WINTER COVER:Layout 1 12/11/2015 14:40 Page 1
FARMING, FOOD & FISHERIES • EQUESTRIAN & SPORT • HERITAGE & ARTS • GARDENS & NATURE RURAL - Jersey Country Life
Winter 2015/2016 www.ruraljersey.co.uk
CHRISTMAS The season in Jersey
The new exhibition: Jersey, Ice Age Island
RE F R ev E OM er Ch Se y A ild TH e du tic E pa lt ke M ge tic t w OV 62 ke it IE t h S
www.ruraljersey.co.uk
The ice age is with us
‘M US F IC
Local characters, local food, local farming
’
Issue 11 - Jersey’s rural, cultural and community magazine
LOCALS AND LOCALISM
GRANGE DEVELOPMENTS ADVERT:Layout 1 13/11/2015 13:43 Page 1
from ÂŁ500,000 - ÂŁ795,000
Haute Croix Farm An exciting new development of 6 beautiful houses in the rural setting of St John. The remaining houses consist of one 2 bedroom home and three 3 bedroom homes, all with large gardens and allocated parking. The 3 bedroom homes also benefit from an orangery and their own garage. Available to purchase now.
Telephone: 01534 732777 Email: sam@grangedevelopments.co.uk Visit: www.grangedevelopments.co.uk
WINTER WELCOME:Layout 1 16/11/2015 16:12 Page 1
Welcome AT the time of writing, in November, it is already beginning to look a lot like Christmas. Indeed, it was beginning to look a bit like Christmas in October, thanks to the seasonal preparations already under way around the Island. It would be completely wrong to claim that Christmas is a ‘rural’ event. But the first Christmas and the story of it that has come down to us was, well, pretty rural, actually: the birth in the stable, the baby in the manger, surrounded by what Hilaire Belloc called ‘the Holy Animals’, and the shepherds who watched their flocks by night, are all major parts of an un-every-day story of quite extraordinary country-folk at the start of the 1st Century. Christmas cards, which are supposed to evoke the seasonal spirit, as often as not show an idealised winter’s country scene, perhaps in some glorious idealism of a rural village or old-fashioned small town…all quite absurd, perhaps, and as often as not cringingly sentimental. But notwithstanding that, they make the point that Christmas-time is the celebration not only of one special miraculous child (and thus of all miraculous children), but also of the spirit of community - family and local. And what we crave, perhaps, at this time of year, is to return to some sort of sense of genuine and joyful conviviality within a community – and usually all we get is shopping and office parties and added expense – ‘tis the season to be frazzled. Small communities are harder to sustain than ever before, what with the increased pace of life and mobility of populations. The first Christmas took place in the countryside and a reminder that we feel instinctively that the countryside is where communities keep their soul, in Jersey as elsewhere. And in Jersey as elsewhere, we are in danger of losing that soul through over-development and the destruction of so much that makes our home dear and familiar to us.
DISTRIBUTION We will provide free delivery to any address which would like to receive a minimum of five copies. The magazine remains free of charge to those who simply want one copy posted to their home address, but we ask for a £10 subscription to cover the cost of postage and packing the four quarterly issues.
Let us remember that once in royal David’s city there also stood a lowly cattle shed. A very happy Christmas from us all at RURAL - Jersey Country Life magazine
HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT SENDING A SUBSCRIPTION TO RURAL AS A CHRISTMAS PRESENT TO FRIENDS AND FAMILY OVERSEAS? Telephone us on 865334. Cheques can be sent to RURAL magazine, La Cohue Maisonette, La Grande Route de St Jean, St John, Jersey JE34FN
VISIT US AT www.ruraljersey.co.uk PUBLISHER Crosby Media and Publishing Ltd La Cohue Maisonette, St John, JE3 4FN
DESIGN & PRODUCTION Sarah le Marquand sarah@thecore.je
EDITOR Alasdair Crosby editorial@ruraljersey.co.uk 01534 865334 or 07797 773880
PHOTOGRAPHY Gary Grimshaw info@photoreportage.co.uk 07797 739426
RURAL magazine can be collected, free of charge, from any number of places around the Island. If you are unable to find a copy, please contact us and we will ensure that you receive a copy directly.
www.ruraljersey.co.uk
CHRISTMAS The season in Jersey
The new exhibition: Jersey, Ice Age Island
RE F R ev E OM er Ch Se y A ild TH e du tic E pa lt ke M ge tic t w OV 62 ke it IE t h S
Local characters, local food, local farming
The ice age is with us
‘M US F IC
LOCALS AND LOCALISM
Front cover image: ‘Christmas Night,’ a painting by Anna Le Moine Gray
’
SALES Siobhan East siobhaneast@hotmail.com 07797 726811
CONTENTS WINTER:Layout 1 16/11/2015 16:13 Page 1
12 18 30
Contents 7
‘THE ISSUE’
8
THE JERSEY SALAMAGUNDI An assortment of ingredients of life in Jersey
30 - 31
FATHER CHRISTMAS – THE NORTH POLE OR SCOTLAND? Robin Page - on reindeer in the Cairngorms
32 - 33
ART, INSPIRED BY NATURE By our artist in residence, Anna Le Moine Gray
34
DES BÈRGERS GARDAIENT LUS TROUPIEAUX, PAISIBLIÉMENT ASSIS Jèrriais, with Geraint Jennings
SPECIAL THEME: CHRISTMAS IS WITH US ONCE AGAIN 12 - 15
18 - 22
24 - 26
27 - 28
4-
IN THE CHRISTMAS KITCHEN Our cookery writer, Zoë Horne, shows us that there is much to Christmas food than turkey and Christmas pudding ARTS AND CRAFTS IN JERSEY There are many artisanal craftsmen in Jersey. Kieranne Grimshaw selects three whose creations would make superlative Christmas presents with a local provenance THE MAN WHO WASN’T THERE What would Christmas be without a ripping yarn of a ghost story? John Blashford Snell recounts an uncanny experience in Jersey THE JERSEY SCIENTIFIC EXPLORATION SOCIETY Fancy pony-trekking in Mongolia in 2016?
RURAL Winter 2015
SPECIAL THEME: LOCAL CHARACTERS, LOCAL FOOD, LOCAL FARMING 35 - 36
LOCAL PRODUCE AND THE SUPERMARKETS By Duncan Langston, general manager of Waitrose in the Channel Islands
40
LOCAL APPLE JUICE – From the apple trees of Hans van Oordt in St John
42 - 43
ALL CHANGE AT MAILLARD’S as Tommy A’Court retires from full-time work
CONTENTS WINTER:Layout 1 16/11/2015 16:14 Page 2
44
48
44 - 45
FARM BUDDIES - A PATHWAY TO WELLBEING Stephen Sellers has developed a social benefit project that helps young people and is also of benefit to farmers
46 - 47
JERSEY GREYHOUND RESCUE Providing a happy retirement for greyhounds who have finished with the track
48 - 49
EVER GREEN Master of the Jersey Drag Hunt Nick Arthur starts a new season
50 - 51
IN THEIR OWN LIVERY Sarah and Emma Gallichan have set up their own BHS approved livery yard. They talked to Ruth Le Cocq
52 - 53
THE SECRET GARDEN Ruth Le Cocq searches for her own secret garden – hidden underneath the weeds
54 - 55
WHAT IS THE JERSEY BIODIVERSITY CENTRE? Nick Aubin describes its work in recording Jersey’s wildlife
56
SPIRITUAL FIRST AID That is how Diana Mossop describes her practice
57 - 58
DESTRESS, WITH HANDS ON Julie Skelley, a qualified Craniosacral Therapist‘, can de-stress your life, with a hands-on approach. By Kieranne Grimshaw
62 59
A LETTER FROM ELBA How tourism has triggered an agricultural revival in the Italian Isle of Elba, by Philippa Evans Bevan
60 - 61
THE ICE AGE IS WITH US The new exhibition the Jersey Museum: ‘Jersey, Ice Age Island’
62
MUSIC FROM THE MOVIES An update from the Jersey musical charity, Music in Action, by its chairman, James Mews
66 - 67
STRIKING THE RIGHT BALANCE Development in the Coastal National Park, by Advocate Samantha Hoare
68
WHERE THERE’S A WILL, THERE’S A WAY Making a will is always important, especially where there is land or buildings at stake. By Michelle Leverington
70
WARM, COMFORTABLE - AND AFFORDABLE How to stay warm and cosy – and maintain affordable energy bills. By Lynn Schofield
72
SEASONALLY IN THE RED That bird with a starring role every Christmas, by Mike Stentiford
74
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF… by Stephen Cohu
CONTRIBUTORS
60
NICK AUBIN JOHN BLASHFORD-SNELL STEPHEN COHU PHILIPPA EVANS BEVAN KIERANNE GRIMSHAW SAMANTHA HOARE ZOË HORNE GERAINT JENNINGS DUNCAN LANGSTON
MICHELLE LEVERINGTON RUTH LE COCQ ANNA LE MOINE GRAY JAMES MEWS ROBIN PAGE LYNN SCHOFIELD MIKE STENTIFORD HANS VAN OORDT
RURAL Winter 2015 - 5
Project2:Layout 1 12/11/2015 14:45 Page 1
‘‘Appy Ap A py Christmas Christmas from A pple le from Apple Get G et a an n iPhone iPhone 6 16GB 16GB & iiPad Pad M ini 2 for for £40 £ £4 40 a month month Mini w with i h no it n up u upfront pfront ffee! ee! Ask A sk iin n store store for fo for details details or o nline a ww.sure.com or online att w www.sure.com
Upgrad Upgrade ade de y your our de device evvice e tto o tthe he iiPhone Phone 6 6 64GB 4GB orr NE N NEW W 16GB iiPhone Phone e 6S 6S 16 GB for for jjust ust £ £4 £49 49
iPad Mini 2 iPhone 6 16GB
Prices P rices based based on on S Smart mart 1GB 1GB plan plan over over 24 24 m months. onths. TTerms erms and and C Conditions onditions apply. apply. See See www.sure.com www.sure.com ffor or details. details.
THE ISSUE WINTER:Layout 1 14/11/2015 05:59 Page 1
The Issue AT the time of writing Christmas is already on its inexorable way - but let us ignore all that bonhomie for as long as possible and take as our text for The Issue page the lachrymose proverb about ‘crying over spilled milk’. On many British dairy farms tears are being shed even before the milk is produced, let alone spilled. Headlines proclaim: ‘Half of UK dairy producers set to quit industry’ while one dejected South Wales dairy farmer on the Facebook page ‘Save Our British Dairy Farms’ states: ‘Losing money every month, we can't go on for much longer. It has NEVER been this bad for the dairy industry.’ Official figures support the picture with well over 400 UK dairy producers having sold up this year alone, during which time £1bn has been wiped off farm-gate incomes due to falling milk prices. According to the most recent DEFRA figures, the average UK farmer’s milk cheque for August 2015 was about 25% lower than the same month last year.
to produce a litre of milk for close on half of what the 25% least efficient farms can manage. But it's not just the cost of producing milk that is dependent on the individual farm - the price farmers are paid also varies depending to whom they sell their milk. About half the milk produced in the UK is sold as liquid milk, with the other half used for products like cheese and yoghurt. Of the liquid milk, a third is sold to the big retailers such as Sainsbury’s, M&S, Waitrose, Co-op and Tesco, which base the price they pay on what it costs the farmers to produce it. This is more sustainable production and those farmers who supply the multiples are in a far stronger position than those who don’t. The remaining two-thirds of the liquid milk produced is sold to processors, and they are the ones who have been making the biggest cuts. The reason why prices have been falling is due, quite simply, to supply outstripping demand with more milk being produced around the world than the markets want.
The big supermarkets are often blamed for lowering prices and putting dairy farmers out of business but there are many other factors at play, such as the downward pressure on commodity prices in the global marketplace, e.g butter down 15%, cheese down 25% and milk powder down 30% on 2014. There is also the impact of other influences out of our control such as the reduction in trade with China and the Russian import ban.
While it's true that some dairy farmers are being hit financially by price cuts, it's over simplistic to say it's the same for all of the UK's milk producers. As in Jersey, UK farmers’ incomes are swelled by the subsidies they receive for ‘stewardship’ of the countryside, the amount paid being based on their acreage and contingent on farmers maintaining the land and complying with environmental, public health and animal welfare requirements. So despite some farmers making a loss on their milk business, they may still be making a profit overall. Others are still making money on the milk they produce. It's purely down to the circumstances of the individual farm.
Nationally, the picture on farm profitability is mixed with the top 25% of farmers able
What we have been saying applies both to the black and white and the coloured
So just how bad is the situation facing Britain’s milk producers and are farmers really making a loss on each litre of milk they produce? And how are Jersey’s dairy producers shaping up in comparison?
breeds in the UK; the Jersey producers on the mainland have not been immune from high farm costs and lower prices. Once again, it depends on who the milk buyer is. However, thanks to the superior compositional quality of the milk from Jersey cows, it has tended to command a premium in the marketplace over what is pejoratively termed ‘white water’. As a consequence there is cause for some optimism amongst those with Jersey herds that things will improve in favour of the brown cow once trading conditions improve. In line with this, there is a noticeable take-up of Jersey cows across the country both within established black and white herds and in new Jersey herd start-ups. Here in Jersey the situation, thankfully, is somewhat better for our milk producers – the cut in milk price has been a lot smaller than that suffered by our UK counterparts. If Jersey Dairy’s developing markets in China and elsewhere can realise the sales hoped for then the future looks reasonably bright. However, what is crucially important for the future of the Jersey cow in its Island home is the issue of the support it receives from consumers and government. It is a fact that producing milk in an island situation inevitably adds to its cost and if public and politicians are prepared to accept this and are prepared to maintain the ban on imported ‘white water’, the many benefits the Jersey cow brings to our Island can be enjoyed by us all for many years to come. *With thanks to our columnist ‘Flatcap’, a working Jersey farmer, for his input into this article
RURAL Winter 2015 - 7
WINTER SALMAGUNDI:Layout 1 16/11/2015 19:43 Page 1
THE JERSEY SALMAGUNDI
CHOUGHS CHUFFED AND SHEEP MULTIPLING HAVING been established back in 2009 with just 20 breeding ewes and 2 rams, Jersey’s conservation grazing flock of Manx Loaghtan sheep is now almost 200 strong. The Manx Loaghtan, a hardy rare breed thought to be the closest living relative of the now extinct Jersey sheep, originate from the Isle of Man. Since their introduction, the flock have been invaluable in addressing the widespread ecological degradation that has taken place along Jersey’s north coast. Historically, the coastal headlands and slopes on Jersey’s north coast were grazed, however changes in Jersey’s economy during the early 20th Century led to the cessation of traditional mixed farming practices on marginal land. When active management ceased, the semi-natural open grassland and heathland habitats characteristic of traditionally farmed marginal areas began to be invaded by bracken and scrub. The invasion of bracken in particular, which now blankets vast swathes of land along the north coast of the Island, has sadly led to a widespread decline in biodiversity. Reinstating active management is the key to restoring species-rich seminatural maritime grassland and heathland habitats. The Manx Loaghtan flock contribute enormously in this respect. Through the action of trampling
the sheep help to reduce the cover of bracken, while the grazing controls the growth of competitive plant species, prevents scrub invasion, and facilitates the development of diverse plant communities with varied sward structures. In addition, patches of bare ground and animal dung resulting from sheep grazing provide important resources for invertebrates. The Manx Loaghtan grazing area at the site known as Le Don Paton provides ideal habitat for the recently reintroduced Red-billed chough. These iconic birds are the flagship species for a project called ‘Birds on the Edge’, a collaborative project between the National Trust for Jersey; Durrell and the States of Jersey’s Department of Environment to help restore degraded areas of coastline to improve the habitat for a wide range of birds, reptiles and mammals. In particular Choughs forage for invertebrate prey in areas of short turf and dung produced by the grazing sheep, and also use wool in nest building. In addition to benefiting Jersey’s resident wildlife, the short grassy areas maintained by grazing also provide feeding opportunities for migratory bird species of conservation concern, such as Meadow pipit, Wheatear and Ring ouzel. The flock have proven to be extremely popular with both visitors and local residents alike, to the extent that they
are now something of a visitor attraction. An additional benefit of the increase in flock size is the increased production of high quality meat for the local market, as well as wool for craft knitting. The flock is also equivalent to around 10% of the total population on mainland Britain providing an important gene pool for this rare breed species.
A SEEDY SUNDAY IN FEBRUARY THE first ‘Seedy Sunday’ event took place in Jersey last February at Grainville School - and it was a great success. So next year’s ‘Seedy Sunday’ is now being planned to take place at the same venue on 21 February 2016, 11.00 am to 2.30pm. What is a Seedy Sunday? In this present context, at least, it’s a day when anyone can come along to the school with any seeds from any flowers, vegetables, herbs, trees or shrubs seeds they may have collected from their gardens or allotments that they like. These seeds can 8-
RURAL Winter 2015
be swapped for any other seeds that you may like to grow. This is a great way to try to grow any plants that you may not have tried to grow before, and the good thing is that they are swapped for free!
