RURAL - Jersey Country Life
www.ruraljersey.co.uk
JÈRRIAIS A language for today
Issue 15 - Jersey’s rural, cultural and community magazine
CAPTURING A FLEETING MOMENT Art and the arts in Jersey
FROM EMPTY SHELL TO FAMILY HOME A derelict farmhouse in Trinity is re-born www.ruraljersey.co.uk
Welcome IN this, the last issue this year of RURAL - Jersey Country Life, we are making a special feature of the Arts in Jersey, including art, artists, words and music, jewellery and antiques and gastronomy among them. As RURAL styles itself a countryside magazine, the reader might well ask why we are doing so much about the Arts - cut the culture, you might say, and just keep on with writing about agricultural machinery, anaerobic digestion, aphids and all that sort of stuff. To which we would answer: This isn’t Farmers Weekly, not even Jersey Farmers Quarterly. Yes, it is a magazine that promotes the Jersey countryside and the successes and difficulties of Jersey farming, of course, but also it marches proudly under the banner of Localism. The magazine concerns itself with local people creating and producing local things, be they potatoes or paintings, or whatever else, in broad terms, is a ‘genuinely Jersey’ product or concept. We have always believed that any community, national or local, keeps its soul (or its essential nature, if you prefer) in the countryside, from where originally most of its members sprang, albeit perhaps, generations before. Nature expresses, on a profound level, the good, the true and the beautiful and this is what we hope is reflected within the pages of RURAL. You may possibly have already noticed the inexorable approach of Christmas, which falls within the lifetime of this issue. In the Christian tradition, the first Christmas was the time when, in response to the human yearning for goodness, truth and beauty - always expressed so vividly through the Arts - the ultimate Good, the True and the Beautiful came down to meet us to help, sustain and encourage us as we stumble wearily upwards. So the arts and cultural themes of RURAL, which are always appropriate to its overall theme, seem never more appropriate than during this issue that covers ‘the festive season’. With all our best wishes for Christmas and the New Year, from the RURAL magazine team.
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. HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT SENDING A SUBSCRIPTION TO RURAL AS A PRESENT TO FRIENDS AND FAMILY OVERSEAS? Telephone us on 865334. Cheques can be sent to RURAL magazine, La Cohue, La Grande Route de St Jean, St John, Jersey JE34FN
PUBLISHER Crosby Media and Publishing Ltd La Cohue, 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
JÈRRIAIS A language for today
ADVERTISING Siobhan East siobhaneast@hotmail.com 07797 726811
CAPTURING A FLEETING MOMENT Art and the arts in Jersey
FROM EMPTY SHELL TO FAMILY HOME A derelict farmhouse in Trinity is re-born
Front cover image: Artist Cate Hamilton. Photography by Gary Grimshaw.
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26
12 Contents 7
‘THE ISSUE’
8 - 10
THE JERSEY SALAMAGUNDI An assortment of ingredients of life in Jersey
24
FAVOURITE CORNERS OF JERSEY’S COUNTRYSIDE The art of Patrick Malacarnet
25
LAUNCHING THE MORNING BOAT Farming, fisheries and… experimental artists? Kaspar Wimberley explains
26 - 27
POSSESSIONS AND THE FAMILIES THEY OWN The connection between families and their possessions – Ruth Le Cocq interviewed antiques dealer Mick Brown
SPECIAL THEME: ART AND THE ARTS IN JERSEY
12 - 13
ROSEMARY BLACKMORE A love affair with Jersey and the Jersey cow
28 - 29
A WAY WITH WORDS Jersey Festival of Words
14 - 15
ANNA LE MOINE GRAY Art, inspired by nature
30 - 31
ATELIER LTD The fine company arts in rural Grouville
16 - 17
A PLACE OF ART AND CULTURE The CCA Galleries, by its director, Sasha Gibb
32 - 33
VERSATILITY IS THE KEY The latest AURUM collection
18 - 19
CAPTURING A FLEETING MOMENT The art of Cate Hamilton, by Alasdair Crosby
34
SWEET SINGING IN THE CHOIR Cantabile at Christmas, by Fred Benest
20 - 21
SUSAN LINTELL A Surrealistic twist
22
THE WINTER GARDEN Exhibition by Gabrielle Radiguet
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58
SPECIAL THEME: FOOD AND DRINK
61
LE VIEUX MOULIN AT HÉDÉ By its co-owner, Virginie Goodwin
64 - 65
CHRISTMAS COCKTAILS They need not knock you out and make you unfit to drive, by Zoe Garner
WHAT’S FOR DINNER? Introducing the last in this year’s speaker series: ‘The advantage of selling irregularly shaped carrots,’ by David Wilson
66 - 67
COOKING WITH JERSEY APPLES By the owner of Samarès Manor and its orchards, Vincent Obbard
FROM CHRISTMAS ELF TO STORE MANAGER Louise Macleod leaves Ransoms for the Western Isles - by Terry Neale
68 - 69
A TREE IS NOT JUST FOR CHRISTMAS Love your tree – even when Christmas is over, by Rebecca Ransom
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A CHANGE OF VEHICLE Simon Drieu tests drives the new Kia Niro
72
A BIRD’S EYE VIEW OF WINTER Not an avian comfort zone, as Mike Stentiford explains
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A CHANGE OF SCENERY Mike Stentiford has the last word
36 & 38 DUE CAMPIONI ITALIANI Honours for two elders of the Italian community, by Hamish Marett-Crosby 40 - 41
42 - 43
44 46 - 47
72
TASTY SURPRISES AT THE CO-OP New delicatessen at Grand Marché THE ISLAND’S CHOICE Island’s Choice bakery – local baking for local people, by Kieranne Grimshaw
48
BE PREPARED Insurance protection against the unexpected, by Jim Purkiss
50
PART OF JERSEY’S FARMING HISTORY The Howard Davis Farm, by Mike Stentiford
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JÈRRIAIS Dr Mari Jones on the modern relevance of Jersey’s ancient language
54
JERSEY’S ENVIRONMENT Who is its friend? Asks John Young
56
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
58 - 59
FROM EMPTY SHELL TO FAMILY HOME New life for a sore decayed Trinity farm house, by Ruth Le Cocq
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NATURE HAS ALL THE ANSWERS A series on natural health, by Diana Mossop
CONTRIBUTORS FRED BENEST ROSEMARY BLACKMORE SIMON DRIEU ZOË GARNER SASHA GIBB VIRGINIE GOODWIN KIERANNE GRIMSHAW RUTH LE COCQ ANNA LE MOINE GRAY SUSAN LINTELL PATRICK MALACARNET
HAMISH MARETT-CROSBY DIANA MOSSOP TERRY NEALE VINCENT OBBARD JIM PURKISS GABRIELLE RADIGUET REBECCA RANSOM MIKE STENTIFORD KASPAR WIMBERLEY JOHN YOUNG
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The Issue THE story of cider in Jersey is fascinating and deserves by itself to be the subject of a book. It is a major, integral part of the Island’s social history, not just the story of a now long-gone industry. Suffice it to say that at one time, for several centuries it was huge; in recent decades it dwindled away to almost nothing, now it is on the rise again – a renaissance is happening. Apple orchards seem to be springing up all over the place. Good quality cider is now made by two local commercial concerns. Things are looking moderately bright once again. Could this trend continue – and could cider be Jersey’s Once and Future crop?’ A ‘cider renaissance’ might seem very fanciful - more to do with a subjective preference for apple blossom than for polythene, for example - and no, it would be amazing and quite incredible if it ever were to take the place of the Jersey Royal as a major crop. But apple orchards are proving a popular diversification. There is certainly further capacity in this renaissance for more orchards and for more cider makers. That is good both for environmental reasons and also for small-scale agricultural diversification. Small-scale cider production - perhaps as a cottage industry alongside a more major source of income - is a good way of encouraging small producers into this expanding sector through farm gate sales and at events organised by Genuine Jersey or at the popular Fais’sie d’Cidre and Black Butter making events at Hamptonne and The Elms. And what can start as cottage industries or secondary incomes can always grow. There are, perhaps, around half a dozen existing and seriously interested potential commercial producers of cider in the Island.
Furthermore, cider making and a cider culture is part of Jersey’s heritage – almost lost, now back from the brink.... but this Jersey ‘Cider Spring’ is likely to be stifled and wither away once again unless there is some fundamental change to the Jersey Customs and Excise Law and an alleviation of the yoke of bureaucracy that it imposes on producers. Under the law, there is no quarter given to small producers. Everyone who makes and sells cider has to register and pay Excise duty. The only exemption that exists is for those that make less than 1,000 litres for personal consumption only. But if just one litre of it is sold, then the producer needs to register and pay the duty on that, which works out typically at about 12.5% of the turnover of a small producer. In the UK at the moment, anyone producing fewer than 70 hectolitres (7,000 litres) of cider is exempted from excise duty. There is no exemption in Jersey, although duty is imposed at a lower rate for volumes of cider produced that are less than half a million litres (around a million pints). However, it is not just paying duty that hurts, as does also the rigmarole of bureaucracy imposed on small producers: paperwork, registration, compulsory attendance at Customs and Excise courses, compulsory filing of monthly returns – even if cider is only actually made in two months a year. It means a lot of work for the producer but also for Customs and Excise. It is reasonable to suggest that they might have more important and valuable duties to perform in targeting criminals, rather than treating small businesses as if they were potentially criminal.
The relevant section of the Customs and Excise Law is Part 6: ‘No person shall grow or produce, grow or manufacture unless they possess an excise licence for that purpose.’ Really? Not allowed to grow cider apples? There must be hundreds of Islanders breaking the law, then. The premises have to be approved by Customs, there has to be a business plan, including details as to what volumes will be produced and where it will be stored. There is a need for premises to be inspected to make sure that they are secure and therefore ‘no risk to the revenue.’ If someone stole all the cider from a small producer, the public purse might lose perhaps £50. Terrible. Then, only when all these elements are in place can a producer apply for an excise licence and create a business entity as an approved excise producer. An agreement of terms and conditions needs to be signed and producers have to attend Maritime House to receive training in how to make declarations and how to pay the relevant duty. It is also recommended that producers speak to other authorities such as the Fire Service... one wonders what their interest is, especially if nothing electrical is used in the making of cider? One can understand and appreciate an interest taken by the authorities in people distilling hooch at home and in people setting up big commercial alcoholic drinks companies. But are the activities of people making a bit of cider for farm gate sales really a serious threat to the body politic? Such a framework does not exist elsewhere. Why are cider makers and potential cider makers being so tightly regulated as to impede the further progress of this nascent cider renaissance? That, surely, is an issue.
