It’s been another successful Random Acts of Kindness Week. The Smile for Georgie Foundation partnered with Swoffers and Island FM to provide a different act of kindness on each day.
On Monday, it was free coffee for passers by in Town, courtesy of Dino’s Coffee Bike, with day 2 providing unsuspecting visitors to the Green Hut in St Martin’s with delicious hot food on the house.
On Wednesday love was in the air, as Swoffers staff handed out roses to commuters for Valentine’s Day, while on Thursday we were putting smiles on children’s faces. We were at The Mallard Cinema with Autism & Me Guernsey, where the children were treated to cartoons, movies, and as much popcorn as they could eat!
Finally, on Friday, we gave a donation to the GSPCA to help them take care of their residents.
Throughout the week there was also a competition on Island FM for a lucky winner to receive free flights with Aurigny.
The Smile for Georgie Foundation was launched in 2018 and aims to make a difference within the local community through random acts of kindness and ‘smile-raising initiatives’. We certainly saw plenty of those last week.
Swoffers has been involved with the charity from the beginning; the joint initiative has gone from strength to strength, with a greater public awareness and an increasingly impressive range of goodwill gestures that benefit the wider community.
Swoffers and The Smile for Georgie Foundation look forward to working together in future years to ensure each Random Acts of Kindness Week is more memorable than the last.
https://www.smileforgeorgie.org.gg/
Steve Haines bought Beaucette Marina in 2005. He was already planning to relocate to the island and had developed a love for both Guernsey and Beaucette over years of cruising in local waters. Purchasing Beaucette, where he now lives, combines his natural entrepreneurial bent with his love of boating.
‘I bought Beaucette as a lifestyle business. It will probably never make lots of money but the payback for me is that I absolutely love it here. It’s my home. A lot of people who relocate here have boats. That was certainly one of the drivers for me.’
Steve Haines is no stranger to building a successful business. He set up a greeting cards company at the age of 23 which went on to enjoy an annual turnover of around £10m. Then, in his own words, he “got bored” so diversified into the gift market and the turnover peaked at £58m. The company has just reached its 35th birthday and Steve, while still the major shareholder, leaves its day-to-day running to someone else and is able to concentrate his efforts on developing Beaucette.
Steve’s first priority was to bring the marina’s maintenance up to scratch, so he invested in new pontoons and various other fixtures that were in urgent need of replacement.
‘I have invested a lot of money to get it where it is now. The marina has everything it needs now from a health and safety point of view.’
Since then, he has focused on realising his vision, which is to move Beaucette on from being just a marina to more of a ‘destination’ for both locals and visitors alike. As well as its 90 berths for visiting boaters and permanent residents, Beaucette now has number of shepherd huts, pitches for camper vans plus five floating cabins which Steve believes will be particularly popular with staycationers.
‘They are actually high-quality ski chalets and I was convinced we could make them float. If they can float here with the tidal changes and sea movement, they will certainly float on a lake and so this has opened up a new market for the suppliers. They have a life expectancy of about 25 years. They haven’t leaked or shown any structural weakness so have proved a good investment.’
The restaurant is the hub of what Steve describes as the Beaucette community. It’s where permanent marina residents meet for a drink, walkers stop for a morning coffee and where locals visit to eat. The restaurant cooks with as much local produce as possible with provenance being a key aspect. This ‘community hub’ atmosphere is part of the longer-term vision.
‘A normal marina is just like a car park for boats. Beaucette is not just a marina. People sometimes come here for two nights and stay for a month using this as their base. For boat owners, St Peter Port marina can be noisy, so it’s a different experience here altogether.’
Looking ahead, Steve wants to expand the business with more shepherd huts, more floating cabins, as well as looking at other ways to take full advantage of the marina’s location to create experiences and memories for locals and visitors alike. Incorporating wellness activities, guided walks, boat trips, foraging and wild swimming are all in the plan.
‘We have a good team in place to make it work and we can now grow without having to increase the team very much at all. We have the foundations to build the business. Having the right team is everything and for the team to understand the goals and where we are heading is key.’
