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One of Sark's own has been awarded the British Empire Medal by His Majesty during the King's first Birthday Honours List.
Kevin Adams was born in Sark in December 1969 and has been involved in multiple aspects of island life ever since.
He can trace his ancestors in Sark back to 1565 and in Jersey prior to then.
"I love my Island home, Sark," he said. "I hope that I’m a good ambassador for the island wherever I travel in whatever format that may be in."
Pictured: During the 2012 Royal Visit, Kevin Adams met the now-King and Queen as a member of the island Fire Service.
When approached for comment about his life, Mr Adams shared his thoughts saying: "I’m certainly not bored!"
At age five he started his musical hobbies with a recorder brought home by his father, before starting piano lessons too. Music exams followed from 1976. By nine he was in the St Peter’s church choir: "I couldn’t sing in tune when I started," he joked.
In 1985 he played the part of ‘Pepe’ in the ‘Mr Pye’ film. "What fun that was!" said Mr Adams, who also started playing the church organ for services the year after.
The breadth of his involvement in island life is clear, as Mr Adams was also involved with cattle farming at the same time.
"Around this time, I took over the role of sketching the new calves for the Royal Guernsey Agriculture and Horticulture Society," he said. "This has changed over the years to the animals being tagged. I am still involved with this, updating Guernsey with the animal information and bulk milk tests."
His love of music continued alongside his working life.
Pictured: Kevin Adams at the organ in Sark.
"I was the first person in the Bailiwick of Guernsey to take the Associated Board of Royal Schools Music ‘Advanced Certificate’ (a grade 9). I started a teaching diploma but didn’t finish it as stress and depression hindered me, plus I wanted to be outside in the fresh air, working on my grandmother’s farm, singing in the church choir, playing the church organ and being on the fire service and nine hour working days plus studying for exams wore me out."
This wasn't the end of Mr Adams musical hobbies.
"I also sang with Guernsey Chamber Choir for over 10 years. Going to rehearsals on my boat and coming back the same evening. Sometimes getting home quicker than the choir members in the far away parishes!
"The most memorable service was for Liberation Day 1995 where Prince Charles was a guest. I was nervous for that service, especially as the bomb squad had locked the church late afternoon the day before and I couldn’t get in to rehearse!"
For more than 25 years Mr Adams led the annual pilgrimage of Carol Singing around Sark, raising money for charities. During the early 1990s he was the conductor of Sark Singers, and sometimes conducted while playing the piano.
"The Millennium Praise Concert was the largest concert (we did) with over 40 singers and guests from the UK plus a trumpet player and assistant organist from Coventry Cathedral at the organ," he remembers.
"For several years, I played the music for Sark Theatre Group, sometimes ‘treading the boards’ when not required to piano play. Now I have taken a back seat and assist my brother and a few others with the stage lighting or ‘turning the knobs’ on the Front of Stage sound."
Pictured: Kevin Adams as Fire Officer - one of his many roles in Sark.
Mr Adams has also been Prevot 12 years and was a Deputy for seven years before that. He started volunteering with the Sark Fire Service in 1989, and became Chief Fire Officer in 2008. This role came with additional responsibilities.
"I am now the longest serving Chief Fire Officer. During my tenure as Chief, the Civil Contingencies Bailiwick of Guernsey Law 2012 has come into force which expects more of each emergency service in preparation and planning. I, with my brother, who is my number two on the Fire Service, spent many hours with the Law Officers, fine-tuning the Sark Fire Law to be a bespoke fit for Sark, to achieve the greatest safety without prohibitive rules that would force small Tourist venues to close.
"In 2004 I added to the above list the role of Deputy Prevot (court officer). I had been a secretary to my father’s role as Prevot for several years before becoming Deputy Prevot. In 2011 I was appointed Prevot. Many of the jobs of the Prevot were of a customary nature and I have created more formal procedures. In September 2022, I also had the honour of reading the King’s Proclamation to the people of Sark from the steps of St Peter’s Church."
In sport Mr Adams was the Channel Island's inter-insular Archery Champion in 2017 and has participated in four Island Games, as well as being first aider for Sark's football team in 2003 in Guernsey. He will miss this year's Games due to an upcoming operation.
Also in 2017, he started excavating a World War II gun emplacement which he now maintains as a tourist attraction, and he is recognised as a 'stalwart of the Flower and Produce Show and the Church Fete', as well as taking part in other popular island events. He says this has always been part of his family life.
Pictured: The gun emplacement which Mr Adams excavated.
"Apart from a couple of years, I have participated in or helped with the Sark Carnival/Sheep Race since it’s inception in the late 1970’s.
"My parents and my brother and I have always been helpers for the island, and we have followed on from my mother’s parents who were heavily involved in Sark events, be they charity or official roles.
"Simon, my brother, has been a fundraiser organiser for the Guernsey Lifeboat Guild for over 30 years and I have helped him with this.
"We have also taken our boat to sea on several occasions on searches/rescues.
"We're just following on from my father and his cousins who were called to rescue vessels and people before the years of the Sir William Arnold lifeboat, when the RNLI boats were of slower speed to get to Sark.
"All the above is on top of my normal ‘day jobs’ of fibreglass work, quarry work and recycling old concrete blocks/stone, road repairs, landscaping with diggers, assisting on my mother’s campsite, general maintenance of the property and machinery maintenance."
Despite being as busy as he is, Mr Adams says he has no intention of slowing down any time soon.
"Hopefully my health will ‘hold’ and I can continue with all the roles I do. Variety is the spice of life!"
"I could not have achieved what we have without quite a few other people"
“It’s just great bringing people together to make music”
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