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THE JERSEY SALMAGUNDI
A GENUINE JERSEY CHRISTMAS THE festive season is well on it’s way and what better present to give a loved one, than a Genuine Jersey Desk Top Diary displaying all of Jersey’s beautiful landscapes. As a new edition to Georgie Ng’s ever-expanding portfolio, she has decided to share her top 52 island-images to accompany each week of the year. This diary acts as a reminder and a great present for someone living away from the Island as well as those who enjoy the benefits of Jersey’s unforgettable scenery. Should you wish to purchase the diary, please visit: www.georgiengphotography.com The diary is retailing at £15.
CHRISTINE WITHAM CHRISTINE WITHAM is a local artist, best known for her distinctive textile jewellery. She also makes a range of seasonal giftware, including Christmas fairies. Her work is colourful, skilfully worked and labour intensive. Designs are often inspired by nature, directly from the beautiful materials she uses, or sometimes adapted from vintage or ethnic designs. As a Genuine Jersey member Christine likes to take part in the local Farm and Craft Markets. She enjoys talking directly to local customers and visitors to the Island. If you would like to see Christine’s work, she will be at the EYECAN Christmas Fayre, St Martins Parish Hall on 19th November, and at The Arctic Village, the Weighbridge from the 8th-14th December. The Harbour Gallery at St Aubin always has a good selection.
CERI'S CAKES CERI'S CAKES use only the freshest, local Genuine Jersey ingredients for all of their delicious cupcakes. They are made in a wide range of flavours to suit everyone's palate! You can place an order via email: ceridickinson@hotmail.com or visit facebook.com/ceriscakesjersey. They are priced at only £7 for a box of four, £10 for a box of six or £20 for a box of twelve!
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THE JERSEY SALMAGUNDI
A GENUINE JERSEY CHRISTMAS TWO long-term members of the Island’s wine trade have teamed up with Julia Quenault of the Classic Farm Shop, St Peter, to form wines@classicfarm.com - a new retail wine store in a farm shop setting. Mary Lloyd was for many years was the proprietor of Bergerac Wine Cellar at 37 Hill Street, a mecca for those looking for fine wines and port. Mirto Sappé has been active in hospitality in Jersey for decades and for over 40 years was the proprietor of the Gorey Wine Company. Between them, they have acquired over 100 years of professional wine knowledge.
Côtes de Rhone, Gardet Champagnes and a wide selection of Bordeaux wines.
The Bergerac Wine Cellar shop was closed in 2011 although Mary has continued supplying wine online; Mirto sold the Gorey Wine Company early last year and no longer has any connection with that business.
They would also be expanding into a range of organic wines and new wines from Australia and New Zealand. But they were also sourcing wines from around the world to add to the selection already on sale.
They have now teamed up with Julia to expand and enhance the selection of wines available at the Classic Farm Shop.
There will be informal tastings at the Farm Shop between now and Christmas, and both Mary and Mirto are looking forward to seeing old friends there.
The connection was made as Mirto’s son, André, has been running The Classic Tea Room adjoining the Classic Farm shop since 2014. Mary said that stock in the new wine sales area of the farm shop would include old favourites from her ‘Bergerac’ days, such as Langlois Chateau sparkling wines, and Chapoutier
*Follow Wines at Classic Farm Shop on Facebook for the latest arrivals. Mirto or Mary can be contacted direct by email at wines@classicfarmshop.com or telephone Mirto on 07797 743657 or Mary on 01534 870756.
JERSEY OAK AS we get closer to Christmas, why not use these locally produced crackers. Each cracker contains an original Genuine Jersey gift, a foil hat, the usual corny joke (but with a local twist), a beautiful festive Temps Passe image (kindly supplied by the Jersey Evening Post) and a quiz designed to test families’ knowledge of the island. If you are looking for locally made gifts, look no further! This solid oak Christmas tree will last for a lifetime. We have spent many hours perfecting the design of this Christmas tree and over the last few years, it has become a centre piece in living rooms across Jersey and the UK, as well as hotel lobbies and restaurants. Each tree is supplied with 10 tea lights and hidden hooks to secure your own decorations. If you do wish to store it away, the tree flat packs and will sit in the back of a cupboard, until next year’s festive season begins all over again. It’s the perfect Christmas tree, with the added element of no pine needles or tinsel to clean up! The solid oak Christmas Tree measures 850mm high and 450mm wide. The tree is £175 and the crackers are £38 for a pack of 6.
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THE JERSEY SALMAGUNDI
GOING BATS AT CHRISTMAS A GIFT for the person who has everything a bat calendar. 2017 Bat calendars, produced by the Jersey bat group, feature high quality photographs of bat species found locally with accompanying facts. They cost £7 each and all of the profit goes towards furthering local bat conservation through the research projects being undertaken by the Bat Group, a registered charity. The proceeds from the 2016 calendars went towards buying equipment for a project looking at how bats are using local woodlands, thanks to which two species of bat new to the Island were discovered and the first ever tree roosts were confirmed for Jersey. The 2017 bat calendars are still available and can be purchased online: www.jerseybatgroup.org/home-2-2/bat-calendars-2016/ or from New Era Vets, Victoria Road St Saviour, or at the Société Jersiaise, 7 Pier Road. Photography Credit: Hugh Clark - Bat Conservation Trust
A HAPPY 2017 FOR JERSEY EWES Jersey’s latest new residents have much to offer the Island SEVEN new Manx rams have been brought over from Royston in Hertfordshire by the National Trust for Jersey and are currently in quarantine, waiting to meet their new female friends Jersey. The National Trust for Jersey’s conservation grazing scheme, based between Devil’s Hole and Sorel Point has been going strong since 2009 and the flock of rare Manx Loagthan sheep has grown from the original 20 pregnant ewes to nearly 200 today. The new rams ensure a healthy future for the flock The seven new rams will replace the flock’s original two rams that have now… well, retired and moved on less demanding interests. More importantly, the new arrivals ensure that there is enough genetic diversity within the flock to allow the flock to expand healthily and to avoid, it is hoped, the need to import more animals in the future. It was in early September that the Trust’s shepherd, Aaron Le Couteur, travelled to Royston with his sister Alison to pick up the new additions to Jersey’s flock. Once loaded into the back of Aarons trailer and the paperwork was signed, they set off down the M25 to Portsmouth and crossed over the Channel
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on the Condor before being released into a quarantine field where they are to spend their first six months in Jersey. He said: ‘It has been an epic effort to get these chaps here, and honestly there were a couple of times I thought it might even be impossible. We had even started looking at AI as a possibility, but thanks to some incredible people going far above and beyond what could have been expected of them, we made it.’ The rams were bred by Rare Breed Survival Trust member Bob Wood and were found by Jayne Drinkwater, who also oversaw their UK quarantine and vets visits. The Trust hopes that next spring will see the first progeny of these new rams being born in Jersey. The National Trust Lands Manager, Jon Parkes, said: ‘These new rams mean a secure future for conservation grazing in Jersey. The trick is to ensure that there is enough coastal land in restoration to keep the sheep and habitat healthy, whilst keeping stocking densities low enough that land isn’t overgrazed. Our hope is that the grazing project will one day be self-sustaining and having adequate grazing for a large enough flock is key to that success.’ The rams may have a rather boring Christmas in quarantine, but they are doubtless looking forward to a happy Easter.
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STUDIOS S TUDIOS | G GIFT IF T SHOPS | G GALLERIES ALLERIES S | C AFES
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ART AND ARTISTS IN JERSEY In this issue we feature a number of Jersey artists who have specialised in paintings of the countryside and the natural world
Rosemary Blackmore - is an artist producing paintings, giclee prints, textiles, bags and scarves, ceramics, buttons, garden sculpture and mural work. She is a member of Genuine Jersey
Cow and Calf
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ROSEMARY SAID: ‘My love affair with Jersey began soon after the war when my parents moved here with my three-year-old sister and myself aged just five weeks. Educated at the Jersey College for Girls, I went on to study Fine Art at Bath Academy of Art. On completing my degree I returned to Jersey to work in the design and handmade studios at the Jersey Pottery, discovering a love of ceramics and working in three dimensions. After marriage and children I began painting again, drawing inspiration from all that our beautiful island has to offer, the stunning coastline, architecture and nature in all its forms. The iconic Jersey cow is still very dear to me and the subject for which I am probably best known. I consider myself blessed to be able to indulge my creativity by doing something I love every day.’
Dora, Oil on Canvas
Rosemary with one of Peter Houguez’ cows
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Ponies in the snow
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By our artist in residence, ANNA LE MOINE GRAY I saw the these ponies often walking from Vallee des Vaux towards Trinity and in the lovely valley after La Rue au Bailli. One snowy day... they both trotted towards me. I did several drawings and this gouache sketch.
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A PLACE FOR ART AND CULTURE A Summer Exhibition and Saturday opening are among the plans of new director of CCA Galleries International, SASHA GIBB, who has been at the Hill Street gallery now for eight months. She describes the gallery, her job and what‘s in store over the next year IN one role or another, Sasha Gibb has always been involved in the world of visual arts. Before moving to CCA Galleries International in the spring, she was the Visual Arts Officer at Jersey Arts Trust. At JAT she set up and ran public art events such as the Skipton Open Studios, the Jersey Projection Gallery and Les P’tits Faitchieaux. She had always had a good relationship with the gallery and taking over as gallery director was an exciting challenge for her. ‘My immediate priority on arrival eight months ago was to put together an exhibition schedule that was engaging, challenging and relevant for a Jersey audience,’ she said. ‘We’ve done this by striking a balance between the international artists we publish and represent (Sir Peter Blake in June, Bruce McLean in September), supporting local events (Jersey Festival of Words, Skipton Open Studios, Art-chaelogy, Gallery Student Awards, Rathbone Student Internship) and exhibiting the work of local and upcoming artists (Wayne Audrain, Maurice Boots, Miranda Moncreiffe, Matt Falle, Andy Coutanche).
