This year’s sheep race meeting is on the weekend of 17/18 July. (0328022)

THE amazing Sark Carnival team has done it again, raising an astonishing £43,000 in 2009 for the Professor Charles Saint Medical Trust. The total was revealed at last week’s cheque presentation evening at which a mushroom was auctioned for £500 to help kick-start this year’s fund-raising effort.

In a place where a Christmas tree can win a £10,000 raffle prize – as happened a few weeks ago in the Million Pennies draw – I don’t suppose it’s surprising that a mushroom can be bought for £500, but I should explain. The mushroom was granite and made by apprentice stonemason Jordan de Carteret, who gave it to the Carnival Committee for auction.

That’s pleasing to report, for two reasons. First, it shows that Sark youngsters are prepared to buckle down and learn traditional trades – and stonemasonry is a craft much admired in Sark.

Second, it shows also that they are prepared to copy their forebears and support local charities in a practical way.

In this, Jordan follows his grandfather Rossford de Carteret, whose powers of persuasion and cajoling – some would describe it as pestering and nagging, but he gets results – have contributed to keeping the carnival show on the road.

Jordan is also following the example shown by his great-grandmother, the late but near-legendary Granny Alice de Carteret, whose services for island charities earned her a much-deserved MBE.

The total presented by Miss Sark Princess, Tia Lalor, to medical officer Dr Peter Counsell representing the Professor Saint Fund was £42,974.63 but, as carnival chairman Puffin Taylour explained, the committee also retained £1,500 because their chip fryer ‘is truly caput’ and a replacement is needed.

‘We’ve found that at the sheep racing people want chips but the trouble is that the fryers are expensive and we don’t think they can be hired,’ she said.

If any reader has any ideas, then perhaps they’d let me know – the email address is at the foot of this column – and I’ll pass them on to the Carnival Committee. After all, we can’t have the thousands who attend the sheep racing going hungry and I doubt that lamb chops are on the menu.

For those who like to plan ahead, according to Sark Tourism’s website this year’s sheep race meeting is on the weekend of 17/18 July and all the usual attractions – a euphemism for emptying purses and wallets – will be on offer.

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I have been watching with interest the comments on thisisguernsey.com regarding Sark resident Werner Rang – who was a member of the German occupying forces during the war – being made a member of the Royal British Legion.

I’m delighted to note that all but one of the comments were favourable. Just for the record, Werner is British and has been since 1952 which, given that he celebrates his 90th birthday today, by my reckoning means that he has been British for longer than he was German, not that this should make any difference.

Had he not been British I doubt that he could have served two terms as Sark’s Constable and for many years as a member of Chief Pleas. He most certainly would not have been awarded the British Empire Medal.

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Before I close, I have just heard that Ann Atkinson has resigned as chairman of the Finance and Commerce Committee. Most people who have known her much longer than I have seem to think that her background as a bank manager and later in commerce made her ideally suited for the post. The reason will be interesting.

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