It’s clear that Steve has put a lot of himself into the business. While he was travelling around the world in his own boat, he collected ideas that could work for Beaucette, and as a regular visitor to marinas he has simply asked himself what sort of services he would expect to see. He is clearly determined to offer that ‘something special’ and to go the extra mile for his guests and believes that the little things really matter.
‘I think that you can always tell the difference when a business owner is doing something just for the money or if they really love what they are doing. For me it’s all about thinking about what I would want from a destination like this. I want people to have a real experience and make memories here at Beaucette.’
Steve Haines
For an island with a population of around 64,000 Guernsey offers a wide choice when it comes to private education options. Two of the three independent secondary schools have become co-ed in recent years and developed their curricula to embrace the ever-changing needs of students and parents.
Robert O’Brien is the Principal of Blanchelande College having relocated to Guernsey in 2016 with his wife and three children to take up the post. The school has 460 pupils from age 2½ to 18. Enjoying an attractive rural setting in St Andrew’s, Blanchelande re-opened its sixth form in September 2020 as Robert explained:
‘We have seen rapid growth in numbers sine 2016 and as a result there was increasing pressure from parents for us to re-open the sixth form to be able to offer students a pathway right through to 18. We were delighted to open it in 2020. We have had two rounds of A-level results so far, which have been excellent, with all students getting into their chosen universities or gaining good apprenticeships with quality local employers.’
The sixth form only has 26 students currently, but the college offers a surprisingly wide choice of subjects – 21 in total – with a strategy to develop the offering based on what they describe as a ‘bespoke’ approach.
‘Our offering for 16 to 18-year-olds is bespoke,’ said head of sixth form Matthew Noble.
‘We want to be able to offer subjects that the students want to study. We are looking for opportunities to grow our offering so that it’s attractive to our own students and to those joining from outside.
‘This approach also helps us focus on staff’s interests and passions. So, for example I teach languages, but I also have a background in law and so we will be introducing a law A-level next year and we will be the only school on the island offering it.’
Aside from the academic side of Blanchelande life, there is a very clear focus on ensuring students develop life skills that will prepare them for either university and/or employment. Sixth formers can take a 40-week ‘Confident Cookery’ course; for those more enthusiastic budding chefs, there is the opportunity to undertake a Leith’s Level 3 qualification in professional Cookery which is taken alongside A-levels.
Senior students also complete an Extended Project Qualification which many top universities like to see on an applicant’s CV. In addition, the college has introduced its own ‘Sixth Form Diploma’ which requires students to collect and complete a range of experiences and activities under specific headings (including academic, physical, service to others, cultural communications, and work experience)
‘In order to be competitive we need to focus on the holistic development not just academic side of our students and to equip them with the skills that they need to succeed at A-level and beyond,’ said Robert.
‘When people imagine what life might be in Guernsey, especially if they are coming from a city, they are looking for somewhere where their children can roam, flourish and feel safe and where holistic education is available – and that, I believe, is what parents find at Blanchelande.’
Elizabeth College has recently benefitted by a brand new wing – Perrot Court – named after its benefactor, which was opened in February this year. The new wing has been built on land that was originally gifted to the school by Queen Elizabeth I, so it has come full circle. It is linked to the rest of the campus by the ‘bridge’, which was a key requirement of the development, as Principal Jenny Palmer explained:
‘When we were speaking to the architects this was very important. We wanted it to make sure Perrot Court became an intrinsic part of the campus. We now have single level access on both sides. A key focus for the new development was to look at a student support hub,’ she said.
‘Downstairs there is a library which is co-located with learning enrichment. Alongside that is a well-being hub, and a room where students can have one-to-one meetings with mentors or counsellors plus quiet spaces where they can read or study.’
Sixth formers at Elizabeth College benefit from an academic partnership the college enjoys with The Ladies’ College. This broadens the choice of subjects available and enables the college to deliver the students’ choice of subjects within the timetable.
For Jenny herself, the school holds a special place since she was one of the first group of six girls admitted to the sixth form in 1992. Having developed a successful teaching career in the UK, when the role of Principal came up she didn’t take much persuasion to apply.
‘It’s an amazing place. The atmosphere, the values, the focus on the breadth of opportunities for students – it all aligned with my own educational values.
