The Guernsey culture

Whatever you want to do

One of our staff nurses enjoys snorkelling on a reef, just yards from his own front door. Another has recently bought a motorbike - something she admits she would never have considered before coming to Guernsey.

There’s an island frame of mind - laid back, yet adventurous - which drives people to try new things. A group of our Irish nurses have formed a ladies Gaelic football team and played fixtures in mainland Europe.

Close to France as we are (and the Gallic influence can be seen in everything from the street names to the excellent cuisine), these are very much British islands - speaking English, driving on the left, reading British newspapers and watching British TV.

Equally, we have a few quirks of our own. We still use one-pound notes and we have the world’s oldest post box, in use since 1852. But the beauty of Guernsey is that you get the best of several worlds, mostly within easy walking distance.

There’s the island seen by tourists, or ‘visitors’ as we like to call them. Excellent beaches, with eight major bays and endless coves to choose from - plus fishing, sailing, surfing, riding, golf and VAT free shopping.

Indoors, you’ll find live music, theatre, movies, museums, galleries and a leisure centre. Our capital, St Peter Port, is home to many international banks, insurance companies and finance houses – and this is reflected in the remarkable range and quality of eating in local restaurants.

Further north, the island of Alderney is different again. Rugged, rocky and wild, its coastline is dotted with strategic fortifications - some from Napoleonic and Victorian times, others built by Hitler’s occupying army.

Every year, the island attracts 5,000 pairs of nesting gannets - that’s four gannets for every person - as well as puffins and honey buzzards. Inland, you’ll find black rabbits and the famous Alderney blond hedgehog.

Unspoilt it may be, but in the main town of St Anne, there’s a fast-growing cyber community with broadband connections. Based here is the registry of domain names for Guernsey (.gg) and Jersey (.je).

40% of the population is indigenous; 60% are settlers, most of whom fell for Alderney after holidaying here. There is virtually no crime - back doors are often left open - and the many beaches are blissfully uncrowded, even during August’s busy Alderney Week festival.