Herm: Choosing lifestyle over money

Saturday 23 December 2023

During an endearing interview Herm’s leaseholders told me “they - [the staff] - love the island and the concept of being in a small community”.

Sitting in John and Julia Singer’s humble and unobtrusive home, listening to the crash of faraway waves, the distinct lack of car engines, and rustling leaves out an open window, I get it.

Herm is lovely.

I’ve been coming to Herm for as long as I can remember. 

We had family holidays in the cabins that now serve as staff accommodation. I’ve camped in the fields, spent a couple of nights in the White House; each year I revisit with friends to stay over for the unapologetically fun ale and cider festivals... my wife even swam here, while I waved her in from the safety of the shore.

Suffice to say, Herm holds a special place in my heart as - I assume - it does for thousands of other people.

Pictured: The familiar view on arrival in Herm.

It’s no wonder then that John and Julia speak so fondly of their island home, despite having to maintain ageing infrastructure, tackle rising costs and run a business – which is essentially what the island is, all while trying to retain the essential small-island charm that is Herm’s calling card.

“We’re very much aligned to the concept of the governing principle of the lease, allowing everybody who wants to visit to come and enjoy the island,” John said.

“I’m used to that concept from the sea – you go where you want to go, you drop your anchor wherever you want to drop your anchor.”

John and Julia dropped their anchor in Herm back in 2008 after deciding that their wandering lifestyle could do with being more fixed.

“The opportunity to acquire the lease came up in in 2008 at a time when we were switching our own lifestyle,” said John.

"We sailed around the world for more than 20 years.”

Pictured: The view across to Jethou.

Despite having a house in the Blue Mountains, John said he and Julia would take to the sea for up to nine months at a time. This affinity for the ocean leant itself nicely to taking over in Herm.

“It's like a big boat, surrounded by the sea. You can't go anywhere without going on the sea, which for most people is a huge disadvantage, but particularly for me is a huge advantage. I hate going anywhere by car and to have to go by sea is perfect.”

He told me that while the business side of the lease was initially ancillary to their decision to sign the lease, they have since worked hard to maintain the island’s infrastructure while also retaining its charm.

"If the island is seen as changing, then I see that as us failing... it has to look the same.

"When we came in the infrastructure was hanging in by a thread, particularly electricity... the cabling around the whole island was obviously in need of complete replacement.”

He said the island struggles to make enough money to keep everything running smoothly, but this comes with an upside. The staff who come to Herm aren’t coming for the money, they’re coming for community.

“Nobody's here for the money because there isn’t enough of it to go around that's for sure. Everybody is here for the lifestyle. They love the island and the concept of being in a small community.”

“If anyone’s got a problem,” said Julia, “everyone will help. It’s magical.”

Pictured: Herm's bustling main village centre.

It doesn’t mean it has all been smooth sailing and I caught the Singers at an acutely difficult time which we’ll come to in a moment. 

First, there was covid and then a changeover in management.

“[When] we took on the management we hadn’t run hotels or holiday cottages before... so, we welcomed the fact that we inherited three guys... one was in charge of services, one was in charge of the hospitality side and one was in charge of the accounts.

"It was tough for me when those guys moved on. They stayed for quite some years, probably 10 years or so. I didn't look forward to having to introduce fresh top management, but they reached a stage...where it made sense for them to move location.

“It was a troubling time to bring in new senior management, but we’ve worked through that hurdle and life moves on.”

Despite reservations with change, John said the island’s new management continues to work well and once again a solid community has built around those who call Herm their home.

Most recently John struggled with the debate on Herm’s one and only school and it coloured much of our conversation. 

Pictured: Life on Herm is always at a slow pace which the Singers enjoy.

The future of the school was the focus of a very public debate after the Committee for Education, Sport and Culture attempted to have it closed down, arguing that it didn’t make financial sense to keep it running for only a handful of students.

During a debate that was dubbed numerous times as a matter of ‘heart over head’, heart won out, with a successful Requete forcing ESC to renege on its plans to temporarily close the school. 

John provided me this comment just weeks after we met in Herm:

“I am hugely relieved that common sense has prevailed. It has been devastating to the island community and the future viability of Herm Island to be faced with the loss of our school.”

But getting down to brass tacks, John said the biggest issue Herm continues to face is financial.

"Tourism needs a rebirth following the devastating impact of covid, where the island business was essentially forced to shut down; the pandemic and ensuing poor weather has cast a shadow over recent years. This, together with spiralling goods and services costs and the need to ship everything over to the island has led to severe difficulties that the business continues to face,” he said.

“Herm lost an eye watering sum of money in 2022. Unfortunately, 2023 has been no better, with unusually poor summer weather and the personal finances of Herm’s guests generally stretched by a global recession. Ferry passenger numbers in 2023 peak season were 41% down in July and 23% down in August. It's difficult to make the numbers balance and it seems absolutely impossible when the States threaten to close your school.

“They just don't appreciate that we don't need bricks thrown at us.

“I'm deeply concerned for the future sustainability of the island and to keep going for the next 15 years. Someone else's got to take this on [eventually].”

Pictured: The familiar view on leaving Herm. 

Despite the difficulties facing Herm as a business, John said it remains an opportunity to give back to the community: “I feel we've done something useful while we're here.”

So, what does the future hold for the Singers?

“We're certainly very passionate about the island and the ability to just go out and walk around the cliff paths is absolutely glorious. There’s low or no crime.

"We are fronting a business that is quite unique in that everybody is always ready to have a good experience when they arrive here. And we just have to provide it. We're very happy that we have kept it all going.

"We're certainly passionate about keeping the island the same. We don't want to change the basic offering.”

I’d caught the Singers during an unexpectedly tough time, as our interview was lined up for the week of the school debate. Understandably John’s mind was occupied with concerns about the future of Herm, its inhabitants and those who choose to build a life on a rock barely more than a mile long. It spoke to his passion for the island, a place that has never been a simple business venture to him and his wife.

Julia put it best, just before I left: "We love being here, it's our home.”

This article first appeared in Connect which can be read online HERE. 

The next edition of Connect will be available online and at select locations across the island from 1 February.

Pictured top: John and Julia Singer at home in Herm.