New estate foreman Willem Janse van Vuuren with his bride Jenny Wilson. (Picture by Lesley Bailey)

HERM’S new estate foreman is Willem Janse van Vuuren, who takes over from Gavin Hyde this month.

Will moved to the island in 2005 from his native South Africa. He has been assistant campsite warden and assistant builder, as well as helping as a truckie. Will is from a farming background and in the past worked closely with estate manager Adrian Heyworth before Adrian left the island in 2008. All that qualified him perfectly for his new role.

The job involves organising the truckie team, as well as the day-to-day upkeep of the public areas of the island. Will has also been part of the Herm fire team for the past two years.

Last weekend, he married Jenny Wilson at a ceremony in Guernsey. The couple met in the year Will first came to Herm when Jenny, who lived in Guernsey, was staying at one of the island campsites.

Since the beginning of this year, Jenny has worked in the reservations office at the harbour and is the first person most visitors meet.

One thing most visitors say about Will as they see him driving around the island is that he always seems very happy in his work.

With his new job, lovely new bride and new home, who can blame him?

Gavin Hyde has moved onto pastures new at Sacrewell Farm and Country Centre in Cambridgeshire.

He has been a valuable member of the Herm team since his arrival in January 2008. As well as leading an excellent truckie team, he has always been a big part of outdoor events as a keen fisherman and huntsman and arranged several clay pigeon shoots for islanders to enjoy. He was also a special constable and a member of the fire team.

Gavin was always a wealth of knowledge about all kinds of rare and exotic animals and as a third-generation beekeeper introduced the two hives to the island and produced the ever-popular Herm honey.

He was always helpful and polite in his work and no doubt his successor will carry on with the role in the same spirit.