‘I have been impressed by the enthusiasm and energy of the Jersey art collectors and buyers. Those that collect and buy art are intelligent. They don’t buy for the money, they buy what they love, knowing that, particularly in the case of the original prints, their purchase will generally only ever go up in value, whilst giving them huge pleasure in the process. ‘For less than the price of an I-phone, they can invest in something that will last beyond their lifetime. ‘They are also investing in the arts and a culture that is less about conspicuous consumerism and more about longevity, questioning what’s important and mental stimulation. ‘In the art world it is common to hear the phrase “I know nothing about art”. CCA Galleries International is not a history of art degree! As Grayson Perry reminds us, you don’t have to like everything you see or indeed understand the motivation behind it. When you do relate to a particular artist or the experiences they are expressing, it’s a wonderful thing. ‘On Friday 18 November we are championing the work of two up and coming artists we shall be bringing to Jersey for the first time. Neil Canning’s explosive abstracts in oil use colour as a means of communication. His work is inspired by landscape – the Cornish coastline, as well as urban landscapes in New York and Hong Kong. Nicola Godden’s tactile, spontaneous bronze figures are based on the human figure. Her series on Icarus led to a commission for the London Olympics, as well as countless commissions throughout the UK. Both artists will be in Jersey for the first time over the exhibition launch to talk about her work.
Wayne Audrain - Redemption, silver point on gesso
Nicola Godden, Icarus VIII (Rising) - BRONZE
Neil Canning ,Western Sands Neil Canning, seascape ‘The exhibition is open until Christmas, alongside work from other artists we publish and represent, such as Lucy Farley, Damien Hurst, Sir Peter Blake, Barbara Rae, John Hoyland, Nic Fiddian-Green, Sandra Blow, John Piper, Sir Terry Frost, Donald Hamilton Fraser and Dan Baldwin. ‘In the new year I shall be taking proposals for the first CCA Galleries International Summer Exhibition and in the future have plans to start regularly opening the gallery one Saturday a month.’ *The Gallery is directly behind the States Chambers at 10 Hill Street and open 10am – 5pm, Monday - Friday. With a little warning an appointment for a visit outside these times can generally be arranged *As well as exhibitions and events, CCA Galleries International offers an Art Loan Service, Wedding and Birthday Lists, Art Vouchers and advice on framing, hanging, buying and collecting *CCA Galleries International, 10 Hill St, St Helier, JE2 4UA. www.ccagalleriesinternational.com enquiries@ccagalleriesinternational.com t: 01534 739900 ig:@CCAGalleries_International fb:@ccagalleriesinternational Exhibition Schedule 2016 - 2017 November Neil Canning and Nicola Godden 18 Nov – Christmas 2017 January Paul John Kilshaw
13 Jan – 2 Feb
March Nic West
17 March – 6 April
April Graham Tovey
21 April – 10 May
June CCAI Summer Exhibition Caroline Hall
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July CCAI/ Rathbones Student Internship September Archisle Exhibition CCAI autumn show
early Sept late Sept
October Graham Banister, Anna Gillespie and Helen Nue working with ‘Trees for Life’ - exhibition based on Jersey Trees.
Dishes ar are e individually pr prepared. repar eparred. Die Dietary etary rrequirements equirrements can be ca catered tered ffor. orr. Extensive vegetarian vege e tarian menu. Extensive
CAPTURING A FLEETING MOMENT The art of Cate Hamilton reflects her love of animals, especially horses and dogs. She talked about her art - and her models - to ALASDAIR CROSBY THERE was never a time in her life when Cate Hamilton didn’t ride – well, perhaps between the ages of zero and three. But by the age of four she was already in the saddle.
when she was aged 11, plunging the family into a ‘challenging’ situation. So despite her obvious talent, she never got to university or to art school.
She grew up in a family which included many four legged and feathered members - dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs and budgies, but her main love was always ponies and horses.
So was her art self-taught?
Likewise, there was never a time that she does not remember painting: ‘I think my parents were inspired to put pencils and crayons and paint into my hands. If you occupy small hands, they don’t make mischief. So better to get the child to create something, rather than to create trouble!’ She continued: ‘My father was a very keen artist. He was very much into design and I like to think that some of his skills rubbed off on me.’ The family lived in Jersey, where she went to school at St Michael’s and then at JCG, but unfortunately, her father died
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‘To a degree. But I was always mad on horses. I was always scribbling pictures of horses in the back of my school exercise books. And I was taught art by Pat Millar and Pat Robson, both of whom were very encouraging – I took the subject at A’Level.’ Instead of training in further education, she found a job in the finance industry, but also worked in farming, as a primary school assistant and even as a ‘milk maid’, caring for and helping to milk a herd of cattle in the Island. There was also a brief foray as a professional dancer – she was one of the ‘Lost Boys’ in a production of Peter Pan.
Dressage is her favourite equestrian discipline and she has painted the horses of UK dressage team in the Rio Olympics, and some of the riders as well, notably Carl Hester and his horse, Barney, which is owned by a native Jerseywoman, Jane Delamare (who now lives in the UK). Another subject has been Orthelia (Tilly), Fiona Bigwood’s horse. ‘Fiona had a bad fall, which resulted in a head injury that damaged the optic nerve, so she now sees double and therefore rides with a patch. It is a great proof of what you can do with sufficient will-power to recover from the setback of a serious injury.’ Locally, she has taken a gazebo at the meetings of the Jersey Race Club and painted the horses and the racegoers. One of her recent projects has been to paint the Household Cavalry changing guard at Whitehall – which involved her taking several hundred photos to fix the scene in her memory.
her husband, John But the nomadic life of an entertainer was not for her and in due course she married and had a family. Art took a back seat in her life, although everyone who knew her realised that it was still her passion. ‘When my two daughters, Juliette and Caroline came along, there was not much time for art, anyway, but we had ponies for them and a lot of energy was taken up with both children and their ponies! But, as all parents know, childhood quickly passes, and Juliette left home this year – but on the positive side, what was her bedroom has now become Cate’s studio. ‘That, at least, was a huge bonus, to have suddenly storage space and somewhere to work. Equally suddenly, I became a redundant mother, and this past year I have been back into painting in a way that I haven’t been able to do for years – and I’m enjoying it thoroughly! Needless to say, many of her paintings are of horses – and also dogs and wild animals. Much of her work is done on commission for owners who want a permanent record of their best friend. ‘I prefer to draw from life - I have a pretty arresting equine portfolio - but I also take photos and watch endless television footage of horses competing in events and I make sketches from that, as well.‘
Dignity
Alfie
Then there are dogs – the other great love of her life. A large painting hangs in her studio of Alfie, her late German Shepherd Dog, shown brim-full of life and energy: ‘He was a very happy dog – I hope that comes out. I love dogs, and I’m glad to able to produce a permanent memory of a favourite pet.’ Her pictures of humans are of people whose faces have made an impression on her: Nick Skelton, for example, or the face of a dignified – even regal looking - African woman, spotted in a crowd. In her studio hangs a painting of a stone dresser, Dave Couillard of Jersey Granite Works, a fellow artist in the sense that he creates portraits in granite. Since 2011 she and her husband, John, have been living in Trinity, and they now share their home with seven dogs, six ponies, two cats and one chicken. It is, perhaps, her commissioned work for pet owners that gives her the most satisfaction. ‘It’s a privilege to reproduce a memory of maybe a favourite dog or a horse. That’s what it’s all about – capturing a fleeting moment for all time. It’s a privilege to be able to do it.’ Cate Hamilton 07797 754551 cate.hamilton@outlook.com
Barney
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A Surrealistic Twist The art of Susan Lintell ‘I learn something new from every piece of art that I create. I take risks, and never stop developing, through the development of every piece of art, sharing the journey, and trying to reach the highest level that I can to satisfy the needs of clients and art collectors.
Corbiere
Cara Cara 1
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Tamba 18
My paintings are realistic, sometimes have a surrealistic twist, and are very detailed, but without looking like photographs. I use photographs and sketches for reference, and never paint copies of photographs, but make changes, combining a variety of references to achieve a broader and more interesting view. I often adjust the perspective to create focal points, and may also change the lighting, moving shadows and illuminated areas to maximise impact. And I nearly always change the sky and the background, adding or removing features to create contrast and interest. I create artwork in acrylic, water colours, and mixed media. I've worked for a wide variety of corporate clients, large and small, as well as for individuals. My work is used for presentations, training, murals, greeting cards, children's books and as gifts. Each piece of art is unique, through the development of an idea in collaboration with the client, our journey together, and the creation of art to satisfy the needs of clients and art collectors.’ - Susan Lintell Susan has this year transformed a white walled tunnel at the new Tamba Park into a colourful mural depicting birds of prey.’ More details are available on www.susanlintellfineart.com
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GABRIELLE RADIGUET’S ‘Winter Garden’ GABRIELLE RADIGUET is holding an exhibition titled ‘The Winter Garden’ at the Arts Centre, from 12th December to 23rd December. She describes it as: ‘an exhibition of cyanotype prints that reflect the light and warmth of spring, summer and autumn, bringing the seasons back to life in a darker, cooler mid-winter. ‘The prints have been collected from river meadows, allotments, woodlands; specimens of grasses, flowers and feathers which are quite literally caught in the sunlight where their innate character develops into an object of individual beauty.’ Cyanotype is a photographic printing process that produces a cyan-blue print. The process was invented by the English scientist Sir John Herschel in 1842 and was subsequently taken up by Anne Atkins, the pioneer female photographer. Gabrielle Radiguet was born and educated in Jersey and then studied fine art at Camberwell School of Art and Sheffield Hallam University. Her work has been shown extensively in a variety of venues and is held in private and public collections nationally and internationally. After living and working as an artist in Jersey for the past 19 years, a return to the UK in 2012 prompted a fresh body of work, culminating in a solo show at The Crypt Gallery in central London. For the past year, she has been exploring her interest in the photographic process of cyanotype and it is this work which she brings to Jersey in December 2016. Alongside her studio practice, Gabrielle continues to provide workshops for children and adults alike and has also most recently been working with the monks at Turvey Abbey developing prayer bowls which are hand turned and glazed, incorporating Jersey sea glass which maintains a link with the island.
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MAKE IT A RANSOMS R NSO CHRISTMAS C ST M A S
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SEA Y REA E H T S O N S W H AT E V E R
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Life of a barn, St. Clement
PATRICK MALACARNET Favourite corners of Jersey’s countryside ‘HAVING started oil painting as a child, copying earlier paintings of Napoleonic battles, I much later developed an interest in Surrealism and the works of the Belgian painter Rene Magritte in particular. I liked his deliberately banal style, never leaving the ordinary side of everyday life, but managing to create great mystery in his work.
