Guernsey donkey

The fishing boat was in the boatyard when I visited this morning, it was about to get a coat of anti foul on the hull. I noticed the Guernsey donkey on the bow waving a flag.

Guernsey people are traditionally nicknamed donkeys or ânes, especially by Jersey people (who in turn are nicknamed crapauds - toads).



The exact origin is hard to pin down however there are several explanations commonly offered.
One is that donkey is appropriate for the general stubbornness of the Guernseyman although Guernsey people claim it is a symbol of their strength of character.
Another is that it was said that if a Guernseyman got to the age of 25 and was still single and hadn’t been to London, his friends called him a donkey.
Finally there is a theory that donkeys were in more common use than in the other islands due to the steepness of St. Peter Port streets.