MEMORIES came flooding back at the Vale’s eye-opening 1204 exhibition. Hundreds flocked to the parish’s douzaine room to gaze at the 130 display panels charting its history.

Putting the exhibition on was a mammoth task for parish representatives and parishioners.

The history of Braye du Valle exhibition included the Duke of Richmond map by William Gardner before it was reclaimed from the sea in 1806. The bridge at St Sampson’s was the only crossing point at high tide.

‘I wish they had left it as it was – then we would be our own island,’ joked douzenier Rosemary Henry.

‘I think the parishioners have done a fantastic job. Some of what they have found on their own family’s history and that of their parish has never been seen before,’ she said.

More than 300 years of St Sampson’s Harbour and shipbuilding were depicted and numerous family histories were documented.

There was the history of the Vale WI, which started in 1947, displays from Vale School children and much, much more.

Guernsey Electricity tour guide Max Harrison was on hand at its stand.

‘The most unusual item here is the first electricity generator in the island which was brought in by R. H. Randall to illuminate St Julian’s Avenue for Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee in 1897,’ he said.

The Silvertown Dynamo, which was later used by Edmunson’s Electric Co. for the first public supply at the opening of the Spurgeon Memorial Chapel in 1899, is owned by Guernsey Museum.

But it has been kept in storage and this was the first time it had been seen in public in more than half a century.

The Bailiff, Sir de Vic Carey, opened the exhibition.

‘It’s a great honour to be asked to come all the way down to the Vale. 1204 is a very important date and was the catalyst for the island becoming what it is,’ he said.

‘The Vale has always been its own part of Guernsey although it was cut off for a while.

‘I was wondering why the Careys did not come to the Vale and said to my wife it was probably because the women were not rich enough,’ he joked.

After a tour of the exhibition he said: ‘It’s a tremendous amount of work and really interesting. I have learnt a huge amount.’

An impressive range of guns made up part of an exhibition of the history of shooting in the parish which was collated by Noel Duquemin. vice-dean of the douzaine.

‘They are quite scary and I would not like to be shot by one,’ said nine-year-old Vale resident Tor Ritchie.

The display highlighted pistol, fullbore rifle, air rifle and clay target shooting as well as Guernsey Militia training and shooting from Vale Mill to L’Ancresse Bay in the early 1800s.

Up to £10,000 worth of rifles and trophies, some from the museum, were on display and an official programme from the Guernsey Rifle Association in 1894 showed that entry fees were in francs and prizes in sterling.

Deputy Graham Guille, who with Deputy Brian de Jersey was part of the large team of volunteers who made it possible, was delighted with the public response.

‘It has been six months of effort to get to this stage and people seem to be genuinely interested. We could not be more pleased.’