Actor Martin Clunes with Rossford de Carteret as the ITV series Martin Clunes: Islands of Britain was being filmed in Sark. The programme will be screened on 17 May. (0768294)

ONE big criticism of Sark – certainly from Guernsey residents – is the difficulty they have spending a long weekend in the island because there is no early boat on Monday mornings that can return them in time for work.

That could soon be a thing of the past because the Aval du Creux Hotel is from today offering a weekend break that ends with a boat leaving Sark at 8am on Mondays.

The service involves using the Brecqhou Lass fast launch – which is licensed for up to 12 passengers and takes just 30 minutes between the two islands – which will leave Guernsey at 5.30pm on Fridays.

The trip includes Harbour Hill transport, a glass of champagne on arrival at the Aval du Creux and one three-course meal – either lunch or dinner – at the hotel during the weekend.

Sark Estate Management’s Kevin Delaney told me that they had deliberately not offered half-board on all three days of the weekend.

‘There are other excellent restaurants and we want our guests to savour the full Sark experience and not simply what we have to offer,’ he explained. ‘The important thing is to get people here and then get them away at times that are convenient to them.

‘We believe there is a market for guests wanting an early evening Friday departure from Guernsey and an early Monday morning departure from Sark.’

Asked if he was concerned that other carriers – notably Sark Shipping – might offer a similar service if the Aval du Creux experiment was successful, Kevin said it didn’t really matter.

‘The crux is that the early morning departure on Mondays is vital and it doesn’t matter who the carrier is as long as they can get people back to Guernsey in time to go to work. No one currently offers that service.’

The weekend offer by the hotel includes a Saturday morning visit to the gardens of Sir David and Sir Frederick Barclay’s home in Brecqhou.

One of the highlights of 2008 for many Sark residents – and those tourists who happened to be here at the time – was the visit of actor Martin Clunes and a film crew working on the ITV series Martin Clunes: Islands of Britain.

It started last week and is being screened at 9pm on Sundays. There was a welcome bit of publicity for Sark in the Radio Times edition that previewed the series and tourism officer Jan Guy has said that she is already getting brochure enquiries as a result.

The programme featuring Sark will be broadcast on Sunday 17 May. The publicity here suggests that it ‘stars’ Rossford de Carteret and ‘features’ Martin Clunes. Having witnessed a conversation between the two of them, that might well have a ring of truth about it, but I will say no more other than it will make interesting viewing.

I referred last week to the number of abstentions at an important Chief Pleas vote. One of the nine who did so told me that his decision was based on not being willing to condone a breach of the law.

I have to say that while I respect this member’s view, the fact that the decision to withdraw harbour facilities from the Brecqhou Warrior doesn’t take effect until 31 May means that everyone is already condoning it.

In plain language, the precedent already exists.

I was saddened to read that next month may well see the last edition of La Vouair de Sercq (The Sark Voice), written and published by Jennifer Cochrane. In this month’s edition Jennifer announced that the June edition will be the last, although it may restart later if she can find somewhere to live or if someone else publishes it.

La Vouair has fulfilled a useful function since January 2002 and it would be a shame if publication ceased.

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