This is the third year that the staff at The Mermaid Tavern have organised a fun day raising money for the local charity ‘Help A Guernsey Child’.  All the money raised stays in the islands benefiting local children and young people who may not be eligible for support from other charities.  The event was held in Fisherman’s Field and the sun shone all day so parents could sit and relax while their children played on the bouncy castles, had their faces painted and add burgers!  £3000 was raised for the charity.

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If you stay at The White House Hotel on Herm you will notice that at the end of the garden there is a signpost for ‘Princess Radziwell’s walk’.  The path takes you up above the hotel gardens from where there are fantastic views.  If you stay in the hotel make sure you take a saunter along the path.

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But who is the path named after?  Prince Gebhard Lebrecht Blucher von Wahlstatt 3rd came to Herm in 1889 from Prussia.  He lived here with his third wife, Princess Wanda Radziwell who was some 50 years his junior.  Prince Blucher’s son, Lothair,  from a previous marriage fell in love with Wanda’s eldest sister, Princess Lulu and they married and also lived on Herm.  Prince Blucher and Wanda lived in the Manor while Count Lothair and Countess Lulu lived in what is now known as The White House Hotel.  Countess Lulu chose her own private walkway, barring the servants from the area so no-one could disturb the views! 

Prince Blucher’s tenancy on Herm ended in 1915 at the outbreak of the First World War.  Although he had renounced his nationality and was technically stateless he was considered, by the British and Guernsey authorities to be an enemy alien and so was evicted from Herm.

The weather was beautiful all day on Herm on 21st June 2010.  The sun shone from sunrise to sunset and although I wasn’t out in the sunshine all day I did enjoy watching the events happen at either end of the day.

I spent the evening on Bear’s Beach enjoying fresh mackerel cooked on the barbecue (thanks need to go to ‘Mike the Fish’ for catching our tea!), a glass of chilled white wine and the company of friends and family.  What could be better?

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Sometimes it’s good to do something a little bit different.  As 21 June is the longest day of the year I decided to get up for the sunrise.  The big orange ball started peeping out at 5.04am.  Unfortunately it went straight under a band of cloud but thirty minutes later it came out again.  It’s going to be a lovely day so hopefully we’ll get a good sunset too.  The sun sets today at 9.20pm

I couldn’t work out what the noise was that I could hear as I was in my kitchen preparing our evening meal.  I looked out of the window and saw our very own Fire team all dressed up in their uniforms doing their monthly practise.  The scenario was that The Keep was on fire and it was the pump on the fire tender was the noise I could hear.  The tender is pulled by a tractor and is kept in the fire sheds at the harbour – carefully screened by a hedge so most visitors don’t know it’s there.

Here are a few photos of the team in action.  There are currently 8 members of the team and they are all retained firemen.  They will soon be joined by Pete, island engineer and James, the new island builder.

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Guests who have Sunday lunch in the Conservatory Restaurant of The White House Hotel are entertained by harpist Autumn Curtis-Summers.  This week it was warm enough for her to sit outside.

On the last blog I put a photo of alium ampeloprasum growing on the east coast.  They are now beginning to flower.  These photos were taken just after 6.30am on an overcast morning.  It’s a lovely time to be out for a walk on Herm when you really feel like you are the only people on Herm!

On Thursday 8th July Herm gardeners, Brett Moore and James Cordingley will be leading a guided walk around the gardens of Herm.  The walk is being organised in conjunction with The Royal Horticultural Society.  Brett and James are both very knowledgeable and entertaining.  The ticket price includes boat fare and a three-course meal.  The boat leaves Guernsey at 4.15pm and the tour starts at 5pm.  After the two hour walk the meal will be served in The Ship Inn.  Return boat to Guernsey leaves at 10.45pm.

Ticket Prices:   RHS members £30         Non members £36

Please call hotel  01481 750075 to book.  Advanced bookings only.

Allium ampeloprasum are growing profusely on the east coast of Herm.  They will soon be flowering but the flowers aren’t as grand as the tall stalks which line the pathway at the moment!

Either side of the path through the Woodland Walk the bluebells have died back but these have been replaced by navelwort (umbilicus repertris) which can be found all around Herm.

Brett and James have been busy over the past week putting the summer bedding plants out.  The hanging baskets are still in the potting shed area – the gardeners wait until there is no threat of strong winds before they hang them out!

Whilst on the gardening theme I thought I should get a picture of this friendly looking scarecrow standing outside the Harbour Gift Shop.  The scarecrows sold so well last year  that several more have now arrived on Herm – they are all waiting for a new garden!

Hermites gathered for the second big leaving party in May, to help send Chris, Lesley Alfie and Archie Pimblett on their way to their new life in France.  Of course the theme had to be French so Rachel did a brilliant job of setting up ‘Cafe Rene’ and making sure we all made an effort to look a little bit French!

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Chris and Lesley have recently bought a house in France but will spend the next month in a nearby ‘gite’ whilst Chris uses his building skills to install a kitchen and do some basic work on the house so that they can all move into their new home in July.  Lesley speaks French but Chris’ knowledge is basic so he is already signed up for lessons as once their house is sorted he will become a self-employed builder. 

Whilst working as a builder on Herm for the past 6 years  Chris has turned his hand to any building job that needed doing and always made an excellent job.  He certainly goes away from Herm with glowing references!  Lesley first came to Herm to work the 1994 season as a receptionist at The White House Hotel.  That winter she took on the permanent job of assistant to the accountant and spent the next 4 years improving her accounting skills before moving back to the UK where she eventually met Chris.

Lesley brought Chris to Herm for a holiday the summer of 2004 and the couple were rather surprised to be offered jobs by Adrian – Lesley to be in charge of the holiday cottages and Chris as the builder.  The rest, as they say, is history.  Chris proposed, Lesley accepted, Alfie was born and he was joined by Archie last November!  It is always lovely to watch island children grow up so we look forward to being updated regularly with progress reports on the Pimblett boys and I am sure that islanders will be looking forward to staying as guests in the gite in their garden!