Guernsey, February 2017

Another visit to Guernsey for a few days to see our son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren. and here's some of the photographs we took.

We had the early part of the first day to ourselves so went into St Peter Port where I took some photographs, including this alternative view of the lighthouse and Castle Cornet.

Later that day, in the afternoon, here's grandma helping Eliza with a jigsaw puzzle......

......and here's Edward and daddy reading a book before bedtime.

The next morning we went with Anna and the children to St Peter Port, and here's Edward charging round Jojo Maman Bébé on one of their scooters.

After lunch we went to Cobo Bay where we met Anna's sister Louise and here's Eliza and Edward on the beach with their cousins Barnabas and Eden.

And here's Barnabas leading them on a trek across the rocks.

They also had the loony dog which would chase after a ball that had been thrown for it, then instead of bringing it back would furiously start digging a hole to bury it in. You can see here the clumps of sand being thrown up behind the dog.

Another game on the beach - wait for an incoming wave and then run away before it submerges your feet.

On the Saturday we went to the Guernsey Museum in Candie Gardens and here Edward's taking a ride on daddy's back as we trek through the streets of St Peter Port on our way to the Gardens.

This is the uphill path in the Gardens leading to the Museum.

We'd gone to see an exhibition on loan from the Natural History Museum in London of some marvellous images from the Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2016. The above photograph is of the an item in the Museum's collection which is a bust of Victor Hugo by Auguste Rodin.

Outside the Museum this plaque on the wall commemorates the fact that The Beatles performed here in August 1963 - the month that their single 'She Loves You' was released, the record that really started the Beatlemania phenomenon.

Later that day the children spent some time on the swings in their garden......

......and grandad got rather too close to Edward's foot.

Eliza was much more sedate.

The brief visit was over all too soon, and here's a last look at St Saviours Reservoir and Vazon Bay as we took off from the airport.

Cobo Bay, Guernsey

When I was a youngster one of the popular songs was 'Galway Bay' by Bing Crosby, which included the line 'And see the sun go down on Galway Bay'. In my early 20's I went with a couple of friends to Ireland where we hired a car and drove from Dublin over to the west coast visiting various places including Galway Bay, but I don't remember actually seeing the sun go down there. I have, however, seen the sun go down on Cobo Bay in Guernsey, and on our recent visit we drove down to Cobo three days running to see the sunset. Here are three photographs taken on those days.

15 July 2016

16 July 2016

17 July 2016

Guernsey, July 2016

Another trip to Guernsey last week to see our grandchildren and, as a treat for me, to see the Val des Terres hillclimb on the Saturday and the Guernsey Motor Festival Seafront Sunday.

Eliza and Edward in the garden on the Thursday just before going out for a meal.....

.....at Crabby Jack's where there's a playground for the children.....

.....but Eliza also wanted to spend some time with grandpa.

On the Friday after the children's swimming lessons we had a 35 minute ride round St Peter Port on the Petit Train.....

.....which Edward enjoyed.

In the evening we took a picnic meal to Castle Cornet for a KPMG Castle Night of music and entertainment. Eliza appears to be thinking: 'The sandwiches and sausage rolls were ok, but where's the cake?'

Edward trying to produce bubbles from one of the bubble blowers they were handing out when we went into the castle.....

..... and Eliza looked singularly unimpressed with mummy's efforts.

On the Saturday morning we went to see the Val des Terres hillclimb on the road at the south of St Peter Port. This is the Ford Escort of Gary Duquemin nearing the finish line at the top of the climb..

Later we had a walk through the pit/paddock area at the bottom of the hill during which Edward needed to take a nap.

Later that afternoon there was a dip in the sea at Cobo Bay.....

.....then fish and chips on the beach,

The next day was the Motorsport Seafront Sunday in St Peter Port with a large number of vehicles on show and also in action on the North Beach car park. This is a Ford Shelby Mustang GT500.

Edward is always getting hold of Beryl's camera and taking photographs with it - usually peoples' feet out of focus and the like. But this was a picture he took of daddy during a stop for a bite to eat. Not bad for a 3½ year old,

Later in the day we had a barbecue in the garden at home.

It was back home to Hyde the next day and here are Edward and Eliza with daddy in the airport lounge just before we left.

Guernsey and Granddaughter Eliza

We were back in Guernsey last week for the Christening of our Granddaughter Eliza Gillian Mary at Holy Trinity Church in St Peter Port. This is about the best of the photographs I took during the service.

Eliza seems to have changed such a lot since we saw her before Christmas and is (for the most part) a cheerful and happy soul.

We had quite a bit of sunshine whilst we were there, but also some rain and it was very windy at times which made the seas around the island (as here at Grandes Rocques) rather lively.

The high tides over the weekend made driving round the coastal road rather hazardous - look at the pebbles thrown onto the road at Cobo Bay in the photograph below.

Here's Eliza with Mummy......

......and with Daddy......

......and waiting to be fed.

Edward with Mummy......

......and with Daddy at the airport waiting for the plane coming to take us back home.

Guernsey July 2014

Another trip to Guernsey for a few days to see Grandson Edward. The early part of the first day we had more or less to ourselves and after a walk along Cobo beach we went into St Peter Port for lunch then a walk round Candie Gardens.

We stayed with Anna's father Martyn, whose house is surrounded by a wonderful display of flowering plants.

Later in the afternoon we all had a trip to the beach where some went for a swim in the sea, others a paddle and some of us just stayed dry and enjoyed the sunshine.

On the Friday we spent some time in the garden where Edward likes to help his daddy with his jobs, especially watering the plants.

There's a bit of a slope on the paved area in the garden at his house and Edward's got a couple of cars he sits in and pushes backwards with his feet to the top of the slope then runs them down to the bottom again.

He likes kicking his ball around, both in the garden and in the house and already has quite a powerful, and accurate kick favouring his left foot. Perhaps one day he'll play for the Green Lions of Guernsey FC!

After watching me do it several times Edward decided that it was extremely funny when I changed my distance glasses for my reading glasses when I wanted to read something.

Peter Rabbit made an appearance at a Floral Guernsey Summer Party at Le Friquet Garden Centre on the Saturday, but Edward looked a little bit apprehensive about meeting him.

On the Sunday before we flew home we all went to the Food Seafront Sunday along the pedestrianised seafront in St Peter Port where on a gloriously warm and sunny day we had lunch at some tables set up outside the Ship & Crown.

Here's Edward with his Grandpa, Auntie Louise and Cousin Barnabas