Jersey Musings: 2007

Thursday, 27 September 2007

Monday, 13 August 2007

We went to the Moonlight parade of the Battle of Flowers this year, as we normally do. The fireworks were amazing, though fiercely loud. Even standing there marvelling I couldn't help worry about the pets, elderly, children, ill and shift-workers in the vicinity who were probably disturbed. Lets face it, the hospital is not that far away - although I am not sure if there are still "quiet please" signs around the hospital as there used to be.

As for the parade itself, I missed last years stilt walkers. Somehow men in drag on segways chucking sweets didn't quite have the magic of the odd birds and other animals, picking their strange two or four legged way down the arena last year and bending to peer into the faces of spectators.

The parade always takes a while to get going, but this year it never did seem to get into full swing - the floats that were there were fabulous, but between them it seemed very flat. Maybe it was just the crowds - were were packed like sardines, and that created its own set of expectations, but maybe it was the music - very few floats had music that was actually properly audible - even if the dancers were singing along. My daughter kept reminding me of "puppet on a string" that was blaring from a float a few years ago, and which she was singing for months afterwards.

I know - I complain the fireworks are too loud, then that the floats are too quiet!

Sunday, 29 July 2007

Blog Redesign

Hopefully the redesign of this blog makes it a lot easier to find a particular website, and also tidies the blog up a little. I have also heavily edited the site, getting rid of most of the entries that were about the government of Jersey. This is because I have come to accept the fact that I am not going to come to an understanding of how the States works.

Still, I am enjoying collecting the websites.

Friday, 20 July 2007

Re-design

I have had a back injury which has resulted in me avoiding using the computer, instead I have been thinking about what to do with this site. I like having the Jersey links, but I need to redesign the layout so it is easier to find a particular link.

So, I will be quiet for a while, but I haven't disappeared entirely.

Monday, 25 June 2007

Second Life?

I have read that the average avatar in Second Life has a carbon footprint the same size as that of an average Brazilian (link). So what would be the carbon footprint of this blog I wonder?

Mass-Observation

If anyone watched Housewife 49 (based on the wartime diaries of Nella Last) they will have seen a little about the Mass-Observation project. What they may not know is that the project continues.

Splashing

Wow, wasn't it spectacularly wet today? Wet and windy. Not very sunny Jersey. Of course the worst weather was around 3, when the kids poured out of school, and parents in sandals waded through puddles to collect their kids.

So, nearly 6 months into the year, hows that forecast about 2007 being on of the hottest and driest years on record looking? I'm yet to be convinced.

Wednesday, 20 June 2007

Website Frenzy

Is there some sort of formula that calculates the prosperity of a place on the number of websites against population or something? I just keep finding more and more websites for Jersey. I recently went away, and on return noticed a number of websites in the airport, and in the free guides for visitors, then on the back of a few vans, in magazines, in the JEP, tattooed on people's foreheads ... no, that last was a joke. But website addresses are everywhere. How can I have thought there were not many in this little island?

I am sure that there must be a way to discover all the websites ending in .je, which of course are all local, but I don't know that way. I even found a local e-zine, http://www.taste2day.com/ which is due to go live this Summer. Virtual Jersey is bigger than I anticipated.

Saturday, 2 June 2007

Peter Rhodes

I have been wondering for some time where Peter Rhodes, who writes a column called "comment on the national scene" printed in the JEP actually writes from, as he clearly is UK based. He often refers to readers sending him e-mails, but no e-mail address is given against his column, so I presumed that the column is a copy of one printed in a UK newspaper. I have been searching online, and I think I have located him.

There is a Peter Rhodes who writes for the Express & Star, and there is a picture of him here which looks like the one next to the column. So should you want to make your opinion known to Peter Rhodes, I wouldn't write to the JEP, as it is unlikely that he reads it, instead contact him through the Express and Star.

Friday, 1 June 2007

Waterfront Pool

The pool at the waterfront is down to £200,000 of the £600,000 given them to start the pool off, and apparently we should be ready to give them more, as the pool hasn't earned as much money as was forecast, and costs more to run.

We were there yesterday, arriving about 3pm, and the pool was heaving. I was actually a bit concerned about my kids as the pool was so full. I used to take my two to lessons there as well, along with what seemed like half the island, and I have shot down to the pool at lunchtime to do laps, and the pool seemed to be running at fair capacity then, so I do wonder why the pool takes in less money than expected - it seems to be used.

