeds and all!

I’d like to thank everyone for sharing.

And what is your favourite spot on Alderney or memory of a special visit?I’d love to hear from you either as a comment on this blog or an email diana@dianamaryjackson.co.uk.

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April 22, 2013 · 1:12 pm

Alderney Writing Competition ~ A Clear Winner!

Keith Webster is the clear winner of my writing competition. He sent me not just one, but four pieces and I have chosen my favourite to share with you now. He describes vividly the years following the war!

“By the time you read this, I will be into my seventh decade on this particular planet.  A scary enough prospect to be sure but the alternatives are, currently at least, not worth considering. So I thought I would journey back some fifty years in order to remind myself just how Alderney worked in the early nineteen sixties.

Our population was much the same as was our road network, island gateways, financial institutions and churches but that was really about it. Take milk, for instance. Firstly it was produced on some fifteen tiny farms and then, after the bits of straw and stuff had been (mostly) removed, it was dispensed to individual households, the matriarch of which would leave a suitable jug outside her front door. Underneath this receptacle would be a handful of coins to pay the milkman, mainly my father, in case you were interested.

Schooling was haphazard at best and rudimentary at worst. If you didn’t pass the eleven plus you left at fourteen to try and carve out a life where the steel works or meat factory were your best options.  Shopping too was very different. No supermarkets, of course, but Victoria Street was full of small retail outlets selling everything from mouldy sweets (Mr Parmentier, you had much to answer for) to bathroom fittings and everything in between.

Car ownership was still in its infancy with about 200 or so vehicles on our roads. Telephones were black , shiney and rare. If you had one it was placed reverently in the hall for all visitors to see and wonder at. Most calls were still routed through an operator and public telephones required considerable manual dexterity to make them work. Television was equally rare and difficult to use with reception from transmitters in the UK largely dependent on weather conditions and the whim of immature technology. Getting any electronic device fixed (or mended as it was quaintly known) depended totally on the skills of Mr Bichard whose record of success could be described as patchy but only if you were of a charitable disposition.

Electricity supplies were intermittent and unpredictable and many houses still used wiring installed by unwanted visitors some fifteen years previously. Which, of  course, is the strangest thing. Just one and a half decades or so prior to my tenth birthday, the island was a semi-derelict mess and according to the then UK government , unfit for human habitation both at the time and for the foreseeable future.

I sometimes think we forget the efforts of those who returned after the war, the sacrifices they made and the hardships they endured in order to get Alderney up and running again. We wouldn’t be here without them and it makes an old chap very humble. Still no excuse for mouldy sweets though.”

I love the way Keith draws us back to a time when life was really tough for the islanders and maybe helps us to appreciate what we have today! Thanks Keith!

aygen09f

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April 13, 2013 · 4:16 pm

Alderney ~ A Pause to Reflect Part 2

Like this morning, last Saturday we woke up on Alderney to blue skies, a drop in wind and a rise in temperature. Going out and climbing to the top of the veranda at the back of the Harbour Lights was one of those, ‘Wow, it’s good to be alive!’ moments.

Looking out over Braye Beach

Looking out over
Braye Beach

 

We had the day to ourselves and had booked a meal back at the Harbour Lights that evening and so we set off towards our favourite end of the island, to Saye and Corblets at the north eastern end. The first sight, which I never tire of, is looking back over Braye Beach towards the harbour and breakwater. The row of eighteenth century buildings look stunning when the sun shines. John Wesley stayed in one of them on one of his journeys to convert the locals.

We took the railway line to reach the end of the island, walking of course. You couldn’t do this in the summer months because of the schedule of a few trains which run from Braye Road, but at this time of year it’s quite safe.

Within twenty minutes we had reached the campsite, (also not open in April)  and headed for the sand dunes. Finding a path between the tufts of grasses we reached Saye  Bay, (pronounced (Soy) for that magical moment when you might as well have been on a Mediterranean island, but without the people. White sand stretched before us with the sea sheltered between rock crops on either side:

Saye Bay Alderney

Saye Bay Alderney

Here we paused a while, spreading out our rug in a sheltered spot and just soaked up the view, all out senses heightened. Not long after we had settled a lad appeared with a rather complicated looking kite. We were entertained watching him trying to launch it but, unfortunately, he had to give up when two little white dogs thought it was something fun to play with. I do apologise to the lad, but we couldn’t help but laugh at the sight. I hope he will forgive us because we were the only other people on the beach. (the owner of the dog of course too.)

Taking the path up and over to Arch Bay and Corblets we paused there for a while on a bench at the end of the bays before venturing

Bird Hide in memory of the Petits, an old Alderney Family

Bird Hide in memory
of the Petits, an old Alderney Family

towards Longis Common to look for the wildlife reserve. Passing the end of the railway track we followed two unobtrusive white painted stones. (no big posts with colourful signs here ~ everything is as understated and as natural as possible.) Within minutes we were following a path through pools of water and undergrowth, where we found one of two bird hides on the islands. This was all the more special to us because  it was put up in memory of friends’ parents and we missed it last time we looked for it. (even better because we found it by chance ~ if anything in life is by chance!) So here you are Vic and Heidi:

Walking up a few steps and we were out on Longis Common, close to the Odeon, which I will write about on another post and we headed towards The Old Barn, an unexpected pleasure for a new visitor to this end of the island but a popular restaurant for the locals, (always a good sign) where we enjoyed home-made soup. It was here we met a couple who had been on the same flight as us. It was such a relief that the weather was good for them because I didn’t want them to be put off by the inclement last couple of days. In fact, they are people like us who just wrapped up well and went out to enjoy the stunning scenery anyway. They’d really enjoyed themselves and I was so pleased, but of course the fine weather did make a huge difference.

That afternoon we walked along Longis Bay, which stretched out towards the causeway to Raz Island, where many folk were enjoying the

Longis Bay and Raz Island

Longis Bay and
Raz Island

afternoon sunshine. In fact we fell asleep and both of us caught the sun leaning against the long concrete defences!

Back at The Harbour Lights we enjoyed a lovely meal. They have a fantastic French chef there and all the food is excellent, not to mention extremely friendly and helpful staff. In fact, it is a bit like home from home for us. When is our next trip? I hope it won’t be too long. I miss it already!

It’s not surprising that the island of Alderney inspired me to write my first novel ‘Riduna’ allegedly the Roman name for the island.

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