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What’s in a Name – L’Ancresse Bay

L'Ancresse - The Anchorage. (place name) Corruption of Norman French 'ancre' - anchor So, no surprise then that this flat sandy bay in the north of the island should be named as an "anchorage". What is surprising though is one of the stories associated with how it was given this name. That is the story of when Robert "the devil" Duke of Normandy met the Abbot of St Michel du Valle

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The Normans – A Timeline

Guernsey and the Channel Islands were very much at the heart of the old Duchy of Normandy and then in 1066 we were propelled into the wider world when our Duke, William the Bastard defeated the English King Harold at Hastings. In this artilcle we outline some of the defining moments in the history of the Norman dynasty.

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Was King John really that bad?

If there’s one English Monarch who’s consistently had a ‘bad wrap’ it’s King John I. He’s the ultimate in abuse of absolute power, an archetypal villan – portrayed as the cruel King oppressing his people with taxes and arbitrary justice. But is this true ? Was his rule really as bad as folklore seems to say ?

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Secrets of The Bayeux Tapestry : Hidden Meanings & Gestures

The Bayeux Tapestry is an historical artifact that never fails to impress depicting as it does such a pivotal moment in British and Channel Island history, that of the invasion & conquest of England by William the Conqueror in 1066. But look closely and you will come across oddities that are hard to explain, mysterious characters, some named, some not, appear in the main body and borders. Add to that some of the cuirious rather theatrical gestures they appear to be making and there emerges a sense of mystery.

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Wordsmith – Test your Guernsey French

Guernsey French is theoretically the mother tongue of our island home, Guernsey. However it is dying out rapidly. So how many of these Guernsey French words do you know (or can guess)? Improve and test your Patois wordpower by matching each of the words below to one of the multiple possible definitions.

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St Magloire – Patron Saint of Sark

October 24th is the feast day of a local Saint you may never have heard of, Saint Magloire. He’s credited with introducing Christianity to Sark and as such has been adopted as the patron saint of the island.

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The Bayeux Tapestry – The Missing Ending

The Bayeux Tapestry is a beautiful historical artefact that never fails to impress. However this thousand years old embroidery, has a secret. It’s ending is missing! That is until the residents of Alderney crafted a new ending for this iconic artefact.

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Guernsey Icons – The Guernsey Milk-Can

Today the Guernsey milk-can has almost disappeared. We still see them of course, but we see little silver ones in jewellers’ shops and bigger ones in copper in old houses and in antique shops. However there are still some people who make them in the old way.

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Guernsey Patois – A Language Apart

Guernsey Patois is a very ancient tongue indeed. A descecdant of old Norman French and developed in splendid isolation within the island it has become a true ‘language apart’.

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Guernsey Legends – Duke Richard of Normandy and the Devil

It is said that some of the strange imprints on some of the rocks and granite boulders in Guernsey were made by the Devil’s cloven feet as he has prowled around our island home. This legend is one such tale about how Duke Richard of Normandy actually met and fought the Devil

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The Queen … “Our Duke”

“The Queen, Our Duke” – an odd thing to say, especially in a loyal toast to the English Sovereign. Nonetheless whenever Channel Islanders raise their glasses to her majesty that’s the toast that will be made.

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