There will be talks on different subjects throughout the day as well as a story teller and a special area for children to explore. Food will be available through the day, as well as tea and cakes.
Michael Everingham, head gardener at Rozel Manor, said: ‘I was on the seed table in February this year and I swapped some of my saved seed for some different vegetables - tree spinach, some golden sunrise tomatoes, a French tomato called ‘Noir De Crimée’ (which did very well in our greenhouse) and some very hot chillies, just to name a few !’
So make a date in your diary and remember to get out collecting all your favourite seeds – the Seedy crew will look forward to seeing everyone next February. The Charity being supported for this event is Le Geyt Centre, to help maintain their sensory garden and pond area.
WINTER SALMAGUNDI:Layout 1 16/11/2015 19:43 Page 2
Contemporary in design and functional in use, helping you to enjoy the outdoors. The Pergola is available in 9 sizes and two distinctive colours: White or Textured Grey Ultraframe is Europe’s leader in the design and manufacture of glazed roofing systems for the home, with over 1.5 Million installed to date.
If anyone wishes to be a part of this, please telephone the organiser, Fiona Murphy, on 07797 859191. Seedy Sunday can also be followed on Facebook at ‘Seedy Sunday Jersey’
FIND OUT MORE? Call our Sales Team: 760500 Visit: www.pallotglass.com
CHRISTMAS INTRO PAGE:Layout 1 12/11/2015 14:55 Page 1
Jersey in winter and Christmas is with us once again La Mare, St Mary, on a cold winter's day
10 -
RURAL Winter 2015
Project2:Layout 1 14/11/2015 06:04 Page 1
SAFFRONS Hotel de France
PUre JUiCe – PUre GeNiUS Add a little extra sparkle to your Christmas!
Indulge yourself this Christmas with Classic Herd's delicious
B R A NDY B UT T ER
The perfect gift for anytime of year AvAilAble from: • Classic Herd farm shop • Coopers cafe Castle Quay • Plemont Cafe • The fresh fish Co. or from the farm by email
£20 box (8 x 250mls) 15% discount on 5 boxes
T:07797856013 • jerseysheep@gmail.com www.fieldfarmjersey.com
Classic Herd Manor Farm St Peter Jersey JE3 7DD Telephone: 01534 485692 • www.classicfarmshop.com
WINTER RECIPE:Layout 1 12/11/2015 15:00 Page 1
IN THE CHRISTMAS KITCHEN Our cookery writer, ZoÍ Horne, shows that there is more to Christmas food than turkey and Christmas pudding CHRISTMAS CANAPÉS We all have our go to recipes or ideas for party food, but here are 3 of my favourites that are all easy to make so are great for those last minute guests that stop by for a festive drink.
BRIE & CRANBERRY BITES Makes 24 Bites 50g pack Rahms Mini Croustades, available from Waitrose 100g cranberry sauce 125g brie, cut into 24 pieces, approx. 5g each 2tsp poppy seeds 1 Preheat the oven to 200C (180C fan) mark 6. Put the croustades onto a baking sheet and divide the cranberry sauce between them. Top with the brie and bake in the oven for 8-10min, until the brie has melted. 2 Sprinkle over the poppy seeds and serve immediately.
12 -
RURAL Winter 2015
WINTER RECIPE:Layout 1 12/11/2015 15:00 Page 2
CHRISTMAS BLINIS Makes 16 Blinis 160g pack cocktail blinis, available from Waitrose 2tbsp freshly chopped dill 4tbsp horseradish sauce 4tbsp creme fraiche 100g pack smoked salmon trimmings 25g pomegranate seeds 1 Preheat the oven to 190C (170C fan) mark 5. Put the blinis on a tray and bake for 5min. Remove from the oven and leave to cool. Put the dill, horseradish and creme fraiche into a bowl and mix to combine. 2 Spread the mix over the cooled blinis, top with the smoked salmon trimmings and garnish with the pomegranate. Serve immediately.
SPICED PARTY NUTS 500g unsalted mixed nuts, such as brazil nuts, almonds, hazelnuts, pecans and walnuts 2tbsp freshly chopped rosemary 1/2tsp cayenne pepper 1/2tsp smoked paprika 2tsp dark brown soft sugar 2tsp sea salt 1tbsp melted butter 1 Preheat the oven to 200C (180C fan) mark 6. In a large bowl, mix together all the ingredients. Empty onto a baking tray and roast for 15-20min, turning occasionally, until nuts are golden. Leave to cool and then tip into bowls to serve. ZoÍ’s Tip: Store in an airtight container and keep in your cupboard for up to a week.
RURAL Winter 2015 - 13
WINTER RECIPE:Layout 1 12/11/2015 15:00 Page 3
An Alternative Christmas Feast For a little variation from the usual Christmas spread like roast turkey and christmas pudding, mix things up a little and try these recipes for a change.
HEARTY TARTY Great as a starter, or as a main with cold meats and salads. Serves 6 2 x 320g packs ready-rolled puff pastry 150g light cream cheese 1/2tbsp milk 1tbsp wholegrain mustard 1tbsp freshly chopped dill, extra to garnish 6 slices parma ham 2 spring onions, finely sliced
1 Preheat oven to 200C (180C fan) mark 6. Unroll the puff pastry, cut out six hearts and put on 2 baking sheets. Using a knife mark a border 1cm from the edge, with a fork prick the pastry inside the border. Bake for 20min, until golden and crisp. Remove from the oven and to make room for your filling, with the back of a spoon press down the pastry inside of the border. Leave to cool. 2 Put the cream cheese, milk, mustard and dill into a bowl, season well and stir to combine. Remove any crumbs from the pastry cases and spoon in the cream cheese mix. Top with the flaked salmon, spring onions and a sprinkling of dill. Serve at room temperature. 14 -
RURAL Winter 2015
WINTER RECIPE:Layout 1 12/11/2015 15:00 Page 4
SPICED CHRISTMAS LASAGNE
A spin on a classic thats hearty and warming. Serves 6 1tbsp olive oil 1 medium onion, finely chopped 100g butternut squash, diced 1tsp cinnamon 500g beef mince 150ml red wine 500ml hot beef stock 2tbsp tomato puree 200g spinach 40g butter 40g plain flour 450ml milk 1/4tsp grated nutmeg 6 lasagne sheets 50g fresh breadcrumbs 1 Heat oil in a pan and add the onion and squash. Cover with a lid and cook gently for 10min, until softened. Stir in the cinnamon and cook for 1min. Add the beef and fry for 5min, to brown. Add the wine, simmer for a further 1min. Finally add the stock and tomato purĂŠe and simmer for 20min, stir ring occasionally. 2 Preheat the oven to 180C (160C fan) mark 4. Take the mince off the heat, add the spinach and taste for seasoning. 3 Melt the butter in a pan and add the flour. Cook for 1min, stirring constantly. Take the pan off the heat and gradually add the milk, mixing well after each addition. Put the pan back on the heat and cook for 5min, stirring well, until the sauce has thickened. Stir in the nutmeg and season to taste. 4 Spoon a third of the white sauce over the bottom of an ovenproof dish, approx. 10 x 6in, top with three lasagne sheets. Spread the meat mixture on top, followed by a third more of the sauce. Top with remaining lasagne sheets, sauce and the breadcrumbs. Bake for 30min and serve immediately.
CHAMPAGNE JELLIES An elegant way to end a Christmas dinner party. Serves 6 200g caster sugar 6 small sheets gelatine (around 12g) 750ml white champagne or sparkling wine pomegranate seeds to decorate 1 Put the sugar into a pan with 150ml water and heat gently until the sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil and let it bubble for 3min to make a syrup. Set aside. 2 Put the gelatine into a large bowl of cold water and soak for 5min. When soft, squeeze the excess water from the gelatine and add to the sugar syrup. Stir to dissolve. Add the champagne and divide the jelly mixture among six 250ml glasses. Chill overnight. 3 Top each jelly with a few pomegranate seeds, then serve.
*See Zoe’s website: www.zoes-kitchen.com
RURAL Winter 2015 - 15
RANSOMS EDITORIAL:Layout 1 14/11/2015 06:06 Page 1
RANSOMS Ransoms Garden Centre is all dressed up for Christmas and is looking festively fabulous! The theme this year is ‘Ski Resorts’ each one represented by a different style and colour of Christmas decorations and gift ideas. The four resorts, St Moritz, Courchevel, Lillehammer and Meribel are housed in log cabins approached through ‘forests’ of Christmas trees. In ‘All the Glitz in St Moritz’ you will find unashamed luxury in the form of golds, coppers, truffles and ochres. ‘Cool in Courchevel’ is more contemporary – imagine royal blues, silver, clay and never over-stated white. Scandinavia is synonymous with Christmas (all our fresh trees are grown there). White, silvers and Christmas reds abound in this tribute to the land of Norsemen, aptly named ‘Little Lillehammer’ Finally ‘Very Merry Meribel’, a cabin that oozes all that is traditional about Christmas – open fires, dark wooden furniture, church candles and holly. A great new innovation is LED battery-powered tree lights. Suitable for indoor or outdoor use and giving 30 days of operation from one set of batteries (based on 6 hours per day). Choose twinkle, net or box hedge formations in both ice and warm white. See the ranges of illuminated figures to create stunning garden displays and magical moving and lit village scenes – children love them Unusual gifts abound at Ransoms. Fab N Funky prints are exclusive, original illustrations printed onto the ‘real’ pages of antique British dictionaries and journals, mounted and ready to frame. Kaffe Fassett, is an American-born artist who is best known for his colourful designs in the decorative arts needlepoint, patchwork, knitting, painting and ceramics. His vibrant colours adorn a range of toiletries available only at Ransoms. Are you keen to support local artists? – have a look at the range of signs, hand-painted here in Jersey on re-claimed wood and all bearing amusing messages. Ask a Ransoms little helper for ‘It’s a Sign’ Pip Studio have a lovely new range of blue chinaware and another Ransoms exclusive is the Tokyo range of china – very collectable. Don’t forget our wildlife this Christmas. Ransoms have hedgehog houses, squirrel feeders and food, colourful Tweetie Pad bird houses and the very original nesting box with a camera inside. For the garden too, they have exclusive ranges of buddhas from Adorn and Da Vinci and a brand new collection of large pots and urns from the Terracotta Pot Company. Also camellias and citrus lemon trees, both in flower at the moment. Christmas……Don’t forget Santa, he’ll be in his grotto every day from Saturday 28th November right up until Christmas Eve. 16 -
RURAL Winter 2015
Project5:Layout 1 15/11/2015 11:01 Page 1
JUNE GOULD ARTICLE:Layout 1 14/11/2015 12:19 Page 1
ARTS AND CRAFTS AT CHRISTMAS TIME He who works with his hands is a labourer. He who works with his hands and his head is a craftsman. He who works with his hands and his head and his heart is an artist – - St Francis of Assisi 18 -
RURAL Winter 2015
JUNE GOULD ARTICLE:Layout 1 14/11/2015 12:19 Page 2
HOW many arts and crafts enterprises are there in Jersey? Who knows? An amazing number, certainly. As technology advances so quickly in today’s fast paced world, peoples’ desire for the authentic and the traditional has increased. That’s good news for Jersey’s local artists. Kieranne Grimshaw profiles three of them in this issue, who produce work that seem very suitable for Christmas presents: JUNE GOULD is a potter and ceramist, who works from a light and airy studio in St Ouen. She studied at Harrow College of Art and Design in London, during the vibrant arts scene of the 1980, and later at Goldsmith’s. London was a great place to be for Arts students, she said, with abstract art and a free spirit philosophy prevalent among the students. Her Arts teachers were particularly influential, but it was the opportunity to touch clay for the first time that ignited her love of pottery. June’s inspiration comes from international artists, ranging from the works of the Japanese potter, Takeshi Yasuda to the African Ceramic Artist, Magdalene Odundo. On her return to Jersey, June became an apprentice at the Potter’s Wheel at L’Etacq and also worked in St Aubin’s High Street pottery shop. Nowadays, her works are exhibited at the Harbour Gallery. Here you can view the amazing sculpture based on the north coast caves, with their wave formed structures and dark interiors. Its companion is a cave painting, oil on board. Asked what was the most enjoyable part of her work, she replied: ‘Opening the kiln.’ The anticipation and excitement of waiting for the end result, hoping for a pleasant surprise rather than a shock - was also a key part of the whole experience of sculpting. ‘I enjoy the alchemy element of testing and testing to obtain the desired result, although the kiln has the last say,’ she said. Working outside is another bonus. This is evident in her two types of stoneware. The first is influenced by the sea and rock-pools, with colourful mugs decorated with raised fish and
JANE JAMES COASTAL CERAMICS – GOREY GOREY PIER seems the perfect location for this local artisan shop. It certainly adds a buzz to the popular tourist area. With nearby bijoux boutiques, cafés and restaurants, Jane James’ appealing gallery is popular with tourists and locals alike. Walking through the entrance it has the feeling of a quirky French boutique, with enticing brightly coloured items catching your eye. All things maritime is the main theme, which is fitting, being so close to the harbour. Jane James set up her shop seven years ago, having then recently moved to Jersey. This was just as Jersey Pottery was closing down, so an empty market
seaweed. The second has eggshell grey/green hues emulating the countryside. On the table was a wave bowl, in clay, with a translucent piece of glass, collected from St Ouen’s Bay, at the bottom. Beautiful curves formed, emulating waves, in stunning hues of blue, representing the vibrations of the beach, and understandably, very popular with sea lovers and tourists alike. A stone’s throw away from her studio is St Ouen’s Bay and she believes a sense of place is paramount. The influence of the sea is certainly reflected in the subtle aqua marine colours. The combination of clay, minerals, chemicals and glass produce these stunning shades, including chrome for green and cobalt for blue. If you want a bowl next week, you may have to wait a while, as it takes three weeks for the clay to dry, after being in temperatures around 1000 degrees Fahrenheit. Saving the best till last, June’s favourite project, ‘Les P’ti Faitchieaux Around the World,’ is a truly local one. Under the umbrella of the Arts Trust, June recently led this initiative whereby local artists and the public made over 4,000 figures, P’tits Faitchieuaux (Jèrriais for ‘The Little People’) from Jersey clay. These figures are now found all around the world, both tourists and locals taking them on their travels to place in their own special site. What a great idea! *June can be contacted by e-mail: juneagould@gmail.com or by telephone on 481961.
niche was filled. They say timing is important. For Jane, being in Jersey and surrounded by the sea was a big influence on her work and here she found inspiration for her coastal themed products. Having studied arts and crafts at college in the UK, Jane followed a slightly different career path, in the Fire Service. Jane used her creative skills more as a hobby to de-stress during this time. In Jersey, she completed a Pottery course at Highlands College and exhibited at local farm and craft markets, leading on to the launch of her Gallery. ‘I’m also self-taught and enjoy being experimental, learning as I go,’ Jane explained. During the summer season, tourists enjoy browsing in the Gallery choosing a
RURAL Winter 2015 - 19
JUNE GOULD ARTICLE:Layout 1 14/11/2015 12:19 Page 3
shoal of colourful ceramic shaped fish on a wooden background is being created for each class. The range of colours replicates the colours of the rainbow and the fish represent the students and teachers. ‘As the children move class they graduate to the next colour,’ Jane said. ‘I particularly liked working together with the School Head.’ Certainly an original and creative incentive. Jane tries to use recycled materials, including discarded pottery from the south coast and washed up driftwood. The end products are both arty and functional. Unsurprisingly, Jane’s staff share an artistic flair and their individual creations help adorn the shop.
hand-made souvenir to remind them of Jersey. Locals visit all year round, perhaps to buy a birthday present or even a personal wedding gift. There’s no doubt that the small ceramic pieces, with iconic local images, mounted on driftwood, draw shoppers in to browse. Jane spends time carefully choosing other suppliers, whose handmade products complement her own. Particularly eye catching are fabrics,
illustrating vintage maps of Jersey, ranging from cushions to quirky pencil cases, the latter a perfect gift for University students or even ex pats. There’s a touch of vintage elegance, making you want to pick up and feel the fabrics. One of Jane’s most challenging projects is a bespoke piece for St Martin’s School, soon to be completed. A large
Jane can also be seen at her St Helier Studio working on her ceramic creations. If you ever happen to find a piece of driftwood along the coast, you know where you should take it. Contact details: Tel 07797 926589 or 01534 630849 (town) Email: info@jane-james.co.uk Website: www.jane-james.co.uk
MARTIN COTILLARD – OUT OF THE TREE WOOD ART STANDING in Martin’s workshop in St Brelade feels a bit like being in Aladdin’s cave, full of wooden treasures. Not only for the amazing different types, shapes and sizes of wood to touch, but also the various mellow smells of shavings, Danish oil and Beeswax. Even the different tools are quite extraordinary; A big heavy lathe, a long chisel and a strange object with a tube, this being an extractor to vacuum all the shavings and dust. In 1995 Martin trained as a wood turner under Mick Renouf at Brabant Farm. Before this, he was the in-store wood turning demonstrator at the Axminster Power Tool Centre in Devon, after studying with the great wood turning wizard Melvyn Firmager. He also gained invaluable experience in New Zealand as a ‘poorly paid woodwork teacher’. The magic that Martin performs is remarkable. When offered a snooker table, he took off the beautiful mahogany legs and used the rounded shape to carve a wall clock. A spherical face with Roman numerals completed this totally unique and charming product. It’s evident that Martin enjoys such challenges. One of Martin’s most satisfying achievements was when he was asked to make something out of a decommissioned Teak deck sailing boat. ‘The owner’s reaction was emotional and really showed his overwhelming joy,’ said Martin as he presented him with a beautiful hand crafted teak pen. That’s what you call job satisfaction. A piece of functional art can be quite sentimental if you stop to think from where it originated. 20 -
RURAL Winter 2015
A local restaurant recently donated some steak boards, so who knows what Martin will make with them. Most of his wood is from trees needing to be felled or recycled materials, perhaps donated by a friend or a local antiques shop. Nothing is wasted.
