www.VUE DES ISLES.com - CHANNEL ISLANDS

A Channel Island is up for sale. Adrian and Pennie Heyworth have decided the sell the lease of Herm.

It's the first time for more than half a century that the picturesque island - which lies close to Guernsey - has been on the market. Mrs Heyworth's father, the late Major Peter Wood took the tenancy in 1949.

Herm is owned by the States of Guernsey and after the German occupation in World War Two the island was almost derelict.

Major Wood and his wife Jenny set about restoring the island - work which has continued in the hands of the Heyworths for the last 28 years. Improvements have included creating an electricity, water and sewerage infrastructure along with roads, paths and amenities like beach cafes and public toilets.

The White House Hotel - uninhabitable after the war - has been rennovated and extended along with the island's pub - the Mermaid Tavern. The island also has a campsite and housing for 150 people.

Today Herm is a thriving tourism destination with thousands of visitors every year.

The Heyworh's gained national recognition for the island through their work in restoring the natural environment and creating award-winning gardens. This year the island is again representing the Guernsey Bailiwick in the Britain in Bloom competition.

Island families and staff - 50 in all - have been assured their jobs are safe. Adrian and Pennie Heyworth have said in a joint statement that they are selling the lease for private and personal reasons.

Guernsey's Treasury and Resources Department has paid tribute to the work of the Heyworths, and the Wood family.

Treasury Minister Charles Parkinson says the Department is working closely with the family to ensure that appropriate new tenants are found for Herm and that the island remains fully accessible to Guernsey residents.

'The Heyworths, and the Woods before them, have turned Herm Island into a jewel of the Bailiwick – a place where nature combines with a nod to modern-day facilities to create a great holiday environment.

'They have achieved so much within their compliance of the guiding principles of the original Herm lease: "to ensure that the natural attractions and peacefulness of the island are preserved and made available to all who visit it and to develop the island to cater for the needs of tourism".

‘It is of the utmost importance to us that the “right” tenant is found for Herm Island.

‘It is not so much an issue of income for the States. It is about preserving the character of the island and, most importantly, the rights of access that Guernsey islanders have become used to over the decades.

‘Guernsey loves Herm and we do not want to see anything disrupt that relationship.

‘We would like to offer our best wishes to the Heyworth family and thank them, and their predecessors, for nearly 60 years of outstanding stewardship of the island.’(from CIonline)

mmm another Barclay Bros acquisition coming up?

i hope they do not buy the lease,as would they let the island be used for us folks
We all love herm it is part of all our childhood
We all have very special memories of this island
And if this island could write a book i am sure it would be a best seller
From rags in the war to a rich vibrant place it has become.
We can only wait for some rich person who will share this beautiful place with us to buy it.