Links

Well, I've got a bit carried away adding links to the site. I had the idea that I could try to include all the island websites, encompass the whole of virtual Jersey on my blog, make a sort of one stop website shop - but that was before I realised how many Jersey websites there are. I had the idea that Jersey wasn't really into the website age, but I appear to be wrong.

I am still interested in adding links, so let me know if you see any I don't have.

Sunday, 27 May 2007

Lovely Day

Wasn't Saturday lovely? A bit windy maybe, but by the amount of sunburnt noses on view in the evening, not windy enough to stop people enjoying the great outdoors.

We had a child free night and went to St. Aubin where we ended up having a late dinner at La Barca. The food could not be faulted, and the place was buzzing. I sat watching the staff, who must walk the equivalent of a marathon every night as they are in non stop motion and their movements are balletic as they wind round each other and customers to bring food and drink, clear tables and distribute menus. La Barca must have three sittings a night at some of it's tables, and this is made possible by their highly professional table changes. Tables are cleared, new table cloths flourished on and the table set as if by magic.

But. We were the last sitting, sliding into our seats at 9pm. The restaurant began to empty, and the staff began to relax. We were sat by a trio of people obviously well known to the restaurant, and when staff looked our way it was to check on them - over our heads. We waited for a pudding menu until we no longer wanted pudding, then waited for the bill. We had to remind staff that we had requested the bill twice before it appeared, making the night end on a sour note.

I'd go back, but I'd go earlier.

Sunday, 20 May 2007

An odd way to sell a potato

I cannot recall Jersey Royals in the news for their baby making abilities, and can only assume that this was a slightly early April Fool?

Saturday, 12 May 2007

Complicity

I have just read Iain Bank's novel Complicity. Bizarrely, the Scottish protagonist suddenly makes an unexpected (and very short) trip to Jersey. Whilst there he muses on a high powereed sportscar he sees, and the "crime" of keeping such a car in an island with a speed limit of 60 miles an hour.

I suppose it could be a mistype, but you do have to wonder if Iain actually visited the island himself to do any research. His protagonist hires a car at the airport and drives to Gorey - he mentions the castle, saying he had always thought it was in St. Helier. It seems that Iain is not aware that we have two prominent castles, one in either place, which of course means that he did not drive the route his protagonist takes, or else he could not have failed to see both Elizabeth Castle and Gorey Castle.

Liberation Station

I am not terribly impressed with the choice of name for the transport hub inside the old abattoir. I cannot see what the word "liberation" relates to - animals being liberated from their lives perhaps? Or flesh being liberated from bone? It cannot relate to the liberation of the island from German occupation at the end of WW2, as I have never heard that the abattoir had any part to play in that.

It seemed to me to be pretty obvious that a name should be chosen that was shorter than "bus station", a name strong enough to stand even though the place will get referred to the bus station. I thought that the obvious name "The Hub" would be a strong contender, as it has a modern edge (it fits in well with "The Club and "The Bar") and being short and snappy would be used in preference to bus station - for texting at least. But no.

The rhythm of the name is not particularly pleasing either - why chose two words both ending in "ation"? Not that I think I am going to be distressed by hearing "Liberation Station" much, because I really don't think many people will refer to the place by it's official name. It will be bus station, Lib Station, bus depot, under the mall, or "where the bus finishes up".

Saturday, 5 May 2007

Lots of New Links

I've been searching for more Jersey links, and have found some unexpected treasure. So depending on how interesting those links are, don't expect to hear from me in a while!

Sunday, 29 April 2007

Jersey Food is the best!

We have been to Classic herd again. This weekend we have tried their butter, clotted cream, and pork chops. The chops were delicious, with a wonderful flavour. The cream was very soft for clotted cream, but went very well with some fresh made scones and jam. The butter was very nice, the most striking thing about it being that it was yellow. Very yellow. So yellow that when I first emptied my bags after bringing home the shopping, I kept mistaking the clear pot of butter for my glass of orange juice.

It reminded me of my grandmother, who came over to the island every year, stayed in the Hotel de la Plage, and took great joy in being the fountain of all knowledge about Jersey butter. "Oh no" she would tell new visitors sat on the next table who were poking the butter with concern "it's not off at all. Jersey butter is very yellow. Try it, it's delicious."

But the Jersey butter that we normally buy, the one from Jersey Dairy, that isn't yellow, it's cream. When did Jersey butter stop being yellow? How is it that the Jersey butter from Jersey Dairy is not yellow? Is it coloured?

