"My tales of St Lawrence, Jersey." a Jersey Travel Page by Angelal

Jersey...the most southerly island of the British Isles and for those that remember, the home of Bergerac. Jersey is in fact about 100 miles south of mainland Britain and only 14 miles from the coast of France. The old UK TV advert that boasts 'nearer to France but closer to home' is not strictly true as the frequent French road and location names give it a bit of a French feel!

In my family, Jersey has always been a special place. My Great Auntie Ivy moved to Jersey in the 1960's. She had previously been a landlady at a pub in Guildford, sadly her husband died and whilst trying to get her life back to some sort of normality she spotted an advert in a newspaper. It was a job as a Hotel Manager in St Helier, Jersey. Soon she left the mainland in search of her fortune and a new life, at only 5ft tall maybe she was well suited to this small island which measures only nine miles by five as she is now in her 90's and still lives in Jersey and still loves it to this day.

My mum spent many of her childhood summers in Jersey and in 1988 I was put on a tiny plane at Eastleigh, Southampton to spend two weeks with my Auntie Ivy and her husband Don.
Ivy was retired by now and no longer lived in St Helier but in a sweet little house in St Lawrence.

I was only 11 at the time but have many memories of Jersey. I remember my Uncle taking me to what can only be described as an old fortress where locals could go and buy shellfish and the catch of the day. Inside were various rooms with what looked like little baths, in one were hundred and hundreds of live crabs. We selected one, paid, put it in the car and made our way home. I had become quite attached to this crab and had even given it a name, although I can't quite recall what! When we got home there was already a huge pot of water heating on the cooker top. Before I knew it, the crab was dropped into the water and it let out the most ear piecing squeal before the sound faded away. I was stunned, I was devastated but not enough to stop me sampling the succulent white crab meat which can only be described as delicious! I have never eaten crab since this day, but as Jersey is famous for its seafood restaurants hopefully I will return in the not so distance future and try once again.

Apart from the stunning coastlines and the beautiful countryside, one place that is definitely worth a visit is the German Underground hospital in St Lawrence. The Channel Islands were the only British Soil to be invaded and occupied by German forces in the Second World War. Forced labourers from all corners of Europe were brought to Jersey to build this vast underground hospital when Allied invasions seemed imminent in 1944.

One thing that I can remember about the Underground hospital is the chill that comes over you when walking though the tunnels. Once inside you can view the operating theatre, the doctors and nurses quarters and various memorabilia from the time of the Islands occupation. Fortunately the Island was liberated on 9th May 1945 but this museum remains as testament to the turmoil that the islanders lives were thrown into.

Since my visit in 1988, I have returned twice, once on a camping trip with my school in 1989 and again with my family in 1992. A lot of my memories have faded now but I hope to return to Jersey in 2004 to explore this beautiful islands once more...oh yes and maybe try another bit of that lovely crab meat!