An Occupation wedding

Mr Donald Board interviewed by Margaret le Cras.
Edited transcript of tape recording of the interview

I……… You married in 1944?
Mr Board. That’s right
I………. And where did you marry?
Mr Board. Emmanuel
I………. And who would have been the Pastor in those days?
Mr Board. Pastor Le Page. He lived at Cobo. If you go from the village shop towards the Surgery, just before you get to the road on the right, there’s a big house with two big bay windows, Pastor Le Page lived there. As I pass, I see the exact window of the room where we saw him to make the arrangements. We hired two horse and traps, like they have in Sark,
I………. Who would you have hired the horse and traps from?
Mr Board. Ah, well, I’ve forgotten the name, it was a farmer, up at St Saviour’s. We had these two traps, and they took us from Emmanuel into Grut’s,
I………. Into Grut’s? All the way into Town, it’s amazing, isn’t it, how people went…
Mr Board. They had to wait for us, and bring us back, and it cost twelve pounds ten.
I………. That would have been a lot of money
Mr Board. Well then, I suppose. Now that would be twelve pound fifty, eh?
I………. Yes, that’s right, that would have been a lot of money. It just shows how important people made for themselves to have a photograph. And would you have gone to the services at Emmanuel?
Mr Board. No. When I met my wife, Emmanuel, the services were in French. So I’d been going to Eldad, So we went to Eldad and immediately we joined the choir. We could sing, and almost straight away we were singing duets and I was singing solos. We were at Eldad, and Pastor Duncan he was looking after the three, Vazon, Delancey, and Eldad,
I………. What time would they have had their services, would they have had them in the afternoon?
Mr Board. Yes, because the big windows they couldn’t black out, but towards the end of the Occupation the carpenter Mr German he made blackouts, and we were able to use that.
I………. And did the Germans have services there?
Mr Board. No, not at Eldad.
I………. Did they come into the services?
Mr Board. Well Theo used to come now and again on a Sunday night. We lived in Guelles Lane, you see, which wasn’t far from the Longstore, and I always remember, one Sunday night, when we came out, and we were walking home with him, he was amused, because we’d sung the hymn “Glorious things of thee are spoken” which is the German National Anthem tune. He was quite amused over that.
I………. Well it is funny, isn’t it. I know at St Sampson’s, it was a case of, the Germans had their service, you had to wait outside for them to finish before you went in for your service. I mean you’re all praying to the same Lord. It must have really been strange to people.
Mr Board. Well, really, going back to the concerts and that. That was the reason I gave up the concerts, because I had become involved now, at Eldad, in the Church, and I felt I can’t carry on

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