Monday, 16 April 2007

Beautiful in the mist

I have been admiring the view of St. Aubin's bay in the mist, with the castle dark against a silver sea so still it looks frozen in time.

Everywhere I look spring is evident, trees bursting out in fresh green leaves, magnolias already shedding purple blossom, bright blue ceanothus poking out of bushes.

We even have flower spikes growing early out of an agapanthus.

Jersey is so eye-wateringly beautiful in the Spring.

Wednesday, 21 March 2007

New local site

Courtesy of the JEP I found a new Jersey forum called the Channel Islands Online Community. I have done so many searches for sites from Jersey, or the Channel Islands (did you know there are some Channel Islands in California (see image above)? Oh you did huh?) how did I miss one. Makes me wonder what else I have missed.

Friday, 2 March 2007

Squished

We went to the Opera House tonight to see Dial M for Murder. Very impressive - much better than the review in the JEP sounds. I overheard lots of praise as we made our way out. But the seats are so squished together. We were first row dress circle tonight, able to look down at everyone sitting with coats and bags bundled on their laps, struggling if someone needed to pass them. We had sweets with us, and there was nowhere to park them. I couldn't help but think affectionately of the seats at Cineworld, where there is ample room, and well as little cubbies for drinks/sweets on each seat. In my seat, which was verging sideways on the stage, I had to twist slightly sideways to get a good view, but doing that made the arm of the chair dig into me.

Tuesday, 27 February 2007

Term time holidays

Front page of the JEP last night was the information that 11,000 school days have been missed by children taken on holiday, taken out of school by 2,500 parents - 1/5 of parents.

So, on average, each Jersey school child was away from school on holiday for less than one day last year. Wow, aren't we doing well! Not that anyone would know if form the tone of the article.

Looking at it that 2,500 parents had 2 children each, that's only slightly over 2 days off in a year for their children. Even if they only had one child each that is just over 4 days each, a lot less than the 10 days suggested as a maximum allowance without Education department approval.

I do not see why this is considered a problem.

It would be useful to know how many of the children taken away were in reception class and how many studying for exams this year. The impact of the time off is not going to be the same for both age groups.

Schools do value the benefits of travel, which is why there are such things as school trips. Travel is educational, particularly for Jersey children who may never have seen a train or a city except on TV. I have found that my children's teachers are enthusiastic about them travelling and ask the children to share their opinions on where they have been with the class. We all know that compared to the UK Jersey people have to travel for longer and more expensively to take the same holidays, so doesn't it make sense that we have slightly more flexibility in order to give our children the same advantages that they can give theirs?

Another consideration is that some people cannot take holidays in the school holidays as that is their most demanding work time - hoteliers must be included in this group, so we need to think about whether as a tourist island we make allowances for that.

All in all, I think it is amazing that the amount of holiday time off taken in term time is so little, and it shows that parents do take the education of their children seriously, as they should do - parents are legally responsible for ensuring that their children are educated, not the Education department.

Thursday, 22 February 2007

Zoo

We had a lovely trip to the zoo in the beautiful weather yesterday. I have yet to hear anyone saying "went up to Durrell yesterday", that place will always be the zoo to my generation.

It was a good trip. We sat mesmerised through the snake talk, the kids got to stroke a Colombian rainbow boa, and we had a very pleasant snack in the cafe which was bulging with boisterous kids. The maned wolves circuited their enclosure as a special treat for us, and we caught the lemurs being given their dinner.

The trip will probably be the highlight of our half-term.

Yummy

We have tried some more Lincolnshire sausages from Classic Herd, which were less herby, and absolutely melt in the mouth delicious.

They also sell beefburgers, and the whole family prefer them - they are beefy and juicy and, well, just the best.

We hope Classic Herd do well and continue to expand their range.

Friday, 16 February 2007

Internet shopping.

There was a fairplay article in Wednesday's JEP about Patrick O'Lynn buying a tile cutter online, and saving himself £500 and a wait of two weeks for the item. And it was delivered to his door.

Patrick put a lot of work into buying this product, he knew exactly what he wanted, even down to the model number, he checked out all of the local stores, and spent an hour online before he found what he wanted at a price he was prepared to pay.

If he had been in the UK, he would probably have had to order the goods online then too, the only difference being that delivery might well be cheaper, or free, and he would have to pay VAT.

Internet shopping is touted as meaning the death of local stores, but even before the Internet people used catalogues to shop for goods unavailable in the island, or organised shopping trips to France, England, or yes, even America.