Project3:Layout 1 12/11/2015 15:04 Page 1
STUDIOS S TUDIOS | G GIFT IF T SHOPS | G GALLERIES ALLERIES S | C AFES
Created Cr reated Jersey. in Jerse ey. Genuine Je Jersey ersey is the guarantee guarantee of o true true loc local al provenance. provenanc Ac credited d pr oducts begin life life in n raw raw fform orm and thr oug Accredited products through the cr eativit y and craftsmanship craf tsmanship of Islanders Islanders become become creativity the per fecct gift. gift . A vailable acr oss the Island, a pur chasse perfect Available across purchase suppor ts bo b th local local craftspeople craftspeople and the local local economy. economy y. supports both @GenuineJsy @ @GenuineJs y | genuinejersey.com genuin nejersey.com
Look L ook ffor o the Mark be or before bef effor ore you you buy y
JUNE GOULD ARTICLE:Layout 1 14/11/2015 12:20 Page 4
Quite incredible is the amount of different types of trees. A particularly eye catching wood is apple wood, unique for its stark contrasting dark heart wood and its light sap wood, often seen in salad bowls. Martin’s bespoke wedding anniversary bowls are both aesthetic and smooth to touch. The tactile element of these wooden products certainly adds to their appeal. Even oak trees from the ‘Great Storm’ of 1987 have left their legacy. In order to mark the 100th anniversary of Trinity Manor, Martin was commissioned to create 100 pens from the timber of the Oak trees that fell in the Manor grounds during the storm.
Quite modestly, Martin says: ‘You never know what shape you will make when you turn it, the shape comes out by itself.’ A mixture of skill, patience, artistic flair and a certain value of spontaneity is needed to be a wood turner and Martin has all of these in abundance. In today’s world of mass production, each one of these beautiful aesthetic products truly is an heirloom keepsake. Contact details Telephone: 07700 330 135 Email: martincotillard@gmail.com Website: www.outofthetreewoodart.co.uk
SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE AT AURUM OF JERSEY …especially at Christmas AURUM OF JERSEY is a local family business with over 40 years’ experience and an enviable reputation in fine jewellery design and manufacture, with exclusive in- house designs using rare precious metals and gemstones. In addition to exquisite bespoke jewellery, Aurum’s team of craftsmen offer objets d’art with an exclusive Jersey theme in solid sterling silver, which would make excellent Christmas presents. These are handcrafted and designed on the premises, such as the creation of a spectacular and unique, limited edition chess set, depicting the (sometimes) friendly rivalry between Guernsey and Jersey and Island characters from history.
22 -
RURAL Winter 2015
Also, the Jersey landmark collection, including many Jersey Heritage sites created in sterling silver, makes an original gift to recapture happy memories of a special occasion. Also offered within the Genuine Jersey silver range are the Jersey Ormer shell pendants, Crapaud range of cufflinks, pendants and bracelets, Jersey interlocking pendants inspired by historical granite date- stones. Then there is the very popular and fun 'Aurum Bean' jewellery range, available in sterling silver and 18ct gold, which can be personalised.
Project3:Layout 1 14/11/2015 06:08 Page 1
For the Love of Jersey Aurum’s Genuine Jersey Collection is available in sterling silver and 18ct gold and designed and created in Aurum of Jersey’s workshop. Prices from £95.00
Ormer
Bean
Crapaud
Tel. +44 (0) 1534 736182 sales@aurumjewellers.co.uk
www.aurumjewellers.co.uk for our full range of products
Follow us on Facebook © Aurum Jewellers. All rights reserved
GHOST STORY:Layout 1 14/11/2015 12:12 Page 1
THE MAN WHO WASN’T THERE - A Jersey ghost story.
24 -
RURAL Winter 2015
GHOST STORY:Layout 1 14/11/2015 12:12 Page 2
A traditional Christmas would hardly be complete without a ripping yarn of a good ghost story. Colonel John Blashford Snell, Jersey’s eminent explorer, recounts an uncanny incident from his early Army career I’VE never really seen a ghost, unless…. In 1962, two young boys died mysteriously in an old German Army storage tunnel in St Peter’s Valley. Apparently, they had crawled in through a hole in the long-sealed entrance to see if they could find any interesting souvenirs among the piles of rotting and rusting equipment. Eventually it transpired that the boys had been overcome by carbon monoxide produced by the smouldering remains of some old pit props set afire in the tunnel by a party of youngsters who’d visited the underground passages the previous day. The victims died as they struggled to reach the open air through a narrow crawl-way dug beneath the concrete plug that had sealed the tunnel. However, would-be rescuers were struck down by some mysterious vapours wafting from the entrance and rumours of wartime cyanide gas were soon circulating. As these rumours spread, holidaymakers cancelled booking and hoteliers screamed for action. The States quickly called upon the Ministry of Defence to investigate. There were few Jerseymen in the Royal Engineers and it appeared I was the only one below the rank of Colonel. Thus I found myself with an unusual and exciting job in August 1962: our task was to examine all the old German underground works in the Island and, equipped with the original maps, a small team of soldiers sailed from Weymouth on a British Rail ferry loaded with apprehensive tourists. As we had expected, the German map had been drawn with Teutonic thoroughness and, guided by an Islander, Tony Titterington (whom, as a boy, I had spent hours following down some of these very tunnels), we set to work. Tony and I had long been intrigued by the mysterious shafts that were rumoured to contain everything from Nazi treasure to Luger pistols still in their original packing. Several of these tunnels were as large as a London tube station and. Lined with ferro-concrete, looked very similar. However, others had bare granite walls, dripping with water and often blocked by roof falls. There were stories of Russian prisoners of war being cemented into the walls when they died at work. Locals who had lived there in the war told grim tales of fleets of ambulances rushing to and from the entrances following collapses deep inside. There was no doubt that men had died within and some of the piles of jagged rock that we found blocking our exploration had almost certainly entombed workers and soldiers alike. However, many of the tunnels had been completed and were now filled with untidy heaps of military equipment – helmets, anti-tank guns, bazookas, machine guns. Everything lay scattered by the hands of generations of small boys who had crawled in seeking souvenirs. There were more lethal items – the occasional shell; and drums of flame-thrower fluid.
Working our way forward over the debris, we surveyed, checked roof falls, examined equipment and searched for any unknown passages that might conceal especially dangerous items. ‘Cor – I feel just like a bloody mole,’ said my cockney Sergeant, as he stripped of his emergency oxygen-breathing apparatus, miner’s helmet and lamp and sat on a rock of one long shaft after six hours underground. A number of Jersey quarrymen had been forced to work for the Germans. Virtually enslaved, they were given a little potato soup and black bread at dawn each day, then marched in gangs under armed guard into the growing labyrinths. There, with prisoners of war, imported French workers and anyone else the Hun could press into service, they laboured in the darkness with pick and shovel until well after dark. Many of those who had survived the ordeal were now dead, but those who still lived would never forget the years in this underground hell, the terror of the roof falls, the screams of the injured and the endless passages down which they shuffled, half-starved and cold, knowing that if they as much as paused a jackboot would come crashing out of the darkness to drive them on. ‘You know, you could always smell a German in there and you learned to step out when you passed him,’ said my visitor, Charlie, a small, round, red-faced man from the quarries at Grosnez. ‘How long did you work there, Charlie?’ I asked. ‘Best part of two years – then they moved me on to St Catherine’s,’ he said in his strong Jersey accent. Charlie and several friends had come to advise us on a particularly difficult tunnel, where a massive rock fall had blocked our progress. Scrambling together over the fallen granite and rotten pit props, we reached a dead-end. ‘Reckon they gave up here,’ grunted my knowledgeable guide. ‘I can’t say exactly what happened ‘cos I was working in the main passage when this lot came in – but I’ll never forget the rumble when she went – then the dust and the yelling.’ The pale yellow beam of my miner’s lamp lit the serious faces of the grim-looking men. The next day, I was already in the tunnel when the two quarrymen – Charlie and his mate – groped their way towards me. ‘I’ve found a small air-shaft that we may be able to squeeze through and get behind the rock fall,’ I told them. continues overleaf...
RURAL Winter 2015 - 25
GHOST STORY:Layout 1 14/11/2015 12:12 Page 3
So it was, with much grunting, we heaved ourselves on our stomachs inch by inch through the narrow passage. ‘Not the place to suffer from claustrophobia,’ I thought as I moved aside a fallen pit prop and wormed my way into the shattered passage behind the rock fall. The wood, sodden and rotten, broke away in my hand and I cast a furtive glance at the unsupported roof. The tunnel was littered with debris – an empty bottle, a broken spade, a rusty drilling rod - then our lamps shone down the passage and there was another rock fall. Tree roots hung down from the roof like giant fingers.
‘Yes, sir,’ he replied, swinging back the metal grid over the entrance.
‘Must be pretty near the surface,’ said Charlie and I nodded, looking round.
‘Charlie went in alone, sir, and no other civilians have been in this afternoon.’
The other quarryman stood watching with us and said nothing, but nodded in agreement. He was slightly shorter than Charlie and I guessed a little older, but I was hardly in the mood for conversation and we only exchanged a few words. Having inspected the chamber into which we’d crawled, I said, ‘Well, that’s it – let’s get out of here.’
The hair stood on the back of my neck. Yet I knew there’d been a second man. Hell, I’d spoken to him!
So we wriggled back through the air shaft into the main tunnel and I led the way to the entrance. Just as the refreshing blast of fresh air hit us, I remembered my maps that I’d put down before entering the narrow crawl-way.
Five minutes later I found Charlie downing a pint of Mary Ann in the pub.
‘Blast!’ I swore. ‘Go on, Charlie – I’ll just nip back for my millboard.’ A few minutes later, when I emerged, the soldier at the door, whose job it was to check everyone in and out of the tunnel, ticked me off on his list.
‘Oh! Which way did Charlie and his mate go?’ I asked, thinking I should buy them a beer. ‘Charlie’s gone off on his bike,’ said the sentry, ‘but I didn’t see no mate.’ ‘You must have,’ I remarked tetchily, ‘You know, the chap who came in with him.’
‘Are you sure?’ I questioned. ‘Quite sure, sir,’ replied the soldier, pushing his notebook towards me to emphasise the point.
‘Where are your chums today, Charlie? I said, trying not to seem concerned. ‘Couldn’t get away from work,’ he muttered, wiping the froth from his cracked lips. ‘Like a drink?’ ‘Yes,’ I said, ‘I would very much.’
‘Everyone out then? I asked. In fact, I had several!
26 -
RURAL Winter 2015
J B SNELL:Layout 1 14/11/2015 12:14 Page 1
THE JERSEY SCIENTIFIC EXPLORATION SOCIETY Colonel John Blashford-Snell OBE, the writer of our ‘ghost story,’ ‘The Man who wasn’t There’ on the preceding pages, founded the Scientific Exploration Society (SES) in 1969. It is a non-profit making organisation that has initiated a worldwide programme of scientific expeditions focusing on scientific, conservation, education and community aid projects. Today, the focus of the SES is on delivering outstanding events and experiences to its membership, plus inspiring and supporting - through the SES Explorer Awards - the next generation of ground breaking 'Pioneers with Purpose'. John was educated at Victoria College and although he now lives in Dorset, regards Jersey as his home – he visits the Island at least once a year and has planted the Jersey flag in many a far-flung and remote territory. The Jersey Scientific Exploration Society is affiliated to the SES and was founded by him in 2002. It meets once a year at least for an evening of talks and lectures on exploration and travel projects by Jersey Islanders It is also an opportunity for Islanders to take part in the work of the SES by participating in SES expeditionary projects., such as -
THE MONGOLIAN ALTAI EXPEDITION 7 – 26 JULY 2016 Self-funded volunteers are required to assist Colonel Blashford-Snell on an expedition to Western Mongolia. It will start at Khovd, a sprawling desert township, at the junction of the Gobi and the Altai mountains. It is an area rich in archaeology, cave paintings and wildlife. Many fast flowing rivers flow down from the high ground to disappear in the sands, but creating oases and providing water for livestock. The people are mainly Mongols, most of whom live in traditional ‘ger’ tents. The Kazakh minority are famed for hunting with Golden Eagles. Whilst today there are some vehicles in use, the sturdy Mongolian horses and the heavily built Bactrian camel are still widely employed by the people.
Daily temperatures in July vary with altitude. Around Khovd it can reach 33 °c but there can be frost at night. Occasional heavy rain showers and hail storms may be experienced. In the summer, May-August, much of the desert turns green, providing lush pasture for the nomads’ cattle, goats, horses, sheep and yaks. The wildlife includes deer, birds of prey, bear and vigorous mountain sheep or argali. Wolves still attack domestic animals. Snakes exist but are rare. There are stories of sightings of a strange primate like creature, named the almas or yeti and in 1994 John Blashford-Snell obtained fascinating photographs of size 16 footprints!
John in Mongolia
continues overleaf...
RURAL Winter 2015 - 27
J B SNELL:Layout 1 14/11/2015 12:14 Page 2
The aim is to assist the people of the Khovd Aimag in Western Mongolia with medical and dental help and undertake archaeological, botanical and zoological tasks for the respective Mongolian scientific bodies. The cost is ÂŁ3,150 excluding the air fare to Mongolia which individuals must get themselves. It is an opportunity to see a remote and fascinating area well off the beaten track. For further information please contact Anne Gilby at jbs@ses-explore.org See the SES website: www.ses-explore.org
The Jersey flag reached Mongolia, with John Blashford-Snell and Jersey SES member Jenny Ellenger
Membership of the JSES is free; to be kept notified of events, please contact the honorary secretary, Kate Davis on 759289 or by e-mail on kate.davis@rbc.com
Relatively few visitors come to this Western region and the people greatly appreciate help with medical aid and educational material. The expedition will ride horses with European saddles and camels for stores and plans to attend the traditional Naadam Festival of archery, horse racing and wrestling. There will also be a short study of the Przewalski (Takhi) horses, an almost extinct animal that has been reintroduced at the Khustain reserve.
The Jersey flag flies in Mongolia
John in Mongolia.......with friend 28 -
RURAL Winter 2015
Project6:Layout 1 06/07/2015 14:45 Page 1
t: 01534 869300 e: enquiries@jerseyauctioneers.com w: www.jerseyauctioneers.com
ROBIN REINDEER:Layout 1 14/11/2015 06:11 Page 1
FATHER CHRISTMAS – THE NORTH POLE OR SCOTLAND? By Robin Page
30 -
RURAL Winter 2015
ROBIN REINDEER:Layout 1 14/11/2015 06:11 Page 2
EVEN as I write excitement mounts and somewhere a man with a large white beard and wearing red is cleaning harness and polishing bells getting ready for his annual night of hard, high speed work – that’s right, Father Christmas is getting ready for action with Rudolph and his reindeer. For my liking, Christmas now seems to come around far too often and each year as I get older, so the years seem to become shorter. Never mind; although there are a growing number of things that I dislike about a modern Christmas, there are also a number of things that I love. Top of the list are a number of visits to the farm by reindeer each November and December as Father Christmas, Santa Claus, St Nicholas – call him what you will – limbers up for the big day. That’s right, as the reindeer, complete with a sledge on wheels and a rotund gentleman, visit various pre Christmas events in shopping malls and garden centres – so they and their herders/handlers stop off for rest and relaxation at my small Cambridgeshire farm. No, they are not visiting from the North Pole – they are visiting from the Cairngorm Reindeer Centre near Aviemore, in Scotland, to reduce Christmas Eve flying time. Scottish reindeer? Yes Scottish reindeer – for despite all the claptrap spoken in Britain about ‘re-wildling’ and the reintroduction of all sorts of animals – usually with very large teeth or hooked beaks and talons, people forget that the most astonishing re-introduction of a large mammal has already successfully taken place – the return of free-ranging reindeer. It has been so successful that in Britain there is virtually no controversy – a sure sign of success. It is strange to recall that I have been caught up with Britain’s exciting reindeer saga for about 50 years – oh dear – I wish I hadn’t worked that out. Shortly before becoming self-employed at the age of 26 - I was disgracefully sacked from the civil service in 1969 (all I did was break the Official Secrets Act). But while still employed I travelled up to the Cairngorms for my annual holiday in my old Hillman Minx. Then, while wandering around the beautiful Lurcher’s Gully – I suddenly found myself in the middle of a small herd of reindeer cows and their new-born calves – some only a few hours old – it was a magical encounter, as clear in my memory now as the day when it happened. From that time I have been hooked on Britain’s only herd of free-ranging reindeer. It is an astonishing story and started when Dr Ethel Lindgren of Cambridge University and her first husband, Oscar Mamen, journeyed to Siberia and Inner Mongolia in the footsteps of Russian Ethnographer Sergei Shirokogoroff and his wife Elizabeth, to study the little known lives of ‘rapidly dying out’ tribes of reindeer herders. For Ethel Lindgren, as a woman, it was an incredible journey to undertake at that time.
