A MEMORABLE TRIP TO GUERNSEY

Something really special happened to my husband and me in late October of last year. We accepted an invitation of long standing to visit Keith Neal, who lives on the island of Guernsey. Guernsey, as one of the Channel Islands, is a British protectorate and is located just ten miles from the coast of France. As you well know, Keith is the author of the excellent reference book on English insulators, SEARCHING FOR RAILWAY TELEGRAPH INSULATORS, and has been collecting insulators for over sixty years!

On October 27 we flew from Houston via Peoplexpress Airlines to Gatwick Airport near London. It was a pleasure to meet Dominic Allen of London and David Hibbert from nearby Herts. They had come to the airport just to get acquainted, since we'd only corresponded and never met face to face. Needless to say, there was a bit of trading going on, too! Dominic and David are both NIA members, as is Keith Neal.

An hour's flight out of Gatwick took us to Guernsey, where we met Keith and his lovely wife Jane. Their daughter Diana and husband Julian Berry and their two children happened to be visiting from England for the weekend, so we had the privilege of meeting them, too.

We stayed right there in the Neal's beautiful home, a large 16th century farmhouse built of native granite. It has been extremely well taken care of through the years by its various owners, and of course has been modernized where it counts, but has still kept its old world charm. A large separate two story building sits apart from but close to the house and is also built of granite blocks. This is called the "barn" (which it was when it was built originally), and this is where Keith keeps his various collections, including his fabulous insulator collection!

If you have seen a copy of his book (if not, you should), you can imagine what a thrill it was just to hold some of these old English telegraph insulators, some of which are one of a kind. Each one has a story and is tagged with the place and date it was found. It was fascinating to hear Keith tell about them! His enthusiasm is truly contagious! 

Keith has a jeep that he drives, and he took us for several rides around the island. Until we got used to the fact that the steering wheel is on the right side of the car, I was constantly climbing into the wrong side! The rural roads are extremely narrow (no wider than a single lane), and because they are flanked on both sides by tall hedgerows, one cannot see what's around the corner. So the practice there is to honk loudly when coming to a crossroad or a curve. The frequent fog on the island is not a particular help in this regard. There are at intervals wide spots in the road, but otherwise no room for passing, should one meet a car approaching from the opposite direction, so I guess the polite one pulls over and waits. Closer to town the roads are wider, and there one can experience the strange feeling of driving down the left side of the road rather than down the right.

The houses and other buildings are, almost without exception, built of the same native granite. Many greenhouses dot the landscape, and at one time these were used to grow tomatoes, which were exported to England. But since tomatoes require a controlled temperature, and the fuel used to keep the stoves burning rose sky high, this proved to be unprofitable. The greenhouses are now used to grow flowers instead.

As we drove along we frequently saw boxes by the side of the road containing fresh fruits, vegetables or flowers. Keith told us that these are called Honesty boxes. If one wishes to buy any of what is in the box, he simply helps himself and leaves the money behind in its place. This honor system works very well on the island. No one cheats! Ah, wouldn't it be nice?

All along the sea wall we noticed some odd looking round towers. Keith said these are called Martell towers and are actually old granite forts dating back to the time of the Napoleanic Wars (early 1800's) when the people of Guernsey were afraid of invasion by Napolean. When the Germans occupied the island during World War II, they built round bunkers on top of these original forts, and used them to ward off possible attackers. These towers are quite a grim reminder of that time!

Keith took us to see a larger fort that was different from the rest. He said that originally it had been a medieval castle and, being older, was not related to the Martell towers. It is now called Fort Grey. We could see where the Germans had added their bunker on top of this one, too.

When Queen Elizabeth of England celebrated her Jubilee, which I believe was June 25, 1977, Keith received quite an honor. He was elected to fire a 21 gun salute to the Queen, which he did, using a battery of two bronze muzzle loading cannons. This took place at Fort Grey! 

Oh, and the cattle, the famous Guernsey cattle! I can't forget those. I am told that this breed originated on Guernsey Island. We saw them everywhere in the fields, grazing on rich green grass. They are such beautiful animals. We were served Guernsey cream and butter while at the Neal's home, and I can tell you there is none more delicious!

Bill and I have many fond memories of our visit to see Keith and Jane, but I believe their sincere and warm hospitality tops the list. Those three days went entirely too fast, but we have promised to go back. 

As you are reading this, Keith, please know how much we thank you for the many ways you have shared your friendship and knowledge with us, and with every collector whose life you have touched. Pictures follow.