SARK’S traditional sea service was held last Sunday at Creux Harbour and as usual attracted a congregation of several hundred.

Many of those present were visitors, including some who had made the journey from Guernsey especially for the event. Among those was Roger Browning, the former lay pastor at the island’s Methodist Church.

Unfortunately, the Lt-Governor, Sir Fabion Malbon, was unable to come over and unless I’m wrong this was the first occasion that he and Lady Malbon have missed the service.

The welcome was given by Mr Browning’s successor at the Methodist Church, David Hollingsworth, and he and David Neale of the Anglican Church took the service, with lessons being read by Sark Seigneur Michael Beaumont and island resident Kathy Dewe, representing the Roman Catholic Church.

The St Peter Port lifeboat was moored alongside and there were also a couple of French yachts in Creux Harbour, with those on board participating in the service as best they could.

For Sark residents, the service is an opportunity to recognise those who provide lifeline services to and from the island, notably the crews of the RNLI lifeboat, the St John marine ambulance Flying Christine, the Sark Shipping vessels and, in recent years, the Manches Iles boats, as well as all those from Sark who earn their living from the sea.

Mentioning the emergency services gives me the chance to refer to a note I received this week from Diane Baker, the chairman of the island’s Medical Committee.

She received a letter from the locum who stood in for Dr Peter Counsell recently and who had to deal with a couple of quite major medical emergencies within a relatively short period of time, including one in which a man fell from a rock onto the beach at Dixcart.

After asking her to convey to Sark’s ambulance crew and Fire and Rescue Service his great appreciation for their prompt and professional help, the locum told Conseiller Baker: ‘Reports were confusing so at the Constables’ suggestion I asked for them all to come and it was a good thing too.

‘I don’t think I did very much – it was the boys who had thoughtfully come with a vacuum mattress, inflatable splint and basket stretcher that were so useful. They were of enormous help and St John co-operated well despite almost non-existent telephone cover in the bay. The ambulance crew then had to help me with a spinal injury that needed the spinal board and basket stretcher and once more [Dr] Frank Teunisse’s training was again in evidence.’

Conseiller Baker told me that Dr Counsell has continued the good work in training Sark personnel established by his predecessor, Dr Teunisse. This means that every quarter, Guernsey instructor Andy Remfrey comes across to Sark to train the ambulance and Fire and Rescue Service.

Conseiller Baker added that both she and Emergency Services Committee chairman Helen Plummer would like to express their thanks to the island’s voluntary services for dealing with emergencies in such a professional manner and she urged any island resident who felt that they wanted to join either service to get in touch with her or Conseiller Plummer.

Fred Teers, pictured carrying the Royal British Legion standard, was discharged from the PEH on Tuesday. (0504214)

I have good news to pass on about Fred Teers who, at 94, is Sark’s oldest male resident. Fred was taken off to the Princess Elizabeth Hospital a couple of weeks ago but when I enquired earlier this week I was told that he was discharged on Tuesday and, at the time of my enquiry, was enjoying lunch at his son and daughter-in-law’s home in Guernsey.

I’m told that it may be a few weeks or so before we see Fred back in Sark and enjoying a pint at the Bel Air.

Until last year he carried the Royal British Legion standard at the Remembrance Day parade but handing that task over to someone else didn’t stop him being inexplicably absent when Father Christmas arrived at the Collenette.

It will be good to see him back in Sark.

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