Jersey Musings

Sunday, 29 July 2007

Camp Sites Links

Beuveland Camp Site
Bleu Soleil Camping
Camping in Jersey (Rose Farm)
Rozel Camping

Friday, 20 July 2007

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.