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Pixel Fridge visit Jersey!

In celebration of Pixel Fridge’s 5th birthday, we decided to mark the occasion in true style… a two night expedition to the beautiful island of Jersey!

While our annual rambles usually take place somewhere in the English countryside, five whole years of Pixel Fridge called for something special, so last Monday we embarked on our two-night adventure to the Channel Islands.

The London team kicked off the trip with our first team building activity – some frantic luggage rearranging at Gatwick airport. Our Devon team, with a bigger baggage allowance and a smaller airport to get through, followed swiftly, and after a short hop across the Channel the full PF cohort was together once again. We jumped into a taxi and arrived at our poolside apartments, some very exciting goodie bags waiting for us on arrival.

With no time to spare, the team donned anoraks and walking boots and headed north to Grève de Lecq for a beachside lunch at Colleen’s Café.

Once we’d waited for the sun to appear and eaten a hefty pre-ramble lunch, the walking began! The route took us along the coastal path, featuring some seriously spectacular views and a few less-than-easy inclines. Despite a few near misses, we managed to keep all Fridgelets from falling off any dramatic cliffs, and survived the first half of the ramble mostly unscathed (sorry James…).

It was at this point that the thunder and lightning started to roll in, making the open cliff faces seem a little more exposed and the choppy sea slightly less inviting. After hiding out in a beach cafe on Plémont bay, we resumed our rambling to a rugged, albeit slightly more flat, part of the island. Here we walked through huge fields of gorse and heather, with some great views of Guernsey and Sark on the horizon.

On the furthest north west corner we reached Grosnez point, delightfully translated for us by Nick and Gaelle, and a few members of our party detoured into the old castle ruins. Windswept and very thirsty, we completed our ramble and began our hunt for the nearest pint. It was at this moment that we realised shops and pubs are slightly harder to come by in Jersey than in London Bridge, and we set up camp at the closest bus stop, unsure of whether we’d be waiting for ten minutes or the rest of our lives to be taken home.

Finally, we made it back to our accommodation. After a quick shower and change, we were ready to hit the town. We ate and drank our way through St Aubin, hindered only by the early bank holiday closing times to mark King Charles’ visit to the island. Clearly, he heard we were going and knew it was the place to be. Sadly very few pictures of this evening exist as we were all too busy gobbling Jersey royal potatoes and enjoying some delicious wine.

Day 2 began with a somewhat later start, although the rest and relaxation didn’t last long. We headed into St Helier for lunch and a wander, punctuated by Laura walking headfirst into a lamppost and some hangry behaviour that I’m now ready to take responsibility for.

Fed and recovered, it was kayak time! We headed directly north to Bouley Bay, where we were each given a wetsuit, a paddle, and a lovely view of France.

With our three founders looking the happiest I’ve ever seen them, we successfully made it out to sea in our kayaks with zero capsizing and enjoyed some stunning scenery. Once we’d paddled a sufficient distance for everyone to realise exactly which parts of our bodies we should’ve stretched before going in, we were allowed to jump off the pontoon and do some open water swimming. This part really unlocked everyone’s inner child, and we got a real glimpse into what Nick’s behaviour as the youngest brother in his family was like.

We picked up some beers and snacks on the way home, and prepared for our dinner with an epic game of Jenga. Dinner saw us wander down to the beautiful 5 mile beach. After truly outdoing ourselves in terms of quantity of food put away, we suddenly realised that we were the only group still left in the restaurant, and returned to the beach for an amazing sunset.

We arrived back at our accommodation full, happy, and ready to watch some highly questionable TV before turning in for the night. Our journey home was smooth, if a little sleepy, and we made it home having celebrated five years in the best way possible. Huge thank yous to our lovely founders Chris, Nick, and Tom for organising such a fantastic getaway. The trip was jam packed with laughter, great food, fabulous activities, and wonderful company. Here’s to the next five years!