The media and islanders outside the Island Hall for the Sark election.

SARK’S ‘Heinz’ election – with all 57 varieties of candidates – will be over when this is published and the army of visiting media representatives will have packed away their cameras, notebooks and pens and departed.

They have provided me and others with a welcome distraction from the often nasty divisiveness this election has brought – reminiscent of many of the bitter divisions of a few years ago associated with Sark School.

However, with rumours that there is not a hotel bed to be had in the island because of the huge amount of media interest, Sark’s giant leap towards a democratic form of political representation has brought with it a welcome boost to our tourism industry.

I was taken to task by two people for criticising the distribution of anti-helicopter stickers at last week’s hustings meeting and saying that Chief Pleas and the Development Control Committee had rejected the concept, which made it dead in the water.

My two critics suggested that because there was reference to the matter in the Manifesto for Sark published by Sir David and Sir Frederick Barclay that somehow made it an election issue.

Neither man is an election candidate and nor will they be permitted to be represented – as has been the case in recent months – in the legislature which takes office in January. It follows, then, that their ‘manifesto’ carries no more weight than any expression of views by people other than those standing for election.

On a different note, The Avenue’s Christmas lights were switched on last Saturday and they make a very pleasant evening display.

The ceremony was performed by Father Christmas, assisted by the current Miss Sark Princess – seven-year-old Amelia Southern – in front of a gathering that probably numbered well over 100.

Father Christmas arrived – as is appropriate in Sark – in a horse-drawn carriage and while he and little Miss Southern did what was required of them, there was no sign in the crowd of 93-year-old Fred Teers.

The Christmas lights, resumed in 2007 after a gap of several years, are the result of a joint initiative by the Sark Chamber of Commerce, Avenue traders and Sark Electricity, and most people agree that they add a little something to the seasonal spirit.

Although everyone associated with the initiative is deserving of praise, I make special mention of the work of the electricity company’s stalwarts – the men who actually climb the ladders and do all the other bits and pieces the job entails, often in unpleasant weather conditions.

I frequently make mention of the Professor Saint Medical Trust – Sark’s principal charity. Its seemingly indefatigable chairman, Mike Terry, has now stepped down after many years of hard work and his replacement is former Carnival Committee chairman Peter Cunneen.

That brings me nicely to the point where I can say that once again Peter has ‘volunteered’ to write this column for the next few weeks while my wife and I are away on holiday.

So, a little earlier than usual, I offer the season’s greetings to everyone associated with this weekly offering – those who feature, comment or simply read – but particularly to those who strive, usually with no reward, to make this small community what it is. I wish you all you wish yourselves.

• The email address for comment is fallesark@sark.net.