Twenty-five reindeer arrived at Glenmore near Aviemore in 1952 and now the free-ranging reindeer are part of the scenery of the Cairngorms. What should be remembered is that many reindeer have been in a state of semi-domestication for 10,000 years and so when a few reindeer are trained to pull Santa’s sledge each autumn they do so with no anxiety or stress. But the story of the cairngorm reindeer also has a romantic ring. For when one of the early reindeer herders, Alan Smith, met an English volunteer with a biology degree, Tilly Dansie, in 1981, Cupid intervened and they married in 1983. Then, with the passing of time, as well as Mikel Utsi and Ethel Lindgren, the two bought the whole herd and things are still flourishing. There are over 150 animals in the herd, which is sometimes split in two to browse not only in the Cairngorms but also in the Cromdale Hills further north. In addition Tilly and Alan’s now adult offspring, Alex and Fiona, have become Britain’s first indigenous reindeer herders for thousands of years – or even the first ever. It is an astonishing story of conservation and romance – Happy Christmas and don’t forget to leave a mince pie and a full glass out for Father Christmas. *There will be an exhibition of some of Dr Ethel Lindgren’s remarkable early photographs among the reindeer people of Inner Mongolia and Siberia at the Forestry Commission Visitor Centre, Glenmore, nr Aviemore, from November 26th to January 3rd. Lulu and I intend to make the trip. *Hoof Prints;sixty years of reindeer on the Cairngorms” by Emily Singleton, Published by the Cairgorm Reindeer Company at £20 inc p&p from The Cairngorm Reindeer Centre,Glenmore, Aviemore,Inverness-shire PH22 1QU or email order at info@cairngormreindeer.co.uk . “Why the Reindeer has a Velvet Nose” by Robin Page and Annie Tempest at £8 inc p&p from Bird’s Farm Books, Haslingfield Road, Barton, Cambs.CB23 7AG.
Sometime after her return her studies intensified when she married her second husband, Mikel Utsi at Jokkmokk, Northern Sweden, in 1947. Mikel Utsi was a traditional Sami, complete with his own herd of reindeer. While travelling in the Cairngorms it occurred to Mikel that the terrain was very similar to his reindeer pasture in Sweden and from this came his inspired vision to re-introduce reindeer to Britain. Fiona and friends
RURAL Winter 2015 - 31
ANN LE MOINE:Layout 1 14/11/2015 06:17 Page 1
La Mare au Seigneur in the snow By our artist in residence, ANNA LE MOINE GRAY
32 -
RURAL Winter 2015
ANN LE MOINE:Layout 1 14/11/2015 06:17 Page 2
La Mare au Seigneur in the snow When I started to work on the page for the new Wetland Centre, depicting the history of St Ouen’s pond (La Mare au Seigneur), I had several ideas for the central picture. I painted four. I did not use this one as the colour of the snow would have not given me the necessary contrast with the surrounding areas. It was whilst I was talking to Jon Horn – he was in charge of the project for the National Trust – that I ‘saw’ this picture. He was describing the wetland, the prehistoric times and the cattle who would have fed on these marshlands. The presence of cows is of great importance for the Noir Pré as it enables the return of wild orchids on land that they have grazed. I wanted to have a point of recognition and used the unmistakable landmark of L’Etacq in the snow; a rare sight nowadays.
RURAL Winter 2015 - 33
WINTER JERRIAIS:Layout 1 14/11/2015 06:19 Page 1
Jèrriais, with GERAINT JENNINGS
DES BÈRGERS GARDAIENT LUS TROUPIEAUX, PAISIBLIÉMENT ASSIS fûtent composées par Nahum Tate, poète louothié d'l' Angliétèrre, et fûtent basées sus un but du deuxième chapitre d'la Bouonne Nouvelle s'lon Luc.
D'PIS bein d's années, des membres d'L'Assembliée d'Jèrriais ont chanté l'cantique dé Noué, "Des bèrgers gardaient lus troupieaux", au sèrvice dé Noué en Jèrriais organnîsé châque année. Lé sèrvice Jèrriais dé ch't' année est pouor l'chîn d'Dézembre, et y'étha sans doute des Jèrriais paisibliément assis dans l'églyise dé Saint André pouor la chant'tie d'cantiques et pouor ouï l'histouaithe d'la Nativité dans la langue du pays. Des bèrgers gardaient lus troupieaux, Paisibliément assis, Quand l'Ange du Seigneur décendit Et la niet s'êcliaithit. Nou n'sait pon, mais ch'est bein pôssibl'ye qué chu cantique dé Noué, "Des bèrgers gardaient lustroupieaux", 'tait l'preunmyi translaté en Jèrriais, mais dreinement par compathaîson d'auve l'originna en Angliais. "While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks" fut publié en 1700 et 'tait lé preunmié cantique dé Noué autorisé d'êt' chanté - et l'seul autorisé pouor bein d's années - dans l's églyises Anglyicannes en Angliétèrre. Les patholes
34 -
RURAL Winter 2015
Ch'tait au dgiêx-neuvième siècl'ye qué l'Églyise d'Angliétèrre atchilyait des cantiques dé Noué dans ses sèrvices, épis à la Cathédrale dé Truro en 1880 y'eut l'preunmié sèrvice dé Neu Léçons et Cantiques dé Noué eune tradition tch'a 'té populaithe dépis partout l'monde, et étout en Jèrri et en Jèrriais. Avaû l's années, nou-s'a grée des vèrsions d'cantiques dé Noué populaithes. Par exempl'ye, George d'La Forge êcrivit "Atout jouaie dans l'temps jadis", eune vèrsion du cantique, "As with gladness men of old". Atout jouaie dans l'temps jadis, L's anciens tch'étaient rêvilyis Vîdrent là lueu d'la belle êtaile Tch'êcliaithait lé c'min du Ciel; O Bouan Dgieu, donne-nous l'avis Dé Té Siéthe toute nouotre vie. Et j'avons au mains deux vèrsions d'"Mary's Boy Child". Êcoutez les anges tchi chantent L'histouaithe pouor té et mé: I' disent qu'aniet lé fis d'Mathie À Bethléhem est né! Êcoutez les Anges tchi chantent, Un nouvieau Rouai est né. Et l'houmme vivtha êtèrnellement à cause du jour dé Noué.
J'avons étout des vèrsions Jèrriaises dé cantiques dé Noué en Français, et des patholes en Jèrriais sus la musique dé cantiques Méthodistes dé Jèrri. Mais s'nou chante en Jèrriais, en Français, en Angliais, ou autcheune aut' langue, la bouonne nouvelle dé Noué est d'même: "Glouaithe au Bouan Dgieu dans les lieux hauts. Et paix sainte sus la tèrre; Bouanne volanté envèrs les hoummes D'achteu à tout janmais!"
Summary in English:
While shepherds watched their flocks by night, all seated on the ground This year's L'Assembliée d'Jèrriais carol service takes place on 5th December at Saint Andrew's Church so that Jèrriais speakers and supporters and friends of our language can hear the Nativity story and sing carols. Among the favourite Jèrriais carols is the perennial "While shepherds watched", which may be the first carol to be translated into Jèrriais. It is certainly one of the most traditional in English and was for a long time the only carol permitted to be sung in Anglican services in England. Carols made their way into Anglican worship during the C19th and the Service of Nine Lessons and Carols became established after 1880 and has become a Jèrriais tradition as well. Most of the favourite Jèrriais carols are translations from English, but there are translations from French and new Jèrriais words to old Jersey Methodist tunes. But whatever the language, the Christmas message is one of peace on earth and goodwill to all mankind.
Project3:Layout 1 12/11/2015 15:08 Page 1
Now with over 2000 everyday essentials.
essential Waitrose is a range of hundreds of everyday shopping items at everyday, affordable prices. And even though the prices may take you by surprise, every item is sourced and produced without ever compromising on the quality you’ve come to expect from Waitrose.
Not available in motorway service stations.
WAITROSE:Layout 1 14/11/2015 06:22 Page 1
Duncan Langston (right) with Waitrose supplier Charles Gallichan of Woodside Farm, Trinity
LOCAL PRODUCE AND THE SUPERMARKETS Duncan Langston, general manager of Waitrose in the Channel Islands was asked about the level of support available to local food producers in Jersey THE level of support that we can give to local producers is dependant, of course, on the level and type of support that is wanted. In short, we are very keen to support local food production and we want to give local producers the opportunity to sell their products to our customers. We want to do that because we can see the benefits to the Island and to our own commercial benefit and - more importantly - we are aware that local produce is what our customers want. Across our three branches in Jersey our strong and growing customer base have made it plain that they are interested in buying good quality local products. A problem is that so many potential local suppliers are very small cottage industries. But if any one of them is interested in talking to us, then we are interested in talking to them – even if the fit is not right at the moment, there may be opportunities in the future. Certainly small producers need a different approach – perhaps agreeing to buy their product, if it is seasonal, at specific times of the year or suggesting to them that maybe they should team up 36 -
RURAL Winter 2015
with other farmers and sell their produce jointly rather than individually. That would save the supplier time and delivery costs and both the supplier and ourselves administrative costs. Inevitably, home-grown Jersey produce tends to be more expensive than the same item grown in the UK, due to economies of scale. It would be all too easy just to stock imported produce and to exclude the local produce for that very reason. But whenever we can, we choose the Jersey produce over the imported produce, except when for some reason the local produce is not available – our prime responsibility is to ensure that we have stocks of what our customers want to buy, after all. We would not run both the local product and the imported produce side by side so as make a direct price comparison unfavourable to the local produce. We are delighted that Charles Gallichan at Woodside Farm has stepped into the breach left by the disappearance of Amalgrow. Apart from ensuring a reliable range of local produce, it means that there is quite a diversified range of different produce we can offer, all
conveniently from the same source, so less of a headache for invoicing and payment! It is also great to be working with a business that is so open to looking at opportunities and ways of growing it further. As a company we are keen supporters of both Genuine Jersey and the ‘Keep Jersey Farming’ campaign. But retailing - not marketing or campaigning - is our business and consequently we are not directly involved in either. However, we take very seriously our obligation to train our staff – or our ‘partners’ as we prefer to call them – and we are delighted to arrange visits to our local producers so that they can meet them, get to know their products and understand the passion with which those products have been created. We hope that they will then be able to pass on the knowledge and enthusiasm they have experienced to our customers. Education – of retail store assistants and customers and the general public – is surely the key to preserving a vibrant local food and farming sector.
A4 POSTCARD:Layout 1 16/11/2015 16:15 Page 3
Inspire your imagination this Christmas... You can now order Christmas flowers online at our new website www.markhoweflowers.com or pop into our sparkling shop. Mark Howe Flowers and Co., West’s Centre, St. Helier, JE2 4ST. Tel: 01534 618920
PASTELLA:Layout 1 15/11/2015 10:36 Page 1
FIFTY SHADES OF… EVERYTHING The only difficulty customers may have when choosing a Sheraton fitted kitchen from Pastella is to select what they want from the huge range of colours and styles available
Emma Touzel
PASTELLA are the Jersey agents for Shearon Fitted Kitchens, a British company proud of its reputation for designing and manufacturing an outstanding range of durable, high quality kitchens.
Design consultant Emma Touzel continued: ‘There is literally a huge selection of styles and colours, but there is a classic and a contemporary format- a style that are very simple and minimal, and a style that is more traditional and ornate.
All of these are made using the latest manufacturing techniques at Sheraton’s modern factory in Yorkshire.
Both the traditional (‘Shaker’ range) and the modern range come in 11 different colours, so clients can mix and match colours – white gloss with tope, for example. And price is very reasonable as well , although of course real timber is always a bit more extensive than standard MDF.’
Managing director of Pastella Frank Ronksley said: ‘Of course we don’t sell Sheraton Kitchens just because they are British. It is because they have a forward-thinking attitude and a natural flair for ingenuity. Good British design always sets the trends and pushes the boundaries, which is something that Sheraton tries to do with every kitchen it creates! He added: ‘What I find most remarkable is that the price of these Sheraton kitchens is comparable to some of the flat-pack kitchens sold by companies in Jersey - renowned for the good value; but, of course, we think that the quality of our kitchens is far superior.’
Monday – Saturday 8.30am - 5.00pm
Pastella is also well known for its kitchen tiles – and Emma will also help customers choose tiles that will best complement their kitchen. In short, Pastella can offer a full service – and as they say: ‘We can just about do anything.’ The showroom, at Rue à la Dame, Five Oaks, St Saviour, is open from 8.30am to 5.00pm every day, six days a week.
FULL PAGE:Layout 1 14/11/2015 06:23 Page 1
SH ER AT ON K I TCHENS Exclusive to Pastella
Monday – Saturday 8.30am - 5.00pm
HANS VAN :Layout 1 16/11/2015 16:15 Page 1
JERSEY APPLE JUICE – THE ’15 VINTAGE Making fine wine or making fine apple juice – the taste of the end product depends on the same factors, explains the maker of ‘Jersey Apple Press’, HANS VAN OORDT THIS is the second year of producing our apple juice. Last year we bottled a small quantity; this year we have been able to produce more. The orchard is another a year older and the yield has been a very good one, because of the good harvest this year. So we have a lot more apple juice to sell. Last year (a small crop) meant that we sold out by early December, this year we should have enough for the New Year and to help us supply customers and market events for a bit longer. The pace of our growth as an apple juice producer is determined by the volume of apples our orchard can supply. We also obtain apples from some other local orchards – in St John and St Peter – but we insist on the product being one that we can put hand on heart and say: ‘We know exactly where each tree is that we harvested.’ Whereas they might not be all from my own orchard in St John, we pick all the fruits ourselves and we look after all the trees. And we may well have supplied the sapling trees, anyway, because we graft the old Jersey varieties of apple trees and make them available to the public who would like to plant them. In commercial terms, it is very much a ‘vertically integrated supply chain’. All the customers know where their trees come from, and there is a lot to be said for that!’ Our juice, which we have called ‘Jersey Apple Press’, is a blend of traditional Jersey varieties and some English varieties that we grow in our orchard. So it has very much a Jersey character to it! The proportion of Jersey varieties to English varieties varies from year to year, but this year, about one-third of apples that went into the juice were old Jersey varieties. Douces Dames was one of the prime ones, but then we also used a lot of Jersey sharps, so we started off early in the season with varieties like Côtard and Early Rouget, and as the season progresses we use Gros Pigeonnet, Museau d’Boeuf, and later on Nièr Binet and Late Rouget as useful apples to temper the sweetness of some of the English desert varieties that we use.
40 -
RURAL Winter 2015
Last year we did a mid-season pressing that turned out to be very, very sweet; a lot of the mid-season apples have enjoyed a long hot summer at best) and tend to be quite sweet. This year, the sweetness was tempered by adding a proportion of Early Rouget apples –and a little bit of Bramley apples and that turned down the sweet notes and increased the sharp notes and resulted in a really lovely balanced drink, which was not overly sweet. The other two-thirds of the apples used are English and European varieties; Dutch, Eastern European and one Scandinavian variety. They all bring with them their different notes of sweetness, acidity and aroma, and that’s what we are trying to capture as the season progresses. We make an ‘Early Season pressing’ in the first three weeks of September, that has about five varieties in it. At the end of September and early October we come on to the ‘Mid Season Pressing’: the peak of the apple season and we have many apple varieties ripening at that time: probably about 12 to 15 varieties go into the mix. From about the third week of October we start the Late Season Pressing, with fewer varieties involved, but probably about seven or eight varieties that form the bulk of the pressing. It has an aromatic quality, resulting from the late russet-skinned apple varieties. They may have thick skins, but they are aromatic and add a lot of quality to the mix. They are very sweet, so we temper that with Late Rouget and Nièr Binet and any Bramleys that are still available. It is a blended juice and every year the juice will be slightly different, reflecting the character of the harvest and the weather, In some years some varieties don’t do well at all, so this year our Early Season Pressing had very little Discovery – one of the first apples to ripen in the orchard and which is a very pink-skinned apple, so the colour bleeds into the juice very quickly. Last year the juice was a very attractive blush-pink colour, but as we had so little Discovery this year, the juice was far less pink in colour, just reflecting the nature of the crop – like wine.
