| Journal: TWUK | Section: |
| Title: | Issue Date: 22/05/00 |
| Author: | Page Number: 52 |
| Copyright: Other |
Operator view
Where ‘hedge veg’ is just a local way of life
Feeling at home among the quaint streets
Denise Cheir, UK marketing manager for the Guernsey Tourist Board, tells us about the island and her favourite places to visit
I WAS born and bred on Guernsey and returned to the island three years ago after spending 17 years travelling in Australia, Tahiti, the Maldives, Mexico, New Guinea and Egypt.I intended to stay on the island only two or three months to see what it was like but I am still here working as UK marketing manager for the Guernsey Tourist Board.
Coming back after so much time away showed me the island in a new light. I had forgotten how narrow the roads are and how exciting it is to be able to walk up the street in St Peter Port and know so many people.
St Peter Port is the prettiest capital in Europe and my favourite place on the island.
There are so many things I like about Guernsey – I can walk home from the pub at night and feel safe and I can walk to work. I like to listen to the sound of the ocean and to the birds. We are envied by so many people.
I also find the friendliness of people reassuring. It is not unusual in a restaurant or pub for people who don’t know each other to exchange conversation, whether they are locals or visitors.
If we see visitors waiting at a bus stop we stop and offer them a lift. There is a lot of trust.
I had forgotten about ‘hedge-veg’. That’s where people sell the surplus vegetables they have grown in their gardens on the roadside.
There’s an honest box for people to put their money in – and they do.
Guernsey is quaint but at night you can go for a fabulous meal in a great restaurant. I tend to entertain a lot in my job so I get to eat at a lot of really good places.
I can’t pick a favourite but when I’m on my own, I’m often found at the North Side fish and chip shop in St Sampsons. And for the best cooked breakfast on Guernsey, head for The White Rock Cafe in St Peter Port.
Despite all my travels, I think Guernsey has the best beaches. They regularly win awards – did you know that Western Australia and Herm are the only places in the world that have shell beaches?
My favourite beach is Chouet Bay. I have fond childhood memories of exploring the rock pools and the tea garden which used tomato boxes as tables.
I lived on the beach as a child and in those days people sat shoulder to shoulder on the sand.
Today, we get the same number of visitors, but they do other things. We are more a short-break destination with emphasis on culture and food, not so much a seaside resort.
When I came back, I visited the tourist attractions, which I never did when I lived here. I have mixed feelings about them.
Some show off the island’s heritage and history and are really good – others are really just retail outlets.
Oatlands Craft Centre mixes heritage with retail. You can see the workers making Guernsey cheese.
Of course, there are some downsides to Guernsey. The small-island mentality can get to you if you don’t get off every now and then.
I think it is healthy to take a break. Luckily, we are close to both the European mainland and the UK so it’s easy to escape for a weekend or more.
Quality: the beaches are award winning
Quaint:St Peter Port is one of the prettiest capitals in Europe