‘We are lucky to also have two fantastic sports grounds, the College Field and the Memorial Field which people sometimes forget because we are based close to town – which in itself has its benefits.
‘The college offers great pastoral care, high academic standards the combined cadet force which develops key leadership skills plus lots of extracurricular activities and great traditions in sport, drama, science. We enable students to embrace all opportunities available, for them to discover something that might become a passion. I can’t speak highly enough about the privilege it is to work with these young people and with the staff and parents. It really is a special place.’
The consensus among swimming groups and clubs is that numbers of people enjoying outdoor swimming all year round in the UK are on the up.
The pandemic seems to have boosted interest even further with this increasingly popular activity proving a useful antidote to loneliness and isolation. Outdoor swimming presented an opportunity to get some exercise, explore the local countryside and even visit new places in search of different waters.
Guernsey is no exception. Min Henry was herself someone who enjoyed a dip, usually in her favourite spot at Pembroke. Back in 2020, she found herself post-swim in November, sitting on the beach wondering if any of her friends might fancy joining her for the occasional swim during the winter. So she set up a Facebook group page there and then. The following weekend, around eight people joined her. Now the group, Guernsey Swim All Seasons, has an incredible 3,800 members, something Min herself would never have foreseen.
‘We started off organising a group swim on Saturdays. Then added a midweek swim at 6.30pm to allow people to get there after work. Since then, we have had trips to Lihou, ‘sunset & soup’ swims, evenings in Herm as well as an annual dinner.’
The ethos of the group is that everyone is welcome, irrespective of ability.
‘I would never have described myself as a swimmer,’ Min said.
‘I always stayed within my height but then I bought a float board and that gave myself the confidence to go a bit deeper. But at every group gathering, there are always people of all abilities. Some will want to stay in the shallows, others will set themselves a goal to swim to a bobber and back. It’s just a really a wonderful social thing.’
The group has welcomed a number of people new to Guernsey and Min is always keen to extend a warm Guernsey welcome to newcomers to the group and to island.
‘We have a welcome team who look out for new people. We put out a welcome board and make sure that no one is left swimming alone. For anyone new to Guernsey, our ‘buddy swims’ might be a good first step. Every evening some group members will post where and when they are swimming the following day, so that others can join them in a small group or just two or three people. It’s a great way to meet new people and create new friendships.’
Min spends a lot of her time running the group, now supported by a committee of eight. Her efforts have been recognised both locally, when she won the Guernsey Pride Inclusion and Diversity Award in 2022, and nationally when she was featured on BBC’s The One Show as recipient of The One Big Thank You for supporting her local community.
The next step is to establish the group as a charitable entity. In the three years since its inception, the group has raised an impressive £28,000 for local charities though merchandise and cake sales.
The benefits of sea swimming are well documented. It can improve fitness, reduce stress and anxiety, improve alertness and is good for the immune system. For Min, the feeling she gets from a swim can be summed up in two words: “pure joy.”
Lucinda Meadows, sea swimmer
‘In November 2022 we decided to make the move to the beautiful island of Guernsey. Swoffers was instrumental in finding the perfect house. Meeting people was proving difficult for me, I love the outdoors and had watched groups of people swimming through the winter at Pembroke and Salerie Corner and being in awe of them.
I started swimming in May by myself. I made a great song and dance while getting in the water but thoroughly enjoyed it. I was aware that swimming by yourself is not always sensible and tried to make sure there were people around or in the water too.
In July, at the opening ceremony of the Island Games, we were sitting at the Terrace enjoying a glass of wine when a lady by herself came and joined us, and in true Guernsey style we started chatting. She told me all about Guernsey Swim All Seasons and how to find them on Facebook. I sent a request there and then and have not looked back.
My first group swim was incredible, a large number of men and women of all ages chatted and laughed as I peered round the wall at ‘the slabs’ at Pembroke. There I met Min Henry for the first time. She greeted me with a big smile and a very warm welcome. She introduced me to a few people, all of whom were lovely. We stood on the steps for a photo, me hiding at the back! Then we all piled into the sea.
I had never envisaged swimming out to the yellow bobber but did and loved every second of it. The noise of chatter and laughter in the water was lovely. From this day I have swum most days with people from SAS, group swims, buddy swims, very early morning swims (not my thing!) and am still swimming.’