PAGE 41:Layout 1 15/11/2015 10:59 Page 1
FUELLING THE CHANNEL ISLANDS
Change to Thermo Premium Kerosene this winter and make sure you aZo^ i^Z\^ h_ fbg] dghpbg` rhnk a^Zmbg` lrlm^f bl Zl ^_Û\b^gm Zg] environmentally friendly as possible. Also great to improve the performance of your range cooker and serve up that perfect festive feast.
Π01534 709800
c enquiries@fsci.co.uk
Ģ www.fsci.co.uk
MAILLARD'S:Layout 1 16/11/2015 16:18 Page 1
ALL CHANGE AT MAILLARD’S The estate department of the old-established firm of Maillard’s, has been bought by Buckley and Co. Tommy A’Court, who was employed there for 44 years and was its managing director for 17 years, has retired from full-time work - although he remains a part-time consultant. He spoke to ALASDAIR CROSBY Tommy arrived at Maillard’s as the office boy on 10 May 1971. His father was a small grower in St Ouen and Tommy’s early memories are of working on the early côtils at L’Etacq. ‘When I started work at Maillard’s, my first thought was “everybody is so old”. I found it fairly frustrating: the office opened at 9.30 in the morning and closed at midday for lunch. Then we played cards. At 4.30 in the afternoon the JEP would arrive, and everybody sat and read the paper until it was time to go home.’ But things quickly became more interesting for him: in his first week of employment he was sent to the company’s shed, Glencoe, in St Lawrence, to make it ready as an auction sales room: ‘I found there was no telephone up there, no toilets, no running water, no locks on the doors, no gate at the beginning of the field, just a few dusty old fluorescent lights. This was where I had my first auction sale.’ CAN you remember offices before the great flood of modern office technology drowned every surface in computer screens and photocopiers and offices became air conditioned? There you have Tommy A ‘Court’s office at 34, Great Union Road. Certainly nothing has changed in it since the departure of the younger Mr Maillard in 1971. ‘This was the desk both of Hedley Maillard and his son,’ Tommy said, pointing at the desk which has been his own since he was made managing director in 1991, ‘and so were the filing cabinet and the filing tray. There are no computers in here. The coal fire has gone, but not much else has changed.’
The office was very much geared around the agricultural industry and the farming community, and the biggest events in the year were the cattle sales. Tommy often had to go to ‘the Herd Book’ at Springfield (the RJA&HS) to make a note of the milk records and other important information about the cows being auctioned. His first cattle sale was in his first couple of weeks at Maillard’s; the dispersal of the herd belonging to Clifford Manning at Old School House, St Martin. ‘There was a crowd of cattle buyers there. Afterwards everybody went into the house; there were sandwiches and it was a good social occasion. ‘Maillard’s used to export cattle as well, but gradually all that trade disappeared, just as the mass of small farms with a few cows and vergées of potatoes disappeared. The farms got bigger, to around 60 vergées – and then they disappeared as well. Finally, around 15 years ago, potato growing became dominated by the Jersey Royal Company and by Bartlett’s. But I’m still selling land and getting reasonable prices for it, even if it is not being bought or sold by traditional farmers. The small Jersey family farms have nearly all disappeared in the time that I have been working for Maillard’s.’
42 -
RURAL Winter 2015
MAILLARD'S:Layout 1 16/11/2015 16:18 Page 2
Angleterre Hotel all passed beneath Maillard’s hammer. Car registration plates were another diversification: Tommy auctioned the number plate, JSY 1, for £52,000 and JSY 2 for £28,000. As the estate department of Maillard’s now becomes part of Buckley & Co (although it will still be known as Maillard Estates) Tommy has become a part-time property consultant and land agent and he will be moving from his familiar office to Buckley’s new premises at Don Street – the old Langlois auction house, more recently the Jersey office of Bonham’s.
He has also handled the sales of countless properties and valued their contents – one or two of them at the Ecréhous. His first sale was in June 1971, a bungalow at Mont Cochon, which went for £14,000. He received commission of £28 – quite a sum, considering his weekly wage of £12.
‘I don’t know what it will be like when I go into a centrallyheated office,’ he said, doubtfully, ‘but at least people who come to my office will not be startled by the sight through the window behind my desk of coffins being carried along the outside passageway’. ‘And – a good thing, Wednesdays are now “grandchildren day” and I will have more time for my family than before’.
‘I realised that with the decline in farming we would have to change things a bit: so we launched into evening sales and antique sales – which were very popular, and Glencoe was often packed out.’
In 1978 Tommy became a director of the new limited company, H W Maillard & Son Ltd, together with Clive Hacquoil, the long-term office secretary, Madeleine Noel, the auctioneer and funeral director, Victor Pallot, and the funeral manager, Roy Edlin. He became the managing director on Clive’s retirement, in April 1991. ‘I realised that with the decline in farming we would have to change things a bit: so we launched into evening sales and antique sales – which were very popular, and Glencoe was often packed out.’ As tourism was also slowing down they began sales of hotel and restaurant equipment: the contents of Grouville Bay Hotel, the Lobster Pot, L’Hermitage Hotel and the
We are delighted to retain the services of Tommy A’Court as a consultant.
39 Don Street, St Helier, Jersey JE2 4TR ■ Telephone: 01534 737293 ■ www.maillards.je
RURAL Winter 2015 - 43
FARM BUDDIES:Layout 1 15/11/2015 10:40 Page 1
FARM BUDDIES A pathway to wellbeing
Stephen Sellers has developed a commercial project called ‘FarmBuddies’, which helps young people and also provides commercial benefit for farmers looking for a diversification and some enhancement of farm income. He talked to ALASDAIR CROSBY TURBULENT youth - young people who are not necessarily ‘off the rails’, although they could easily go that way if their welfare were to be neglected.
Education, Employment or Training’ (‘NEETS’) and gives them the opportunity to gain hands-on experience with animals and arable farming in a supportive environment.
They come from a variety of backgrounds and could have various issues such as substance misuse, offending, struggling at school; perhaps they are dyslexic or they have mild or moderate mental health issues or learning disabilities. Perhaps they are from broken homes or have trouble with self-esteem and self-confidence.
Stephen said that first and foremost it is about about social inclusion with the farming family in a relaxing natural setting, rather than a work placement.
Most probably it is a mixture of a variety of problems that in England have drawn them to the attention of their County Council youth support services. How could they best be helped? Stephen Sellers does so through the organisation that he runs called ‘FarmBuddies’. He is in contact with both the care authorities and with farmers, mainly in the Hampshire and Sussex area – the part of England in which he now lives. The aim of Farm Buddies is to provide a 12-week commissioned project at a working farm that will help young people, who may still be at school or are ‘Not engaged in 44 -
RURAL Winter 2015
And he feels that what is working so well in the UK could also work in Jersey – which is why he was in the Island recently to talk both to farmers and to the Island’s youth and probation service. Jersey is already very familiar to him: he came to live in the Island in 1975 at the age of 21 and worked in Jersey for ten very enjoyable years as an accountant in the finance industry. During his time in Jersey he married and he and his wife, Mary, only left the Island so that he could pursue his career as an accountant. For 18 years he had his own accounting practice in Petersfield, Hampshire, specialising in agricultural businesses. When he sold his practice he started the social enterprise he has called ‘FarmBuddies’.
FARM BUDDIES:Layout 1 15/11/2015 10:40 Page 2
He describes it as a ‘match-making service’; he finds suitable interested farms and puts them together with the right funded group. The young people do standard farm jobs according to age, choice and ability. ‘There’s nothing patronising about it,’ he said, ‘it’s commercial, so they are helping a farming family run the farm. That usually means animal work (feeding or bedding), short-term and longterm tasks. ‘Long-term projects are very useful for young people, because they are so used to stopping and starting on things and never seeing something through to an end. ‘We explain to the Council that we can’t take severe cases, because we are taking them to a standard farm – and farmers are not trained as psychologists. We don’t consider the young people who come on to a farm as having a problem of a long-term nature; we just think they need a “hand-up”.’ ‘We don’t want to take the farms out of their normal working routine – they remain commercial concerns and they are taking in a youngster just for one day a week for 12 weeks.’ He knows that there are some great farms and farmers in Jersey and perhaps a semi-retired farmer might have a bit more time to do this sort of mentoring. The farm doesn’t need to be big – it could be as little as 20 vergées. The farmer just needs to be community-minded. It is a commercial diversification, with a standard charge of £40 per person per five-hour day that the care authority pays the farmer. But the main benefit to the farmer is increased job satisfaction - seeing social change first hand. The philosophy underpinning FarmBuddies – as indeed, underpinning the concept of ‘social farming – is that people
have become disconnected from working on the land and this sort of project can be therapeutic and remedial. ‘I like the young people to start the day by feeding the animals. The animal doesn’t judge you – that’s important for them. And if you can start the day by being praised for having done a good job – that gets everything off to a good start.’ He continued: ‘I remember one of the young people turning up on his first day: he was wearing a hoodie, he didn’t want to get out of the car – he certainly didn’t want to look people in the eye. But within three weeks he was the best worker on the farm. ‘He’d finally found somewhere where people paid attention to him, where he was part of a team and felt included.’ All enquiries to Stephen Sellers, 01420 538793 Stephen@farmbuddies.org.uk
We supply the full range of Efco Garden Machinery, from Hand Tools to Compact Tractors. We service and repair all makes of garden machinery at our fully equipped Engineering workshop.
20% OFF
ALL MACHINES WHILE STOCKS LAST
C A F Engineering Ltd Rue du Grand Jardin Augres Trinity, JE3 5FJ
Tel: 01534 863900 enquiries@cafengineering.com
RURAL Winter 2015 - 45
GREY HOUND:Layout 1 16/11/2015 19:17 Page 1
GREYHOUND RESCUE, JERSEY When a greyhound gets past racing for whatever reason its usefulness as a money earner disappears – and it is often trAeated accordingly: neglected, abused, starved…. Fortunately there are organisations in Britain that give as many greyhounds as possible a new life in retirement among them Greyhound Rescue, Jersey. ALASDAIR CROSBY went to the dogs
ONE does not need to be Sherlock Holmes to realise that Malcolm and Gail Hickmott love greyhounds. There are two vans with the name Greyhound Rescue Jersey in the driveway – there is even a small cemetery for rescued greyhounds that have passed away. A ring at the doorbell provokes a cacophony of barks and the moment the door is open, one is submerged by a wave of friendly, inquisitive greyhounds. There are at present 16 retired greyhounds living with the Hickmotts – not in any special kennelling, just all over the house. And if 16 greyhounds were not enough, there is also a very big German Shepherd Dog. As I sat down, one greyhound tried to leap on my lap, but, being a bit too big to be a lap-dog leant forward, his hind legs on the floor, his front legs curled underneath him and the weight on my lap. Had he not been called away when it was time to go, I would probably be there still. How did the Hickmotts come to establish Greyhound Rescue, Jersey? Gail answered: ‘In 1995, we read an article in a newspaper on the plight of racing greyhounds after their racing days were over. This prompted us to take on our first greyhound, a six-year- old male. Chappie arrived on 4 July and after three baths, we discovered he was white and brindle! 46 -
RURAL Winter 2015
Having raced the length and breadth of the UK, he so deserved a happy retirement. Tragically, it was short lived and at the age of 7 he was diagnosed with a calcification of the spine and we had to put him to sleep. ‘Having discovered that 10,000 greyhounds like Chappie needed homes each year, when approached by the national organiser of the Retired Greyhound Trust to establish a local Rescue Centre here in Jersey, it seemed the obvious path to follow.’ It is estimated that 10,000 dogs finish racing each year and the Jersey charity together with up to 100 similar organisations only manage to find homes for less than half this number. The fate of the remainder is often too horrific to contemplate. So far they have homed 230 dogs in Jersey and the other Channel Islands. Malcolm explained that greyhound racing came from America and was very much a part of the urban gambling scene in post-war Britain – the White City stadium featured memorably in the classic British film, ‘The Blue Lamp’. Since then, the appeal has diminished rather, but the plight of dogs that have retired from racing for one reason or another makes the point that when their value as potential moneyearners disappears, the dogs are very rarely cared for properly or allowed to have the opportunity of forming a loving bond with a human family.
GREY HOUND:Layout 1 16/11/2015 19:17 Page 2
‘It’s a great shame,’ he said, since they make lovely family pets and they are good with children.’ The majority of greyhounds are retired from the race track by the time they reach 4-5 years of age, a great deal even earlier due to injuries or indeed the fact that they simply don't make the grade and have no interest in chasing anymore. These are still young dogs with an average life span of 12-14 years. Ten thousand of these dogs finish racing each year and probably less than half are homed. This is where Greyhound Rescue plays a part. Through regular slots at country shows, school and community presentations, television and radio publicity, the charity has raised awareness of the plight of these dogs once their racing career has finished. Over the years Greyhound Rescue has had many of their greyhounds registered as ‘P.A.T’ dogs. The Hickmotts often attend nursing homes to introduce the dogs to the residents and provide therapy for them. They also visit Mont-à-l’Abbë school and have also been to Lakeside Residential Home and Clinique Pinel at St. Saviours Hospital. Twice a year a day in town is arranged in aid of the charity and it is a marvellous sight to see all the different dogs mingling together and a worthwhile exercise to inform people of what these dogs do.
They also are taken regularly to give blood – Gail said that it was most gratifying to know that, having been rescued themselves, these dogs are putting something back into the community. ‘Our greyhounds, plus our owners and their greyhounds have demonstrated just how suitable greyhounds are as pets, she said. ‘Our aim is to home as many retired racers as we can over here in the Channel Islands.’ A sudden thumping of wagging tails on the carpet suggested that the plan met with general approval. www.greyrescue.co.uk email: gailmalanddogs@hotmail.com Facebook – Greyhound Rescue Jersey Just before going to print, we heard the sad news of the death of Mr Hickman, who had been unwell for some time. RURAL - Jersey Country life magazine extends its sympathy to Mrs Hickman.
RURAL Winter 2015 - 47
DRAG HUNT:Layout 1 16/11/2015 16:19 Page 1
EVER GREEN As the Jersey Drag Hunt starts its 131st season, the Master, Nick Arthur, talked to ALASDAIR CROSBY IT IS NOVEMBER, which means the start of the hunting season – and in Jersey, it is the start of the 131st season for the Jersey Drag Hunt. It must be one of the oldest - if not the oldest- drag hunts in the British Isles. And if you think for a moment how different Jersey was in the 19th Century to what it is today, it seems a triumph that the Hunt has survived and is still alive and well today in the vastly changed modern day Jersey. Nick Arthur is the son of Steven Arthur, also the Master of the Drag Hunt, who retired two years ago after 53 seasons. He may not now ride to hounds, but he was laying scent for the hounds to follow at the start of this year. Nick works in town and it was in the very un-rural Jersey Arts Centre café that, over a coffee, he talked about the changes in the hunt in modern times, caused both by the increase in urbanisation and the changes in farming. ‘The Hunt has changed from having a lot of farmers being involved who had the time, especially in the autumn, to help with the Hunt, help set lines, or just following the hunt and enjoying it. That has all changed – and those that are left might be happier on a sunny beach in Barbados than in Jersey on the back of a horse. So we don’t have the pool of land knowledge that we used to have.’ He continued: ‘We used to have a very wide range of locations for meets. At one time we used to meet annually at the Parish Hall in St Aubin. When we rode off we had access to fields fairly soon after leaving the Parish Hall, But St Brelade is now so built up that we now simply cannot get a line. 48 -
RURAL Winter 2015
‘These days there a lot more people and traffic around. Whereas once we managed on the main roads, nowadays we are more restricted and the Hunt has moved toward the centre of the Island away from the urban areas. But we have noticed – and I suppose from the perspective of viewing agriculture from horseback that this is a plus point – that now that there is hardly any second crop in the fields, it makes riding across country much easier. ‘Also, a lot of farmers are not so close to and familiar with their own land as they once were, when there were hundreds of farms and farmers around, all of whom knew square inch of their own land and might have taken exception to any unrecognised hoof-print in their fields – their field was their vegetable garden. We had to work quite hard with some of them to get permission to ride over their land.
