Man spends 80th birthday re-exploring Guernsey bunker he secretly wired up after WW2

Keith Tostevin brought his family over to Guernsey to show them a piece of his past. Credit: ITV Channel

A man who grew up in post-war Guernsey has spent his 80th birthday showing his family a piece of his past by re-exploring a bunker he secretly wired.

When Keith Tostevin was aged 14 in 1957, he was instructed by the States of Guernsey to install electricity in a former German bunker - but he was told to keep it a secret.

Despite hearing that the bunker was being prepared to become a shelter for government officials in case of a nuclear bomb attack during the Cold War, Keith has never had this confirmed.

Sixty-six years later, he has finally taken his family to Pleinmont to explore the fortification and to hear his story.

Keith showed his family his 66-year-old handiwork which still works years later. Credit: ITV Channel

The bunker has been largely untouched since the 1980s, and remains closed to the public.

However, Keith was granted special permission from Festung Guernsey, who hold the keys to bunkers across the island, to re-enter the historic building on his birthday.

The former Douzenier describes the feeling of re-visiting his past as "wonderful".

He said: "Just standing there, all the flashes came back of being a young lad."

A tour of the bunker gave Keith the chance to tell his family more about his childhood in Guernsey. Credit: ITV Channel

His family, who had no idea of Keith's links to the Guernsey bunker, made the trip from as far as Canada for the special occasion.

His granddaughter Jodie said: "It feels pretty special.

"We thought we knew everything about him, so when we were coming down here and he said 'I've got a surprise for you' it felt really special that he wanted to share that with us.

"And on his 80th birthday too - that's pretty cool."

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