Min Henry, founder of Guernsey Swim All Seasons
Visitors and newcomers to Guernsey are often surprised at the vibrant arts and cultural scene on the island. Whether it’s art exhibitions, concerts, theatre, festivals, literature or local heritage, the local calendar is pretty rammed with events.
Central to much of this activity is Guernsey Arts (GA) a not-for-profit organisation which was set up in 2008 with aim of “providing a strong, identifiable voice in the community, raising public awareness and promoting the value, relevance and importance of the arts.”
GA supports events and art initiatives of all kinds through funding, advice and guidance as well as organising its own events throughout the year. 2023 has been a particularly busy year for the team.
This year marked 60 years since The Beatles performed in Guernsey. GA’s Head of Arts Development Russ Fossey saw this as the perfect opportunity to get the whole community celebrating the arts and culture, showcasing local talent and heritage.
Local artists were invited to submit a piece or art interpreting a Beatles song, and just to make it slightly more challenging, the artists were allocated an album from which to make their selection. The exhibition – called Twist and Shout – ran from 21 July until 2 September featuring 26 local artists and a wide range of styles. The event was sponsored by Skipton International.
‘This is where the connections with the island get really strong,’ said Russ.
‘When The Beatles came to Guernsey they were really just starting to make their way. A month before they came over, they released an EP (Twist and Shout) and the cover featured a photograph by [the late] Fiona Adams who lived and worked in Guernsey for many years.’
Fiona enjoyed a hugely successful career photographing pop icons such as Jimmy Hendrix, David Bowie and Gerry and the Pacemakers to name just a few.
Another direct connection with the ‘fab four’ is local artist Peter Le Vasseur who sold some of his work to Ringo Starr and featured the group in one of his paintings, a print of which he kindly agreed to being displayed in the exhibition to inspire young up-and-coming local artists.
Alongside the exhibition, GA organised a picnic and concert on the actual anniversary of the event with a local band playing the set The Beatles performed here and Guernsey Street Festival included a Beatles tribute in its summer concert programme. Both performances were held in Candie Gardens which was the venue of the 1963 concert. To add to the overall ‘Beatlesfest’, large images of the band and the original event poster were on display on the exterior of the Candie Museum.
Russ was delighted that the event was able to bring together and celebrate so many different facets of the arts scene and that local people got so engaged.
‘Once we announced the event, people wanted to share their stories. We even tracked down the receptionist of the Duke of Richmond at the time when the band stayed there who was pleased to share her memories.’
As well as a busy arts calendar, Guernsey had a particularly busy sports schedule over two weeks in the summer when the island hosted the NatWest Island Games. GA seized the opportunity to lead a number of arts and cultural initiatives to run alongside ‘Guernsey 2023’.
The team ran three projects, reaching out to competing islands and engaging with local art organisations, artists, school children and wider communities.
The Pocket Island Poetry challenged poets to paint a picture of their own island through words. This resulted in the production of a 110-page booklet which was available online and was also distributed during the games to participants and spectators.
The Islands Digital Arts Open allowed any digital or digitally recreated artwork to be submitted for an exhibition which was held in the George Crossan Gallery in the Market Buildings during the games.
The Island Games Postcard Competition looked to include schoolchildren to build an insight into how they perceived their own homes and gain an additional perspective to each island. One postcard design was selected from each island and printed versions were made available during the games for visitors to send back home.
Combining all aspects of the arts and engaging with as broad a spectrum of the local community as possible is at the very heart of what GA sets out to achieve. For Russ, these two campaigns showcased GA’s work perfectly.
‘These initiatives were great examples of how the arts can connect people of all ages and backgrounds and epitomises what GA is all about.’
For those with business interests outside of Guernsey, as well as those looking for some summer sunshine without the hassle of going via the UK, islanders have never been in a better position.
Guernsey has become more connected by air than ever before, thanks to the proliferation of direct flights to various European destinations. This increased connectivity has brought about several significant advantages for the island.
Travellers from across Europe can now easily access the island, while enhanced air connectivity benefits islanders by providing convenient travel options for business and leisure. Direct access to European cities saves time and reduces the hassle of connecting flights, making it more attractive for both current residents and potential newcomers.
