Some say that Alderney is the “secret island” of the Channel.  Well, tonight, I found the hidden treasure!

The Georgian House promised us an evening of delicious dining with a very local twist…but could we ever, on a sleepy (and rather foggy!) Wednesday night, expect anything so special!?

Stepping off charming Victoria Street into the cosy bar and restaurant, barman Ben stirred up Elderflower Fizz cocktails whilst accompanied by the bustle and excitement of local ukulele group, The Strummers, and a rip-roaring performance to entertain us.  The bar and restaurant was filling up with real anticipation in the air and everyone hoping for a brilliant, somewhat impromptu, night!

That's the great thing about the Georgian. It can be informal, romantic, secretive, glamorous, casual, celebratory...they have a space and vibe to suit whatever mood you're in!  

Superstar waitresses Marcie and Chelsea lead us upstairs into the Georgian's atmospheric, fairy-light-filled Orangery.  Artwork and photography adorns every wall (including some beautiful new paintings by renowned artist Jenny Aitken).

We keenly awaited the specials board...which was, quite honestly, rather special.

We went through the menus like detectives (with three eyes!)...dissecting every item to determine which would be the most local/environmentally conscious - but everything sounded so fabulous, we had to call for back-up! 

Manager Holly Chandler explained to us that 99% of the menu is sourced locally with no main ingredient from more than 2 miles away!  The seafood - lobster, crab, oysters, turbot, bass - all caught today by island fishermen.  Local Kiln Farm beef (and soon, for a short while, local veal) and the incredible Oxford Sandy and Black Alderney Free Range Pork.  Vegetables grown locally on allotments by the amazing Pat & Francis Short...and delicious watercress from Longis Bay Garden Centre.

It was just too taxing for my 8pm brain...so I took another sip of my cocktail and ordered everything. Yes, that's right. Everything.

A bottle of house white and some delicious Alderney bread and butter arrived.  The award winning loaves from the Alderney Hot Bread Shop matched with Kiln Farm Dairy's outrageously yellow butter was so moreish we were grateful that the starters came speedily!

So...here it is...starter(s)...we plumped for (clockwise from left) the Buttered Crab with Tempura Courgette Flowers & Bisque; Mackerel Rilette with Fennel & Blood Orange Salad; Alderney Ham Hock Crocquette, Apple & Soft Boiled Egg; and Lobster Cocktail with Avocado & Tempura Claw!

Ladies and gentlemen....there are only two words I have to say to you... BUTTERED CRAB.   

And here's two more...OH YES!

The kitchen was pulling some serious punches with those four beauties!  

We also discovered that there were some new summer staff in the kitchen alongside talented Head Chef, Kevin Honeywood.  Acclaimed celebrity Chef, Adam Byatt, spent the last week on Alderney discovering food foraging and local flavours along with some members of his kitchen team.  Adam's staff fell in love with Alderney so much they decided to stay for the next 10 weeks and work in the Georgian House kitchen whilst their AA Rosette award-winning Clapham restaurant, Trinity*, is under refurbishment.  (*The Times' food critic, TV's Giles Coren, has written of Trinity "as close to an absolutely perfect experience of eating out as it is possible to have".  Perhaps Mr Coren should take a trip to The Georgian House, too!)

Main course arrived in clean and simple style.  Mr Channel Island Girl (he's not loving that new title!) plumped for Turbot whilst I had the amazing Salt & Chilli Squid with Asian-style vegetables and we shared a delicious and novel twist on salad with an Iceberg Lettuce Wedge (drizzled with homemade Salad Cream and a Chilli Crumb).

The delicate seafood main courses allowed the "dessert stomach" to awaken...although we were very reserved and decided to just have one dessert each...

The dessert I had been coveting all night was the Cherry Creme Brulee with Chocolate Biscotti...and it didn't disappoint.  The first crack of a teaspoon on a sugary Creme Brulee top is surely one of my favourite noises ever!  And the Kiln Farm cream made it truly indulgent.  

Then there was the ultimate "King of Desserts", the showstopper, the piece de resistance, the Big D... 
Chocolate and Salt Caramel Hot Pot with a huge dollop of Alderney's Kiln Farm Dairy Vanilla Ice Cream perfectly placed in the middle.  I'm putting 100 of these on my Christmas List this year.  
Gooey, chocolatey, salty, caramelly gorgeousness.

