Guernsey

We spent last week on Guernsey in the Channel Islands. Linda, Michael and I flew from Newcastle to Gatwick and then on to Guernsey on Monday (it was only after we'd booked the tickets that Linda said she hadn't flown for 30 years!). The purpose of the trip was to attend the APHA (Association of Port Health Authorities) annual conference, where the organisation was awarding the very first John Craigs Memorial Prize to a promising studnet. John was my father-in-law who was a member of the organisation and who passed away just over two years ago. Linda went to present the award and we tagged along to keep her company.

On the Tuesday we must have the caught the back end of a hurricane - the rain was monsoon-like and the wind very strong - it made for some good waves, but we got rather soggy. On the Wednesday the weather had cleared so we took a boat to Sark. No cars are allowed on the island, so everyone has tractors, and we took a tractor bus up from the harbour to the village. We were proudly told that the island had been a democracy since 2008 - prior to that it had been feudal! The doctor also gets about by tractor:

The Wednesday evening was the posh dinner and the presentation of the award. Linda gave a short speech and did very well. And the food the whole week was wonderful!

Thursday was a return to the awful weather, adn the fog came in so thick that the battle of Britain air show was cancelled and the majority of those who had been attending the concert were left stranded at the airport. We didn't fly until the Friday and by a stroke of very good luck, the fog lifted just enough for our flight to leave - other people weren't so lucky and ended up on the ferry!

On a very immature note, this was the front of a shop in the centre of St Peter Port.