In addition to economic and lifestyle benefits, improved air connectivity strengthens Guernsey’s position in the global market. It encourages foreign investment and fosters business relationships with European partners.
With both Aurigny and Jersey-based private travel company Fly Direct operating direct flights from Guernsey to more than a dozen European hubs, the opportunities for business and leisure travellers are now numerous.
Aurigny is now operating regular flights between Guernsey and a number of UK cities, as well as seasonal flights to Edinburgh, Liverpool, Newquay, Dublin, Leeds Bradford, Grenoble, Malaga and Ibiza.
In autumn, the airline also operated a series of flights to Madrid, Porto, Barcelona, Bilbao, Valencia and Prague. The airline recently announced that these would be repeated in 2024, with the addition of Mallorca, Alicante, Menorca, Biarritz and La Coruna. They have also brought back the London City and London Stansted routes from the end of March 2024, and are launching a brand new twice-weekly service to Paris.
Nico Bezuidenhout, Chief Executive Officer, Aurigny, said: ‘Introducing a regular Paris service complements Aurigny’s existing seasonal offerings between Guernsey and Europe. Providing a regular and direct link to a European hub airport benefits business and leisure travellers alike and enhances the air connectivity of the island.’
Reaching such places has always involved an extra flight to the mainland and often an overnight stay in a hotel for islanders.
‘Since the launch of our European flights in early August, we’ve witnessed an overwhelmingly positive response. Our direct flights have proven to be a game changer for islanders, optimising their valuable time by providing a seamless door to door journey to Europe within just a few hours,’ added Mr Bezuidenhout.
Fly Direct, a private travel company based in Jersey, is also now offering flights from Guernsey to Palma, Majorca and Faro, Portugal.
So whether it’s for a much-wanted family holiday, or a business trip where time is of the essence, Guernsey’s increased air connectivity to European destinations is a boon for the island. It drives economic growth, enhances residents’ quality of life, and solidifies its global presence. As a result, Guernsey continues to thrive as a sought-after destination and an attractive place to live and do business.
Fulfilling a life-long dream is not something everyone can achieve, but that’s exactly what local artist James Colmer has been doing since January, having left the world of full-time employment to concentrate exclusively on his painting and illustration career.
James has had a passion for art since he was a child, both as a ‘scribbler’ as he describes his young self, and a keen visitor to art galleries and exhibitions when on family holidays. With a degree in illustration from Falmouth Art College, James returned to Guernsey and got a job with one of Guernsey’s then largest advertising agencies, Wallace Barnaby. He was trained in graphic design and was able to put his illustration skills to use for many of the agency’s clients. After a brief spell in web design, he joined Healthspan where he spent the next 21 years, eventually becoming the group’s Creative Director.
Now James has replaced screen with easel and is doing what he loves best – painting. He said: “I have rekindled that painting spirit that I had when I was a teenager when I was doing a lot of art.”
James’ work incorporates a number of styles using predominantly oils for his landscape work and watercolours for his portraits. He is also continuing with his illustrations having recently been commissioned for designing and producing the poster artwork for two local films. He enjoys the range of variety but admits that if he had to choose one preferred genre it would be landscapes. These have a distinctive style which James describes as ‘a contemporary take on classic landscapes using vibrant bold colours to promote positivity and to create a sense of wellbeing.’
“I get most enjoyment out of the landscapes I think because I love nature and I love the outdoors. I surf, go sea swimming and so I like to connect with that through my artwork. I try not to just paint the picture but aim to create some connection with the view that’s portrayed.”
James was recently part of a group exhibition at Sula Gallery and is currently discussing a number of other exhibition opportunities locally as a way of expanding his audience (so watch this space). He is already enjoying good levels of success with commissions from those who have seen his work online or elsewhere.
“I am very fortunate to have lots of commissions; the slight downside is not having much time to build a body of work for an exhibition – which is a nice problem to have but a challenge at the same time.”
His work is on permanent display in the hospital where he painted “Walk About Guernsey” in the Roustel Ward for patients with dementia. The mural depicts the local coastline and includes visual details to stimulate patients’ memory – such as a tray of tomatoes. He was delighted with the positive feedback from staff and patients alike and was pleased to be able to create something that has real tangible benefit.