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I began to have more interest in colour, and the works of the Post Impressionists - for example those of Klimt, and started to adapt this looser more colourful style painting favourite corners of Jersey - both landscapes and seascapes together with places away. In this I hope the work appeals to people relating to the beauty around them.’ - Patrick Malacarnet
Barn near Faldouet
Les Routiers, St. Saviour
Beauport gold
Granite corner, St. Peter
LAUNCHING THE MORNING BOAT Farming, fisheries and… experimental arists? An unlikely combination? KASPAR WIMBERLEY explains LIVE events and public art in sheds and viviers, supermarket aisles and farm shops, fields and beaches, on board boats and tractors…. the morning boat is an international artist laboratory that will take place in the heart of the local community, exploring agricultural and fishing practices in Jersey and the impact these have on people's lives. Susanne Kudielka and I, the local curators for the exhibition, are hoping to launch the morning boat in 2017. Artists from across Europe will be invited to work with farmers, fishermen, seasonal workers, industry representatives, politicians, chefs, retailers and consumers, to conduct first-hand research into the production of locally grown, caught, gathered and reared produce. The result will be a programme of events developed specifically for the island of Jersey, responding to its unique character and narrative. I grew up in Jersey before working as an artist and producer throughout Europe. We hope that the morning boat can bring people together to create a common language and mutual understanding that connect the wider public with the rural economy in an engaging and exciting way.
When farming, fishing and experimental artists come together, expect the unexpected! You might find yourself watching ballet with tractors, sitting next to a horse in a straw bale cinema, tuning into pirate radio, wrapping up a farm, enjoying a heavy metal barn dance, joining a workshop with a vegetable orchestra, setting off on a theatre safari around the Island, or designing jumpers at a community knitathon. This will be a programme of public art that is alive, playful, thought provoking and unforgettable. Over the past month we have had the pleasure of meeting individuals actively involved in the farming and fishing industries and we look forward to continuing these discussions in the near future, as we work together to reflect on complex critical issues and real life practices that are central to our economy, social fabric and way of life. We hope to welcome everybody on board next year! *If you would like to receive updates or get involved in the programme, please send an email to kaspar@treacletheatre.co.uk. A project website will be published in January 2017.
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MICK BROWN:Layout 1 04/11/2016 17:13 Page 1
POSSESSIONS AND THE FAMILIES THEY OWN The connection between families and possessions fascinates Mick Brown, antiques dealer. He talked to RUTH LE COCQ
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WHEN, as a young boy, Mick Brown spent his spare time searching the Island’s countryside for Victorian and Edwardian bottles, did he wonder whether he would establish an antiques business and spend his life surrounded by collectibles of all shapes and sizes?
‘Every occasion was celebrated and commemorated. They used photos and postcards to keep friends and family informed – there were no phones 125 years ago - a postcard could go to St Peter and be back in the same day – not like today,’ he said, with a smile.
Did he have any inkling that his passion for collecting old Jersey bottles - and then, later, collecting postcards depicting Island life during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, would stir a sense of reverence towards the treasured items in his care, towards the people who used to live in Jersey and towards the land itself?
However, Mick is saddened that so many valuable items linking the past with the present have been lost over the years and have ended up being dumped at La Collette or Bellozanne.
He said: ‘It’s all about the very nature of life – its fragility – and the fact that death is all around us. I look at a simple stone receptacle, which might be 400 years old, and I think about its use in ceremonies to mark births, deaths and other celebrations. It is very humbling and it evokes very deep feelings that everything is connected together. We are stitches in the fabric of existence.’ Brown’s Antiques began trading from a little shop in St Mark’s Lane where the rent was £12 a week. Life was very different back in the 1980s – before the arrival of the Internet – and antique shops were thriving up and down the country. A move to Burrard Street meant Mick had a shop window and benefited from passing trade. ‘The late 1990s was the peak of the antique trade. People came to see me from all over the world from Europe, America, and Hong Kong,’ said Mick. ‘Collectors still visit but they are fewer in number.’ Sitting in his office at Haie Fleurie, St Martin, where Brown’s Antiques is now based, Mick is surrounded by paintings and furniture with ornaments, both big and small, covering every available shelf and ledge. He gets up to move a few pieces of paper, which look like they are from another age, so I can sit down in an elderly, faded armchair. He continued: ‘The thing is - I like finding really good quality items. Yes, I’m happy to buy something for £5,000 but I’m equally happy to buy something of little monetary value which has immense historical value.’ ‘Take the photographs and postcards of the 19th Century and early 20th Century – they captured an invaluable slice of Jersey life. We can read about life in Jersey but having these images in front of you gives us huge amounts of information.’ Mick explained that, in those days, people would photograph special family events and celebrations and then put them on postcards.
‘Sometimes I pull up outside a house and there is more value in the skip in the yard than in the house. I’m talking about badges and unmarked silver, which are usually kept in drawers, and they get tipped straight into a black bag. They are unique bits of the jigsaw of Jersey life,’ he said. Mick believes that a traditional Jersey property, which has been in the same family for any length of time, is a rarity to be approached with reverence. ‘The items need to be recovered by somebody who knows their true worth,’ he explained. Mick also believes there has been a generational shift and people desire very different things these days. ‘That’s natural change and it’s a microcosm of what is wrong and what is right within the world. There is a lot of wastage in the way some people live and there is a lack of respect and a lack of knowing about where we come from. Jersey has always been a multicultural, integrated society but we are losing that and becoming more fragmented. It saddens me to see people who have no respect for each other or those who came before.’ Despite those concerns, Mick delights in the unexpected and, in particular, he enjoys reuniting long lost items with their rightful owners. ‘I once bought a quite distinctive Jersey games table and I brought it back and I had just starting dusting it when a man drove in. He said: ‘That’s my great aunt Lucy’s games table,’ and told me to look in the bottom drawer where there would be a storage name.’ Sure enough there was the name and the long lost games table was reunited with its family. A coincidence perhaps or was something otherworldly playing a hand? ‘That table disappeared and then, 60 years later, just as I was dusting it, a man drives up who just happened to recognise it? That table,’ Mick said, with a knowing look, ‘found its own way back to its family!’
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FESTIVAL OF WORDS 2016:Layout 1 07/11/2016 11:03 Page 1
A WAY WITH WORDS Literature in Jersey is enjoying a surge of new interest and activity, thanks to the success of the Jersey Festival of Words AS the dust settles on a five-day autumn programme that brought such celebrated writers as Michael Morpurgo, Louis de Bernières and Victoria Hislop to the Island, as well as showcasing the best of home-grown creative writing, its organisers are already working on future plans. The third Jersey Festival of Words will take place from Wednesday 27 September to Sunday 1 October next year. Before then, booklovers can expect a continuing series of one-off events staged under the festival banner. The next will be an evening with Jeremy Paxman, the legendary BBC journalist, University Challenge presenter and historian whose first volume of autobiogaphy, A Life in Questions, has just been published. For a change, one of Britain’s most renowned interviewers will be in the interviewee’s chair when he appears on stage at the Opera House on 30 November. The ticket price includes a signed copy of his book. Its ability to attract such a big name for a rare personal appearance is testimony to how quickly the Jersey Festival of Words has become a successful and established part of the cultural calendar. The festival was launched in September 2015 with a number of interwoven aims. As well as giving Jersey audiences the chance to see and hear leading writers for adults in all genres, it includes an ambitious schools programme designed to stimulate young imaginations and introduce them to the endless pleasure and opportunity presented by the world of books. This year, with such best-selling children’s authors as Chris Bradford, Jim Smith and A.F Harrold on stage, over 3,000 Island schoolchildren of all ages enjoyed free festival presentations. The third main aim is to encourage, promote and celebrate the work of Jersey’s own writers. Organisers believe that, as it develops, the festival can be a major catalyst for Island-based work in this sometimes neglected part of the Jersey arts scene, contributing to a richer cultural life, a stronger sense of Jersey identity and a generally more creative community, with possible economic benefits to follow. In that regard, the festival overall is expected to contribute to the development of event-led tourism, a key part of the Economic Development ministry’s strategy for reviving the holiday industry. Britain’s buoyant book festival market now encompasses something like 350 events. If lovers of literature will travel the country to visit them, as they do, why wouldn’t they also head south to enjoy books in the setting of a beautiful island with its own colourful history, unique heritage and richly expressive literary language all helping to make the experience that little bit out of the ordinary? That underlying logic helped to guide the founders of the Jersey Festival of Words as, in the summer of 2014, they began in earnest to address a question which had often been asked but never fully answered: why doesn’t Jersey have a book festival?
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Now very much up and running, the Jersey Festival of Words is directed by writer and editor Pippa Le Quesne, supported by a committee chaired by teacher and ex States Member Jennifer Bridge and also including writers Paul Bisson, Jackie Mezec, Richard Pedley and Simon MacDonald, States chief librarian Ed Jewell, former Jersey Evening Post editor Chris Bright, ex-senior civil servant Marnie Baudains, marketing expert Laura Perez and charity organiser and accountant Andy Le Seelleur. This diverse group of booklovers calls in turn upon a growing network of volunteers, sponsors, supporters, media outlets and organisations, all of which are enthusiastically involved in helping to make the Jersey Festival of Words a central feature of the Island arts scene. (Opportunities to become involved through sponsorship or other means may be explored by contacting info@jerseyfestivalofwords.org.) Creative collaborations are very much part of the plan. Recent examples include working with artist Jason Butler to provide literary responses to the pictures in his major 2016 exhibition, and with Jersey Heritage on drawing inspiration from the Museum collections. Heritage, with both a capital H and a small one, is another key element in the formula which is establishing the Jersey festival’s distinctive character and already attracting praise from big-name writers and the publishing industry. This year’s festival made use for the first time of heritage venues including Mont Orgueil and La Hougue Bie as well as the Opera House, Arts Centre, Jersey Library, Durrell and CCA Galleries International. It also placed stronger emphasis on Jèrriais, with performances and talks adding to the current revival campaign. And if evidence is needed of the strength and potential of the Jersey writing which the festival seeks to encourage, a simple list of those on this year’s programme should provide it. It included home-grown performance poet Christian Foley and the riotous ‘Story Beast’ John Henry Falle, both now enjoying national success; Erren Michaels and Paul Darroch, whose locally bestselling books on Jersey legends, ghost stories and historical vignettes respectively have breathed new life into them for new generations; published novelists John Samuel, Caroline Lea, Sophie Cousens and Rebecca Boxall; poets including Nicky Mesch, whose new collection is just out; Normandy veteran and racing driver Bill Reynolds; historian Ian Ronayne, who honoured the Jerseymen who fought on the Somme 100 years ago; and screenwriter Jenny Lecoat, whose work on the sacrifice of her Occupation heroine great-aunt Louisa Gould is the basis of a major film out next year. It adds up to a powerful reminder of the depth and breadth of Jersey’s stories and an indicator that the Jersey Festival of Words will become an important new vehicle for telling them. *For more information: www.jerseyfestivalofwords.org
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Panoramic view looking south towards St Helier and Elizabeth Castle, Jersey. John Tobias Young (1755-1824). Oil on copper. Circa 1810. 10 ¼ x 13 3/16 inches. Private Collection.
