Islanders liberate their bunting in preparation for national day

Among those who regularly bedeck the front of their homes with Union Jacks and Guernsey flags is Shelley Tansell, who said that her three young boys, aged two, four and five, loved the day itself and would be dressing up in soldier uniforms and going to see the military vehicles at Pembroke before they set out on their drive into Town.

‘I’ve done this for the children,’ she said of the decorations. ‘They were very surprised and impressed.’

The surprise was because Mrs Tansell and her daughter, who is 18 next month, will be out of the island tomorrow on a ‘girls’ trip’ to London and Mrs Tansell’s husband was impressed that she had done the work. ‘He’d said “no flags” because we’ve just moved and he wouldn’t have time to put them out and because I was off to London,’ she said. Having tracked down the flags, Mrs Tansell got to work decorating the house before the rest of the family got home.

‘We usually do a bit more.

‘I make it a massive thing because it’s my children’s heritage,’ she said.

Not far from Mrs Tansell’s home, David Machon had decked out his property with some appropriate bunting.

‘I do it every year,’ he said. ‘My neighbours complain when I take it down.’

There was plenty of bunting, too, at Castel Primary School, which is celebrating 9 May today with a red, white and blue day for pupils and a family picnic.

‘Hopefully we’ll have some military vehicles coming up, too,’ said head teacher Linda Paley.

Certainly one of the most decorated houses was Ian Quinn’s, which boasts the usual local and British bunting, along with other military flags.

‘I’ve done it since I was at school,’ said Mr Quinn.

‘Every year I try and buy something different to go with it.’

This year’s addition is a flag in honour of the poppy campaign.

He felt it was important to commemorate the day: ‘If we don’t do it, it’ll phase out,’ he said.