Eleanor
1000+ Posts
Like many other people, I spent several family holidays in the Channel Islands in the 1950s. And again, like many people I never went back.... when the Acklams Brochure arrived highlighting their holidays to the Channel Islands, it was too good an opportunity to miss! Rather than having to pick either Jersey or Guernsey (difficult decision) I decided on one that stayed on both islands and also included a day trip to Herm.
I had a wonderful time - it brought back so many happy memories. The islands have changed in many ways, but in others they are still unchanged with a slow pace of life. They still keep their Norman French place names and a form of Norman French (Jèrriais) is still spoken in the northern rural parts of Jersey.
If you have never been, they are definitely worth adding to the list!
SOME BACKGROUND
The Channel Islands are a small group of islands off the coast of Normandy. They are self governing territories of the British Crown. The Bailiwick of Jersey and the Bailiwick of Guernsey (which also comprises of Alderney, Sark and Herm) have their own government, police force and laws. They issue their own currency and stamps.
The Islands have been settled since the Stone Age and there are still many prehistoric barrows, cairns and menhirs.
In the C10th they were annexed by the Normans and became part of the Duchy of Normandy. After the Battle of Hastings when William, Duke of Normandy, was crowned King of England, they became a possession of the English Crown.
King John lost Normandy to the French King in 1204. The Channel Islands elected to stay as self governing Islands under the protection of the English Crown. They were granted their own Government, freedom from taxation and no conscription unless England was under serious threat.
Being very close to the French Coast, they were very much disputed territory between France and England and the threat of invasion from France was a serious threat for centuries. Castles were built along the coast to give protection to the harbours. Vale Castle and Castle Cornet were built on Guernsey. On Jersey, there were Mont Orgueil and Grosnez Castles with Queen Elizabeth Castle built later in response to devolpments in cannon warfare.
The increasing threat of Napoleon in the C17 resulted in a massive building programme of forts and defensive Martello (or loophole) towers around the coast of the Channel Islands. Many of these can still be seen.
The Islands were the only part of the British Isles to be occupied by the Germans during World War Two. The Germans invaded the Islands in 1940. As part of the Atlantic Wall, they built a series of defensive concrete bunkers, gun placements and observation towers around the coast. The Channel Islands were one of the most heavily fortified parts of Europe, with over 900 concrete structures. Many still remain.
The Occupation was a very harsh time for the Islanders. Many lost their jobs and many were deported by the Germans. Fishermen were accompanied by German ‘chaperones’ and had to surrender most of their catch to the Germans. Food was strictly rationed. Any resistance to German rule was harshly crushed. Food was always scare and, after five years of Occupation, many of the population were close to starvation.
The Islands were liberated on 9th May 1945 and there are Liberation Monuments in both St Helier and St Peter Port commemorating this. Now many of the German fortifications sites are museums. These include the German Underground Hospital in Guernsey and the Jersey War Tunnels.
After the war, the economy was still mainly agricultural, with Jersey Royal potatoes and Guernsey tomatoes the main crops and exports. The potatoes are still grown, and honesty boxes are often seen outside farm houses.
Many of the greenhouses that once covered Guernsey have either disappeared or are derelict. A few are still used to grow flowers.
Dairy farming is important with many fields used to grow fodder for the cows. You can tell the difference as Jersey cows have black noses and Guernsey cows have much paler noses.
With its tax free regimes, the islands became the haunt of the very wealthy as well as finance and off shore companies.
Land and space is at a premium and there are strict residency regulations. Only jobs that cannot be filled by Islanders can be advertised off the Islands. These are usually on short, non renewable contracts. Only the super rich are able to buy a house without having a job.
There is little new housing development on Guernsey. That on Jersey is very much very much expensive and exclusive housing developments.
The finance industry probably accounts for 50% of GDP. Tourism comes second. The clean sandy beaches are the main attraction.
The Islands are also regularly visited by large cruise shops bring thousands of visitors.
Roads are good. The maximum speed limit is 35mph, apart from the green lanes where it is reduced to 15mph. These are very narrow rural roads, often one car width and walkers and riders have precedence.
