George Métivier – Guernsey’s national poet
Have you ever heard of Guernseyman George Métivier? Well if you haven’t then you might like to know that he’s been described as “Guernsey’s Robert Burns” by no less than Victor Hugo himself, and even considered the island’s national poet!
Beating the Bankers at their Own Game – the Guernsey Way
In 1815 Guernsey was a desperate place. Impoverished and poor. BUT she had at that time among their leaders some honest men of keen intellect, who were willing to put forward some revolutionary suggestions and to embark upon a monetary experiment that transformed the community into an active prosperous and happy place to be in a very short time.
Guernsey Legends – The Devil and the Schoolmaster
One of Guernsey’s more intriguing legends because it is about the appearance of the Devil to, of all people, a schoolmaster.
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.
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.
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.
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 Guernésiais 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.
The Guernsey Scottish – The Men from Guernsey who served with the Scots in WWI
In October 1914 the States of Guernsey decided to offer volunteers from the Militia to serve overseas. As part of the agreement to offer these men, these ‘sub-unit’s were to be kept together with a Guernsey identity. This is the story of one of those units the 9th Scottish Divisional Ammunition Column and teh Guernseymen that made it up.