I hear a lot about how the Internet is going to change the face of traditional shopping, but what is so traditional about shopping? Not all that long ago it used to be the custom for some sellers to hawk their goods on doorsteps.

A tile cutter may be a good proposition for buying online, but some goods just are not suited to the Internet. Clothes are sold online, but most people still want to feel the material and try the goods on when they clothes shop. People want to look under the hood at a second hand car. People want to squeeze their loaf and sniff their melons.

Sunday, 11 February 2007

Food and drink

I had a first visit to "Waves" yesterday. Due to various commitments we found ourselves child free between the hours of 5 and 6 and needing to eat. Waves, which seems to be open all day seemed a good place to go, but when we got there we found that 5pm is not the best time to require food - lunch is over, afternoon tea has just ended, and dinner has an hour before it begins.

We decided on a coffee and cake, and a very late dinner at home. Except there was no cake. There were several very rich looking deserts, which we passed on. I had a latte, but it was dreadful, very small and bitter. I mostly drink latte as a take away, but the few occasions that I have had it in a cafe or restaurant it has been served in a tall glass. Here is was served in a mug. I could not drink it, so we were out so quickly that we had time to go into the café at the Power House and enjoy a lovely latte, in a glass, with a massive choice of cake and biscuits. Had we only headed there first we would have been able to enjoy what looked like some delicious meals as well.

We will probably return to Waves as the specials board looked enticing, but the prices seem rather high for a place sadly in need of a good sweeping.

Sunday, 4 February 2007

Opera House woes

Last night I was shivering in the audience watching Tunes of Glory. The opera house was a wee bit on the cold side, and as the play is set in winter, it wasn't long before I was cold through and through. The actors smoke on stage at time. I wonder if there is an exemption for the new non-smoking law that allows that, or if we were watching the law being broken?

I did feel for the actors in their kilts on such a cold night.

Friday, 2 February 2007

Standing on buses

Does it matter that some kids have to stand on the buses? After all, as Deputy de Faye says, we all did it when we were young - he makes the point that he came to no harm.

It matters if the aim is to encourage more children on the buses.

I would hazard a guess that some parents do not have much choice about sending their kids to school on the bus because they work and cannot take the children to school themselves. But that is not true of everyone. I collect my kids from school, so if encouraging more kids on the buses is an aim - and how can it not be when the transport policy is to reduce emissions and congestion - then I represent the group of people to be converted to the idea of putting my kids on the bus.

But I have a problem with buses. My kids travel to school at the moment in a car that is fitted with seat belts. By law my kids must be seated and strapped in whilst I am driving them, and I drive particularly carefully when carrying my kids in the car. In a bus there are no seat belts, and they may not have a seat - and I have vivid memories of the behaviour of bus drivers that makes me hesitant about putting the safety of my children into the hands of a bus driver. I recall one driver slamming on the brakes to teach a child a lesson when she kept standing up and dancing in the aisle when the bus was in motion. She flew down the bus, and down the steps. After a few seconds, she dragged herself panting back up the steps, and crawled to her seat, and he continued driving. Another shocking experience on a bus when I was older has made me additionally wary of bus drivers.

For me to put my kids on the buses, I have to see that they would be safer than I and my contemporaries were. And they wouldn't be. So I will continue to drive them.

Sunday, 28 January 2007

Winter

We seem to have had our winter last week. Prior to that I had been wondering if it was worth while keeping the heating on as the temperatures were keeping so high, and looking at the lovely pair of gloves I was given for Christmas and wondering if I would wear them this year. Then the temperatures suddenly dropped to 1 to 3 degrees. On one memorable walk on the beach I was hailed on viciously for the last fifteen minutes whilst returning to the car, and even with gloves, hat and scarf I was sooooo cold and numb. And then, just when I had got into the habit of adding the necessary layers, the temperatures went back up.

Was that it?

Thursday, 18 January 2007

The green, green grass of home

I know it's been a mild winter. I know it's been a wet winter. But the lush emerald green of fields, not just now, but through the winter, has really surprised me.

Wednesday, 17 January 2007

Recycling

I have had a think about recycling. Recycling basically means finding another use for an item instead of disposing of it. Recycling is so linked to waste disposal that I need to understand more about waste disposal before I can progress on my understanding of all the issues with recycling.

