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Guild weekend: Jersey – 2500+ years of military history

May 19 - 21, 2023

Preliminary Programme

The two-day programme over the weekend (starting on Friday evening and ending Sunday evening) will include battles and battlefields from:

  • The Hundred Years’ War
  • The War of the Roses
  • The English Civil War
  • 18th century wars (including American War of Independence, Battle of Jersey 1781)
  • WW2 and the German Occupation 1940-45 – particularly putting the Channel Islands into wider context of WW2 history

We will also see the very extensive British Napoleonic and 19th century era fortifications, in many cases used and adapted by the Germans.

There will be opportunities for members to take and assist in stands to supplement the local history with the wider historical context of the period/era.

We could have a group dinner together on the Saturday evening, and a traditional Guild quiz night, probably the day before.

 

Accommodation, costs and travel

We are expecting to procure a discounted group accommodation rate at the Merton Resort hotel –https://www.seymourhotels.com/merton-hotel . The daily B&B room rate for two sharing will be about £105, with single occupancy being slightly lower. Other costs will be advised in due course.

Flights are available from a number of UK airports, ferries from the UK south coast and from St Malo and Granville. Unfortunately, the schedules for airlines and ferries have not been published yet. The main local tourist website is www.jersey.com

Options

We are also aiming to organise optional activities and visits covering other battles, prehistoric warfare, naval engagements, and an afternoon on the range between Thursday (18th) and Monday (22nd) for those who may like to stay longer. Current ideas include:

  • Friday 21st – prehistoric warfare, archaeology/ history tour (Neolithic, Bronze and Iron Ages)
  • Thursday 18th afternoon/early evening – 20th century military firearms range event
  • Monday 22nd – boat trip (max 7 persons unless we can gather a flotilla of small boats (as Dunkirk & St Malo 1940!) – naval engagements, commando raids, fortifications from the sea and/or the Battle of Cezembre 1944 (this will be weather dependant)

Alternative activities and visits

Dependant on numbers, there is also a possibility to organise parallel non-battlefield/military history visits/activities for spouses, partners etc who might not ordinarily come on a IGBG event.

Expressions of Interest

Any members interested in going to Jersey in May 2023, please let Marc Yates know with numbers, sole/twin occupancy preferences and whether they would be interested in the optional activities / visits etc – email governance@gbg-international.com. A suggested reply form is here, and any information provided will assist in planning the detail and costing of the weekend.

Details

Start May 19th, 2023
End May 21st, 2023
Categories

Organiser

Marc Yates
Email governance@gbg-international.com