Picture by Brian Green.
HERM’S lease is for sale in a potential multi-million-pound deal. The Wood and Heyworth families have held it since 1949, during which time the island has moved from near dereliction to a thriving tourist haven.
Adrian and Pennie Heyworth have run the island for 28 years, but now for family and private reasons want to move on. ‘It’s a long time doing what we’ve done. Our children have their own careers, they are successful in what they are doing, and we just think it’s probably better to give up while we’re young and successful and there’s time to do something else,’ said Mr Heyworth, 56.
Their financial investment in Herm has been considerable. ‘The improvements to the island run into many millions of pounds. We’re selling to recover as much of that as possible, but we doubt we will receive that amount,’ he said.
Facilities on the island now include self-catering cottages, shops, restaurants, a campsite, staff quarters and housing for 150 people. The White House Hotel, which had been deemed uninhabitable in 1949, and the Mermaid Tavern have also been extensively renovated and extended.
Herm has 50 permanent residents, 30 of whom work for the island. The rest are children or family members.
In the summer, the workforce swells to 110.
Any lease will ensure continuity of employment.
The new holder will also have to abide by the lease’s guiding principle, ‘to ensure that the natural attractions and peacefulness of the island are preserved and made available to all who visit and to develop the island to cater for the needs of tourism’.
The States bought Herm in 1947.
Two years later, Mrs Heyworth’s father, Major Peter Wood, took on the lease and ran the island with his wife, Jenny.
‘They always wanted to do something together. They wanted to find themselves in a community with one common goal – a community where everyone was involved in something, like an island or an estate, where all the children were involved, knew what their parents did and saw them through the day – which is the same as what we wanted to do,’ said Mrs Heyworth, 57, who was born on the island.
The couple plan to move to Guernsey.
‘It’s a very emotional time for us,’ she said. ‘We’re really involved and fond of everybody who works and lives in Herm. It’s not like selling a business, we’re selling our whole way of life and the island around this is really tight knit.’
The couple told Herm residents of their decision at a meeting at the island’s church at 6pm yesterday.
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15 Article Comments
Here’s your chance Barclay Brothers. A whole island that you can own and reform to your own adaptations and become the Seigneurs of Herm!
Holidays on Herm have been part of our family life for 26 years. When our children were small it was wonderful to arrive on the Travel Trident and escape to the peace and safety of the island in the knowledge that the children would be safe, we would rest and all benefit from a traditional English holiday. Now my husband and I travel to Herm to paint, walk, birdwatch and enjoy quality time together without children. I wish Pennie and Adrian well, and hope that they do all that they can to ensure that the new ‘owners’ continue their excellent stewardship enabling us all to access what is still the most tranquil and beautiful island I know.
Oh, so as long as they recoup their money and their family continue successful careers that’s alright then eh? I really do think some people are mad to give up things like this - they’ve been bloody lucky to live there and must be nuts to sell the lease. What worried me the most is the island will fall into the wrong hands just as Brecquou did and literally half the place will be built on with a monstrous eyesore and lived in by tasteless folk with more money than sense.
How much would the lease be expected to cost and how would I go about bidding?
How many millions is the lease advertised for sale in the national papers or is it by application only?
Surely the states of Guernsey must recoup some of that money from the sale of the lease to pour back into the Treasury. Whilst the Wood family have made the island into a sustainable and tourist attraction,and does all the money go to the family. Each individual family member still `living` may have a part share in the island, as they all have access to private appartment accommodation on the island.
It is a great shame that the island is going to change hands after such a historical an continual upgrading by the family as a business concern. Therefore it has allowed for the island of Guernsey to benefit from the attraction both from a tourist angle and a stepping stone for local families whilst being a well run island home by a private family.
Unless the states of guernsey purchases the lease then the new private owner may want the island for his or her private use with limited access in the summer months. I would not think a new lease owner is going to want the continuous noise level of speed boats passing the shoreline to Belvoir, the island can become very noisy at peak tides in the summer months.
It is interesting to see if it eventually falls into the Jethou and Brechou bracket of private ownership only with no access.
The Woods family have done a marvelous job preserving and enhancing Herm’s unique character for the benefit of residents and visitors alike. Whatever happens, the States of Guernsey must not let this little gem of an island fall into the hands of speculators and “entrepreneurs”. Our government has an absolute duty to preserve this little piece of paradise - please, please do not sell the lease to the Barclay brothers or similarly minded business people. Herm (like Sark) does not need to be landscaped, commercialised or turned into a golf course. Please remember Sates of Guernsey, you are not just selling a lease in order to raise money for government coffers, you are dealing with our island heritage. In my opinion the sale of Brechou was a terrible mistake. By selling that island to the Barclay brothers you ‘took the King’s shilling’ and now the residents of Sark must pay the price - please do not make the same mistake with Herm.
Posted May 19, 2008 at 6:27 pm
Regarding the proposed selling-on of Herm’s Lease, we write, as I hope many will, in strong support of Peter Wilcox of Trident Charters, “to ensure any new Herm leaseholder retains the island’s integrity”. Many of Herm’s “regulars” over very many years have returned because of everything that makes Herm the unique magical island it is. We wish Adrian and Pennie well - they have worked so hard, following in the footsteps of the tremendous efforts of Pennie’s parents, the late Major & Mrs. Wood, (whose final resting place is in Herm churchyard), and I’m sure most “Hermites” feel very much part of the wider family they have come to know and love. As time goes on, visitors’ expectations may change, but conservation should remain uppermost. Heaven forbid flat-screen TVs or other media intrusions be installed in the rooms. People who want this do not want Herm, and most probably the feeling is mutual. Liz and Tony
It’s quite shocking news, to hear Herm’s lease will be sold! I do so hope this little gem will not fall into the wrong hands…..It’s so worrying that so few people who could afford such a buy would be the ‘right hands’…
But that’s just my opinion.
My heart goes out to the islanders who now can do nothing but wait and see what happens next.
However, I do wish the Heyworth family well and may they sell with care!
i hope someone who loves the island as it is now will be in a position to purchase and preserve herm as it is now.i spent many a day on herm going over on bonnies boat was a adventure,it is a treasure and hopefully will remain in safe hands
If that many people are worried, why don’t you all get together and form a syndicate?
Having lived on herm as a small child in the 70’s I have very fond memories of the freedom that comes with small island life. I finally returned in 2006 for the first time since and found it relatively unchanged. Lets hope whoever gets the lease will keep it that way for another 30 years.
Thinking about sending in a business plan to a bank in the hope of a loan………
I imagine a big part of the £15 million price tag today must be the result of local property price inflation during the past 60 years. It seems fair to me that the landlord should share in this element of the sale price of the lease while the present leaseholders get a reasonable return for the increase in value as a result of their activity.
I hope that the new owner keeps Herm as is.It is a gem in this world we live in
Having been away from home for a few weeks, we have only just heard the news of the proposed sale of the lease of Herm ….our favourite place, and one which we try to visit as often as possible. One article suggested a purchaser who would want to ‘revamp’ the White House Hotel and have sole rights for a heliport!!! Horrors upon horrors….it is a priceless gem just as it is…thanks to those who have chosen to run it as a haven…please Guernsey …protect one of your most priceless and irreplaceable assets for future generations….not just for a tiny minority of privileged people. Liz and David Stacey