The De Sausmarez Ward corridors are brightened with six paintings of Sausmarez Park which are used as aides for physiotherapists to see how far recovering patients can walk. For James though, the highlight of his artistic career so far are the two sets of stamps he has
designed – the first depicting seagulls, and more recently a set with the iconic puffin produced for Alderney.
“Once the pictures are done, they go to the palace for royal approval. That was mind boggling – my artwork going for royal approval seemed a bit unreal.”
The next stage is for James to create an e-commerce website from where he can sell limited numbers of prints of his work to complement his commissioned work. Looking further ahead, a goal is to exhibit outside of Guernsey and to be able to continue doing what he loves alongside enjoying life with his wife and young son.
“I guess if I am still doing this in five years’ time, I will have made it. I find it amazing to be able to create something that someone thinks is good enough to put on their wall. That’s really gratifying.”
James is currently in the running for a Pride of Guernsey 2023 award; he has been nominated for Arts Contribution of the Year.
Some of James’ work can be viewed at www.jamescolmer.com
No one relishes the idea of getting older and starting to need additional support for day-to-day living. Many older people would choose to stay in their own homes – homes in which they have often spent many years and which hold so many lifetime memories – for as long as possible, but need additional support to be able to do so. Halo has been established to help people do just that.
Founder John Merrien was faced with his own personal situation when his own mother (who suffers from Alzheimers) fell in her home and broke her hip.
“Often the catalyst for moving older relatives into nursing or residential care is an accident in the home. For me Mum’s fall was a wakeup call to the fact that she wasn’t coping at home and that the environment in which she was living wasn’t a safe one. My brother and I found ourselves facing a very difficult decision concerning her long-term care.”
John’s Mum was adamant she wanted to stay in her own house. Initially, John employed a ‘home care assistant’, Kyra, for 20 hours a week to undertake basic chores and provide companionship for his Mum who showed immediate signs of improvement in both her physical and mental health as a direct result. Kyra’s partner Reece undertook basic maintenance work on the property and the solution was found – and the idea for Halo was born.
Described broadly as a ‘home concierge service’ Halo provides a range of services to people who need additional support at home. Kyra now works for Halo full-time and is responsible for the small team of carers who have since joined the company. The management team is completed by Gina who is a qualified home assessor and who runs the company on a day-to-day basis as Managing Director.
John’s aim is for Halo to provide ‘personalised assistance delivered with kindness and compassion’. Each client has a tailored support package which can include anything from reminders to take medication, to washing dishes, gardening or a trip out for a cup of tea or an ice cream so that they have some meaningful human connection.
Since the company’s inception, John has reached an agreement with UK company Autumn Care giving Halo access to a bank of care professionals who are able to give 24/7 live-in support where necessary. In addition, he has put Halo through the rigorous UK Care Quality Commission’s quality validation process as an extra layer of quality assurance for clients and their families.
Alongside his growing team of full and part-time staff, John is developing a directory of other service providers and tradesmen on whom the team can call as and when required.
“The only thing we ask for is a guarantee of a ‘rapid response’,” John explained.
Care workers generally are undervalued and underpaid in John’s view, and he has therefore set out to pay above market salaries.
“We want to build something to last. We are employing the best people; we pay them as well as we can; and we give them the most flexible working arrangements we are able.”
John is mindful that the families of clients also need some level of on-going reassurance and support – particularly if they live away from the island. Halo has adopted the use of an app called ‘Jointly’. Clients sign up and the care team is able to add updates, photos and any other useful information that family members can access at any point.
Swoffers is also part of this ground-breaking (for Guernsey anyway) service. For Halo’s clients with large complex properties, Swoffers will be providing property maintenance assessments and plans as it would for large rental properties, minimising the pressure and stress this can create.
With pressure on care and nursing home beds, the on-going issue of blocked hospital beds because older patients are unable to return to their homes, and an ageing demographic, Halo’s service delivery model is arguably long overdue. Whilst John is a businessman – and runs his own accountancy firm Books & Co – he aims to keep fixed costs low and work with small profit margins to ensure that the service is accessible to as broad a range of people in Guernsey as possible. He wants Halo to have real ‘societal benefit’ and his own Mum was the best-case study he could have wished for.
