WHILE the rest of the UK takes the white stuff for granted, most Herm children had never seen – or couldn’t remember – snow deep enough to play in. That all changed on Monday.

School teacher Mary Carey decided not to attempt the trip from Guernsey and instead let pupils have some well-earned fun in the snow.

At 7.30am several of us met outside Manor Village, hoping to be the first to walk in the crunchy, new-fallen snow. Rounding a corner, we encountered half the island’s population in the courtyard and a mass snowball fight broke out which lasted for a good hour.

South African Will Janse van Vuuren was thrilled with his first experience of snow.

Six-year-old Eden Latter enjoys snow for the first time.

‘I’m so excited, like a little kid,’ he said. ‘I can’t stop throwing snowballs at people.’

Island directors gave everyone the morning off to enjoy the fun with their families. Soon everyone made their way to Frying Pan and Fisherman’s Fields to build snowmen and sled down the steep hill. Not that we tend to be prepared for this kind of weather.

A distinct shortage of sleds led to some residents utilising anything they had to hand, including a dustbin lid.

For Elliot Knight, who was celebrating his seventh birthday, the best part of the day was that his older brother Will, who boards in Guernsey, didn’t have to go over to the Grammar School and could stay for the party.

People who have lived here for as long as 20 years do not remember snow this heavy on the island.

Five or six years ago there was enough of a fall for the children to play in, but it had melted by mid-morning – in fact, no one I’ve asked remembers this much snow in at least three decades.

As far as former owner Pennie Heyworth can remember, the last two decent snowfalls in Herm were in 1987 and 1991.

‘It was not nearly so infrequent then. As a child I remember it happening often – and sledging down Belvoir Field on my mother’s old wooden water skis.’

Whereas many people seem to find the snow a big inconvenience, I can safely say that every single one of us, young and old, were like little children at Christmas.