Yesterday evening we caught the bus (15) to the nearly village of St Aubin. It’s a classic seaside resort, with a wide sandy beach and a harbour surrounded by pubs and restaurants. We have a reservation at the Anchor bar & grill overlooking it all.

The food was the best we’ve had since we arrived on Jersey, and lobsters were consumed once again.

This morning we walked into St Helier. Our first port of call was the museum, where we watched a very informative film about the history of the island. In the garden is a statue of Cupid riding a Centaur.

This is actually a copy of a Greco-Romane marble which was once owned by Napoleon Bonaparte. The original is currently in the Louvre in Paris.

Just across the road from the museum is Liberation Square, named to commemorate the liberation of the island from the Nazis in 1945.

The plaque reads: AT THIS PLACE ON 9TH MAY 1945, ADVANCED PARTIES FROM THE ROYAL NAVY AND THE BRITISH ARMY LIBERATED JERSEY FROM NEARLY FIVE YEARS OF OCCUPATION BY THE GERMAN FORCES. THEY AND THE RETURN OF THE BRITISH FLAG WERE GREETED BY THOUSANDS OF ISLANDERS WITH RELIEF, JOY AND GRATITUDE. ON THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THAT DAY, THE STATES AND PEOPLE OF JERSEY DEDICATE THIS LIBERATION SQUARE TO COMMEMORATE THAT HISTORIC EVENT AND ALL THOSE WHOSE EFFORTS AND SACRIFICES MADE THIS POSSIBLE.

In nearby Royal Square, a slightly weird statue of King George II overlooks the French market. I’m not sure why he’s dressed as a Roman Emperor, but hey ho.

The market itself is good, with lots of delicious smells from food stalls.

A short walk brings us to the Maritime museum. Val is peeking out from behind a propeller salvaged from the wreck of the mail steamer Caesarea II, which struck rocks here in 1923.

The tower behind the propeller is St Helier’s war memorial. Another St Helier curiosity is the steam clock ‘Ariadne’.

This steam powered clock on the waterfront was built to commemorate the Ariadne, one of the first steamships to sail between England and the Channel Islands. Every hour the paddle wheels turn and steam is emitted from the funnels.

And that’s just about it for our holiday to Jersey. Tomorrow we’ll be back in Shropshire to deal with electricians, plumbers, window blind fitters and floor tilers. Deep joy.