In 2003, former West End performers Brian and Catherine Webster moved back to Guernsey, where Catherine grew up. Their dream was to create an inclusive dance and theatre school where they could pass on their decades of professional experience to the island’s budding stars.
Fast forward 20 years, and The Guernsey Academy of Theatrical Education (GATE) has nurtured thousands of talented youngsters, with many going on to pursue a career in the performing arts. With dozens of annual shows, Eisteddfods, Dance Festivals and Dance World Cup successes (including 2 Gold medals for Guernsey on the international stage) under its belt, the school is going from strength to strength.
‘It’s surpassed all our expectations,’ said Catherine (or “Miss Catherine” to her students).
‘We wanted to give local children the full experience of performing, from dancing to singing and acting, so anyone wishing to pursue the performing arts as a career have all the necessary skills, not just one. It was a world that Brian and I were fully immersed in, and we wanted our students to experience that same feeling performing can give you.
‘It’s amazing how much talent we have in such a small island. With fewer distractions and an active lifestyle, our students are in a fantastic position to put their energy into their passion.’
Brian and Catherine’s daughters, Maisie and Eliza, have grown up around the school, with invaluable help from Catherine’s mother, “Miss Jeanette”, who still runs the dancewear and equipment shop on a Saturday morning. Both girls are accomplished performers, with Maisie heading to study performing arts at Laine Theatre Arts in September. She follows a string of GATE alumni to have followed their dreams, and so many have gone on to achieve successful careers.
Cameron Ashplant, who took an academic route at university, has used his theatrical background to become an accomplished actor, screenwriter and director. He co-founder of Across The Channel Productions with which he produced the Amazon Prime series ‘The Balkans’ and Guernsey film ‘Marooned Awakening’. The latter secured a Los Angeles-based distribution deal. He’s acted opposite Steve Coogan, Andrew Scott, Paterson Joseph, Tilly Keeper, Tim McInnerny, Barry Keoghan and Mark Gatiss, and has also acted in scenes with Mads Mikkelsen, Harrison Ford and Austin Butler.
Pierce Rogan, who left GATE in 2014, is currently performing in South Pacific in the West End, having also starred in Fiddler on the Roof. Rachel MacDougall has also gone on to perform in The King and I which will end its UK tour in the West End in January.
Others, like Harry Giubileo, have gone on to secure TV acting roles and the lead in West End play Witness for the Prosecution, with a number pursuing dance teaching, singing and songwriting. Indi Phillips and Sam Ashcroft both perform on cruise ships, while Claudia Valentina has a successful singing career and almost a quarter of a million followers across Instagram and TikTok.
But it’s not all about fame, says Brian.
‘Arguably there’s no better feeling than performing before an audience and seeing the results from all the blood, sweat and tears,’ he said.
‘But also it’s about friendship, teamwork and creating rounded human beings. The camaraderie backstage at shows, the buzz in a dance studio at training and the laughter and excitement when we travel away for competitions. That’s what it’s all about. Seeing young people enjoy themselves and achieve what they had never dreamed they could, that’s the feeling that we strive to achieve, and there’s nothing like it.’
Catherine Webster
Catherine trained at the prestigious Elmhurst Ballet School, where upon leaving she performed professionally for 12 years.
Her credits include: Me and My Girl, Singin’ in the Rain, Calamity Jane, Oliver!, Hollywood and Broadway, West Side Story, Grease (Patty Simcox and Jan in the West End), Lautrec (West End) and the Ira Gershwin Gala (West End and televised). TV credits include The Bill, Talking Telephones, Watchdog and commercials. Catherine has worked with many stars such as John Barrowman, Shane Ritchie, Adam Garcia, Samantha Janus, Paul Nicholas, Wayne Sleep, Gary Wilmot, Hannah Waddingham and Bonny Langford and remains in contact with many working professionals, often bringing them over to teach GATE students.
