Vaughan Davies: Five things I'd change about Guernsey

Friday 14 September 2018

Vaughan Davies runs Guernsey's only dedicated record boutique store, Vinyl Vaughan's on Fountain Street, which feeds his love for music while supporting the charity Headway.

Thanks to his positive outlook Vaughan has been nominated for a number of awards since suffering a stroke, including the Pride of Guernsey Triumph Over Adversity award and a Customer Service award.

The Abba fan had a think for us and came up with some ideas for what he would change about Guernsey.

Pictured: Vaughan Davies outside his shop 

1) Transport

Transport links: Having worked in the tourism industry for over 40 years I have seen the rapid decline in the tourist sector. Air and sea links are at their lowest service levels. Stop comparing ourselves to Jersey, their infrastructure in terms of hotel beds and tourist attractions are far superior to ours hence greater and more frequent air links at competitive prices. We missed a valuable opportunity to extend the runway back in 2004 – get our infrastructure in place first!

ALSO

Disability spaces: Inconsiderate drivers parking in disabled spaces without feeling guilty. As a disabled user I have met a torrent of abuse when confronting them – why? The spaces are allocated to make disabled locals lives easier when shopping.

Pictured: Vaughan would like people to respect disabled parking spaces and the people who need to use them 

2) Good old fashioned manners! 

Whatever happened to being bought up to respect your elders? Only last month I took a full bus from town where I had to stand up. My disability is visible yet no parents allowed their children to give up their seat. A point I made known when I alighted at the hospital

Pictured: Vaughan would like to see more evidence of good manners in Guernsey 

3) Retail shopping

My oh my, what's happened to a once thriving Mill Street? In the 80’s I owned Viva Travel, at the time the only shop available to rent in the whole of St Peter Port. I loved the hustle and bustle and it could be like this again, if only landlords reduced high rents.

They should be made to pay rates on vacant shops and more importantly it should be compulsory that purchasers of town shops have a short window in which they repaired/offered for rent their properties, and not just obtained them for investment purposes.

Pictured: The Old Quarter, where Vaughan once worked 

4) Negativity about our island  

We should all just realise that we live in a beautiful place with everything on our doorstep. We are so lucky as a community to experience a wonderful music scene, fantastic beaches, lovely local produce, great recreational facilities and much more! 

Pictured: We struggled to pick one photo to sum up how beautiful Guernsey is! 

5) Public waste 

Rubbish is never more apparent than during a Seafront Sunday when the  States waste bins are often overflowing by early afternoon. Not only are they too small but I blame the several mobile food stalls who provide takeaway cartons but don’t think of where the public are going to dispose of them once used – provide your own rubbish bins is what I say.

DIsposed cigarette butts in the streets is also an annoyance. 

Pictured: These overflowing bins were photographed earlier this year