Meanwhile, here are a few links:

Jersey government sites:

"Wacky Waste Facts"

Full detail of waste disposal and recycling services

Energy from waste

May 2005 Solid Waste strategy

Energy from waste project FAQ

Waste Management

Waste Management Part 2

Waste Management Part 3

Waste Management Part 4

Waste Management Part 5

Waste Management Part 6

Waste Management Part 7

I thought 14.6 of the Waste Management (Island Plan 2002) covered most of my concerns, which are broadly that the whole thing needs to be looked at form an island perspective:

"The decision whether to recycle materials or not depends upon a number of factors, including the availability of raw materials, energy consumption in collection and processing and any environmental implications. It is counter-productive to recycle if doing so has a greater impact upon the environment than disposing of the waste. Furthermore, a recycling scheme that might be cost-effective in the UK might not be viable in Jersey if the material has to be shipped out for recycling, even if there is considerable capacity to export materials in the ships going to the UK. The local market for recycled goods is another important consideration – for certain materials the economics of recycling become marginal and other waste management options further down the ‘waste hierarchy’ may be more appropriate."

I shall read further.

Saturday, 13 January 2007

Smoking Laws

There is a letter in the paper today from a very disgruntled truck driver, who cannot now smoke in his truck, as it is his workplace.

Hurrah!

I bet his driving has improved now he is no longer: carrying a burning stick, and passing it from hand to hand to tap out the ash; bending over his lighter to light a fresh "ciggie"; opening his window (one hand) to toss out the filter (held in his other hand); shaking his next fag out of the packet; trying not to burn his leg on the end of his "ciggie" when turning a sharp corner. I was the only non smoker in my family, and three out of the four of them smoked whilst driving. Only one continues to smoke, and now does not smoke whilst driving, having come to appreciate the risks. Trust me, being their passenger is a lot less stressful now.

Remember the "Hands Off" campaign? It appears to have had it's 15 minutes, but it was always unbalanced, as evidenced by the name. Surely the idea is that people should have hands on the wheel? At the height of the "Hands Off" campaign I saw a truck bombing round Beaumont filter in turn from Beaumont Hill, heading into town, steering left handed - the driver's right hand wrapped round a baguette, and I saw a woman driving through town to drop her child off from school, and as she crawled forward (with pedestrians hovering on the edges of the pavement watching for a tiny break in the traffic to squeeze through) she was leaning up close to the rear view mirror applying mascara.

Free Jersey linked to an article about how it is more dangerous to drive for a living than it is to smoke. Maybe the ban on smoking in the workplace will actually improve the risk for some employees who drive all day (or night) in Jersey, improving the mortality rates for both smokers and drivers.

Thursday, 4 January 2007

Where to buy

I have been looking for a washing up bowl. The only place I could find one was in Woolies. None of the supermarkets seemed to carry them, and "The First Place" is closed, hopefully temporarily. I kept thinking that there are 80,000 to 90,000 people in this island, making lots of households with at least one washing up bowl per household. Is Woolies the only place to sell them?

I can buy a washing up bowl online, if I want to spend £40 plus on a designer article. There are some places that sell your basic washing up bowl, but the postage would double the cost of the bowl.

Maybe this is why there is such a lack of the bowls for sale in the island, they take up a lot of shelf space, and make little profit.

Incidentally, whilst researching online I found a 2000 BBC report on bacteria in the kitchen in which an "infection expert" spoke of the bacteria breeding capabilities of washing up bowls. He also said that washing up should be done with bleach. What a yucky thought. Bleach may get rid of germs, but when it comes to lumps of dirt, it just makes them invisible. I bet he makes his wife do it though.

05/01/2007 Update. Walking through the co-op in town heading to the furniture department I noticed they carry cream washing up bowls. The Woolies ones are silver. So, now I have found a choice of colours at least! I hadn't thought to look in the co-op homeware store.

Sausages

We tried the sausages from the Classic herd farm shop. Yep, they were very meaty, and no gristle. I think they were Lancashire sausages, and they were very herby. Personally, I prefer a plain sausage, herby meat always makes me think that the herbs are disguising bad meat, but my partner is a fan, so that is what we had. We have not been able to try any other sausages as the abattoir has not been open. I guess it proves how fresh the meat it!

The milk is cheaper than the supermarket as well. The milk is sold in one or two litre plastic jug/bottles, which I like. Far less messy.

I saw the calves my partner mentioned.

Wednesday, 3 January 2007

Happy New Year

Hoping that 2007 is good for Jersey.