Latest news with #GermanOccupation
BBC News
2 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
The assassination that turned Paris' WW2 tide
An account of the first assassination of a member of the German occupation during WW2 in Paris which helped liberate the city to freedom. This video is from The Travel Show, the BBC's flagship travel programme.
Scotsman
22-05-2025
- Scotsman
The island just 70-miles from the UK that offers Brits a better standard of living
Craving a simpler way of living? Easy access to incredible beaches, walking trails and highly acclaimed restaurants? A work-life balance? One island offers all of this and is welcoming new residents with open arms. Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... In recent years, Guernsey in the Channel Islands has seen an increase in high-net-worth individuals relocating from the UK and is doing their part to ensure new residents are supported. 'Our goal is to provide information, guidance and signposting to support individuals and businesses who are relocating to the island of Guernsey,' shared Jo Stoddart, Director of Locate Guernsey – an initiative that supports anyone with enquiries on finding on a home, insurance, residency, immigration and making the move. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'We have seen a 52% surge in the number of enquiries about relocation to Guernsey in recent months. We're on hand to support with any enquiries on transitioning to life on the island.' Life on Guernsey The second largest of the Channel Islands, Guernsey is only a 50-minute flight or three-hour ferry ride from the UK, making it one of the easier overseas locations to move to. At just 25 square miles, the island is home to 27 beaches, meaning no matter where an individual is located, they are no more than 10-minutes from the sea and have easy access to Britain's cleanest beaches and incredible surfing locations. A diverse array of walking trails also allows locals to easily to embrace nature and being outdoors on the island and for keen golfers, the North of the island offers three golf courses, including the La Grande Mare which is currently going through a multimillion-pound redevelopment and set to include a country club. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Guernsey's focus on fresh and local seafood has led to award-winning and highly acclaimed restaurants being scattered across the island including hotel bistros, waterfront venues, sushi spots and steakhouses. The island also has an impressive lineup of food festivals, and in July will welcome Vraic – a new dining experience by Michelin-starred chef Nathan Davies. Life on Guernsey Plus, for those wondering what to do for work on the island, there is no shortage of high-income roles in the finance industry, blending the benefits of a seaside lifestyle with minimal commuting times with the opportunities of a 'financial city hub'. Populated for over 1,000 years the island also offers a public holiday each year on 9th May to celebrate its liberation from German Occupation in WWII. The island is home to many signifiers of this rich history, with Norman ancestral holds and WWII including bunkers and gun batteries dotted around the island. Guernsey is not just a beautiful destination to relocate to, it's an interesting one too. How to get there? Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Aurigny, Guernsey's airline, recently announced additional routes for the summer 2025 season, which includes daily flights to Manchester, Birmingham, and Bristol. The airline also offers flights to and from London Gatwick, London City, Southampton, Leeds, Edinburgh and Exeter. The airline releases additional summer flights each year, along with Blue Islands airline, making it easier for individuals to travel between the UK and Guernsey.
ITV News
16-05-2025
- General
- ITV News
Liberation 80: Alderney celebrates freedom from German Occupation with two-part programme
Alderney will mark 80 years since islanders were liberated from German Occupation with a special two-part programme on Friday 16 May. Alderney's Liberation Day is a week after Jersey and Guernsey 's celebrations, marking when Brigadier A.E. Snow and Force 135 came ashore at Braye Bay on 16 May 1945. Special events have already taken place throughout the week: the island was visited by a restored Harbour Defence Motor Launch - H.M.S. Medusa - that was open for residents to visit between Monday 12 and Wednesday 14 May. The Jersey and Guernsey Force 135 living history group also set up camp on Braye Common on Thursday 15 May, in preparation for Friday's events. New information boards have been placed on Braye Street, sharing the significance of the historic day. At Braye Harbour / RNLI Station - 11am A fanfare introduction will welcome Force 135 coming ashore at Braye Bay as they did 80 years ago. The Service of Commemoration will then begin to commemorate the special anniversary. Force 135 will march off, with the promise of a 'Musical Finale' to bring the Service to a close. Connaught Square / Island Hall - 2pm In the afternoon, a parade will take place from Victoria Street, as well as a drill display from Force 135. The President of Alderney States, William Tate, will deliver an address, before the Union flag is raised with the National Anthem. The bells of St Anne's Church will also be rung to celebrate the German surrender and liberation. Plans to liberate the Channel Islands were drawn up in November 1944 under the name 'Operation Nestegg'. Following VE Day, Force 135 sailed into the Bailiwicks on 9 May 1945 to receive the surrender of German forces stationed there. However, Alderney was considered a potentially threatening fortress with strong defences, and was not liberated until 16 May. Led by Brigadier A.E. Snow under the code-name 'Operation Merit', a landing party headed to the island to meet with the German commandant, Oberstleutnant Schwalm, at the German jetty. Finally, at a house in Braye Road - now known as 'Peacehaven' - the German surrender was signed. Alderney was finally fit for rehabilitation in December 1945 after the arduous task of clearing German war material and repairing the island's dwellings was complete.