ATELIER LTD - The fine art company in a quiet corner of the Grouville countryside, run by JONATHAN and COLETTE VOAK HIDDEN away in a quiet corner of Grouville is a picturesque granite farmhouse that for the past 13 years has been the home of Jonathan and Colette Voak, their four children, three cats, nine chickens and one fine art company called Atelier Limited. They run the business together and look forward to celebrating the company’s 20th anniversary next year. Based in London and Jersey, Atelier deals in 17th - 20th century oil paintings, watercolours, drawings and etchings and offers a valuation and conservation service. Unusually, the company draws upon the expertise of its director and consultants who have previously occupied senior positions in London’s national museums. The director of the company, Jonathan Voak, joined the Victoria and Albert Museum as a curator in 1983 upon graduating in History of Art. He became a Senior Curator at
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the V&A and for eight years was head of one of its branch museums, Apsley House, The Wellington Museum on London’s Hyde Park Corner. Jonathan founded Atelier in 1997 with his wife Colette, also an arts graduate. A year later, encouraged by the success of the business, they took the company to Jersey but retained their London connections. Atelier was elected a member of BADA (The British Antiques Dealers Association) in 2003 and is also a member of LAPADA (the Association of Art & Antiques Dealers) and of CINOA (the International Art & Antique Dealers Association). Membership opened the door to exhibit at the major London art & antiques fairs and they now show at the Mayfair Fair, BADA Fair in Chelsea, LAPADA Fair in Mayfair, and the Summer and Winter Art & Antiques Fairs at Olympia. These events attract thousands of visitors and
Jonathan said: ‘You will receive a very warm welcome at our old farmhouse in Grouville, which is hung with a variety of pictures from our rapidly changing stock. Browse our online gallery at www.atelierlimited.com or get in touch and we will send you our latest catalogue and also invitations to our fairs and exhibitions.’ Whether you wish to buy a picture, need one restored or are seeking a valuation Atelier has the experience and expertise to meet your needs. *Viewing by appointment: Jonathan & Colette Voak, Atelier Limited, Le Bourg Farm, Le Grand Bourg, Grouville, JE3 9UY Black Lion Wharf, London. James Abbott Mc Neill Whistler PRBA (1834-1903). Etching. 1859. 6 x 8 ¾ inches. provide a showcase for the leading art and antique dealers in the country to display their finest pieces. Atelier also holds exhibitions in Jersey at the Société Jersiaise and Hotel L’Horizon. He said: ‘Over the past decade there has been a surge of interest in art as an investment, fuelled by uncertainty in the property and equity markets, low interest rates and strong media attention. As a consequence Atelier has been increasingly asked to advise clients on the acquisition and disposal of high value works of art and has made some notable purchases for both private and public collections. Major recent acquisitions have included Impressionist and Modern works by Picasso, Miro, Leger, Renoir and Pissarro as well as works by Modern British artists such as Lowry, Ivon Hitchens and Sir William Russell Flint.’
Tel: 01534 855728; Mob: 07797 729231 Email: art@atelierlimited.com Website: www.atelierlimited.com
ATELIER 17th – 20th century paintings
Jonathan and Colette spend a great deal of time on research to identify artists and subjects and also uncover the provenance of works of art. Atelier also provides professional written valuations for insurance, probate and family division for individual pictures or entire collections, including public collections. This is an important aspect of their work and has led them to make some exciting discoveries, often to the surprise and delight of owners. Considering its Jersey roots, it is not surprising that Atelier has built a reputation for offering works of art of Channel Island interest to its clients who receive its regular catalogues in the post and also by e-mail. The company often has pictures by the best known artists associated with Jersey, such as Peter Monamy, Tobias Young, John Le Capelain, Philip John Ouless, Sarah Louisa Kilpack and Edmund Blampied. The business also specialises in atmospheric views of London, the Thames and of the London Docklands in particular. There are always etchings of the Thames available by the brilliant, charismatic artist James Abbott Mc Neill Whistler and by William Lionel Wyllie, the leading British marine painter of the late 19th century. The company has also developed a reputation for early landscapes, portraits and marine paintings and small, exquisite, oil paintings on panel or copper by Dutch or Italian old masters. Quality and condition are of overriding importance.
The Forest Maidens. Sir William Russell Flint PRA, PRWS, RSW, ROI, RE (1880-1969). Oil on panel. 1908. 11 x 15 inches.
ONLINE GALLERY Browse our online gallery at www.atelierlimited.com VALUATIONS & PICTURE RESTORATION Contact: Jonathan & Colette Voak. Atelier Ltd, Le Bourg Farm, Le Grand Bourg, Grouville, Jersey, JE3 9UY. Tel: 01534 855728 art@atelierlimited.com www.atelierlimited.com
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VERSATILITY IS THE KEY… … in Aurum’s new collection, titled ‘Choisir’. Alexa and Richard Blampied talked about the new collection, and the family business Aurum is notable for being manufacturing goldsmiths – and there are not too many of them about, these days. Richard Blampied, who founded Aurum in 1968, said: ‘There are very few in-house workshops, because most pieces are made, on the whole, by machines. It’s possible to have machines making, maybe, 100 rings a day, whereas for us it could take a week or more to make one piece.
JUST before the publication of this winter issue of RURAL, Aurum of Jersey launched its 2016/2017 collection. In the words of Alexa Blampied, Aurum’s designer, ‘versatility is the key’ to the collection - the title of the collection, ‘Choisir’, might be a clue to that versatility. ‘Choisir’ is the culmination of nine months’ worth of hard work to create a collection of around 35 pieces of intricate and versatile jewellery, where the wearer can easily convert the piece from simple to more elaborate. They are created from a variety of beautiful gemstones – with diamonds, rubies, tanzanites, a rare Paraiba tourmaline and an even rarer Padparadscha sapphire among them. Alexa said: ‘Our craftsmen and women relish a challenge and after many, many discussions about the mechanics of how pieces are going to fit together, and a little trial and error experimentation, they then set to work to bring about these amazing creations.’ ’Most pieces have two or three ways of being worn; individual pieces, say, for example, a stud earring and a pendant, can be assimilated together to form a more elaborate long drop earring. Other pieces are reversible, with a simple pattern on one side and an intricate design on the other, so you can choose to show whichever side of the piece you fancy – you can have the best of both worlds: day wear or evening wear! ‘Some of the rings are also reversible and can be ingeniously swivelled to reveal alternative faces; other rings start off as a relatively simple single stone style that can be worn alone for subtlety or slotted into a diamond set surround to create a fabulous cocktail ring, according to your mood.’
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‘Mass production can be very good, but it has taken over so much of the world, the jeweller’s craft included. The small craftsman is rare, nowadays. My love has always been creating bespoke pieces because I am a goldsmith at heart. At Aurum we have seven craftsmen and women at the bench, all making and setting our own jewellery or working on commissioned pieces. Our niche is unique – like our jewellery.’ When Aurum launch their bi-annual collection they open up the courtyard behind the premises allowing guests to enjoy a tour of the building and the workshop. The tour is actually something of a travel back in time, to when the ’West Gate’ of St Helier was at Charing Cross and beside it was the old prison, on the site of what is now Aurum’s premises. The wall of Aurum’s courtyard is, in fact, part of the old town wall. The buildings that house Aurum have been in place in Jersey for hundreds of years – just as Richard’s own family have been in the Island. ‘I love this place deeply,’ he said. ‘My parents were farmers in Trinity, close to where the Steam Museum is now; my grandfather moved there from the family home at La Vieille Charriere in Bouley Bay, the house which my great-great grandfather built.’ These days, Richard works very closely with his family: his two eldest daughters work in the business; Julie oversees much of the day-to-day running of the busy workshop and her sister, Sandie, is Aurum’s accountant; Alexa, his wife, is the designer. Over the generations the Blampieds have always worked together as a family – and that spirit of collaboration, he said, continues to this day.
www.aurumjewellers.co.uk
Project3:Layout 1 04/11/2016 17:23 Page 1
Choisir Collection Designed and handcrafted by Aurum of Jersey
© Aurum Jewellers. All rights reserved
SWEET SINGING IN THE CHOIR Cantabile at Christmas – celebrating the season with some of the most sparkling gems from the rich tradition of sacred song. The chairman, Fred Benest, gives the details
THERE is a wealth of wonderful music in the Island for Advent and Christmas, and Cantabile in particular will celebrate the season with a special choice of repertoire showcasing some of the most sparkling gems from the rich tradition of sacred song. If you come to one of the services at which Cantabile is singing this winter, you’ll be intrigued, engaged and surprised by the wide variety of music performed, and will have the bonus of joining with the choir in singing some of the best-loved hymns and carols in two of Jersey’s wonderful churches – St Lawrence and St Martin. There will be much for lovers of choral music to appreciate - beautiful medieval plainsong, a glorious polyphonic Latin motet from 16th-century Spain, a stirring English anthem from the 19th, Advent & Christmas carols old and new, and recently-composed music by contemporary composers such as Estonian Eriks Ešenvalds, ex-King’s Singer Bob Chilcott, or the Master of the Queen’s Music, Judith Weir.
Cantabile is a friendly mixed chamber choir with 25 members and was founded as ‘The Cantabile Ensemble’ in 2004 by Nick Freeland with the object of supporting local church music on an ecumenical and freelance basis. The choir meets on Tuesday evenings in St Martin’s Parish Church and after an intensive but entertaining evening rehearsing some members retire to the local hostelry conveniently situated across the road from the church. Over the past three years Cantabile has performed in ten Parish churches across the Island, as well as in the C of E churches at St Aubin on the Hill and Gouray. Last May they sang a Latin Mass by Palestrina in St. Thomas’, celebrated by Monsignor Nicholas France, and have been invited back to sing another, this time by Victoria, next May. In addition to singing traditional church music, the choir enjoys singing concerts and special services, last year performing Stainer’s Crucifixion and a service celebrating the contribution of women to church music. A weekend in Normandy to sing at Virey (near Avranches) and Gratot-Hommëel (near Coutances) was hugely enjoyed and the Anglican expat community have re-newed their invitation to join them again next September.