Brian Webster
Brian trained at both the Guildford School of Acting and West Street Ballet School. His professional credits include: Singin’ in the Rain, West Side Story (Diesel), Grease (Roger and Sonny in the West End), The Movie of ‘Jesus Christ Super Star’, Stars of the West End (Malaysia Stadium Concert), Copacabana, Happy Days, Boogie Nights and professional pantomimes. TV credits include GMTV, TFI Friday (as one of the Massive Heads), The Clothes Show and Blue Peter. Brian has worked with many stars including Arlene Phillips, Shane Ritchie, Paul Nicholas, Tommy Steele, Wayne Sleep, Henry Winkler, Michael Praed and Leslie Grantham.
Cameron Ashplant
Actor/ film director – Marooned Awakening
Harry Giubileo
TV actor – Casualty & Last Train to Christmas
Indi Phillips
Cruise ship dancer/ singer
Sam Ashcroft
Cruise ship vocalist
When Andy Furniss first arrived in Guernsey six years ago, becoming a train driver wasn’t a life goal, but driving Le Petit Train between 10am and 3pm fitted perfectly around doing the school run for his two boys while his wife settled into her new teaching role. One year later – at the end of 2018 – Andy seized the opportunity to take over the business in its entirety.
“We had one really good year in 2019 and then Covid struck. With the States’ support scheme for small businesses, I was just about able to stay afloat and in a way, it gave me the breathing space to think about the direction I wanted to take the business.”
At the time, cruise boat visitors accounted for 95% of the train’s passengers – a market that disappeared overnight due to the pandemic, but a vulnerability that Andy had already recognised as something he needed to address. With over 40 ‘petits trains’ in France having gone out of business – victims of Covid 19 – he wanted to move away from being wholly reliant on the tourism industry.
“I wanted to focus more on local trade as I saw that as the growth area for the business. So in a way, Covid accelerated the realisation of that vision.”
Andy is no stranger to hard work and innovation and whole heartedly believes in the ‘you get out of something what you put in’ mantra. Prior to moving to Guernsey, he and his family lived in the Falkland Islands where, as he explained, everyone has to be a bit of a ‘jack of all trades’ and make a contribution or the place doesn’t run. He spent time as a marine mammal observer, a fish catch verifier as well as an HGV driver and instructor. Andy also spent many years working in special needs education in the UK and lived in Australia for a period working for a mining company.
He grasped the post-Covid challenge to build the business with the same energy and enthusiasm. Initially he offered free seats for children as a way to drive incremental adult ticket sales resulting in a 40% uplift. He then developed a programme of evening events from food safaris (three restaurants in three hours) to Abba nights and children’s sing-alongs.
In an island with a finite market, the need to introduce new products and services is paramount. So Christmas lights and ghost tours around St Peter Port are now also on the agenda and are popular with corporate and group bookings and are proving to be a valuable revenue stream. Le Petit Train also ran ‘Park and Ride’ services for the coronation celebrations and for Christmas shoppers.
Last year, Andy took on Lucy, initially to sell the advertising space on the train, but who now supports him with event planning and promotion. He describes her addition to the team as a ‘game changer’. They have since set up a separate company Mainline Events through which they can run events away from Le Petit Train. Mainline Events owns ‘The Little Black Bus’ found on the quayside when a cruise ship is in, offering small group excursions.
For Andy, diversifying the operation is a way of future proofing the business. The cruise market still constitutes 65% of his passengers but with Princess Cruises not visiting this year, and with 35 fewer boats in total in 2023 compared with 2022, developing his local events trade seems a sensible strategy. And the numbers seem to stack up: 45 events in 2022 and an impressive 145 planned over the course of 2023.
When Andy isn’t in the train, he might be found under it on engine maintenance duties. The Italian-built vehicle is around 30 years old and needs ‘a gentle hand’. The diverse nature of his day-to-day life is what he loves.
“For me it fulfils everything I need. I have a ‘quirky’ business. I can tinker with engines (it used to be motorbikes and land rovers; now it’s a land train) plus I have the challenge of running my own business which is becoming increasingly interesting as it grows. Knowing that this is all of my own doing gives me a huge amount of satisfaction.
“Guernsey is a beautiful place to live where you can enjoy a great work/life balance. When friends ask me what it’s like to live here, I just say that I can get to a beach in 10 minutes in any direction. That’s hard to beat.”
