4 couples decided to 'do their own thing' so there was an early start for just 22 of us. We left the hotel at about 7.45 am, being taken by coach to the Ferry Port for the journey across to Guernsey. A bit of drizzle soon cleared and we had a good journey across to St. Peter Port, taking about 1 hour (which was long enough for some as the waves were a little choppy).
One issue that entertained some of us was seeing who was and who was not stopped at Security when passing through the Ferry Ports. Almost half of us were stopped on the first day. This time, only two people were stopped: a couple, both of whom had been stopped on the way over from Poole. This led to speculation about them!

We started by driving south to Sausmarez Manor where we turned west until the airport. Our first stop required a short detour, being to Little Chapel, after which we turned back past the airport and then went across-country to the South-West tip. We got out near Plenmont Tower for some fresh air and looked at an interesting gun-placement left from the War. We next drove to Guernsey Pearl for a lunch-break. After that we had a brief stop just up the road at Le Tricoteur, a small Guernsey Jumper factory/outlet. After that it was a straightforward drive around the rest of the coast-road, going past many bays. We got back to St. Peter Port at about 2.45pm, in good time for the 3.30 ferry back to Jersey. We saw much of the coast of Guernsey but did not have time to see anything of St. Peter Port itself. David, the coach driver, was a retired policeman whose family been in Guernsey for many generations. He provided us with an interesting narrative as we went around the island. The trip back from Guernsey to Jersey was smoother than the trip there.

The final evening of the short trip was most enjoyable. As for The Merton Hotel - the location was acceptable, the ambiance was well up-to-standard, the staff were friendly & helpful, the beds were comfortable and the bedrooms well appointed, there were impressive swimming facilities (which several people made good use of), and the buffet meals were excellent. Overall: it was a very good choice.

Photos contributed by: Peter & Jackie BG. Contributions sought from others.

Reference	Description	Images : maximum size : 600 pixels in either direction
E15M5A	Guernsey is the 2nd largest of the Channel Islands, covering about 24.5 square miles. The main town is St. Peter Port. The population in 2014 was just under 66,000. The island is divided into 10 parishes: Castel, Forest, St. Andrew, St. Martin, St. Peter Port, St. Pierre du Bois, St. Sampson, St. Saviour, Torteval & Vale. Much of Vale used to be separated from the rest of the island by sea-swamp but that was drained & reclaimed in 1806.
E15M5B	The Little Chapel could be viewed as one man's Folly but that does it a disservice for it is quite impressive.
E15M5C	Inside the chapel were more rooms than might have been expected, spread over different levels. [Better photo sought.]
E15M5D	Like Jersey, Guernsey was occupied by the Germans in the war. Being closer to England, it was arguably of even more strategic importance to the Germans than was Jersey, not least because its position enabled the Germans to set its guns to cover much of the Channel and so attack Allied shipping.
E15M5E	On the journey to and from Guernsey we were able to get good views of the other members of the Channel Islands.
E15M5F	The dining room at The Merton Hotel played an important role in the holiday. They provided an excellent buffet service with a good range of produce that was difficult to fault. Most of us put on weight over the few days!

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