Inside Guernsey Prepares for War WWII Commando Raid on Herm
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ISSUEFOUR Guernsey prepares for War WWII Commando raid on Herm Inside Liberation Day 2015 preparations and much more... LOANS | MORTGAGES | INSURANCE | COMMERCIAL | 711666.com Home insurance Call 711666 or visit 711666 .com Insurance experts you can trust Cherry Godfrey Insurance Services Limited is licensed by The Guernsey Financial Services Commission. FOREWORD s 2014 draws towards the end we have plenty to think about, particularly as we now commemorate the centenary of Profile Committee (from left to right): theA start of World War I, one of the bloodiest Photo by Richard Lord Rob Grant, Keith Pike, Jacqui Robin, conflicts in history, which dragged on for four Neil Forman and Richard Harding long years and had such an impact on many of Since the last edition the Profile team have been our families. busy, not only on the Townie magazine, but also Our front cover for this edition shows the in running a Question Time event with a panel St Peter Port memorial, as photographed of Deputies, chaired by Sir Geoff Rowland. by Douzenier Richard Lord following the Although the turn-out was rather disappointing Remembrance Day commemorations last year, it was felt, by those taking part and in which stands as a testament to so many local attendance, that it was a worthwhile event, and men who laid down their lives in this great we hope to repeat the event in the New Year with other Deputies taking part in the panel. conflict. We highlight the effects of the war on Guernsey in two articles in this edition, one by We also include in this edition a flyer for the Matt Harvey, who is Social History Curator forthcoming 70th anniversary of Liberation Day, at the Guernsey Museum & Art Gallery, and to be held in 2015, and ask for your feedback on one by local historian Liz Walton, and we are what you would like to see and do. This will then particularly grateful to them for taking the time be passed back to the organising committee. to prepare these articles. We hope to continue to bring you other articles of interest over the next Finally, it is with great sadness that we report few years on this subject. that Barry Cash, one of our longest-serving Constables, decided earlier this year to stand We also have many other articles that we hope down as Constable of St Peter Port after eight you will find interesting, many provided by years in office. Barry has worked tirelessly on parishioners and others, and we would again behalf of the people and parish for those eight encourage any member of the public who has an years, and his common sense, experience and interesting story to forward them to us. We are hard work will be greatly missed. We wish grateful to all of our contributors. him well. We hope you enjoy this edition of the magazine. Profile Committee Issue 4 - October 2014 Cover photograph courtesy of Richard Lord Profile Committee:Rob Grant, Keith Pike, THANKS Jacqui Robin, Neil Forman, Richard Harding We would like to thank all those who kindly contributed articles also the Island Archives and Design/Production: Stuart Duquemin - HS Design Museums services and the Priaulx Library for Printers: Melody Press Printers their support. The Townie 1 INTRODUCTION BY THE CONSTABLES Barry Cash, Constable Dennis Le Moignan, Constable Victoria Cottage, Brock Road, Flat 4, Le Mont de Val, Vauvert, St. Peter Port, GY1 1RB St. Peter Port, GY1 1NJ Tel: 727072 E-mail: [email protected] Tel: 725030 E-mail: [email protected] he past few months have been quite busy challenges from death-watch beetle to faulty with several projects taking place. A start guttering requiring complete replacement, our has been made to remove chewing gum close liaison with Planning and in particular the Tfrom the surfaces of town pavements and roads. Heritage Department has allowed us to progress This has been for a dual purpose, to help make without too much of a delay. The major task of the town look nicer and as part of the clean-up for removing an internal load bearing wall has been the Britain in Bloom judging, as St. Peter Port was completed as well as the completion of the lift representing Guernsey in the 2014 competition. shaft to allow for disabled access to the upper Alongside this, the floral team and many floors. volunteers and contractors have worked extremely We have a sub-group who are working with our hard to beautify the town and in particular helped architects to ensure the fit out of the refurbished to transform some of the gardens in Castle Cornet. building is in keeping and any modern additions Work continued at the Salerie Battery, with co- are kept as discrete as possible. I am sure that operation between several States Departments when the work is completed the Parish will have a and the Constables. The centre piece being a building to be proud of and one that will meet the refurbished wooden Guernsey fishing boat, which needs of the Parish for the next 100 years. was a superb achievement and a credit to the The Constables are also members of the Douzaine. College of Further Education students and the States Prison inmates. Refurbishment of town benches continues, with the first three of ten blue and white Victorian style seats being placed on the upper Castle Pier walkway and one of green and cream placed at the Information Centre. The refurbishment of the Constables’ Office was never going to be an easy matter with an iconic building of that age in an area with challenging access. I am pleased to say despite the unforeseen Guernsey fishing boat at Salarie Corner The Townie 2 CONTENTS Foreword ..............................................................................................1 Introduction by the Constables ............................................................2 Your parish Douzeniers ........................................................................4 Your parish Deputies ............................................................................5 What is happening in the office ............................................................6 Liberation Day 2015 ............................................................................7 War breaks out between Herm and Guernsey .......................................9 Guernsey and the First World War .....................................................10 Flight Lieutenant John Saville ............................................................14 St Peter Port War Shrine - Back where it belongs ................................16 A message from our Portuguese representative ....................................20 Town Carnival review .........................................................................22 Floral Committee update ...................................................................24 The changing face of St Peter Port ......................................................26 Party in the park review ......................................................................28 Guernsey and the outbreak of the Great War ......................................30 St Peter Port 1677 - 1680 ...................................................................34 St Peter Port Ice Cream ......................................................................37 Waste Committee update ...................................................................38 Operation Huckaback - Commando Raid on Herm ..........................40 Town Centre Manager Update ...........................................................43 A message from our Latvian representative .........................................44 St Jacques - the alternative St James ....................................................46 La Cercle Francais ..............................................................................48 Town Centre Manager Review ...........................................................49 Guernsey French phrases you need .....................................................50 Christmas Lights update .....................................................................52 The Townie 3 Rob Grant DOUZENIERS Tel: 711966 E-mail: [email protected] In office 31-12-15. Member of Floral, Waste John Roper (Dean) Management and Profile Committees and Tel:724182 E-mail: [email protected] TCM Review sub-Committee. In office until 31-12-14. Member of Finance and Flag Day Committees. Richard Lord Tel: 700688 E-mail: [email protected] Christine Goodlass (Vice Dean) In office until 31-12-15. Member of Tel: 728847 Island Emergency Planning and Waste Management Committees. E-mail: [email protected] In office until 31-12-17. Member of Street Lester Queripel (Deputy) Lighting and Flag Day Committees. Amherst and Vauvert Primary Schools Tel: 729399 home and Representative. Douzaine Council 07781 400239 mobile Representative. E-mail: [email protected] In office until 31-12-15. Rhoderick Matthews Tel:729642 E-mail: [email protected] Neil Forman In office until 31-12-16. Member of Finance, Tel:723696 Street Lighting, Waste Management and E-mail: [email protected] Town Amenities Committees and TCM In office until 31-12-16. Member of Waste Review sub Committee. St. Sampsons High Management and Profile Committees. School Representative. Richard Harding Ann Outram Tel: 07781 439218 Tel: 700111 E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] In office until 31-12-16. Member of Waste In office until 31-12-14. Member of Finance, Management and Profile Committees and Streams and Town Amenities Committees. TCM Review sub-Committee. Peter Wilson Pat Johnson Tel:713441 Tel: 701544 E-mail: [email protected]