The Old Elizabethan Association

A small select band of inquisitive OEs and their wives assembled at Mont Crevelt on Thursday 5 July under a threatening sky and a boisterous wind to learn more about the history and development of St Sampson's harbour and the surrounding area. Our guide was Gill Girard.

We were not disappointed. She led us ably through the stages from when the harbour was no more than an inlet between the Vale Castle and St Sampson's Church. They were then both on the shoreline. The Bridge was at the western end of the inlet connecting the two islands across the Braye du Valle.

Gill then took us right through the stages of the oyster fleet, the various stages of expansion for the stone export industry followed by the greenhouse coal import phase, right up to the present day with the New Marina.

It was a fascinating story and showed the enormous amount of research that Gill had done. The evening was rounded off with a most enjoyable meal at L’Ora restaurant where we discussed our new found knowledge and more mundane topics. Thank you Gill and for keeping the rain away - you must have connections!