I thought I would tell you the story of two of our famous visitors and their respective statues.
Victor Hugo was in exile in Guernsey between 1855 and 1870, it was here that he wrote 'Les Miserable' and 'Toilers of the Sea' (all about the island).
But first he went to Brussels and then on to Jersey but he was rude about Queen Victoria and chucked out of there too, and so ended up in Guernsey. Here he had the foresight to buy a house (the only one he was ever to own) this made it very hard for the island Government to chuck him out, if they ever felt like it!
He was very fond of the island and its people and so after his death his children gave the house to France and it is still owned by Paris and run as a popular (especially with our french visitors) museum to Hugo.
And in 1917 the French Government donated this impressive statue to the island.
I think he would have approved of its location with its splendid view, just ignore the crane!!!!
There was one problem thought which did cause some consternation to loyal Royalist Islanders!
At the top of Candie Gardens where he was positioned is a statue to Queen Victoria to mark her visit.
And some people felt that it wasn't right that after he had been rude about her, that she had to look at his derriere for eternity!!!!!
I am not amused!!
Luckily a few decades later Candie Museum was built in between the two and so for ever blocking her view.
And thank you Richard for sorting out my uploading problem which was putting me out of action for the last week or so, much appreciated :-)
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