There are also lots of wild flowers and at the end of May verges were covered with bluebells and the white flowers of three cornered garlic.
cont....
I had a wonderful time - it brought back so many happy memories. The islands have changed in many ways, but in others they are still unchanged with a slow pace of life. They still keep their Norman French place names and a form of Norman French (Jèrriais) is still spoken in the northern rural parts of Jersey.
If you have never been, they are definitely worth adding to the list!
SOME BACKGROUND
The Channel Islands are a small group of islands off the coast of Normandy. They are self governing territories of the British Crown. The Bailiwick of Jersey and the Bailiwick of Guernsey (which also comprises of Alderney, Sark and Herm) have their own government, police force and laws. They issue their own currency and stamps.
The Islands have been settled since the Stone Age and there are still many prehistoric barrows, cairns and menhirs.
In the C10th they were annexed by the Normans and became part of the Duchy of Normandy. After the Battle of Hastings when William, Duke of Normandy, was crowned King of England, they became a possession of the English Crown.
King John lost Normandy to the French King in 1204. The Channel Islands elected to stay as self governing Islands under the protection of the English Crown. They were granted their own Government, freedom from taxation and no conscription unless England was under serious threat.
Being very close to the French Coast, they were very much disputed territory between France and England and the threat of invasion from France was a serious threat for centuries. Castles were built along the coast to give protection to the harbours. Vale Castle and Castle Cornet were built on Guernsey. On Jersey, there were Mont Orgueil and Grosnez Castles with Queen Elizabeth Castle built later in response to devolpments in cannon warfare.
The increasing threat of Napoleon in the C17 resulted in a massive building programme of forts and defensive Martello (or loophole) towers around the coast of the Channel Islands. Many of these can still be seen.
The Islands were the only part of the British Isles to be occupied by the Germans during World War Two. The Germans invaded the Islands in 1940. As part of the Atlantic Wall, they built a series of defensive concrete bunkers, gun placements and observation towers around the coast. The Channel Islands were one of the most heavily fortified parts of Europe, with over 900 concrete structures. Many still remain.
The Occupation was a very harsh time for the Islanders. Many lost their jobs and many were deported by the Germans. Fishermen were accompanied by German ‘chaperones’ and had to surrender most of their catch to the Germans. Food was strictly rationed. Any resistance to German rule was harshly crushed. Food was always scare and, after five years of Occupation, many of the population were close to starvation.
The Islands were liberated on 9th May 1945 and there are Liberation Monuments in both St Helier and St Peter Port commemorating this. Now many of the German fortifications sites are museums. These include the German Underground Hospital in Guernsey and the Jersey War Tunnels.
After the war, the economy was still mainly agricultural, with Jersey Royal potatoes and Guernsey tomatoes the main crops and exports. The potatoes are still grown, and honesty boxes are often seen outside farm houses.
Many of the greenhouses that once covered Guernsey have either disappeared or are derelict. A few are still used to grow flowers.
Dairy farming is important with many fields used to grow fodder for the cows. You can tell the difference as Jersey cows have black noses and Guernsey cows have much paler noses.
With its tax free regimes, the islands became the haunt of the very wealthy as well as finance and off shore companies.
Land and space is at a premium and there are strict residency regulations. Only jobs that cannot be filled by Islanders can be advertised off the Islands. These are usually on short, non renewable contracts. Only the super rich are able to buy a house without having a job.
There is little new housing development on Guernsey. That on Jersey is very much very much expensive and exclusive housing developments.
The finance industry probably accounts for 50% of GDP. Tourism comes second. The clean sandy beaches are the main attraction.
The Islands are also regularly visited by large cruise shops bring thousands of visitors.
Roads are good. The maximum speed limit is 35mph, apart from the green lanes where it is reduced to 15mph. These are very narrow rural roads, often one car width and walkers and riders have precedence.
There are also lots of wild flowers and at the end of May verges were covered with bluebells and the white flowers of three cornered garlic.
cont....
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