ITV News
15-05-2025
- Climate
- ITV News
Warmer temperatures and the chance to spot shooting stars: ITV Channel's May Weather Watch
The sun is getting stronger, our nights shorter and our days warmer - May has arrived! Although we are still in spring, in many of our minds May has come to be associated with the start of summer. But will the weather reflect this sunny outlook? Read on for the answer to all of your meteorological musings. Did you know May tends to be drier and sunnier than August? Across Britain, 'May Day' celebrations take place on the first of the month. The festival dates back hundreds of years and is celebrated halfway between the spring equinox and the summer solstice. It is true that May can deliver us the first few days of 'beach weather' - southerly or easterly winds can carry warmer air our way and see the mercury climb up to mid-20s, which is exactly what happened at the beginning of this month. However, our average maximum daily temperature in May is more moderate, hovering around 17°C. While our sea temperature is still on the chilly side, at around 12°C, it is rapidly warming - increasing by about 0.5°C a week. We tend to experience more periods of high pressure in May than any other month, which brings us long spells of fine and settled weather. May is therefore one of our drier months, seeing less rain on average (53.6mm) than August (62.0mm). Sunshine is also in strong supply. On average, we experience 8.3 sunshine hours a day in May, again higher than August which sits at 8.0 hours - although this is partly due to the longer days we experience in May. By the end of the month we will have the sun will rise just after 5am and not set until after 9pm - giving us 16 hours of daylight. It is important to be mindful of high UV levels in May, with the power of the sun increasing as we approach the longest day of the year. May Factfile Average daily temperatures 13.7°C in Jersey 12.3°C in Guernsey Average daily sunshine hours 8.3 in Jersey 7.7 in Guernsey Average monthly rainfall 53.6mm in Jersey 49.0mm in Guernsey Liberation Day This Liberation Day marks 80 years since the Channel Islands were freed from German Occupation during World War Two - but what was our weather doing on that historic day, 9 May 1945? Well, it was cloudy in the morning with the sun coming out later in the day - rather fittingly, the weather brightened to match the mood. Temperatures were above average, reaching a maximum of 17.3°C with light winds. Watch ITV Channel's special Liberation 80 programme, broadcast on 9 May 2025 Wildlife Watch It is a good month to look out for rare birds like bee-eaters and turtle doves. In terms of breeding birds, chicks are often hatched by now and are just starting to leave their nests. If you have a nestbox, keep an eye out for great tits. These birds usually lay seven to nine eggs in April or May, with the baby birds hatching around two weeks later. Meanwhile, our islands' puffins will have laid their eggs by now and be incubating them. The birds lay only a single egg, usually in late April or early May. The chick will hatch about six weeks later and the parents share feeding duties until their baby is ready to fledge and leave the nest. In terms of plant life, thrift is common around our islands' coastlines. This plant produces carpets of distinctive pink flowers in late May. Gorse is another distinctive sight along our shores. It flowers all year round but peaks from April to May. May night skies The Eta Aquarid meteor shower is set to light up our night skies this month. It peaks on 5 May but is visible until the end of the month. Up to 40 meteors per hour can be visible at the height of activity. You will have the best chance of spotting shooting stars if you head outside on a clear night, between midnight and dawn, and avoid light pollution. Towards the end of the month, you may be able to catch a glimpse of rare noctilucent clouds very high up that appear as wisps with a blue or silvery glow. You can see them in the sky on clear nights from the end of May through to August. This is because during these months, the sun only just sets below the horizon at night time - meaning the very high noctilucent clouds are illuminated by the sun from below while the sky is in darkness. This year's May full moon fell on the 12th of the month. It is known as a flower moon, originating from the fact that wildflowers are blooming and in splendour at this time of year. It was also a micromoon, appearing a little smaller and dimmer than usual. This occurs because the moon is at its furthest point from Earth, so it looks about 14% smaller and 30% less bright than a supermoon. Dates for the diary May 9 - Liberation Day for Jersey and Guernsey 10 May - Liberation Day for Sark 12 May - Candidate nominations open for Guernsey's election 12 May - May's full flower moon 16 May - Liberation Day for Alderney
BBC News
09-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Princess Anne visits Guernsey on Liberation Day
Princess Anne has visited Guernsey to attend commemorations marking the 80th Anniversary of the Liberation of the Princess Royal met with islanders who lived through the German occupation and heard stories from Liberation Day 80 years ago, amongst other events. On Saturday, she will also visit Little Sark as part of its Liberation Day a church service on Friday morning, she said: "I am delighted to return to Guernsey and thank you for inviting me to join you as you celebrate Liberation Day and remember those who lived through occupation or deportation." In a speech, the Princess Royal told the crowds that The King sent his "warmest greetings" to the people of the Charles also passed on his "fond memories" of the "wonderfully generous welcome" islanders gave when he visited Guernsey and Sark with Queen Camilla last year. 'We were starving' Winnie Keyho was six when the war 85, she met the Princess Royal and told her about the first time she saw Keyho said: "Food wise we were starving, we really were. We were so glad to see the Canadian food parcels."We'd never had chocolate in our life and there was chocolate in the parcels, so it was really lovely."She also recalled crying herself to sleep when her father told her off for taking chewing gum from a German soldier.
