I live in one of the more far-flung places in the United Kingdom, Guernsey. Guernsey is an island off the coast of France, one of the Channel Islands. It’s not a particularly large place, just a few miles from end to end, but it really is one of the prettiest places in the world.
My home is in St Peter Port, Guernsey’s capital. Since we have a large deep-water harbour here, St Peter Port has served sailors since Roman times. There’s quite a mix of buildings around St Peter Port, mostly Georgian and Regency. But of course there is also a strong French influence. At one time the famous French writer Victor Hugo lived here in exile.
I live in a small house in the middle of town with a beautiful view of the harbour. And my family lives on Guernsey also; my daughter manages a large hotel, while my son is in charge of the islands branch of a large investment firm. Because we have a particularly favourable tax system, many banks and investment firms and other financial institutions have branches on Guernsey.
I don’t walk as well as I once did, but I’m still able to go into town and shop at the lovely market where I can buy wonderful seafood, fresh from the ocean. Before my husband’s death some years ago, he and I ran a small store in the middle of St Peter Port, where we sold Guernsey jumpers, a type of sweater traditionally worn by fishermen. They are one of the classic symbols of Guernsey, made from a wool that has a high level of natural oil, which makes them somewhat resistant to rain and the sea spray. They’re warm and comfortable, and people here wear them often.