We took a little post-supper amble around the GH garden where everyone many were enjoying the Garden Bar and the latest cocktails!  But we were completely done...seriously satisfyingly full up.

Do you know what?  The Georgian House Team have totally got this.  100%.  There's no doubt in my mind that tonight's meal, coupled with the delightful ambience and excellent staff have sealed the deal for me to keep coming back again and again (in fact, probably this weekend!).

The ethos is a perfect combination of: relaxed Alderney atmosphere + delicious drinks + utterly charming & attentive staff + consistently gentle-yet-exciting vibe along with a lovingly constructed menu that is hugely aware of its locality.

People know a good thing when they find it...and many voted with their feet tonight by walking through the front door.  A busy Wednesday night for the GH Team and a huge boost to Alderney.

Other magical things on the local menu I would recommend at The Georgian House this summer...

But the Georgian House isn't just about the food!  It recently gained the 4* Inn accolade with Quality in Tourism - the House's four stylish double rooms start from £75 prpn in Low Season.

Open year-round, the GH Team are also famed for their excellent outside catering, functions and weddings.  From disused Victorian fortresses to garden parties under marquees - you can contact them for your event planning, accommodation needs and amazing dining experiences via the website www.georgianalderney.com, emailing info@georgianalderney.com or by calling 01481 822471.

You can also find them on Facebook and Twitter.

Learn more about getting to Alderney via www.visitalderney.com

I was delighted to be invited to the Sark Folk Festival for two reasons this year!  Firstly, to sing a 45 minute set with my dear Irish chum (who now lives in Sark!) Peter Gabriel Byrne, and also as a blogger to write officially as The Channel Island Girl!

For those of you that haven't experienced the festival before, it is very simple to sum it up in one word:
Sensational-amazing-fabulous-fun-with-lots-of-great-music-delicious-food-and-drink-and-great-Channel-Island-atmosphere...that's one word, right?

SFF2015 was, once again, an eclectic mix of great folk music spanning into blues, jazz and rock genres at various points throughout the weekend - married with delicious local delicacies, beautiful handicrafts, artistic entertainment and workshops and an awesome ale-fest sandwiched in the middle!  

Tickets went on sale in October 2014 and sold out within minutes...and by Friday 3rd July, hundreds of people descended upon the rugged little sparkling gem isle that is Sark, eagerly anticipating a magical weekend meeting old friends and making new ones.

We excitedly embarked on our journey from Alderney to Guernsey, flying so near to Sark that the pilot could have dropped us off...(!)...and then headed for the harbour to catch the Isle of Sark Shipping's "Sark Venture" to the land of horse & carts, a slightly scary bridge, tractors, dusty roads, quaint shops, delicious seafood, an Olympic gold postbox and a wonderfully simple way of life.

A quick hop across the water from Guernsey, Sark was soon in sight.  We passed by pretty little Herm, Jethou and Brecqhou, arriving in Sark within 45 minutes...and then it was the first decision of the day...do we walk up Harbour Hill or do we take the "Toast Rack" (a cart filled with benches that is pulled up the hill by a tractor for the bargain fare of £1.20)! ...can you guess what we decided?

With a few hours to kill before the festival opened, we headed straight to the beautiful La Seigneurie Gardens to discover the maze (my husband had to pop into the castle in the centre to find the Sark flag!) and take time for a spot of lunch at the fantastic Hathaway's.
We enjoyed freshly caught Sark lobster and scallops for lunch along with the biggest, most delicious chips I've ever eaten!  The picture really doesn't do them justice!

We sauntered down the dusty street to walk off some of those very naughty chips and enjoyed the sights and sounds as the festival site came into view. Lots of excited people on bikes, musicians being ferried-in via tractor with their guitar cases strapped to the bucket!

We merry group of 6 happily piled into the registration tent, strapped on our wristbands and scanned through the programme of events...we even managed to get some highly coveted Sark Folk Festival hoodies and merchandise!