The choir’s conductor, Graham Caldbeck, is Director of Music at St Clement’s Parish Church and joined Cantabile as Musical Director in January 2014. Now freelance, he moved to Jersey in 2012 after pursuing parallel careers in the UK in music education and as choral conductor of several renowned choirs. A choral scholar himself and a former Assistant Organist at St Martin-in-the-Fields and Director of Music at St Mary The Boltons, Chelsea, he is a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists. For Cantabile services, Graham often plays the organ as well as directing the choir, although the choir also performs with wellknown local organists, recent collaborators including Malcolm Whittell, Audrey Tupper, Nick Cabot and Kenneth Francis. The choir’s future programme is posted on its website at https://www.cantabile.org.je, and should you like more information about events please email: friends@Cantabilejersey.com to receive the choir’s newsletter. So, do try to join Cantabile for their Advent Service ‘From Darkness to Light’ in November at St Lawrence and for Nine Lessons and Carols at St Martin in December – everyone is most welcome and, who knows, these celebrations may make the close of 2016 more peaceful, more festive and certainly more harmonious!
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Tino Rossi
DUE CAMPIONI ITALIANI HAMISH MARETT-CROSBY meets two members of Jersey’s Italian community who have celebrated notable achievements this year. TINO ROSSI 50 YEARS AT LA CAPANNINA IN July 1966 Tino opened La Capannina and now, fifty years later, he is still there, if not as cupbearer to the Gods, certainly cupbearer to the establishment. It all seems a very long time ago; a time when non-Italians bought olive oil from the chemist and garlic was for foreigners only. Since then Tino has received awards from his peers in the catering industry as well being decorated with the Capo di Stato (in effect an MBE for services to catering) by the President of Italy. He says it is the customers’ loyalty of over time that pleases him most: ‘I was asked recently, to cater for the engagement of the grand-daughter of a couple of who celebrated their engagement in my restaurant back in the 60s. Three generations of celebrations; that’s something special.’ Of a different nature, one of his lasting memories is the time he banned Fanny Craddock from his restaurant. ‘Criticism is one thing but the personal insults about my staff went beyond the acceptable. Months later she came back and, very politely, I suggested, as she didn’t like it here and as she found my staff unacceptable, that she might like to eat elsewhere. After the usual: ‘Do you know who I am?’ she stormed out with ‘the man’s impertinent’. I was worried,
but not for long, for as the door slammed shut, the whole restaurant burst into spontaneous applause.’ La Capannina does not follow modern fashion, but Tino takes that criticism as a compliment: ‘If I am being criticised for insisting on professional staff who know what they are doing and have the traditional skills and expertise, that’s fine by me,’ he said. ‘I want my restaurant staff to know how to fillet a fish, how to carve saddle of lamb or wild birds and, what is more important, so do my customers. Plate service downgrades waiting skill.’ Tino learnt his skills in Switzerland, France and Italy. Those were the days when successful head waiters organised their own ‘brigades’, hand-picked teams of staff which travelled around Europe’s top hotels: ‘There I learnt such useful accomplishments as not falling over with a tray of food more than once in front of King Farouk,’ he recalled with a smile. Fifty years later and he is still there; the hair line may have receded slightly, but his driving force, and therefore the style, remains; an outpost of continuity and tradition. continues overleaf...
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Handcrafted Furniture of Distinction
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www.pastella.co.uk
Maurizio Marzana
MAURIZIO MARZANA – BON VIVEUR, ST AUBIN: OFFICIAL HONOUR MAURIZIO moved to Jersey for a couple of years to learn English and so improve his prospects; he arrived when the Italians dominated Jersey’s catering industry. Forty four years later (and, by the way, speaking fluent English) he is still here and earlier this year attended the Italian Embassy in London to receive the Stella di Merito del Lavoro (Star of Merit for Work). The ‘Stella’ is awarded to Italian nationals, wherever they live and work, for their achievements in the whole range of professions and areas of commerce. As part of his nomination Maurizio was recognised for his work as chairman of the Jersey Branch of AMIRA, the Italian association of maîtres d’hôtel and restaurant managers. He had worked at five star hotels across Europe before coming to Jersey in 1971. ‘I wanted to improve my English; perhaps learn English would be more truthful. I had heard of Jersey, so I tried my luck and found a place at Hotel L’Horizon.’ He recalls that first taxi ride from the harbour to hotel: ‘The taxi driver drove very slowly with the window open to make hand signals. For an Italian where no one ever signals their intentions
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and drives as fast as they can, it was all very strange; and on the wrong side of the road. The actual arrival at L’Horizon in that beautiful bay has been etched on my mind ever since.’ Everyone likes to see an expert at work and a sense of theatre was part of dining out. ‘That was what we learnt at catering school,’ said Maurizio. ‘How to debone any fish, how to carve a duck or serve a chateaubriand; how to sharpen knives without cutting yourself or wounding a diner! It all takes time but that didn’t matter, if it looked as good as it tasted, you had a satisfied customer.’ Then he added rather self-deprecatingly: ‘If you know what to do, it’s easy to do it.’ Married to Sally with two children, Maurizio has, for over 25 years, been a joint owner of the Bon Viveur, the small hotel/guest house and very busy informal restaurant in St Aubin. ‘It’s our own business; Enzo and I are responsible to no one else. You set out to reach the peak of your profession and become maître d’hôtel at a top place but then you find running your own business a much more powerful attraction.’ *Hamish Marett-Crosby is currently writing a book on the history of the Italian community in Jersey, especially in the catering and hospitality sector
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IN THE KITCHEN Christmas Cocktail recipes with Zoë Horne Cocktails need not be so alcoholic that no can drive afterwards. Here are some alcohol-free cocktails that all family members and guests can enjoy
WINTER SPRITZER Serves 4 300ml cranberry juice 600ml ginger beer caster sugar, to coat the glasses a few sprigs of rosemary a handful of cranberries 1 Distribute the cranberries and rosemary in the ice cube tray, top up with water and freeze until solid. Pour the cranberry and ginger beer into a jug and mix well. 2 Wet the rims of your chosen glasses and dip in the sugar. Put a few ice cubes into the glass and top with the cranberry and ginger beer. Garnish with a sprig of rosemary and serve immediately. Zoë’s Tip: This refreshing drink is delicious as it is, but if you fancy spicing it up why not add some vodka!
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CLEMENTINE MOJITO Serves 4 handful of fresh mint, plus extra to garnish 2 limes, quartered 600ml clementine juice, available from Waitrose 300ml lemonade 1 clementine, quartered, to garnish 1 Tear the mint and divide among 4 glasses, along with the lime quarters. Using a rolling pin or back of a spoon, bash the mint and lime to release the flavours. Top each glass with some crushed ice. 2 Put the clementine juice and lemonade into a jug and give it a stir. Pour the mix into the glasses, garnish with the clementine quarters and a sprig of mint and serve. Zoë’s Tip: Add rum to give this cocktail a kick!
FESTIVE MULLED JUICE Serves 4 1 litre apple juice strips of orange peel
1 Put the apple juice, orange peel, cinnamon stick and cloves into a pan and simmer to infuse for 5-10min. Add the sugar.
4 cloves
2 Pour into the glasses and top with some more orange peel and a cinnamon stick each if you like. Serve immediately.
2tsp caster sugar
Zoë’s Tip: Next time around, replace the apple juice for cider!
1 cinnamon stick, plus extra to garnish
*See Zoe’s website: www.zoes-kitchen.com
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COOKING WITH JERSEY APPLES Following the first part of his article in the last (Autumn) issue of RURAL magazine, VINCENT OBBARD details some recipes particularly suitable for traditional Jersey apple varieties THERE ARE PLENTY OF RECIPES WHICH CAN BE MADE WITH TRADITIONAL JERSEY APPLE VARIETIES. HERE ARE JUST A FEW EXAMPLES OF RECIPES THAT I HAVE MADE AND ENJOYED:
Petit France
Nièr Binet
TARTE TATIN This is a dish using caramelised apples with a lid of flaky pastry turned over when cooked so that the pastry forms the base with the cooked apples on top. My version uses Jersey apples and Jersey butter so will have an individuality of its own. You will need a heavy stainless frying pan (10 inch - 25 cm) with a metal handle, which is safe to use to caramelise the apples and to use to cook the pastry in the oven as well. You will also need a large round serving plate or dish a little larger in diameter than the frying pan. The ingredients are:About 6 - 7 small cooking apples, Nier Binet apples are ideal 100g castor sugar 50g Jersey butter Flaky pastry prepared from 200g plain flour Method:1. Peel, core and quarter the apples. Place butter and sugar in frying pan over a hot ring, stir with a wooden spoon until sugar begins to caramelise. Add the apples. Turn them a few times in the frothy butter and sugar, until they begin to soften, but only just. Remove immediately from stove, push apples to centre of pan, arranging them nicely, and allow to cool completely. 2. Take prepared flaky pastry from fridge and unfold. Roll out to the size of the frying pan. Place on top of partially cooked apples. Place in hot oven (200°C) for about ½ hour or until pastry is golden brown and risen. 3. Remove from oven. Place serving plate on top of pan. Turn over, so that the apple and pastry land securely in the middle of the plate. NOTE! This can be dangerous because of the hot fat and sugar which can splash! It's a good idea to wear an apron, even eye goggles if you want to be on the safe side.
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This dish is equally good hot with cream or ice cream, or cold with coffee.
SPICY APPLE BREAD
APPLE DOUGHNUTS
You will need:A large mixing bowl 2 large bread moulds (9 inches x 4½ inches), greased A mixer with dough hook, (this is optional), I prefer to knead by hand A cup to cream yeast with water
You will need:A mixing bowl A heavy saucepan for frying the doughnuts, or a deep fat fryer Côtard A small sized pastry cutter about 5 cms (5 inches) diameter A piping bag, or, better still, a plastic food syringe with a blunt end (needle not necessary)
The ingredients are:A 1½ kg bag of bread flour. I prefer Waitrose Leckford Estate. As long as the total weight is made up to 1½ kgs, I like to include a small proportion (one quarter is ideal) of stone ground wholemeal flour obtainable from the National Trust for Jersey 50 ml (2 fl oz) olive oil A teaspoon of salt 2 teaspoons of dried yeast (or just 1 teaspoon if you allow to rise overnight) 900 ml of mulled cider, unsweetened A little warm water. The quantity of water + cider should not exceed the 900 ml Caraway seeds
The ingredients are:200g plain flour plus extra for kneading A pinch of salt An egg, beaten 75g butter 75ml milk A teaspoon dried baker's yeast 25g caster sugar and extra for dusting Apple butter to inject into the dough nuts Cooking oil for frying
Method:1. Cream the yeast in the warm water. This means you put the yeast in the cup and add just a few spoons of water to turn the yeast into a watery paste. Leave somewhere warm. After about 15 minutes, the yeast should froth and form a "head" like on beer. There is no need to add any sugar.
