Guernsey Island Heirloom tomatoes

Here is a great article for anyone interested in the tomato industry in Guernsey. It is an interview with one of the last growers. David Falla is over 80 and still grows tomaotes one of the very few tomato growers left.
Guardian article link

I have found two Heirloom tomatoes which originated in Guernsey. A lot of people emigrated from our island to America, Australia, Canada and New Zealand, and took the seeds with them.

These Heirloom tomato plants are still grown in these countries, so luckily they have survived.

Some kind person has offered to send me some from New Zealand, which are the 'Guernsey Island' variety.

In return, I have promised to send him some 'Guernsey Pink Bush' seeds. All I have to do is find some, so any information would help.

There might be some other varieties as well, so if anyone finds some, again I would appreciate it. When I have some of my own seeds, I do not mind sending some out to people.

Here is the information I have found so far.

Guernsey Island Pink Blush

Maturity, midseason                Growth habit, indet.

Leaf type, regular                  Fruit color, pink

Fruit shape, round           Fruit size, small       Fruit type, cherry

This is classed as indeterminate plant , but to me looks like determinate.

Guernsey Island

Maturity, midseason    Growth habit,   indet.

Leaf type, regular    Fruit color, black,striped

Fruit shape, round  Fruit size small   Fruit type, salad

It is very much like Tigerella.

Pictures and info from Dan and Val McMurray's Canadian seed suppliers via Tatiana's TOMATObase - Heritage Tomatoes


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
I am trying to find out more about the history of these two varieties that I have found. So any infomation would be most welcome, they must have other original names I presume.  

Classic Guernsey books from Amazon
 
  The Guernsey Literary Potato Peel  Pie Society. 
   An unexpected delight,  this is a truly delightful book. I worried before it arrived that an amusing and whimsical title might have persuaded me to request something which would turn out not to be very good, but I was wholly wrong. I enjoyed it immensely; it is witty, erudite without being smug, interesting, laugh-out-loud funny in places and very moving in others.





A unique and remarkable book., 12 Dec 1998 .By A Customer
This review is from: The Book of Ebenezer Le Page (Paperback)

Ebenezer's book is the fictional autobiography of a stubborn Guernseyman, his friends and family and his compulsive love for his tormentor, the enigmatic Liza Queripel.

Driven to find a worthy recipient for his hoarded legacy of a cache of golden crowns, his story take us vividly to Guernsey and its people over the century, including the effects of occupation in WW2. Fluctuating from tragic to comic, despairing to joyful, it is always enthralling with its attention to the detail that breathes life into the characters and make us feel for this strange yet principled man, his loyalties and yearning for the past and the eventual unlikely relationship which finally fulfils him and gives him hope for the future.

The story meanders, often in an uncoordinated random way, picking up threads from long ago, weaving them minutely for a while and gently dropping them back down again, utterly captivating from beginning to end.

More books about the Island of Guernsey