Like every good festival-goer (and Channel Islander) that enjoys a tipple, I was very interested in this year's offerings from Rocquette Cider - and it didn't disappoint.  The Bec du Nez (named after a famous Sark rock) was utterly delicious!  The 6 of us managed to sample several of the different ales, too, with Triple FFF being the favourite!

But enough about the booze...how about the bands?!  Naturally, we were feeling very proud of "Alderney-boy-done-very-good" Robert J Hunter who, along with his hugely talented band, entertained us for a full 50 minutes with heart-wrenching, gut-busting blues.  Clever lyrics, great melodies and Robert's surging, gravelly vocal - the crowd swelled and were with him every step of the way.  What a talent...he's already topping the iTunes blues charts and we know he'll continue to get better and better.

It was at this point I saw my name in the programme and became slightly nervous.  Only one thing for it - have another pint!  And then, as a further calming influence, we listened to the outstanding Cara Dillon who mesmerised the entire audience along with her hugely talented husband Sam Lakeman (even with Cara's unfortunate bout of hayfever and Sam's lack of keyboard pedal threatening to make the gig impossible!).  Every single note from this pair was a joy to behold.  I sincerely urge anyone reading this to have some Cara in their lives!  It was utterly spectacular and completely unforgettable.

As the evening began to draw in, we were feeling peckish enough to enjoy some delicious Sark-caught cod and chips before catching Friday's headline act, The Elephant Sessions - these super-talented chaps and their magic music-making hands had the entire crowd jumping from the very first note.  The absolute epitome of modern folk meets world music meets Ceilidh band - we raved about them all the way home!

Saturday morning offered us plenty of sunshine and our picnic blanket was out in full force ready to enjoy the day!  

I began my Saturday with a hugely talented man by the name of Peter Byrne who entertained a wonderful crowd on the Les Burons stage with his haunting melodies.  It was an honour to sing his harmonies and witness his superb skill on the guitar and mandolin.  You may remember Peter from the BBC's programme "Island Parish" as part-time Harbourmaster and part-time musician!

After all the excitement of being a performer, it was surely time for more delicious food and drink.  I think it's safe to say that there were two truly outstanding eateries for us at the festival site for Saturday lunchtime:  Pip's Pickers Crab Shack and the delicious BBQ'd Sark Lobster!  
A simple, fresh, bar-be-que lobster along with some exotic crab cakes, crab blinis and crab spring rolls and, of course, the amazing crab linguine!

Ok...so, more decisions to be made...after lunch we had a moment or two to stroll around the site for gifts and goodies to purchase.  I totally fell in love with Guernsey's own Lovelypop - amazing designs and creations specifically relating to the Channel Islands.  I had to take the fabulous Joey the Trislander cushion home with me!  What a truly unique shopping experience and such a joy to see such beautiful handmade goodies being produced in the Channel Islands.

Another favourite was Athene Sholl's stunning jewellery.  From Guernsey-shaped key fobs and cufflinks to stunning silver and gold rings, ormer and pearl charm necklaces, fun festival plectrum earrings and gorgeous little scrabble tile initial rings.  What a talented lady...my husband's wallet didn't get off lightly...

Other beautiful stalls included Sark photographer Rosalie Ro, handmade sea glass earrings and quirky artwork from Sarah Jane Art as well as massage therapy, festival hair accessories and more!

But we couldn't shop all day...the highlight of our Saturday was about to begin...time for a Cosmic Tea Party with Guernsey-based all-round superstar-songstress-strummers the Ukuladeez!  Entertainment - CHECK.  Comedy - CHECK.  Harmonies - CHECK.  Ukuladee-Boyz - CHECK.  Start to finish these girlz (and boyz) had us by the funny bone.  Tunes like "Brian (He's Not Called Brian)" and the charming "Swinging Brick", to the optimistic "Follow The Sun" and a song penned especially for Sark.
Ukuladeez, we love you all dearly...although your temporary tattoos lingered even longer than your beautiful melodies.  Jojo, Emily, Fay, Mimi, Ellie and Polly - you made our weekend!

Our evening of entertainment continued at the spectacular Stocks Hotel where we sampled some delicious Sark wine and Sark water!

