Dear NewsFour
There are few occasions in our lives when we can experience real, natural tranquility. The ingredients which are necessary for us to find this calm and serene state are different for particular people. My personal ingredients for finding tranquility are specifically to do with nature, location and partnership. I need a location near the coast, a natural unspoilt place. A place where a warm breeze is felt on the brow, as the sun sinks slowly on the horizon, and where I can smell wild blossoms. Finally, the right person to share such tranquility is vital, otherwise it is worthless.

The first time I experienced tranquility was on a visit to Herm, a small Island off the coast of Guernsey, in the Channel Isles. The person who shared the experience with me was my maker, for this was just part of a religious retreat, where I had gone to relax and pray. I never can forget that occasion. The sea was very calm, though the day was cloudy for most of the time on the island. Only the squawking of gulls occasionally halted my silent prayers.

The second occasion was when I went to the same island, some years later, and when I joined my confidant for a short visit on a memorable summer’s day. I can say that there is nothing like conferring with a special friend in a most tranquil setting. We sat atop the hill looking out to the azure blue sea, as we talked privately of matters which concerned only ourselves.
On the third occasion, just a couple of years ago, I took my wife to Guernsey for a short holiday. I asked Annie if she would like to visit Herm again. She said “Yes, I certainly would.” Though there were other places we planned to visit, we selected a day when the sea was calm and the sun was nice and bright. Then we climbed aboard the ferry for the trip to the island.

At the jetty, Annie found the disembarking difficult, as the swell of the sea made stepping ashore a problem. But the ferry captain held the boat steady for her, and I stepped ashore at the same time. We walked up the steep hill, visited the chapel, and admired the views around us again. We visited a little shop where Annie bought gifts to take home, then we settled down to luncheon with wine at the White House Hotel. It was at that moment in time when Annie took out her note book and wrote down the three little words, ‘The Herm Experience’. All these little visits to the island are still in my memory.

Geoffrey P. B. Lyon

Dear Editor,
Reading News4 is always a huge pleasure, especially from here in Melbourne, so I hope it goes on for ever.
Reading recently about the Regal reminds me of a ditty we used to sing at the Star of the Sea, to the tune of ‘Lay Down Your Arms’.

Come to the Regal,
Jump in the queue.
Pay a lousy sixpence
To get a lousy view.
Then in the seats
Where the fleas have their hives,
Lay Down your arse
And they’ll eat you alive!

Wonderful education we had, didn’t we?!

Patrick Purcell
Balwyn North,
Melbourne
Australia

Top: Belvoir House on Herne.
Bottom: The Regal still stands proud though no longer functioning as a cinema.