The origins of the ITEX Walk can be traced back to a botched coach party bek in 1991, when, having lingered a little too long at the bar the foundin’ group of 15 found themselves abandoned in Rozel Pub car park at midnart.

What with the price of taxis over yer it was somewhat hastily decided that they would make their way home on foot, before staggerin’ off down the lanes singin’ ‘Maybe it’s Because Ah’m a Jerseyman’ at the top of their lungs.

Two days and 48.1 miles later they arrived at the Elizabeth Ferry Terminal (havin’ decided along the way that it would be quicker ’n easier to catch the boat instead).

Nearly 20 years later and the whole fiasco has morphed into a large-scale display of charitable masochism, with over a million squid being raised in the process fer local charities.

Yer in St Ouen we use it as a rite of passage, handing our newborns over to the care of the passin’ walkers and lightin’ candles fer them as they mek their sacred journey around the Island before returnin’ forever to St Ouen (in a police car, usually with an accompanying summons to the Magesterial fer neglect.)

The ITEX walk can also mek a pretty good postal service so long as yer prepared to hold on to yer mail fer a year or so, and families in the village have been known to use the walkers to deliver Christmas presents to relatives in other parishes in return for a brief sip of water and a satsuma.

Poor sods are normally too tired at this point to resist the packages and cards bein’ thrust upon them, though some we gotta chase. Comin’ up again this year on Saturday 19 June. Best go get wrapping!