Method:1. First cream the yeast with a very little warm water. Leave it in a warm place for about 15 minutes to froth up. Sieve the flour into the bowl with the sugar and pinch of salt. Make a well in the flour mixture and spoon in the yeast.
2. Sift the flour and salt into the large bowl and pour in the oil. Rub it into the flour with your fingers.
2. Melt the butter in a small saucepan, pour in the milk and heat together until just warm. Add to the mixture. Add the beaten egg. Mix into a dough. Knead for 5 minutes before replacing the dough in the bowl and covering with cling film. Leave to rise for at least an hour, depending on the room temperature - the warmer the better, or leave on a cloth covering one of the closed rings of the Aga.
3. Make a well in the flour and pour in the yeast. Cover with flour and leave a few minutes before adding the mulled cider, warmed to blood heat. Mix with a knife to distribute the liquid to form dough as much as you can without having to get your hands in a sticky mess. 4. Turn out the dough on to a floured board and knead for 5 minutes. Or place dough into mixer fitted with dough hook and switch on. 5. When kneaded sufficiently, replace dough in bowl, cover with cling film and leave to rise for at least an hour until dough has doubled in size in a warm place, or leave overnight in a cool place to rise slowly. 6. When you are ready, knock down the dough on the floured board, divide into two and place in the greased tins. Moisten the top with milk and scatter with caraway seeds. Leave to prove until dough has reached the top of the tins. 7. Bake for about 45 minutes in a hot oven (200º C), or until tops have browned and bread is cooked. I can't resist eating this bread hot when the crust is still crunchy - spread with Jersey butter.
3. When risen, roll out to about 1.5 cms (½ inch) thickness and use a pastry cutter to cut into rounds. Set aside for a further ½ hour to prove on a floured surface covered with a clean tea towel. 4. In the meantime heat sufficient oil in the saucepan to cover the doughnuts when cooking - some recipes say till it smokes, but others say not too hot. I would say it must be hot enough so that when you put a doughnut in the oil, it immediately bubbles up around and the dough soon 'inflates' to look like a doughnut. 5. Place the doughnuts in the oil about 4 at a time, turn them over a few times with a slotted spoon until they are uniformly golden brown and cooked. Remove onto a layer of clean kitchen paper. 6. Inject each doughnut with the apple butter. You may need a small knife to make a pilot hole. Finally scatter a little caster sugar on to them. Eat while still warm. For any further information or details about Jersey apple recipes, please contact Vincent Obbard at Samarès Manor. Pictures by Gary Grimshaw and Richard Perchard.
TASTY SURPRISES AT THE CO-OP ANYONE who has not yet visited the Co-op’s Grand Marché store in St Helier is likely to get a very pleasant surprise when they move towards the area of the floor space taken up by charcuterie, cheeses and delicatessen products. The old deli counters have now gone, everything looks more interesting and more conducive to browsing. One simple reason why it looks more inviting is that there have been more than 300 new products added to the delicatessen department’s range. Head of Retail Operations Kenny McDonald expounded on the changes that have taken place: ‘The changes have been across the board in this area. The old “deli” section was admittedly a bit boring before and it was high time that we upgraded it. We have aimed to deliver a more artisan type of deli counter that focused on both local elements and new exciting international foods. ‘So, instead of just sliced cheeses and hams, there are now whole sausages and cheeses on the counter and whole hams hanging from the ceiling above the counter. There is, as well, a much more extensive range of pies, quiches, and international foods than we have had previously.’ His colleagues at the counter invite customers to ‘try before they buy’ and have been trained with the product knowledge to deliver a more specialised customer service. ‘We are really delighted by this new approach,’ Kenny said, ‘and colleagues’ education has taken a very high priority, such as how to serve and preserve the products and to identify and complement flavours. Colleagues have been encouraged to understand their new international range as well as build upon their knowledge of local products; making recommendations and offering products to for customers to sample. ‘We have always been passionate supporters of local produce. But, we knew there was more we could do and the re-design of this department is our way to not only upgrade our offer of products to customers, but also to increase our support for local producers. We have achieved this by increasing the space available on the shop floor and also by working very closely with Genuine Jersey to make sure that the best of what is available locally is on display.’ The new section was recently launched with a number of local producers offering tastings and information about their products to customers. Among them were Jon Hackett of ‘Me and the Farmer’, whose locally-made meat pies, pasties, sausage rolls and scotch eggs are available to buy. Also, there were Mark Ryan and Sam Lemprière from La Manche Smokehouse, offering their oak-smoked Jersey butter and locally smoked salmon. To make the point that local produce includes more than what might be imagined, Kerwin Mohun was exhibiting his ‘Twin Island’ Mauritian chilli sauce. His produce is inspired by his native Mauritius; locally made in St John, hence the name of his ‘Twin Islands’ company – Jersey and Mauritius. Also emphasising the theme of bringing together the best of local produce with an international twist, were the team from the Calvani Group displaying delicious Genuine Jersey fresh pasta, made at La Cantina Restaurant and inspired by Italian cuisine and flavours.
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Head of Retail Operations Kenny McDonald From Yorkshire was Matthew Topping, bringing to the island his award-winning pies. Their excellent range is mainly sold to UK farm shops and famous London food counters, and fits in perfectly with the top quality deli selection at Co-operative Grand Marché. Kenny said: ‘Toppings bake a large variety of products – they even sent a pie to the Queen for her last birthday! A lot of consideration has gone into selecting what we believe our customers will enjoy, so there is something for all tastes and palates.’ From further afield are a range of premier Italian charcuterie and delicatessen products from the Carnevale. These also include flavoured oils and whole wheels of parmesan cheese. The deli range is completed with a fine selection of breads and tapas to compliment the products available. It builds upon the growing popularity of the ‘tapas-style’ of dining. This makeover will also be rolled out in the St Peter branch of the Co-Op’s Grand Marché before Christmas this year, with the two Grand Marché branches in Guernsey following shortly after, which, of course, will give special prominence to local Guernsey products. Kenny added: ‘From a commercial aspect, we want to compete and offer something equally good as our competition, which is essential in this competitive retail age. But also, from our own inclination and preference, we are delighted to introduce this wide range of local and international products to our customers’.
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THE ISLAND’S CHOICE The ‘Island’s Choice’ bakery offers great local baking for local people. Kieranne Grimshaw continues her series on Jersey’s bakeries WITH the increasing popularity of the British Bake Off, people certainly seem to care about what they eat. Without local bakeries, our larger suppliers would doubtlessly have to import the bulk of our bread from the UK, definitely not the best option for an island which appreciates all things local. When you buy your bread, have you ever wondered where it is baked? Joe Pinzari, a true entrepreneur, is someone who has seized the opportunity to set up a bakery of his own. Although not a baker himself, he manages a very committed team at ‘Island’s Choice Bakery’ in order to fill the demand from local supermarkets, corner shops, hotels, restaurants and takeaway outlets. Joe was keen to take up a challenge outside the finance industry, where he works. Four years ago he conducted some research to discover there was a gap in the market for making fresh dough for pizza bases. So, instead of opening a restaurant himself, he approached a finance company, which effectually said ‘just show us the orders’. After checking the figures and negotiating with local restaurants and pizza takeaway outlets, Joe managed to secure sufficient orders and organise the finance to launch his first business in the redundant kitchen and dining room of a once established guesthouse. So, next time you eat a pizza, at least you can be assured that the base is probably locally made and baked. After three months of making pizza dough, Joe expanded to a small bakery and acquired an oven and other bakery equipment. It was then that the bakery traded under the name of ‘Fresh Dough Bakery’. A year later in 2013, there was the announcement of the closure of C I Bakery, resulting in a distinct lack of bread suppliers in the Island. Joe took advantage of the situation to expand the bakery, employing many of the bakers from the former one. The business moved to First Tower Business Park in February over two years ago. In July 2015, a re-branding took place and the name ‘Island’s Choice Bakery’ was established. Business increased year on year and now there are 22 staff employed there on a rota basis, 24 hours, seven days a week. It’s hard to image 2.500 to 3,000 Portuguese rolls being baked in a day, but they are. The proof of the pudding (or rolls) is in the eating, and these rolls sell like hot cakes (well rolls). Their light texture and delicious taste makes these rolls quite sublime. Joe even ensures that the flour is imported from Portugal for an authentic product. The volume and quality of the produce is also impressive: from soft white buns to wholemeal seeded rolls, crusty rustic baguettes to succulent hot cross buns. After baking, an enticing warm smell of warm cinnamon rolls escapes
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Joe Pinzari
from the oven, followed later on by sweet caramel, as freshly baked cakes emerge. This must be one of the best smelling work places around. The business is constantly evolving in order to meet ever changing demands. Joe is always looking for a new product to sell. The latest one being worked on for a specific customer, should be ‘on the market’ soon. This will be a unique Jersey Pannetoni (using Jersey butter), giving it a real cosmopolitan twist. Joe can’t praise the staff enough: ‘They have made the business the success it is today and they keep pushing for it to grow. I just enable them to achieve what they desire,’ he explained. The team work extremely hard, some working through the night and some beginning at 5am. The work is very precise, ensuring measurements of each ingredient is exact for the perfect roll or loaf (quite a challenge when they are produced in such high volumes). When you next eat a bacon roll from a beach café or enjoy breakfast after an overnight stay at a local hotel, spare a thought for these hard working bakers.