DRAG HUNT:Layout 1 16/11/2015 16:19 Page 2
‘There is a much more relaxed attitude now from the vast majority of farmers, who trust us to make responsible decisions about whether or not to ride on their land. It tends to make life easier for us - although in every other respect we wish that there was still that close connection to the land that once existed and which was so nice to see.’ These days, he said, land owners could disrupt the Hunt’s lines more than farmers could: ‘As more farmers retire, there will be more management firms farming the land, which will mean even more detachment from the land. That may help us, but if ever there were a policy decision not to allow hunting on their land, that would seriously affect us, especially with a company with land holdings all over the Island. Where and how could we hunt?’ But, as things are at the moment, things look fairly positive for the Hunt. There are about 30 ‘full time’ Hunt members, but membership can be ‘part-time’ since so many people are in jobs that makes it impossible for them to hunt regularly. This year, there has been an average of 35 to 40 people following hounds at the meets. That number includes lots of children - a hopeful sign for the future. ‘The children really enjoy it, he said. ‘There is a great sense of camaraderie, and everybody looks out for everybody else. The smiles on the faces of the children are a delight to see – they are just beaming from ear to ear. And because there are fewer crops or other impediments to the progress of the Hunt, you can get some great cavalry charges – and they think it’s great. They can’t get enough of it.’
RURAL Winter 2015 - 49
LIVERY YARD:Layout 1 16/11/2015 16:21 Page 1
50 -
RURAL Winter 2015
LIVERY YARD:Layout 1 16/11/2015 16:21 Page 2
IN THEIR OWN LIVERY Two sisters, Sarah and Emma Gallichan, each with a lifelong passion for spending quality time with horses, have realised their dream of setting up their own British Horse Society approved livery yard. They talked to RUTH LE COCQ THE sisters Emma and Sarah Gallichan, of E & S Equestrian Services Limited, have created a calm and nurturing environment tucked away in the Green Lanes of St Martin. There 11 horses and their owners can escape from the hustle and bustle of life and develop strong bonds of friendship. ‘We have both ridden since we were very young and horses mean so much to us that we just couldn’t live without them,’ said Emma. As a result, the women realised it made financial sense to join forces and invest in the yard. ‘The cost of keeping two horses each at full livery elsewhere was very expensive, particularly in the aftermath of the recession,’ explained Sarah. The two sisters, who both have full-time careers elsewhere, bought the business in 2012 just before Jersey experienced its biggest snowfall in over 30 years. ‘We wondered what we had done,’ laughed Sarah, as she recounted watching their newly-acquired land disappearing under huge drifts of snow, ‘because we had so much to do to bring the yard up to a standard that we were going to be happy with.’ Both women wanted to provide equestrian facilities that would be of benefit to horse and rider. To this end, they began by sectioning the fields and bringing them back into a condition more suitable for grazing horses. ‘They were just mud in places and hadn’t been fertilised for a long time so we tackled that side of things to make sure our owners could have access to two fields each,’ said Emma. The stables, tack rooms and storage areas were also given a makeover involving the use of a powerful vacuum cleaner to deal with all the cobwebs. ‘We opened one door to discover cobwebs covered in dust hanging from the ceiling like nets,’ shuddered Emma at the memory. The British Horse Society gave its seal of approval to the livery yard in May this year following a rigorous assessment by a visiting inspector. This means it is well managed, offers first-rate customer care, high levels of horse husbandry and general good practice throughout. It also means the business is insured for public liability and complies with the latest Health and Safety legislation.
‘It took us about six months and we filled out pages and pages of forms to apply for annual membership,’ said Sarah, ‘but it was worth it.’ Emma added: ‘We wanted to offer something a bit different from what was on offer elsewhere - a chilled out atmosphere with high standards of care.’ As a result, Sarah has been studying for the British Horse Society’s professional qualifications in Horse Knowledge Care and has already passed Stages 1 & 2 and is currently working towards her Stage 3 exam. Their diverse range of clients – from competition riders to happy hackers - benefit from the use of a 20m x 40m all weather floodlit sand school as well as having access to a hot water shower where the horses can be rinsed off after they have been ridden. Both women spend as much time as possible during the weekends at the livery yard to ensure their high standards are maintained. During the week, they employ a groom to look after the welfare of the horses. ‘We are also really fortunate that my father, Steven, who is semi-retired, looks after the fields and the sand school,’ said Sarah. ‘And our mother, Monica, helps with lots of things including the mucking out and vacuuming the stables,’ explained Emma. These days the women own three horses between them with Sarah concentrating on dressage with her horse, Roxette III (fondly known as Robbie), and Emma focusing on showjumping with Zomerfee, thanks to 15hh Liath who helped her to make the transition from ponies to horses. Both women were hard pressed to choose a favourite horse or pony that had shared their lives. ‘The thing is it’s so much fun getting to know each individual horse and their quirks,’ said Emma. ‘And it’s so calming to be around horses at the end of the day,’ added Sarah.
RURAL Winter 2015 - 51
SECRET GARDEN WINTER:Layout 1 14/11/2015 06:30 Page 1
The Secret Garden
It’s secret, because you can’t see it under all the weeds that have grown up and hidden it. RUTH LE COCQ tries to find her own secret garden
I HAVE a confession to make. Embarrassingly, it is not the first time I have tried to take my unruly garden in hand. About seven years ago a very talented local designer developed a plan to rival no other, and a very hardworking gardener (together with his very friendly dog) used a lot of muscle to carve out a visual masterpiece from the existing lawn. The idea was to create a haven where two rectangularshaped lawns (one bordered to the east and west by box hedging and the other by fragrant roses), together with a circular lawn (bordered by vegetable beds) led northwards towards a wildflower meadow featuring a network of mown paths. I say ‘wildflower meadow’ but, if the truth be told, it actually started life off as an area of rough grassland because one day the ride-on lawnmower (which I inherited from the previous house owner) broke and it took me so long to get it mended that I decided to stop mowing the top of the garden to see what would happen. And lots did happen. First the apple and pear trees steadily disappeared as they were swamped with grass that grew taller and taller. At the same time a huge variety of insects, including bees, butterflies, and dragonflies started to visit. The garden was humming – in a good way – from dawn until dusk. But it didn’t stop there. A foray into the furthest reaches of the garden at night revealed the existence of something else. To my delight, I discovered a smattering of glow worms nestling amongst the undergrowth where they emitted a hue of luminous green for all to see. 52 -
RURAL Winter 2015
It really was rather lovely - so much so that, as a number of saplings began to make their presence known, I decided to do things properly and I arranged for the area to be dug over and sown with wild flowers – which I’m guessing most orthodox gardeners call weeds. The first year there were ox-eye daisies as far as the eye could see. The second year these were joined by a few other flowers whose names I have never known and will probably
SECRET GARDEN WINTER:Layout 1 14/11/2015 06:30 Page 2
never know, and the third year the whole area was swamped by a spiky, purple flower which spread out and looked like a tall carpet swaying in the breeze. It was nice to look at but I was a bit disappointed to discover it was called ‘Knapweed’. As I have said before, weeds do like visiting our garden. So much so that I decided to go back to the garden plan – which I eventually found hiding amongst a pile of papers in one of my cupboards – to discover exactly where to find the 154 different species of plants which were originally introduced to the garden all those years ago.
With a frisson of excitement I slowly opened the large sheet of white paper to be met with a never-ending list of Latin names, few of which I recognised. Undeterred, and armed with an illustrated handbook of garden plants, I strolled around outside and looked up the commonly known ‘September Flower’, which also seems to flourish during October, November and December in my garden. The trusty book told me it was an Aster – the only problem being that Asters are not supposed to exist in my garden at all when, in fact, they are growing everywhere. Confused, but keen to learn more, I read the description underneath very carefully: ‘This large genus is often found growing like a weed……’ Enough said. And so, for now, I have turned my back on the flower beds and have decided to concentrate on the vegetable patch. A couple of years ago I planted three neat rows of strawberry plants and, while I am unlikely ever to regain even a modicum of control, I have decided to follow the lead of the residents of Todmorton, a small Victorian mill town in West Yorkshire. Instead of flowers, they are growing fruit and vegetables in the 70 large beds around the town which can be picked by residents for free in an effort to make Todmorton the first town in the UK that is self-sufficient in food. Strawberry plants anyone?
Pictures by Kelly Gleave
RURAL Winter 2015 - 53
BIODIVERSITY:Layout 1 14/11/2015 06:31 Page 1
What is the Jersey Biodiversity Centre? Nick Aubin manages the Jersey Biodiversity Centre at the Société Jersiaise. He describes its work in recording Jersey’s wildlife
SOME 400,000 biological records representing approximately 7,500 species in the Island have now been collected by the Jersey Biodiversity Centre since it was founded last year. The Centre has been established as a local not-for-profit organisation with a remit to collect records of the Island’s plants, animals and fungi and to maintain a centralised database of these records on a mapping system, using detailed aerial photographs. Jersey was one of the last sizeable population centres within Britain to develop such a facility. Although people have identified and recorded the natural history of the Island for many years, these records are held in old publications or in personal notebooks, card indices, or computer files and thus many of these records are not readily accessible to researchers and others interested in wildlife potentially they could be lost to future generations. The Centre exists to bring these records together and make them available for the benefit of the Island and its wildlife. It provides information to support researchers working on specific species or groups and information to students undertaking graduate and post-graduate studies. This information might include, for example, distribution maps and records of wall lizards, or information on lesser known groups such as centipedes recorded in the Island.
54 -
RURAL Winter 2015
As a small Island, many species are found in a restricted number of habitats which may be subject to damage through over use or development. To monitor and protect vulnerable species comprehensive and accurate biological data is required. The database held by the Centre also allows the identification of groups about which knowledge is lacking. Although many records exist for birds, butterflies, moths and flowering plants, very little is known, for example, about spiders in Jersey. Although spiders may not be as immediately attractive as, say, the red squirrel, it is likely that many species remain undiscovered in Jersey. Internationally, Jersey is a signatory to several environmental agreements including the RAMSAR Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, the (Bern) Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats, the (Bonn) Convention on Migratory Species and the (Rio) Convention on Biological Diversity. Access to comprehensive and accurate biological data across a range of species and habitats is necessary to support the Island’s compliance with these agreements. I manage the Jersey Biodiversity Centre, which is based at the Société Jersiaise offices in Pier Road. My own specialist interest is the fungi of Jersey and I am the chairman of the Société
BIODIVERSITY:Layout 1 14/11/2015 06:31 Page 2
Jersiaise Mycology Section as well as being a member of the British Mycological Society. There are some nationally very rare species of fungi found in the Island and St Ouen’s bay stands out as an area of exceptional importance. I am currently undertaking a research project on earthstars and related fungi in St Ouen’s Bay and would welcome information on any of these fungi. The Centre would be pleased to receive records of Jersey’s wildlife. The following minimum information would be needed: • species name; • location, as precisely as possible, either as grid reference or description; • date; • recorder’s name;
Earthstar (Geastraceae)
I am especially keen to encourage observation and recording of less studied groups of animals, plants and fungi and am always happy to provide advice. Single records can be submitted through the website. Larger numbers of records can be submitted by email, where possible as an Excel spreadsheet, but all records in any format are welcomed. The Jersey Biodiversity Centre is actively seeking funding to ensure the continuation of the service into next year and beyond. If you represent a large organisation with a Corporate Social Responsibility Plan, and feel able to support the work of the Centre, please contact me. Email: jbc@societe-jersiaise.org, Website: jerseybiodiversitycentre.org.je Telephone: 633393
European green lizard (Lacerta viridis)
RURAL Winter 2015 - 55
DIANNA MOSSOP WINTER:Layout 1 16/11/2015 16:22 Page 1
SPIRITUAL FIRST AID That is how Diana Mossop described her practice which, through the sum of her considerable knowledge of plants and plant essences, has helped sufferers from a range of health problems. Interview by ALASDAIR CROSBY
ON her website, Diana Mossop states: ‘My mission, and that of my Institute, is to bring safe, affordable and ethical health care to the people of the world, and in particular, the children, using the natural resources of the planet; the infinite energy of flowers and plants.’ She has founded the Institute of Phytobiophysics, which now trains practitioners all over the world and thousands - maybe millions of people are being helped. Furthermore thousands of practitioners around the world have also dedicated their lives to the study and practice of Phytobiophysics and now share her vision. How did that begin? ‘When my son, Anthony, was just four, he had a bad reaction to a series of multiple vaccines all given on the same day. His health crashed and I was desperate. To cut a very long story short there was no solution in conventional medicine. With a substantial understanding and love of nature I set out to find answers in alternative medicine. ‘Like me, many people turn to natural remedies when they have been disappointed by conventional medicine.’ But before Anthony became ill, Diana had also been ill: in 1972 she was living in Papua New Guinea, where her husband, Nigel, a Gurkha officer, was stationed as part of an exchange posting with the Australian Army. ‘It was hell in paradise,’ she recollected. ‘Insurgents were fighting with bows and arrows against a modern army. I contracted a rare form of malaria and had to come back to the UK. I had an operation – it had no effect – I discovered how inadequate the medical profession was. I was sent from pillar to post and nobody seemed to have a clue what was wrong with me or how to treat me. All the time I was trying to find out what was wrong with me – it was at this stage that that I began to lose faith in pharmaceutical medicine and the useless operations I was made to undergo and so turned to nature.’
‘As I do not have a Jersey surname, people often assume that I have no family connection with the Island. But my mother was born a Labey; her father, George Labey, owned St Clement’s Farm. ‘ The Labey family, although apparently omnipresent in Grouville, had a number of different branches; her father’s branch almost died out because daughters took their husbands’ surnames – the same could be said for many Jersey surnames. George Labey adored the sea and made a career in India, becoming Chief Pilot on the Hooghly River in Calcutta. His daughter, Diana’s mother, was born in India and in due course she married a British officer who, after the war, took his wife to the wilds of Nyasaland to create a farm. But her sister contracted malaria as a tiny baby and as her life was at risk, the doctors advised that she would have a better chance of surviving if they returned to Britain. The mother and her children returned to Jersey, to St Clement’s Farm. It was in the 1950s, walking along the country lanes and through the fields of St Clement and Grouville that she fell in love with the flowers growing in the hedgerows. It was her mother and two grandmothers who imparted their herb lore to her, and this became the base of her future interest in the healing power of flowers and plants. Although she has travelled widely – after school she joined the Women’s Royal Army Corps and was at one time the youngest Captain in the British Army, serving in Singapore and Hong Kong before her marriage and although she still travels widely – Jersey has always claimed her and been the place to which she has returned. It is now the base of her Institute of Phytobiophysics and of a world-wide practice that has had an effect on countless people, both in Jersey and internationally who have benefitted from what she calls her ‘spiritual first-aid.’
She then returned to the Far East again with her family: this time to Borneo where she spent three years. ‘I spent three years there and really loved it – lived well and ate lots of lovely fresh fruit. I made a full recovery.’ Unfortunately these idyllic few years of her life in Borneo came to an end – and in 1979 she returned to Jersey.
*Diana Mossop and the Institute of Phytobiophysics can be contacted by telephone on 738737, or by e-mail on info@phytob.com. Visit www.dianamossop.com and www.mossopnaturalremedies.com
56 -
RURAL Winter 2015
JULIE SKELLY:Layout 1 16/11/2015 16:22 Page 1
DE-STRESS, WITH HANDS ON Julie Skelley is a ‘Qualified Craniosacral Therapist‘ (CST) and Reiki Master at Back to Balance. She can de-stress your life, with a hands-on approach. By Kieranne Grimshaw SOME aspects of our modern life seem to have become an endless cycle of activity, anxiety and stress... almost the ‘norm’. Could there be an alternative to this fast-paced world? Well, it seems that there is. It is called Craniosacral Therapy. Julie Skelley, a qualified therapist with the Upledger Institute, who is based at Back to Balance at the Lido Medical Centre, described what it entailed. She said it was thanks to Dr Upledger, an osteopathic physician in the USA, that this therapy was recognised. In 1970, Dr Upledger became curious when he witnessed rhythmic movement in the Craniosacral system during spinal surgery. Years later he could prove that light touch therapy could have positive effects on the brain and spinal cord. Julie said that Craniosacral Therapy (CST) used light touch techniques to help release tensions and pain. When the body is stressed, the tissues start to tighten or change. Both physical injuries and emotional trauma or shock can lead to an imbalance or dysfunction in the Craniosystem. Using CST, the body as a whole is assessed and treated in order to restore its natural alignment, instead of just treating the symptoms alone. continues overleaf...
RURAL Winter 2015 - 57
JULIE SKELLY:Layout 1 16/11/2015 16:22 Page 2
A practitioner will look for resistances and blockages in bones, membranes, tissues and fluids of the body that may be affecting energy flow and physiological function. So what are the main illnesses or disorders that CST can help? There are a full spectrum of illness and dysfunction, including chronic neck pain, migraines and post-traumatic stress, to name just a few. The beauty is that this treatment helps to improve the body’s own ability to care for itself. Julie does not diagnose, but will listen to and feel what the body tissues need to do for each individual patient, helping them ‘find their strength’. Few structures have as much influence over the body’s ability to function properly as the brain and spinal cord, making up the central nervous system. The latter is heavily influenced by the craniosacral system (membranes and fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord). The body endures daily stresses and strains, making it work to compensate for this. These changes often cause body tissues to tighten and distort the craniosacral system, causing tension to form around the brain and spinal cord, resulting in restrictions. Julie is qualified to detect and correct such restrictions, using simple methods of touch. Sounds complex? She said that by gently palpating the bones of the cranium and sacrum, restrictions in the soft tissues that surround the central nervous system are released. By placing her hands on the patient, who lies, fully clothed, on a massage bed, she can feel where the stress has built up. She then uses light movements to help release this unwanted tension. The therapy is fast becoming known as one of the gentlest yet powerful forms of holistic healing.
