Sponsor sought for noonday gun

Tuesday 02 April 2019

Guernsey Museums is offering businesses a chance to feature in one of the mainstays of the island's tourism sector, signalling midday each day by sponsoring Castle Cornet's noonday gun.

The firing of the gun is a regular feature during the spring and summer months and the daily event is said to be one of Guernsey's most photographed features.

For more than a decade, the ammunition for the gun and the gunners' uniforms have been commercially sponsored, but this arrangement has now come to an end.

240 shots are routinely fired in a season - not counting Royal salutes - and the cost of ammunition has been increasing steadily over the years, meaning the firing relies on the support of a sponsor.

Sponsors will benefit from daily exposure to the public during summer months, with credits on the Castle's information boards and website. Members of the sponsor's staff will also be invited to join the gun crews on special occasions, with the highlight being an invitation to fire the opening gun of the season.

Committee for Education, Sport and Culture President, Deputy Matt Fallaize, fired the first gun of this season. He said: "It was an honour to fire the opening gun of the season at Castle Cornet. I hope we can find support within the business community to take over the role of sponsor of such an iconic Guernsey tradition. The noonday gun must be the most distinctive daily public event in the island during the spring and summer months and this is a great opportunity for a business to be associated with the event."