Jimmy bags new business

THERE is plenty to marvel at in Sark and one of the many things which leave a favourable impression with staying guests, as distinct from day trippers, is the efficiency of the baggage handling arrangements.

As one of our recent guests put it, you just shove a label on it, leave it on the boat and it’s at the house before you are.

Those responsible for those complimentary comments are the small army of carters whose efforts ensure that not only do our staying guests meet up with their baggage – and get it collected and taken on to the boat when they leave – but that shops, hotels, restaurants and indeed every other island business gets the freight they are expecting delivered to the door.

One of the most familiar faces in that small army is Ross Henry. For those readers who’ve visited before, Ross is the one with the Scots accent who looks as if he weighs about seven stone dripping wet, wears a nice line in sleeveless shirts, and takes suitcases up and down the steps at Maseline Harbour three or four at a time.

However, after 23 years of going up and down Harbour Hill – as well as virtually every other road in the island – in all weathers, Ross has decided to look for new challenges and he and his partner Liz Dewe have sold the carting business to Jimmy Martin and Nicola Fisher, who intend trading under the name of Jimmy’s Carting Services.

They’ll have to go some to equal their predecessors’ track record and I’m sure they will, so long as they remember that with Ross our house was the last for pick-ups and the first for drop-offs.

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If you recognise words like spit braai, boerwors, pap en sous and vetkoek then you’ve either been to South Africa or someone from there has cooked a barbecue for you.

Having both been to South Africa and had a barbecue cooked for me there – it was Christmas and every single thing, including a 15lb turkey, was cooked on it – I can vouch for how enjoyable it is and now the whole of Sark can share the pleasure.

Danie Ludick – he’s from Johannesburg and was featured in this column a while ago after he totally renovated one of the toast rack buses – is organising a day of South African food and live music on Saturday 13 August.

Danie told me that the event – in aid of the Crescendo Fund which finances music facilities of all descriptions for Sark School pupils – will be a fun one for all the family and will kick off at noon at the Millennium Field.

There will be a bar and the cost including food and entertainment will be £15 for adults and £6 for children. The entertainment will feature South African singer Pieter Dorfling but I must admit that I know little about Mr Dorfling.

I looked on his website – genotsplot.com – but, not being able to speak or read Afrikaans, I was little the wiser. What I do know is that if the braais I’ve attended in South Africa are anything to go by, this promises to be a great day out and, as is always the case in Sark, all in a good cause.

Anyone wanting further information can contact Danie direct on 07781 139766.

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Having started the column with comments from visitors, I shall do the same to close it although, sadly, on a less than positive note.

Chatting to a couple of people who’d been here a few days, they were full of enthusiasm for virtually everything about Sark, from the well-known peace and tranquillity to the quality of the hotels and restaurants.

However, their big moan – and it was a huge one – centred on the irresponsible dog owners who do nothing to stop their animals fouling the island’s roads. The couple said that while it might be excused in some of the quieter lanes, virtually each time they walked in The Avenue there was fresh dog muck to be seen – and walked in.

I know that Avenue traders are as fed up with the mess as they are with the apparent unwillingness of anyone in authority to do anything about it but the subject does need addressing – and soon. (from GEP)