58 -
RURAL Winter 2015
Sitting in the light airy clinic, there is a poster with the words: ‘the brain, the big boss’ (and why wouldn’t you want to keep the boss happy?). I’m reminded that the brain is the inseparable link between the body and spirit and crucial to look after. It’s also greatly influenced by stress, which is where the gentle therapy, CST, can help. Like shock waves, stress resonates in different parts of the body. Julie gives informed advice on preventative measures for a healthy system or ‘inner being’. The brain is a complex thing. It is constantly recording stimuli, input and experience. It’s fascinating to know that we carry within us the memory of our ancestors. As well as positive traits, such as strength and longevity, it can be illnesses such as diabetes, eczema or asthma, but, as Julie said: ‘CST helps to bring forth whatever the body wishes to deal with or get rid of so it can start to heal itself.’ During a consultation, Julie takes time to talk to her patients and often discovers that a sudden shock or stressful situation can bring out an illness, such as eczema, which may never have appeared before in the person’s life. Another scenario can be that a stressful incident as a child (for example, nearly drowning or even having a fear of spiders!) triggers off certain symptoms later in life, when, for example, a person is under great physical or emotional stress (think of that important job interview or stressful house move). The healing process involves a varying number of sessions, depending on each individual. Our modern day living can be stressful. A visit to Julie Skelley is quite the opposite! A preventative therapy that helps keep you in optimum health must be worth a try.
LETTER FROM ELBA:Layout 1 16/11/2015 16:23 Page 1
A LETTER FROM ELBA The Island of Elba - Tourists Trigger an Agricultural Revival by Philippa Evans-Bevan of Savills THERE is a legend that tells that the Tuscan Archipelago originated from a necklace slipping from the neck of Venus, the goddess of Beauty and Love, to end in the waters of the Tyrrhenian Sea. It’s easy to see how such an enchanting legend might have been conjured when one visits the island of Elba. It is certainly a natural jewel and my first ever visit was so breathtaking that it unlikely to be my last. Like Jersey, it is an exquisite island of natural beauty. Just 91 square miles off the east coast of Italy near Pisa, Elba is strategically positioned 45 minutes by ferry from mainland Italy. Although Elba itself has a population of approximately 32,000 people, in the peak summer season this swells to 300,000. “Isola D’Elba“ has a rich variety of natural resources and history, so it’s not hard to see why there is a march to Elba of Romans and others every summer. Part of the charm is that both simple and sophisticated Italian taste and style has impacted on the range of quality accommodation choices, and good restaurants, cafes and bars developed sympathetically to complement the beauty of Elba’s natural attributes; the iridescent colours of the sea teeming with life and the remainders of galleons, mountains cloaked in century-old woods with little hillside villages, 190 beaches, coves and small historical towns. Similar to Jersey, Elba has an intense and dramatic history which has left its marks everywhere from the Roman villas and Medici fortresses to the legacies of Napoleon and Cosimo I de Medici. It less well known that Nelson helped oversee the evacuation of the garrison at Elba in 1796 and spent Christmas on Elba! Following the Treaty of Fontainebleau, Napoleon was exiled to Elba after his forced abdication in 1814. On his arrival, Napoleon spun into a tornado of
activity and carried out a series of economic and social reforms, overhauling the legal and education system out of a genuine concern for the well-being of the islanders. Even now, almost 200 years later, locals still say a Mass each May for his soul at Chiesa della Misericordia. The history of agriculture on islands is a fascination for me and Elba is a gold mine. Notably Napoleon boosted agriculture on Elba. In his 300-day stay he set about marsh draining, road building and creating vineyards and terracing. Strategically he also improved the island's iron-ore mines. As a result of his energy for “projects,” agriculture and iron ore mining became the two most important industries before the onset of tourism from the 1950s and a slide to imports. Sixty years on, Elba is enjoying a revival in agriculture driven by a tenfold increase in the population between May and October. The global organisation represented by “Slow Food“ Tuscany has played a key part in this, supporting small producers and Elba’s summer larder is now a remarkable bounty. The largest and most accessible of Italy’s lesser known Islands, Elba is also the most fertile and verdant so it’s not surprising that Elba has been able to reactivate its agriculture. The climate is Mediterranean, except for Mount Capanne, where winters tend to be moderately cold. Precipitation is concentrated in autumn and Elba lies in the rain shadow of Corsica, so rainfall is less than the mainland and less than 30 inches per annum. Rivers rarely exceed two miles in length and the shorter ones often dry up in summer. Extensive though tightly packed mountains mean that agriculture is restricted mainly to the flatter areas in the centre of the island, between Porto Azzurro and Portoferraio and Marina di Campo. As more tourists require locally grown quality products, regular markets and “stalls” have sprung up along roads and towns which provide strong competition for the small supermarkets. A single stall will often sell produce from several farmers which might include any of the following: strawberries, apricots, peaches, cherries, melons, figs, plums, watermelons, grapes, prickly pears, lemons, oranges, and limes along with seasonal vegetables such as lettuces of
all kinds, green and red rocket as well as radishes. Asparagus and artichokes, beets, carrots, zucchini, cucumbers, peppers, green beans and fresh beans, celery, eggplant and a triumph of tomatoes of all sizes. Just like Jersey it has the finest fresh seafood. More recently, the island has become famed for its wine which rates alongside Tuscany’s best. For example, Elba’s medium-bodied white Ansonica with peach overtones, and the highly aromatic red Aleatico, which goes very well with cantucci biscuits, Napoleon’s favourite. Since the 1950s the wine-growing area has drastically reduced to 350 hectares. Much of the terracing is covered with scrub olive groves and woods on the higher areas and the wine production has retired to the flatter terrain and adapted to more modern systems of management. Prestigious liquor wines like the Moscato raisin wine are prized, as is the extra virgin olive oil, produced from the fragrant hills, along with the chestnuts and special Elba honey, jams, local herbs and spices. My overall impression is that Elba agriculture has a bright future, with a healthy mix and age range of farmers as well as the market and raw materials to provide wonderful local products. I also felt a great sense that Elban inhabitants have a proud appreciation and love of the island’s unique natural characteristics. Perhaps in tune with this, is the local belief that there will never be a chef so refined as to be able to combine the food from this magical landscape as harmoniously as nature does, with the light, the wind and the Mediterranean scents of the island of Elba. And talking of scents… Elba also has its very own superb branded perfume which I will tell you about another day! Elba is connected to mainland Italy via ferry to Piombino there are up to 25 ferries a day in summer, and a small functional airport operating flights to mainland Italian and European destinations.
RURAL Winter 2015 - 59
THE ICE AGE IS WITH US...
60 -
RURAL Winter 2015
There is a new exhibition at the Jersey Museum, titled Jersey, Ice Age Island. ALASDAIR CROSBY took a trip in time IMAGINE…. The title of the John Lennon song, of course, but also a word that is used most appropriately in many of the interpretation panels at the new exhibition - Jersey, Ice Age Island, at the Jersey Museum. To quote from one of them: ‘Imagine rolling back the waves that surround the Island. What lands would be revealed? Once the Channel Islands were connected to Britany and Normandy and to a massive river system we call the Channel River Valley. Extinct large Ice Age mammals roamed the plains that now lie under the sea. Enter this vanished world and meet the people and animals who lived in the spectacular landscapes of Ice Age Jersey.’ And that, really, is what this marvellous exhibition is about. Imagine…. The interpretation panels give some other helpful ‘imaginative’ suggestions – for example: ‘Imagine, A band of hunters wait below La Cotte. A young man calls back to the waiting tribe: “There are no predators here.” A baby nestles in her mother’; furs to escape a biting wind…..’ Then, also to help our imaginations, there are pictures of some of these drowned landscapes. One wall is taken up by a giant panoramic picture of a flat, marshy, rather cold-looking tundra type of land, with plenty of water and ice; brown reeds seem to shiver in the cold. A display case offers the sight of some of the spectacular finds that have been excavated at La Cotte. An adult mammoth’s tusk, for example, a mammoth’s pelvis and skull…. But the word ‘Ice Ashe’ with which mammoths are always associated was not an era of continual winter, like Narnia in The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, There were great variations of temperature and interglacial stadia …. We are living in one of them now. The exhibition covers vast swathes of time: La Cotte was occupied on and off for many thousands of years, far longer than the time that separates us from the final time it was occupied, some 40,000 years ago.
Imagine – going to St Brelade’s and meeting a hippo. It must have made walks quite interesting. And some of the mammoth skeletal remains were probably not entirely of the cold climate hairy mammoth that we can all imagine. Many of them were probably more like smoothskinned, big elephants. And the people? Well, one of them is at the exhibition; He is a Neanderthal man, standing on a pedestal in the middle of the exhibition hall. Not tall – perhaps about 5fy high, but very well-muscled, It would have been a brave person who called him ‘Titch’. Here were a people who lived for unimaginable period of time across Europe, from the far west of what is now the drowned continental shelf eastwards to Siberia. Their period of occupation is far longer than modern man’s time on earth- and yet, at their passing, they left their world in a good state and had apparently no impact on the environment. We have a lot to learn from them. And finally we came along – ‘we’ being Cro-Magnon man of the Magdalenian period. About 14,000 years ago they camped in Jersey near what is now called Les Varines, then a granite cliff face with views across the plain towards present Normandy: a good vantage point for keeping an eye on migrating or passing herds of reindeer and wild horse. Their lifestyle was perhaps much like the traditional lifestyle of Laplanders. Ture, they hunted reindeer rather than herding them - but who knows, in that long passage of time, what individual tribes, and cultures discovered or invented – and then lost again. The exhibition is a good starting point and its invitation to imagine will be welcomed by all who enter the gateway to the Palaeolithic, through which the Ice Age exhibition invites us to enter and discover a land now lost in deep time - that once was Jersey.
As far back as 400,000 years ago Jersey was a hill in a vast plain; a wall map shows the ‘Channel River System’ to the north of the present Channel Islands, a great bay and estuary north west of Guernsey, stretching from Cornwall down towards Brittany, and the river in the site of the present English Channel, being fed with tributaries – the Test and the Thames to the north, the Seine, Somme and Rhine to the south and east. At times the climate was warm and tropical: hippos wallowed in the rivers and there is a picture of a hippopotamus and a lion incongruously superimposed on a picture of the beach below La Cotte at low tide, looking across St Brelade’s Bay.
Filming excavations at La Cotte
RURAL Winter 2015 - 61
MUSIC IN ACTION:Layout 1 16/11/2015 16:24 Page 1
Special offer on tickets overleaf...
MUSIC FROM THE MOVIES ….And Music in Action (movies). An update from the Jersey musical charity, Music in Action, by its chairman, James Mews There will be many highlights, but one for the children is certain to be the Sorcerer’s Apprentice by Dukas, as featured to comic effect in Disney’s Fantasia. Dukas’ skill as a composer is revealed as the orchestra mimics nature in all its virtuosic splendour as the water overflows in the film.
BLOCKBUSTERS? Some of the finest movies have had some of the finest music written for them, taken from the classical repertoire. A blockbuster evening will take place in Jersey on 30 January at the Opera House, titled ‘Music from the Movies’/ A full symphonic orchestra – with the Jersey Chamber Orchestra added to by the best of Premier Brass - will perform a blockbuster evening of favourite large scale film scores including Grieg’s In the Hall of the Mountain (featured in about 50 scenes from TV and film from the comical in the Simpsons to Mad Men and Man on a Wire. Other music includes Wagner’s magnificent Ride of the Valkyries used to such strong effects in Apocalypse Now as the helicopter gunships appear over the horizon, and Mahler’s sublime Adagio, used so memorably in Death in Venice, from Mahler’s 5th Symphony. The film Jean de Florette is one of the great French films and those who know it will recall the thunderous theme and haunting melody that runs through the film taken from Verdi’s great overture to his opera the Force of Destiny Who can forget the memorable scene from the Witches of Eastwick when Jack Nicholson encourages the cellist to let her inhibitions go and to perform the performance of a lifetime of the Dvorak 62 -
RURAL Winter 2015
Cello concerto. The Island is fortunate that one of the greatest young cellists in the world, Leonard Elschenbroich, is coming to perform this very special piece on this occasion. Leonard has been fêted as the protégé of Anne Sophie Mutter, the legendary violinist, and has performed with the great orchestras of the world from London to New York to great acclaim.
In addition to the performance in the evening members of the orchestra will play in educational concerts in schools on 28 and 29 January, teaching and inspiring our young students and pupils about music and film. This kind of educational exercise is vital for young people not only for their musical development, but has also been shown to benefit teamwork and concentration skills. continues overleaf...
Project3:Layout 1 14/11/2015 06:33 Page 1
MUSIC IN ACTION:Layout 1 16/11/2015 16:25 Page 2
It will be a wonderful opportunity for the Island’s young musicians to receive teaching from the highest calibre players, supported by the Association of Jersey Charities. The orchestra concerto will be led by Anna Smith from the BBC Symphony Orchestra who has led the Jersey Chamber Orchestra for the last 5 years. Anna performs as a soloist and with the Elgin Trio, as well as being a first violinist in the BBC Symphony Orchestra. To listen to a marvellous concert with the Jersey Chamber Orchestra on Saturday 30 January supported by Carey Olsen, Jersey Trust Company and UBS - book tickets from the Opera House by calling 511115, or online at www.jerseyoperahouse.co.uk. Tickets cost from £5 from children and £10 for adults. The concert starts at 8pm with a pre-concert talk at 7pm.
Special offer on tickets: Music from the Movies CHILD TICKET FREE with Adult ticket CODE QUOTE: RURAL, when booking at Box Office Opera House (tel: 511115) Valid until 31 December 2015
64 -
RURAL Winter 2015
ADVERT:Layout 1 16/11/2015 14:16 Page 1
BROWN’S ANTIQUES PROP: MR. M. BROWN.
EST. 1980.
ANTIQUES, DECORATIVE ARTS, SOCIAL HISTORY. MAIN SHOWROOMS. LA HAIE FLEURIE, LA RUE DU VILLOT, ST MARTIN JE3 6BU.
TEL: 737090. JERSEY’S LONG ESTABLISHED AND TRUSTED BUYER OF ALL TYPES OF ANTIQUE GOODS. FREE NO OBLIGATION VALUATIONS ON ALL ITEMS OFFERED FOR SALE. FREE DAILY HOME VISITS. ENTIRE ESTATE PURCHASE AND CLEARANCE. NO CALL TOO LARGE OR TOO SMALL. ANYTHING CONSIDERED! PROBATE AND INSURANCE VALUATION AND ADVICE
CALL 737090. FOR TIME SERVED EXPERIENCE, HONESTY, AND IMMEDIATE PAYMENT! SAVING JERSEY’S HISTORY FOR DECADES!
CAREY OLSEN:Layout 1 14/11/2015 06:36 Page 1
PLANNING APPLICATIONS HAVING YOUR VOICE HEARD By Advocate Samantha Hoare, Associate at Carey Olsen
Now the tough part, how can you construct your representation to be as effective as possible?
AS you sit at home on a Tuesday evening, you open the Jersey Evening Post to the gazette section. Upon reading the latest notices, you discover that your neighbours have submitted a planning application.
Article 19 of the Law sets out that a decision maker shall approve an application if it is consistent with the policies of the Island Plan 2011 (as revised) (available online at www.gov.je). A decision maker may approve an application which is inconsistent with those policies, but only if there is sufficient justification to do so. Therefore, in our experience, the most effective representations are crafted by having reference to the applicable policies of the Island Plan.
