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A postcard from Jersey, a Covid-safe haven for late-summer getaways

corbiere jersey - nick venton/getty images
corbiere jersey - nick venton/getty images

The Channel Islands, where cases remain low, have provided a Covid-safe haven for those looking to avoid the crowds on their summer break

During the recent heatwave I was in London. All the pictures I saw of packed UK beaches made me reluctant to head to the coast with the kids (more out of fear of not finding a parking space, than of abandoned social distancing). And so as each hot day passed, I dithered and remained in my garden – dreams of a day on the sand in tatters.

I hadn’t planned to return to my native island of Jersey in the Channel Islands this summer either. But then my Instagram feed filled with images of Jersey’s empty beaches; friends enjoying sunset swims and surfs, morning pootles in rock pools and seafood platters with views – reassuring me that all hope of a crowd-free coastal break this year was not lost.

I had been worrying over the need to test for coronavirus on arrival, until Visit Jersey issued a statement in early August: “Since the re-opening of the island’s borders on Thursday 3 July, over 18,000 inbound travellers have been tested with only eight returning a positive result to date.” I’m a gambler at heart, and those odds seemed pretty much in my favour. I decided to take the risk and booked a ferry from Poole.

Condor Ferries, who are the only service to the Channel Islands, have implemented social distancing on board and are sailing at half capacity. I felt as safe as I did in my own living room, with rows of empty seats on either side of me. It’s great for us travellers, not so great for business. A few weeks ago Condor CEO Paul Luxon announced that the cancellation of crossings from March to July has resulted in them having to resize the business and lay-off staff.

On arrival in Jersey we had our drive-through Covid test in the area normally reserved for a couple of sniffer dogs and a friendly customs official. It was swift and painless and we went on our way.

mont orgueil - michael runkel/getty images
mont orgueil - michael runkel/getty images

After I’d received my negative test result the next day, I headed straight to the Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant Mark Jordan at the Beach. In March the chef proprietor had put out an emotional video on Twitter saying his business was days away from failing and I wanted to see how he was doing.

“The day after that tweet I got £10,000 from loyal customers buying vouchers,” says Mark, looking much more buoyant now. “But more importantly, I got a visit from the Government of Jersey to discuss support options.” Jersey, which is a crown dependency, had been a bit slow in offering economic support at the start of the crisis. “I think my tweet spurred them into action.”

The Government came up with a payroll scheme that mirrored the UK’s furlough scheme but, thankfully, Mark Jordan didn’t need it. “We closed for three days and then began takeaways. We were as busy as before.” Now the restaurant has returned to normal, with none of the tape on the floor that was there when they first reopened. Jersey is at level 1 of their “safe exit framework” and face masks are only necessary in a few indoor attractions, where social distancing is harder to maintain, such as the War Tunnels, and on public transport, but not in shops.

However not all the island’s hospitality businesses were able to transform as quickly as Mark Jordan’s. “When I looked at the accounts we lost £3m of revenue during the months we were closed,” says Pedro Bento, Managing Director of Jersey’s only five-star hotel Longueville Manor. When Jersey’s borders closed in March, the luxury country house hotel set in lush grounds became the unlikely home of 10 members of staff who were in unstable rentals. The team included two chefs, so they cooked and ate together, did some maintenance and then sunbathed on the terrace, swam in the pool and generally enjoyed their new-found luxury lifestyle.

Longueville Manor - matt porteous
Longueville Manor - matt porteous

Those staff are now back in their meagre lodgings and I sneaked a night away from the kids to stay in one of Longueville Manor’s stylish suites with my fresh-out-of-isolation mother. The post-Covid changes were not as dramatic as expected, with just the beaming smiles of staff hidden behind masks and the overflowing cheese trolley absent from the dining room. I was delighted to be looked after in a hotel after such a long period without travel.

Durrell Wildlife Conservation, which operates Jersey Zoo, alongside global conservation projects, also struggled when the attraction was forced to close. Doing my bit to help, I booked onto a riveting “bear experience”, which involved making sensory parcels of food and watching the Andean bears devour them.

Although tourist numbers have picked up, the island is noticeably quieter than it would usually be on August bank holiday weekend. There is a distinct lack of H-plate hire cars that usually ram the road to pretty St Aubin’s harbour as tourists head to the fine western beaches of St Brelade’s Bay and St Ouen. There was no wait for our amphibious vehicle to 16th-century Elizabeth Castle, which sits in the water in St Aubin’s bay, and the kids had the glorious gardens of Samares Manor to themselves as they ran about pretending to be explorers.

St Ouen - pierre longnus/getty images
St Ouen - pierre longnus/getty images

With just a day’s notice we were able to book the Valley Adventure “big four” – an exhilarating aerial obstacle course, zip wire, king swing and “PowerFan drop” (you walk off a high platform attached to a wire), which I enjoyed as much as the kids, particularly as it took place in the quiet sunshine of a wooded valley. They have managed to adapt their entire offering to be socially distant and with the exception of harness-checking, contact-free.

It was a little harder to find availability on a RIB to the archipelago of the Écréhous as the two-hour round trip with picnic and swimming time on the tiny neighbouring fishing islands is hugely popular among staycationing locals. But I found a slot in the end and I’m set to spend my Bank Holiday Monday evening onboard. Whizzing across the water on the look out for dolphins and seals is a far cry from my humid London garden. I’m so glad I took the risk and got to enjoy what is left of summer 2020 in Jersey.