Sunday was a day of pure enjoyment and time to wind down (before winding up again with a rip-roaring finale from The Space Pirates of Rocquaine) and I think my highlight of the day was the unique sound of a trio from the Isle of Man - Barrule.  Cleverly constructed jigs and reels showing a real flavour of Manx sound in our Channel Islands.  A perfect combination along with one last cider!

Before we knew it...it was time to walk the dusty road home.  How did that happen so quickly?  Well...I suppose it's simple...time flies when you're having fun.  On Sark...the beautiful Channel Island where every minute is magical.

To learn more about getting tickets for Sark Folk Festival 2016, please visit their website, their Twitter page or join the Facebook group.

From start to finish, our recent trip to Guernsey was an utter delight.  Along with my lovely husband, Lee, I had been asked to partake in BBC Radio 4's "The Listening Project".  

The Listening Project collects conversations all over the British Isles.  Each one makes history as the project is a partnership between the British Library, BBC Radio 4 and BBC local radio.  All of the conversations become part of the oral history collections at the British Library, some are broadcast nationally (on BBC Radio 4) and others are aired locally (on BBC local radio). The project began in 2012 and so far over 600 conversations have been recorded - and we were lucky enough to be asked to participate!

After foggy skies started to threaten in the Channel, we boarded Aurigny's dinky little 16-seater Trislander for a speedy hop to our big sister isle...as the mist melted away, the familiar coastline came into view...oh St Peter Port you lovely big show-off with your pretty Castle Cornet and marina!

Just missing the "rush hour" (or should that be "rush 10 minutes"?) traffic, we headed to the capital and straight to the gorgeous 4* La Fregate Hotel which I am still gushing about to our pals nearly a whole week later!

For a start...you're welcomed with spectacular views of Castle Cornet and Herm & Sark islands!

And then the real hardship...being forced to stay in a beautiful suite, with a little terrace to enjoy some "sundowners" with our friends...at this point the lovely staff at La Fregate felt it necessary to ply us with lots of lovely drinks and delicious nibbles to while away the time.

But there's no rest for the wicked and we had to saunter to Candie Gardens to meet the production team and get cosy in the (very warm, sound-proofed) Listening Project caravan, complete with faux wood-burner and cute little seating area built for two!

Lee and I both think we're pretty amusing (we're not!) and had bet each other that we'd be straight in and straight out - one-take-wonders - and have it in the can within 30 minutes.

An hour and a half later, our lovely producers were asking for "just a little bit more..."

It was rather strange at first, talking to someone you know almost better than yourself.  Being asked to converse about subjects that are so familiar to you, seems rather odd and out of place.  But within minutes, we'd forgotten the microphones were there and managed to chat quite casually (and rather emotionally) about our little life story.  

We both learned things that evening in the "caravan booth" - and we were both surprised by certain little revelations!  You'll be able to hear our little broadcast (which will be whittled down to 3 minutes) very soon. 

But enough mush and gushy loved-up chit chat...the Listening Project had to end when Lee's stomach started rumbling loudly enough for the microphones to pick it up...so back to La Fregate for a much anticipated dining experience!

Of course, after all that talking, we were famished.  Our Maitre'D, ever attentive, offered us sophisticated-yet-snazzy cocktails, witty banter and excellent advise.  After pondering the carefully planned menu we decided on some delicious Shiraz and then, naturally, ordered the largest steak on the menu.  Our lip-smackingly outstanding Chateaubriand arrived, perfectly rare, to be carved and served at our table soon after!

The entire meal from starter to dessert was outstanding, beautifully presented and well balanced.  We enjoyed delicious wines & after-dinner digestifs before winding our way up the beautiful wooden staircase to bed to sleep the slumber of kings!

The next morning, the vibrant and sophisticated restaurant of yesterday evening had turned into a sun-drenched, peaceful and stylish breakfast room allowing a gentle start to another hectic day.

Of course, after the previous night's supper, we couldn't possibly have managed much for breakfast...until we saw a perfect sliver of smoked salmon and perfect scrambled eggs.

We stayed at La Fregate Hotel on the Guernsey Residents Overnight Break package in a Deluxe Room.

Check their special offers HERE or call them on +44 (0)1481 724624