You review the application online and discover that your neighbours are proposing to extend their property by over 50%. You are concerned about the impact the extension may have on your property and your enjoyment of it. You wish to have your concerns heard but are unsure how to do so, what to say and wonder whether your voice will truly be heard. Here is some general guidance about your options:. Article 11 of the Planning and Building (Jersey) Law 2002 (the ‘Law’) was drafted to ensure planning applications are publicised, and to give members of the public an opportunity to make representations in respect of them. The decision maker must take those representations in to account when determining the application. Therefore, in order for your voice to be heard, you need to submit a written representation to the Planning Department within 21 days of the application being last publicised. It is important to submit a representation in this time, because as a third party within 50 metres of an application site, you only subsequently have a right to appeal the final decision if you have made a written representation within time. 66 -
RURAL Winter 2015
The Island Plan sets out zones that prescribe the level of development permissible in each particular location of the Island. For instance, a number of application sites are located in the Coastal National Park (Policy NE6) where there is a presumption against development. This is in contrast to the Built Up Area zone, where there is a general presumption in favour of development. As a first step, when drafting a representation you need determine which zone the application site is in. The zoning of an application site will help you determine, 1) whether the development sought is permissible in principle, and 2) if it is permissible, do the specific design details of the proposed development still accord with that policy and other policies of the Island Plan. As an example, Policy NE6 sets out that an extension to a property is permissible in principle, as it is a stated exception to the presumption against development. However, that extension must still accord with certain requirements of that
CAREY OLSEN:Layout 1 14/11/2015 06:36 Page 2
policy, including, amongst other things, to remain subservient to the existing building and not harm the landscape character of the area. If it does not accord with those requirements, the application should not be approved as it would be contrary to policy. You should also set out the specific elements of the application / proposed development which give rise to your concerns such as its scale, siting, or details such as the presence of new windows etc. You will need to explain how these elements would affect your property and your enjoyment of it. Do make sure you refer to the relevant documents submitted with the application to support your points. It is important to relate your specific concerns to the policies of the Island Plan as this will give your points more substance. For example, if you have specific concerns regarding the impact of the development on your amenities, Policy GD1 is relevant; as it sets out that a development will not be permissible if it unreasonably harms the amenities of neighbouring uses. It is important to illustrate what that harm may be in order to be persuasive. Do be persuasive, succinct, and logical, and provide as much supporting evidence as possible, this will ensure your voice is heard. *If you have any queries regarding the Planning Application process, contact a member of the Carey Olsen Litigation or Property Group, who would be delighted to assist.
RURAL Winter 2015 - 67
WHERE THERE'S A WILL:Layout 1 16/11/2015 16:26 Page 1
WHERE THERE’S A WILL, THERE’S A WAY Land is often the largest asset we own and it is important to take proper advice when making a Will particularly where there are multiple parcels of land or properties at stake. By Michelle Leverington, Jersey Solicitor at Hanson Renouf IT is natural to want our wishes achieved after our demise. This is particularly so with land that we might have worked hard to acquire, and wish to preserve within the family. In Jersey we have different rules governing how much control we have over our assets depending upon whether those assets are cash (movable) or land (immovable). Movable assets can be open to claims by the deceased’s children and spouse/civil partner. However, let’s concentrate here on the issues that can arise in dealing with land and the matters that need to be considered when drafting an ‘Immovable Will’. If no Immovable Will (the document which deals with your land when you died) is made, then the provisions of the Wills & Succession (Jersey) Law 1993 govern how the land is dealt with. If the deceased leaves a surviving spouse/civil partner but no children then the spouse/civil partner is entitled to all the land outright. If, however, the deceased has left a spouse/civil partner and children then the spouse will be entitled to life enjoyment of the family home and an interest in all the land in equal shares with however many children the deceased had. If the deceased has been predeceased by a child, who died leaving their own children, then under the principle of représentation the deceased’s grandchildren can take their parent’s share of the land. If the deceased left no spouse or children then the land will pass along the family line to siblings. Failing there being siblings, matters can become complex in relation to which side of the family inherits the land. If the deceased has left a Will then generally, other than a spouse/civil partner having a right of dower over the deceased’s land (life enjoyment of one third of the land), then the land can be left to any individual the deceased 68 -
RURAL Winter 2015
wishes, including those without Housing qualifications. The difficulty arises where someone making a Will tries to impose conditions or restrictions upon the person inheriting the land. The level of control the testator can have from beyond the grave is somewhat limited. For example under Jersey’s Trust Law a gift of property to a trust is void. The deceased would be deemed to have died intestate in relation to the land which had been left in trust. If a testator wants to control the future of the land then, in the absence of the ability to use a trust, there are a couple of options:The land could be left to a company which in turn is included within a trust structure in the testator’s Movable Will. The company would need to be incorporated at the time the Will is drafted with the Will including all the usual trust provisions and appointment of trustees. Alternatively the land can be left to individuals for a specified period of time or life enjoyment (usufruit) with the Will naming the reversionary owner(s) of the land. Land held under usufruit can only be conveyed subject to the usufruit which can only be extinguished with the consent of the person with the enjoyment. The process for the cancellation of the usufruit would usually involve the calculation of the value of the enjoyment and a payment being made. Another consideration is that upon the registration of an Immovable Will stamp duty is payable. If the Will leaves the land to those people who would have inherited the land without there being a Will (heirs at law) then the Will can be registered for £80. But if the land is not left to all the heirs at law equally, or if the land is gifted to someone other than the heirs at law, then full stamp duty is payable. The level of stamp duty is the
same as that charged on the purchase of a property, for example land worth £1m attracts stamp duty of £22,000. In order therefore to prevent their heirs being left with a large stamp duty bill the testator would need to leave their land equally to their heirs at law. In order to then divide the land up outside of the Will it is possible to have the heirs at law agree in advance as to how they will deal with the land. Stamp duty on the transfers between the heirs would be based upon the percentage the ‘purchasing’ heir was acquiring and so would be considerably less than a payment of the full stamp duty to register an Immovable Will. An agreement signed by the heirs at law cannot compel them to pass the contracts to transfer the land but it can include penalty clauses to ‘encourage’ them to comply with the arrangements. Making a will – for safeguarding your property: it is literally a matter of life and death.
Project2:Layout 1 16/11/2015 15:41 Page 1
Savills Rural Conference Save the date Tuesday 9th February 2016 The Royal Jersey Agricultural Showground, Trinity, Jersey Speakers: Clive Beer, Head of Professional Services Mike Townsend, Rural Management Agency Alex Lawson, National Farm and Estates Andrew Wraith, Head of Agribusiness
Please contact Philippa Evan Evans s Bevan for further information and to rreserve your place: pebevan@savills.com 00353 86 467 0857 01534 722 227
savills.co.uk
Irish Countr y Cottages at Fortwilliam Lismore Co Waterford on the Blackwater River for wonderful Winter/Spring Breaks All the best wishes for Christmas and 2016 !
$% " $! "! " " "
!
!!
# !
" "
"
! ! " $ # !
" !%
! ! $ !
!
" !
!
"
! "
"
"
!
$ !$ !
! "! ! "!
"
Contact Philippa (00 353) 86 467 0857 fortwilliamoffice@gmail.com
!
"
www.fortwilliamfishing.ie
Cork Airport 1 hrs drive • Rosslare 2 hrs drive • Dublin 2.5 hrs drive
!
%
JEC WINTER:Layout 1 14/11/2015 06:37 Page 1
WARM, COMFORTABLE AND AFFORDABLE How can you stay warm and cosy this winter while maintaining affordable energy bills - or even reducing them? Lynn Schofield explains use, no flue or chimney, it can be fitted almost anywhere and needs hardly any maintenance. A Heat Pump is the most efficient system as it provides up to three or four times the heat than would the cost of units to run it. If you cannot install central heating, you could opt for new heaters with better heat retention and improved controls. Quantum heaters enable the user to pre-set individual heaters to different required room temperatures over seven days. They can be up to 27% cheaper to run than a traditional storage system and 47% cheaper to run than electric convector heaters.
THE mild start to November has enabled many of us with central heating to delay turning on our system. But it won’t be long before chilly nights and frosty mornings have us turning our control switches to ‘on’. But how can you stay warm this winter while maintaining affordable energy bills or even reducing them? First, make sure your home is well-insulated. As much as 50% of your home’s heat can be lost through its roof and walls if not properly insulated. If you have a central heating system, controls should ideally include a boiler thermostat, a timer or programmer, a room thermostat and thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs). Room thermostats should be set to the lowest comfortable temperature - typically between 18°C and 21°C. They need a free flow of air to sense the temperature, so they must not be blocked by curtains or furniture, or put near heat sources. You don’t need to turn your thermostat up when it is colder outside; the house will heat up to the set temperature regardless. It may take a little longer on colder days, so you might want to set your heating to come on earlier in the winter. Installing thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs) on individual radiators enables you to have different temperatures in individual rooms. TRVs do not control the boiler. When the boiler is on, they control the flow of water through the individual radiators depending upon the room temperature. For example, they will turn a radiator off in a sunny room, or where there is another heat source. Set them to the level you want for the room; a lower setting uses less energy and so will save you money. Around 70% of all energy consumed in the home goes on space heating and hot water production, so it is important to have an efficient heating system and be on the correct tariff. Jersey Electricity offers four tariffs to suit your heating system and your lifestyle: Economy 20, Economy 7, Comfort Heat, and General Domestic. Unit prices range from 7.63p to 15.21p (incl GST). Customer Care are happy to advise on the best option to meet your needs or visit the tariffs section at www.jec.co.uk. The next question is which system? An Electric Flow Boiler can be easily integrated into your existing oil or gas-fired central heating system. The difference is it is 100% efficient at point of
70 -
RURAL Winter 2015
Lighting typically accounts for 18 per cent of a household’s electricity bill. You can cut your lighting bill by changing which bulbs you use and how you use them. Though Light Emitting Diodes, known as LEDs will costs a tenth the long run. For example you can replace a 100W conventional bulb with a 10W LED, a 60W with a 6W, making them a tenth of the cost to run. Other simple steps to help you save energy and reduce your bills: • Maintain your system to make sure it is working efficiently; • Understand your thermostat and timer controls so you are only generating heat and hot water when you need it; • If your boiler is more than 15 years old, consider replacing it; • If you have a hot water tank, fit a 75mm thick cylinder jacket; • Seal gaps around window frames and doors; cover letterboxes and keyholes; • Draw curtains and blinds at dusk to reduce heat loss through windows; • Keep radiators and heaters clear of furniture; • Fix dripping taps; • Shower instead of having a bath; they use a third of the hot water; • Turn lights off when you leave a room; • Don’t leave appliances on stand-by. In the kitchen: • Don’t over fill your kettle. Boil just as much water as you need but ensure the element is covered; • Use the correct sized pan for the ring you are cooking on and keep the lid on; • Use a steamer to cook several items on one ring rather than using separate pans and rings; • Make toast in a toaster, not under the grill; • Use a microwave oven instead of a conventional one when you can; • If using a conventional oven, keep the door closed; • Fridges and freezers account for around 16% of electricity used in the home, so try and make sure you buy the most energy efficient appliance; look for the A, A+ or A++ rating on the label; • Don’t leave the fridge/freezer door open; load and unload quickly; • Don’t place hot or still-warm food in the fridge; let it cool first; • Set your washing machine to wash at 30°C.
Project3:Layout 1 12/11/2015 15:21 Page 1
Clear investment. Pure energy.
THE NEW ERA
IN SPACE HEATING
LANDS IN JERSEY
Efficient, intelligent Quantum, the most advanced electric storage heating solution.
www.jec.co.uk
For a free quotation, call 505460.
WINTER END PIECE:Layout 1 14/11/2015 06:38 Page 1
SEASONALLY IN THE RED By Mike Stentiford OK, you’ve guessed it: geese getting fat, goodwill to all men, bells a-jolly jingling and - robins, each of them playing a major part in the imminent over spend, over indulge and just about over everything. I mention robins latterly because (say what we will) turning our backs on them and pretending they’re not part of the seasonal flavour is, putting it mildly, not on. Who among us can put warm hand on honest heart and say that a redbreast never once shamelessly adorned one of our Christmas cards? There, told you so! And yet, in today’s climate of computerised commercialism, robins don’t seem to have anything like the big PR clout they once had. True, they’re still here, up front and all crimson bully-breasted but I’ve a feeling that the robins’ media machine is somehow letting them down - big time. Mind you, even a robin would admit that it’s had a pretty good run for its mealworm thanks to a reputation stretching way back to the days of Dickens. History, at the time, tells us that a robin’s celebrity status was kick-started around 1840 with the arrival of the Penny Black, the world’s very first unified postage stamp.
72 -
RURAL Winter 2015
Such was the speedy expansion of the Royal Mail postage service that sturdy fellows soon found themselves usefully employed as Britain’s prima ‘men of letters’. As loyal servants of the crown, protocol decreed the wearing of bright red frock-coats - hence their popular nickname ‘robin redbreasts’. Just like the birds, these all-action postmen were expected to deliver their cheerfulness - and the mail - a full 365 days of the year. So, robin the postman quickly morphed into robin the redbreast by delivering, even on Christmas Day, joy, goodwill and gifted goodies to a gratefully awaiting public. According to myth and legend, few bird species ever compete with what’s writ large on a robin’s CV. Whether attached to charity, good luck, bad luck, compassion, fire and brimstone or even slings and arrows from wayward sparrows, young redbreast has, at some time or another, boldly tossed its cap into the ring for a piece of the action.
Talking of which…. a highly improbable 16th century folk tale implies that human corpses, left on the battlefield following a seriously savage cut-n-thrust disagreement between rival political forces, ended up covered in leaves, mosses and flower-heads courtesy of eco-active robins. Babes in the Wood? - eat your heart out. Between now and next springtime, back in the real world, robins will be in full control of our gardens where, with determined tooth, claw and swagger, they’ll be aggressively defending their own cherished little corner of undergrowth. A typical territory for your average healthy young robin, so we’re told, is somewhere in the region of a half hectare. Whichever way we look at it, a half hectare is a sizeable chunk of real estate for anyone to defend leave alone a bundle of feathers weighing in at a modest 18 grams - that’s two one pound coins should you ever need to find the answer at a pub quiz. So there we have it. These days, exchanging a robin-bedecked Christmas card for an animated all singing dancing E-card is a parable of our times. Sooner or later, everything reaches its sell-by date - even the once ‘reliant’ robin.
ADVERT:Layout 1 16/04/2015 07:24 Page 1
Excellent Value mercurydeliver.com offers real value on everyday essentials
Big Brands
Order Online
A wide range of your favorite brands delivered direct to your door
Place your order Online in minutes. Ideal for those heavy bulky items
STEPHEN COHU:Layout 1 15/11/2015 10:46 Page 1
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF STEPHEN COHU There is no safe predictability in the working day routine for antiques dealer STEPHEN COHU ALARM, shower, breakfast, walk the kids to school and that is where the daily routine ends. Home is also my place of work so the morning commute is not too arduous! . I am not the most organised person in the world but when my invaluable employee Sarah arrives shortly after 9am we start to plan the day ahead, house calls, removals, loading lorries for the UK.
The shop is closed Mondays and Tuesdays for house calls and house clearances, which we also do before the shop opens at 10am and after closing at 5pm from Wednesday to Saturday. Tuesday is also auction viewing day. There is often so much to do I struggle to even know where to begin. House calls for viewing items for sale are normally booked in from 9.30 and sometimes we might do five or more in a single day. With the antiques and house clearance business you never know what you are going to find. I have been offered pyrex glass and food blenders in upmarket apartments and have purchased fine Lalique glass from the most unpromising locations. I recently purchased a house contents for over ÂŁ100,000 but sometimes we charge to take the stuff away! We can run around the Island for an entire day and buy nothing. Sometimes people only want to sell single items and sometimes they want to sell the entire contents. We can confidently and efficiently deal with any situation and pride ourselves on offering the most environmentally and socially
74 -
RURAL Winter 2015
responsible clearance service in the Island. Very often a property to be cleared is found pretty much as the last occupant left it, sometimes clean and orderly, sometimes dirty and a complete jumble. Everything has to be sorted through and items of value recovered for sale in the shop or from one of my four warehouses. Re-usable and lower value but saleable items are sorted for charities including clothing and bedding, bric-a-brac and clean furniture. Sometimes the only profit in a clearance will be scrap electrical cable cut from appliances that are dumped, there is value in just about everything! Life is never boring even when there are no calls or deliveries to do, as during quiet times I do valuations of items donated to the Hospice Shop. When the shop is open people bring me items for sale or valuation. We never know what is going to be brought in, anything from an Edmund Blampied oil painting worth many thousands of pounds to maybe a few grams of scrap gold worth tens of pounds. We recently paid a five figure sum for a near four carat diamond solitaire ring brought to the shop in a zip-top sandwich bag! My first reaction was that it would be fake or just a piece of glass. Many people bring in treasured items with little or no value and it can be difficult to tell them their possessions have sentimental value only. I rarely have time for lunch until after school. My wife usually arrives home about five and then work starts again, sometimes till 8pm or 9pm. I am home in time to say night to the kids then cook supper. We rarely eat before 9.30pm too late I know, but there are only so many hours in a day. Bed is rarely before midnight, evenings being spent on the Internet searching for things to buy or researching items we have seen or writing articles for various local publications, the most recent on Murano glass being completed and emailed at 2.30am on deadline day!
WINTER ADVERT:Layout 1 12/11/2015 15:26 Page 1
DEALERS IN FINE ANTIQUES, WORKS OF ART, JEWELLERY AND OBJECTS We are one of the Channel Islands’ leading purchasers of antiques, jewellery and effects. We purchase entire estates or single items and also undertake expert probate valuations and property clearance.
WINTER 2015:Layout 1 12/11/2015 14:42 Page 1
Spring Flower Show - 27th & 28th March 2016 Summer Fair - 18th & 19th June 2016 Summer Flower Show - 20th & 21st August 2016 Autumn Fair - 1st & 2nd October 2016