Such a shame as both places have so much potential to become something worth visiting on a regular basis.

Oatlands has some beautiful buildings and features that deserve better. I went on Saturday (to Bish’s) and the courtyard area is a complete mess now. Doesn’t make you want to linger any more than you absolutely need to.

Pembroke is a prime site with an absolute cracker of a view over the beautiful beach, but seems to have been turned into a completely barren, unwelcoming eaterie with miserable staff and an equally miserable standard of food.

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Work there, by any chance…?

Your tone seems rather familiar…..

but I digress.

Oatlands is an appropriate setting for the next traveller inspired series to grace our screens, but that is as close as it will ever get to proper entertainment, and indeed, on the telly is about as close as I’d like to have this gypsy scrapyard to me.

Since arriving in Guernsey and taking over Oatlands, which he did to make money for himself, not for the benefit of the island, as he’s always telling us,PKK has created a LOT of bad feeling.

He ousted a perfectly good, well established local business, making it’s very hard working owners homeless in the process (and ridding Oatlands of it’s most attractive and successful element, imo, but that didn’t matter to him, what mattered was that not enough of that wodge was going directly into his pocket), replaced it with a poor replica with a far lesser menu and incredibly unhappy looking staff, and has made the place look a cheap version of a fairground.

He’s also cocked a proverbial snoot at Envo on a regular basis, and continues to do so by using the planning laws to ensure this ‘temporary’ structure (which is always empty, for the record) stay firmly and permanently in place.

Does this colour people’s opinion of Oatlands? Absolutely.

Is that the only reason they dislike it? Absolutely not!

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Same as the bunker cafe at Pembroke which I so dislike, I will not frequent either establishment.

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The only way that Kaufman Kent is going to destroy a brick wall and construct a staircase to success is if he acknowledges that his attemtp to create lucrative trade at Oatlands by investing money into the creation of shoddy ‘fairgrounds’ merely generates consternation from neighbours and those using Oatlands Road. He ought to collaborate with other parties to cultivate biogas crops in the adjacent fields as the benefits, although rather subtle at first, are profoundly positive (theoretically) . If he fails to do so then I am afraid that his worldview ( I am not trying to be rude) is myopic.

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Not even going to make a comparison with Jersey as it is a larger island with a bigger population that attracts considerably more tourists than we do.

Apart from the JH and mini-golf (that yes are looked after by the respective tenants and appear to be run very well), what really is there for tourists at Oatlands that would make them go out of their way to visit?

A jewellery shop? Plenty of those in town. The ‘funfair’ rides? Pretty pants even for a toddler’s interest. Cafe – don’t know about that as refuse to visit based upon the shambolic treatment of the Scowens. Gift shop? Fairly good but vastly overpriced.

Maybe once the maritime museum opens it may be more of a draw but give me the Shipwreck Museum, Castle Cornet, Candie Gardens and Museum, Victor Hugo’s House, Occupation Museum, Underground Hospital anytime.

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Well if you expressed yourself clearly people would understand you

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Compared to Jersey we have very few tourist sites that would fit into a gold standard of attraction. Oatlands is well cared for and is of a high standard.

Perhaps Mr Kaufmann Kent is fed up of bashing his head against a brick wall trying to invest in Guernsey’s tourist trade.

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I think that it has gone downhill considerably since P-K-K took over and resembles nothing much more than a shabby gypsy encampment at times (Spiegel tent included).

The site has so much potential to be developed along a more family based theme in order to enhance what is offered by the mini-golf course, Jungle House and other small shops.

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Those were rhetorical questions- I was suggesting that environmentally-friendly economic ventures are most advantageous.

By the way, I do not work in the finance industry, I am a student.

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Whilst we ought to embrace any venture that would fuel our economy, is it perhaps more wise to support enterprises that create both economic and environmental stability ? Is it more favourable to achieve great affluence islandwide whilst displaying apathy or blindness towards ecological issues, or to put larger focus on the environment and be satisified with a modest degree of prosperity ?

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The tent looks perfectly okay where it is and the neighbours seem to just like being pedantic. We live on a small island and should be encouraging anyone who is prepared to boost our local economy.

Methinks some people in Guernsey have nothing better to do than whinge a lot!

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Project Manager

Risk Manager

Health and Safety Manager

Environmental Manager to supervise correct disposal of the demolished items.

Liaison Officer to co-ordinate with the various stakeholders

Attendant to put up signs saying “Demolition in progress”

Communications Manager to ensure the signs are correctly spelled.

One to make coffee for the rest

One to supervise the coffee attendant

Oh…and one to drive the JCB

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