Jersey

Jul 5th - Jul 7th 2024

Friday 5th July 2024

Home to Jersey

Had the day off because of the previous night’s General Election. I’d got up at 02:45 to watch the results come in and then gone back to bed at 05:50 for a nap before getting up at 08:00. Spent the morning stretching my back so it didn’t seize up during the trip. Headed off around 12:15 for the journey to Luton for our 16:10 flight.

Very uneventful until we arrived at the airport. They’re obviously still dealing with the demolition following the fire at Car Park 2 - plus they seem to be building a new drop off area so it wasn’t the usual way into Car Park 1. Eventually found our usual parking spot and got ourselves sorted.

I texted Stuart who was already in the terminal, so we met up at the SA desk. Two very friendly girls in charge and we got booked in before checking-in with EasyJet. Security was a bit of a pain - but then it always is these days. When we got through we decided we’d try and get into the lounge.

The website said they were both full but when we rocked up there was no problem buying ourselves in. Me and Nikki went up in the long, slow lift while Stuart grabbed us a table. They’ve totally re-done it since we were last there in September and it’s under new management. Decent nibbles through - baked potatoes, humous, dips etc so we didn’t starve.

We stayed there until 15:15 and then headed off to Gate 20 to get the Ambu-Lift for the plane. Very busy at the airport but I suppose it’s Friday afternoon. Sat around for a bit watching the Wizz Air planes before the chaps came for us. 6 of us going on the Ambu-Lift so a bit of a squeeze. They got us loaded on quickly enough - we were in 1E and 1F so not very far to go.

Flight was due to be 40 mins and it went very quickly. The weather was pretty awful meaning we couldn’t see anything much out of the window - felt like we’d just got up and it was time to land. Clouds cleared a bit over Jersey and it was a decent enough landing. Now they don’t use the Ambu-Lift at Jersey - they have this clever ramp system down to the tarmac so once they’d brought the wheelchair up we were off.

Grabbed our bags and went outside to be met by James. He’d offered to pick us up and off we went to his posh Mercedes. Took a bit of Jenga to figure out how to get the wheelchair, 2 cases and 4 people in the car but we got there in the end! James dropped us at the Premier Inn Charing Cross and we arranged that he’d come back for some drinkies around 19:00 before dinner.

Check in at the hotel was pretty straightforward. We were in a Premier Plus room on the 4th (top) floor in room 417. Very nice room - even if the bed was a bit small. After unpacking it was time for a bit of down-time to recover from the long journey. Nikki had a nap and I watched the TV - catching up on the election news.

Met Stuart and James downstairs at 19:00 - we found this little side room with some comfy chairs so occupied that for a bit of catching up over some beverages. We headed off to Casa Mia for dinner and, after a quick pit-stop at the wrong restaurant, had a fab evening with some excellent Italian food to round off the day before walking back and hitting the hay around 22:30

Saturday 6th July 2024

Jersey

I think we were both unconscious for most of the night - woke up around 07:00 and I went on the hunt for some coffee. Popped into the Co-op next door to the hotel and came back armed with a jar of decaf. Very nice morning outside - a bit cold and very windy - but certainly not the rain we’d been promised. 

Met Stuart at 08:45 for breakfast. He had a Whitbread shareholder discount card which got us free breakfast. Result. Sat and grazed our way through a decent enough buffet before heading back to the rooms. James was picking us up outside at 10:30 for the big tour of the island - but thankfully with no cases to get in and out of the car - just ourselves!

We left St Helier and aimed for Gorey on the far east of the island. Walked along the breakwater marvelling at the harbour and the beautiful Mont Orgueil Castle looming above. Then, after so much looking at things, we decided it was time for morning coffee so we availed ourselves of The Moorings Hotel on the front for drinkies. While we were in there it started to drizzle but luckily it went over in about 10 minutes.

We then drove up the east side of the island checking out at all the various hamlets and small bays - some just stunning. The house prices in Jersey are mad and some of the properties were jaw dropping.

Our first big stop was St Catherine’s Breakwater and we made it halfway to the end but the ground was a bit stoney for the wheelchair so we turned back. Great being able to see France in the distance.

Thoughts were now turning to lunch so we stopped at a place James recommended - and he was spot on. Really nice cheese & pickle panini with a pile of chips - and salad on the side - plus a gallon of Pepsi Max. We even sat outside and watched the very slow-paced world go by. Very sheltered so really nice in the sun.

After lunch we continued our tour around the north and down to the west of Jersey before heading back to St Helier along a stunning beach road. Picked up a bit of traffic on the way back but nothing too bad.

James took me and Stuart for a quick tour of the radio station before we all walked into town to meet up with an old work colleague who it turns out was in St Helier celebrating his 20th wedding anniversary. We met Dean and Louise in Liberation Square and sat catching up with a few drinks. Dean had worked with all of us at some time so lots to chat about - Nikki and Louise just put up with the radio-talk!

After a quick visit to the Apple Store it was back to the hotel for some downtime before evening meal time. I lay flat out on the bed with half an eye on the England match - but that quickly became no eyes as I dropped off for most of the first half!

Met again downstairs for drinks and a conflab about where to go to and eat  - ended up in Bella Italia a few doors up. Deserted when we got there but really filled up after the football finished. A mostly forgettable meal and we were back in bed by 22:00! Busy day.

Sunday 7th July 2024

Jersey to Home

Excellent night’s sleep for me - less so for Nikki. Surfaced around 07:30 and watched some TV in bed for a bit. Met Stuart for breakfast at 08:45 - he had a shocker of a cold and had pretty much lost his voice. Did some leisurely packing and were ready to go at 10:15.

We’d arranged to meet James outside at 10:30 - he was early so, after a bit of case/wheelchair Tetris, we headed off to the airport. It was Jersey Triathlon so the road along the front - and hence to the airport - was closed for competitors. James knew the back roads and, even though it was stop/start, it’s only 3 or 4 miles so no issues. 

James dropped us off right outside - loved the fact I could see the check in desk through the car window! Check in took a while because the SA we’d ordered seemed to have been deleted from their system. Security was pretty straight-forward and we found the SA desk the other side. Chaps there couldn’t have been more helpful.

Got some elevenses and waited at SA for a bit before they took us down to Gate 2. Our plane had just arrived so we watched all those passengers getting off before they took us out first. I pushed the wheelchair up the funky ramp and the SA chaps came and took it down to the hold. In 1E and 1F again so no walk to the seats.

Nice takeoff out of Jersey and reasonably clear until we got back to the mainland. Got some nice views of London though. Seemed to take ages to land - felt longer than the flight down to Jersey. On the ground the Ambu-Lift came but then broke down as the chap tried to get it to come up to the plane. He repaired it after about 25 and we got taken off.

Quick stop in M&S for some sandwiches and then set course for home - back on my sofa by 15:30 so all good. Would totally go to Jersey again - a very beautiful island with a laid-back and friendly feel to the place.