Alderney 23- 25 September 2011

Early evening at Saye Campsite

These little devils were verywhere and only about 2-3mm

Dates? We don't need no stinkin' dates! It tasted OK and I'm still here to tell the tale

I was playing with the flash - oft times it's better without it seems

A couple more experiments with and without the flash

As you may have guessed I've just come back from Alderney in the Channel Islands. This was the last air racing weekend of the season for the Royal Aero Club. It's a wonderful little island, barely 3 miles long packed with things to see and places to do.... Over the summer there are a myriad events including fishing competitions, a half marathon, hill climbs and so on.

The history is similarly extensive with evidence of a stone age occupation and a Roman pier but the most evident history is more recent. There are a lot of Napoleonic fortifications and in the Second World War these were added to by the Germans. They not only reinforced existing structures but added others of their own and there are many elements still standing. The dark side of this is that these structures were built by slave labour. During the war, there were 3 labour camps and a concentration camp and the occupants were mainly Eastern European; many of the locals left the island. Alderney's history is well documented on the web and readers can find the details behind these events there. The Hammond Memorial stands for the memory of those interned and who died.

I've always found the 'natives' friendly and welcoming and love going back there. If you have the opportunity I'd advise you to go too!

My pictures can also be found here