the Little Chapel, Guernsey
The Little Chapel was a work of art and labour of love built by Brother Déodat, who started work in March 1914. His plan was to create a miniature version of the famous grotto and basilica at Lourdes in France. The version you see today is actually the third version.
The first, measuring a tiny 9 feet long by 4.5 feet wide, was criticised, so Brother Deodat spent the following night demolishing the building. He soon set to work again and, in July 1914, the grotto was completed and officially blessed. This survived until September 1923; Brother Deodat demolished it in that month because the Bishop of Portsmouth had not been able to fit through the doorway.
He soon set about the construction of a third chapel - which we see today. The building operation proved laborious, collecting pebbles and broken china to decorate the shrine. Then suddenly the Little Chapel became famous, thanks to an illustrated article in the Daily Mirror. Presents poured in from around the world and Islanders brought coloured china to Les Vauxbelets with the Lieutenant-Governor offering a remarkable mother-of-pearl.
In 1939 Brother Deodat returned to France because of ill health. After his departure the care of the Little Chapel was entrusted to Brother Cephas, who continued to decorate the building until his retirement in 1965. In 1977, a committee was established to restore the chapel and today it falls under the care of Blanchelande College.
There is no charge to enter the Chapel as it relies totally on public donations.
1977 Jersey and Guernsey
Footage taken by Reginald Percival (Tim) Brond (1906-1978) on his trip back to the UK with Jennie and Trevor Wall, and to Guernsey with his Aunt Marie Louise Francois.
This sequence documents some of the highlights of Jersey and Guernsey in the Channels Islands:
- Flying to Guernsey via Jersey
- 'Les Rocques Barrees', Bordeaux, Guernsey, the grand family home of Tim's Grannie, Mary Frances Louisa Isemonger, who raised Tim in Balham, London, after his mother's death
- St Peter Port, Guernsey
- St Peter Port Guernsey Market, Guernsey
- Noonday Gun ceremony, Castle Cornet, St Peter Port, Guernsey
- Little Chapel, Blanchelande Girls College, Les Vauxbelets, St. Andrew's, Guernsey. A very small chapel decorated with broken china, seashells and pebbles.
- Batterie Dollmann, Pleinmont, Guernsey. WWII German Range Finding and Observation Tower MP4, M132 German Fire Control Post
- St Peter Port Harbour, Guernsey
- Moulin Huet Bay, Guernsey. A favourite subject of French Impressionist painter, Auguste Renoir.
- Sylvia and Harry Brass (cousin) and daughter, Luz Marie
- Departing, Guernsey Airport
Tim's mother, Emma Mary Brond (nee Francois) and family came from Guernsey. Tim had spent quite a lot of time at his Great Aunt Adele Isemonger's property 'Oakenholt', St Peter Port, Guernsey after his mother's death. This property was cleared and a Shopping Mall stands on the site.
Part of a collection of family movies digitised from Super 8 reels.
Dates and movie content information have been added where possible but may not always be correct.
Please feel free to add corrections in the comments section of the movie or send any additional information you may know about the movies and the people in them to brondfamilymovies@gmail.com