Life “Just Plain Dull” On Sark

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30586, 31 October 1964, Page 5

Life “Just Plain Dull” On Sark

{Specially written for "The Pre««” t>|> M. E. CASKEY) y’HE reputed rustic calm of Sark must have been severely ruffled recently when the owner of the island’s electricity plant staged his one-man revolt.

By plunging the island into darkness for a half hour he flaunted the authority of the Chief Pleas the advisory council to the hereditary ruler Dame Mary Hathaway. Annoyed, and terming the action blackmail, the council members must have begun to wonder if their powers were on the wane.

For us, the English-cum-French Islands with their euphonious names of Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, Sark and Herm are mosUy associated with pedigree cows. How many know of their snug position in that warm elbow of the French coast? Tax Avoided Sark, uncluttered by motor traffic, (cars are prohibited) conjures up a picture of a sylvan Utopia with the benign Dame ruling over her few hundred subjects. These farmers and farm workers, mostly of French extraction have now been joined by a sprinkling of leisured wealthy English people living there for the greater part of the year to avoid heavy English income tax and even heavier death duties.

Sounds idyllic doesn't it? It’s not all like that really. Not so much simple and unspoilt as just plain dull, — rather barren and wild with few fertile farms and even fewer trees. In fact it’s an anachronism in this modern age. Only in winter does it have that “away from it all” atmosphere and then only

from necessity, for there’s only a chuffing oldish cargo ship carrying the few passengers and cargo across two or three times weekly from nearby Guernsey. It can be a rough trip too. The pictureesque touch of “carriages at eleven” awaiting near the little wharf was rather spoilt by the condition of the poor old nags and the shabby carriages, that were expected to plod up the steep hill to “The Top" carrying their loads of passengers and luggage. The Dame had sent her a much more presentable carriage with a woman driver to meet a guest. Driven away at a spanking pace it created for a fleeting moment the illusion of grandeur.

Tractors Busy As the less grand carriages had been ordered beforehand by astute local residents, we ascended the steep hill from the Port to the top on shank’s pony. We made about the same pace as the clipclopping horses. At the top our hopes of visiting Utopia vanished for good and all. Cars were certainly prohibited but not tractors. They are permitted entry for agricultural work, and there they were charging round merrily delivering milk and goods or just acting as transport for children and adults. In fact, we seemed to spend quite a considerable part of cur time on countryroads jumping out of the way of fast moving tractors. At times we wondered if we were viewing the same few out on manoeuvres. Next came the few shops which had a new town effect—a ribbon of low pre-fab type of building bordering the main track. It was the goods displayed that gave the first indication that not all the residents of Sark were content to be on the land. Here was their first attempt to catch some tourist trade. Truly it was ludicrous and yet pathetic to see windows full of such expensive perfumes as Miss Dior, Chanel

No. 5, Joy by Patou and equally famous makes there almost within sight of gorse and bracken. Other shops displayed cameras, projectors and photographic equipment, jewellery, watches galore, in, fact all the luxury goods including cigarettes and tobacco at the low prices which help to attract such thousands of tourists to the more sophisticated islands of Jersey and Guernsey. Clearly Sark was making tentative moves to join in the money spinning venture. Customers , come during summer (on daytrips) from nearby Guernsey and spill out over Sark —hence the shops which are mushrooming there. Forsaking farming pursuits for tourism must always create problems. Indeed, in Jersey, so great has been the demand for land for hotels, restaurants and houses for English new comers and so fantastic the prices offered, that their Parliament—the States of Jersey—has had to restrict the sale of farm lands.

Early Potatoes With a good market for their early Jersey potatoes, a lesser market for flowers and ' vegetables, they need land and also they still have their * precious pure-bred cows which need good pastures if they are to retain their world-wide reputation. Tethered, the cows gaze douce-eyed at the passing coaches crammed with visitors and at the rental cars a speeding by on the narrow, winding roads. These hired.. vehicles constitute a hazard for local drivers but the ’ Centenier of each small parish has power to fine on the spot so the coffers of the States, are greatly enriched during the summer months. In contrast to Sark, Jersey is an immaculate island where farm fences are inspected regularly and again fines are collected on the spot! Great dripping loads of wet seaweed or “vraic” are gathered in trucks and piled on the land. Even the scrapings and weeds from the road sides are brought to enrich the soil. There is keen competition for this “bannelais” Jersey and Guernsey with its immense tomato growing industry are both examples of French thriftiness and good husbandry. Then too. they have dozens of shops, great, luxury hotels, superb restaurants and every second home takes summer visitors—all inspected and graded by women. No wonder Jersey has one of the busiest * airports in the British Isles with a plane setting down or taking off every three minutes in the season. Will Sark, which seems backward and primitive in comparison, be content to provide nothing more than a peaceful haven for a few wealthy: and hard work for the rest or will she join this tourist rat-race?

Tourist Resort After seeing those shops and the condition of the farms it seems the envious may be mumuring about their reasonably good beaches, and their need for better and more luxurious hotels and restaurants—but will the Dame and the Chief Pleas stand firm? Some weeks ago a television programme showed the small island of Herm being ■ developed as a tourist resort * by a New Zealander. I fear ' that a peaceful walk to La Coupe, disturbed only by the rattle and roar of a tractor may soon be a thing of the past for visitors to Sark. Paradoxical though it may sound, that electrical blackout may be the spark that sets off yet one more Channel - Island on the road to tourism, prosperity and so called progress.

(Other Features Appear on Page 19)