Guernsey on the Map – The First and Oldest Post Box in the British Isles
Guernsey is a major landmark on the philatelic map – The Island has one of the first and certainly the oldest post box in all the British Isles
The Meaning of Some Guernsey Surnames
There’s a rich variety of traditional Guernsey surnames. Surnames that have been in the island for generations and with which we are all very familiar but may never have given any thought as to what they might actually mean. In this article we look st some of them.
Alderney’s War
The atrocities committed by the Germans during World War II weren’t limited to mainland Europe and the notorious concentration camps. Sadly the Channel Islands had it’s very own death camps, administered and run by the Nazi Organisation Todt
Brush up on your Patois – Guernsey French Phrases
Brush up on your Patois with Guernsey French Phrases … or learn to sing Sarnia Cherie in Guernsey’s native tongue.
Guernsey Legends – Guernsey Pouques
Three short tales of the “Pouques” that, as every Guernsey countryman knows, sometimes help sometimes hinder mortal men.
More Old Guernésiais Cures, Remedies & Superstitions
Guernsey used to posses a rich set of folklore tales, ancient cures and remedies for ailments and many superstitious tales. Some of the more intriguing and somewhat amusing wisdom of the old Guernésiais folk.
When Worlds Collide : The Romans and Jersey’s Celtic Treasure Hoards
Jersey is unique in many ways but there is one that is particularly curious. Of all the channel Islands it seems to have had the most treasure hoards of all. The latest, the Catillon II hoard, had over 70,000 coins in it plus 2 golden torqs. Even more curious is that 4 similar hoards were all buried at the same time – the mid 1st Century B.C. So what was going on?
Sir Isaac Brock, Guernseyman and Hero of Upper Canada
Guernseyman General Sir Isaac Brock is credited with saving Canada for the Empire from the attack by the Americans 1812. Knowing how much the Canadians gave in manpower and support in the 2 World Wars to Britain, who knows, but if he had failed the history and fate of modern Britain may have been very different indeed.
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society – The Recipe
You’ve read the book … now eat the recipe !!
The Knitting Industry in Guernsey
The knitting industry in Guernsey today is all but extinct. However there was a time when it used to be quite a sizable proportion of her GDP with the majority of her population involved in it in some way or another, both women and men.
Alderney’s Elizabethan Wreck
In 1977 one of the most important marine archaeological finds in the British isles was discovered right here in the Channel Islands off of the treacherous coast of Alderney. The find was so great that it is considered second only to that of King Henry VII’s warship the Mary Rose
Heresy and Infanticide in ‘Catholic’ Guernsey
When we think of the reign of Queen Mary I we often reflect on the prominent Protestant victims but there was one victim, local woman Perotine Massey, who’s name is not a familiar but her death was none-the-less just as controversial as the higher profile victims.
More Old Guernsey Proverbs and Sayings
We’ve gathered together here some of the old GuernĂ©siais proverbs and sayings that time seems to have forgotten.
Guernsey’s Place in Literary History – ‘Les Travailleurs de la Mer’ by Victor Hugo
Victor Hugo is, without a doubt, the most famous literary figure ever to have lived in the Channel Islands. He completed many of his most famous works whilst in exile from France in Guernsey. He wrote an entire novel in dedication to his adopted home, “Les Travailleurs de la Mer” – The Toilers of the Sea.
When Sark was a pawn in international politics
The history of the Channel Islands is anything but dull. Even the little island of Sark has been invaded, abandoned, sacked and liberated several times in the course of its’ history. However none has been more intriguing than the 16th century tale involving the French, a Holy Roman Emperor, the Governor of Guernsey and a Flemmish pirate no less!