Downstairs at the bakery is a deep oven using wooden pellets. Even this is environmentally friendly as only the lights are electric. This is where the bread is baked and there are some vital air conditioning units to control the temperature under the roof, as in the summer it can be roasting. A recent addition is a large slicer machine to slice the freshly baked buns for burgers and other fillings. During the summer season, demand from local take away outlets and supermarkets is high, specifically to meet our needs for those popular beach BBQ’s. Upstairs is the patisserie. Some things never change; nearly everyone enjoys a tasty treat. Perhaps a favourite then, is the doughnut making machine, currently producing approximately 1,000 doughnuts a day. What more does one need? It’s nice to know we have the opportunity to buy local and help with our carbon footprint. Bon appétit. *Contact Details: Joe Pinzari; E-mail: joe@islandschoicebakery.com. Tel: 607019 Facebook: www.facebook.com/islandsChoiceBakery
‘CLASSIC’ CHRISTMAS Orders now being taken for Silver Italian hand-enamelled Saturno animals Stag £1150
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PROTECTION AGAINST THE UNEXPECTED By JIM PURKISS, director of Islands Insurance
THE farming industry has been the bedrock of the Island community for centuries and is still key to maintaining many of Jersey’s customs and traditions, as well as ensuring that large areas of the countryside are properly managed and maintained. In the past, cider and wool production have each had their ‘boom and bust’ heydays, but agricultural activity is now dominated by the planting and export of the Jersey Royal new potato although dairy farming still plays a significant part, principally due to high quality and yield of the milk of the renowned Jersey breed. Notwithstanding the increasingly tight margins, strict protocols, threat of cheap imports, and the size and scale of some of their competitors, farmers and growers also face a series of other risks which could affect the productivity and sustainability of their business. These risks principally relate to factors outside of their control, such as weather, pests and disease, pollution, and changing market conditions, but the rapid advances in equipment and machinery, the cost of land, and the high level of investment required to keep pace with modern farming practices, is significant and has led to a complementary expansion in the range and types of insurance necessary to mitigate those risks.
Cover is available for farm buildings, stock, machinery, vehicles and other essential equipment, and can range from single tractor insurance to a multiple vehicle fleet, and from a premium milker or pedigree bull to full herd insurance. This also extends to the shops and other retail operations which have sprung up on farms in the last 15 years. And with the increasing size and complexity of the vehicles and motorised machinery now in use, and the added consideration of the nature of the island’s roads and relatively large volumes of traffic, special insurance is required, which also includes the loads and goods carried. Recently, in the US, we saw the launch of the driverless tractor, which will again change the nature of farming - and farm insurance. The cost of these vehicles and other specialised equipment can be substantial and so it is vital that the sums insured represent the full replacement value of each item. Having adequate business interruption insurance, to protect against potential loss of income, is also important especially, as in the total loss of a dairy herd, it could take years to rebuild the business.
Islands, the trading name of MJ Touzel (Insurance Brokers) Limited, has been supporting Jersey’s rural and farming community for over 50 years and remains as committed as ever to protecting the interests of its agricultural clients. As well as local knowledge and experience, it also has access to the advice and expertise of its parent company NFU Mutual, the biggest farming insurer in the UK.
As well as cover to protect against loss of crops or livestock through disease or damage, farmers can also protect themselves against the loss of cattle feed, fertiliser or chemicals. There is even insurance to cover livestock who might be injured (sometimes fatally) away from the farm premises – often referred to as ‘straying’. Luckily, one of the more recent incidents, when an escaped cow ended up in someone’s swimming pool, was resolved without any lasting damage to either the animal or the neighbour’s property.
Because of the individual nature of each farm or agricultural operation, farm policies tend to be highly customised, with a range of additional options (and the consequent level of liability) based on the scope and nature of the activities being undertaken. And since some farmers live and work on the same property, elements of domestic and commercial insurance have to be combined.
However, fire and personal injury remain the greatest hazards on farms and so it’s essential that regular risk assessments are carried out. They can also highlight potential environmental liability risks as the subsequent clean-up, compensation or penalty costs resulting from a slurry leak or contamination of the land, property, wildlife or water course can be considerable.
With these double exposures, a loss can be both personally and financially devastating, which is why it’s essential to seek experienced and knowledgeable advice.
In short, it pays to be properly prepared and insured against all manner of risk, so do check that you have the right cover in place.
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PART OF JERSEY’S FARMING HISTORY MIKE STENTIFORD, a trustee of the Howard Davis Farm Trust, recounts the origins and history of the ‘Howard David Farm’ THROUGHOUT this year, the Howard Davis Farm Trust has been delighted to have sponsored all four of Rural Magazine’s ‘What’s for Dinner?’ presentations.
Having generously offered major financial support to his adopted hometown of Durban in South Africa, his return to Jersey was to prove of likewise benefit to his Island home.
As with many other successful grants awarded since the trust was officially launched in 2009, these lectures, given by well-known and respected speakers, would have greatly pleased our Founder, T B Davis.
One of his very first acts of generosity was to ask the States of Jersey to accept, as a gift, the Parkfield house, the attached farm buildings and the adjoining agricultural fields in Trinity.
With the subject matter of each presentation focusing on the vitally important issues of agriculture and the environment, the trustees fully recognise that the legacy of T B Davis continues in the direction intended. Although the public are now aware of the aims of the Howard Davis Farm Trust, the origins of the farm buildings themselves remain, to some extent, generally unknown - despite the current complex of buildings being one of Trinity’s best known working landmarks. History tells us that the property can be traced back to the 16th Century, when records confirm one ‘Louys Blampy’ had a house on the site. Several generations later, the property became known as L’Maison Blancpied. Later still, the buildings came under the ownership of the Aubin family and it was they who took the decision to rename the property ‘Parkfield’. In 1927, the then owner, Jurat Philip Aubin, sold the house to Jerseyman Thomas Benjamin Davis, a transaction that proved a key turning point for the future of the property. T B Davis, as proprietor of a global stevedoring business in South Africa had, during his long career, amassed a considerable fortune.
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The gift, however, was offered under strict conditions that the entire property was to be used solely as an experimental centre for agricultural research and development. Not surprisingly, the States unanimously agreed to these conditions and, in November 1927, the entire complex was officially opened and renamed the Howard Davis Farm. This was specifically in memory of T B Davis’s youngest son who was tragically killed at the Battle of the Somme in 1916. From this time onwards, the Howard Davis Farm has variously become the working hub of the States of Jersey Experimental Farm, the home-base of the Agriculture and Fisheries Department and, more recently, the Department of the Environment. It is primarily the interest on the rental income derived from these departments, including Jersey Dairy, that fund the present grant scheme. From its early days as ‘Parkfield’, the property has enjoyed a diverse and vibrant usage which has contributed greatly to the Island’s rural economy and environment. It is a legacy that, through the work of the Howard Davis Farm Trust, faithfully promises to continue in the way T B Davis intended.
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JÈRRIAIS – A LANGUAGE FOR TODAY The States have voted unanimously to support the educational programme of ‘L’Office du Jèrriais’, following a visit to the Island and presentations by Dr Mari Jones, Reader in French Linguistics at the University of Cambridge
Dr Mari Jones
WHAT is language for? Is it just to communicate efficiently, or does it embody something deeper about who we are? These were some of the questions explored by Dr Mari Jones in a number of presentations during a recent visit to the Island. Mari researches and teaches French linguistics and language change at the French Department of the University of Cambridge. She is also one of the most persuasive advocates of the Island’s historic language, and has recently been invited to lecture on Jèrriais to large audiences in Japan, New Zealand, Germany, France and Sweden. 2016 is an appropriate year to reflect on the Island’s Jèrriais language inheritance. It is the 50th anniversary of the publication of Dr Frank Le Maistre’s Jersey-French Dictionary – and, incidentally, also the 950th anniversary of the Battle of Hastings, when Norman French became the language of the educated élite in England. It is an anniversary that was marked in Jersey by the absence of any commemoration whatsoever. English is an acquired tongue for Mari: her native language is Welsh: ‘I have two languages and two different cultural heritages. I spent my childhood and teenage years in Wales. Near my home were villages and towns with totally Welsh, non-English names, but also places such as Grosmont, Beaumaris, Beaumont and Beaufort, that are not connected to either Welsh or English, but to the Norman conquest and to Britain’s Norman heritage.’
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Her job at the University of Cambridge’s French department gives her an opportunity to study the Norman language in depth. She is also a Fellow of Peterhouse, Cambridge’s oldest College. But why, she was asked, should anyone bother to learn Jèrriais? For most Islanders today surely it has little or no relevance? ‘That is very far from being the truth. If you speak English, then of course it is relevant! As you know, you can hardly construct a sentence in English without using a word of Norman origin. ‘It is also very relevant for young people if it is pointed out to them that they are already using Jèrriais words without even realising it ! I think of my own case: I’ve spoken English all my life. And yet, when I came to Jersey for the first time, I heard words and expressions that I really didn’t understand for example: côtil, branchage, Connétable and, of course, à bétot. And people all over Jersey use these terms! They are using Jèrriais without even realising it. ‘I suggest that in the present climate of globalisation, an awareness of one’s own speech is very important as regards cultural identity. Through Jèrriais, Jersey people can connect with their unique heritage, but also with each other to express their “Jersey-ness” together as a community. Visitors can also enjoy this special flavour of Jersey’s culture. Jèrriais also connects the Island with the wider world. And indeed, another way to encourage people to learn Jèrriais
would be to give prominence to the linguistic links and ties of language culture that exist between Jersey and mainland Normandy. ‘We should also not forget’ she added, that there are considerable advantages to being bilingual. It’s a proven fact that we gain cognitive benefits from speaking more than one language: it improves the memory, for example. ‘Teaching languages to children at school increases their cognitive ability, with the added bonus of teaching them the history and culture of the place in which they are living and making the local geography come alive.’ Mari also set great importance on increasing the visibility of Jèrriais in Jersey everyday life. Teaching it in schools makes the language accessible as does - in a wider context - so putting the language on bank notes, the sides of buses or recycling bins! She was equally enthusiastic about the music of the Badlabecques group which she saw as ‘helping the whole Jersey community share in the linguistic element of Jersey’s identity’. ‘Jèrriais and its culture are relevant to all Jersey people as it emphasises the Island’s shared linguistic identity. ‘If Jèrriais is allowed to die, it will be gone for ever. Auregnais, the Norman French language of Alderney, has ceased to be spoken and will never be heard again. In my view, the Jersey community should nurture the unique linguistic heritage it is so lucky to have – before it is too late.’
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JERSEY’S ENVIRONMENT Who is its friend? Hard to find one in government, in the opinion of JOHN YOUNG ENVIRONMENTAL policy generally tends to mirror our economy. In boom times when resources allow, politicians support the environment. In a recession, the environment is first in line for budget cuts. Jersey is no different. Today our environment does not warrant a mention in the Council of Ministers strategic plan. Finance and the economy dominate. Jersey is changing irrevocably. During the 1980’s boom an environmental adviser was established at the heart of Government to develop sustainable government policies. The States approved an Environmental charter. The former IDC role was expanded to include responsibility for the environment. Resources were released to build a team to introduce best environmental practice and set up a new regulatory framework. Hearts and mind were won in support of our environment. In 2002, a new Island Plan set strong new planning policies. A new planning law was passed with stronger powers. The agricultural and land control functions moved to the department from the agriculture department, as did water resources from public works. New legislation for water resource management, water pollution, and wildlife protection followed. As the first Council of Ministers took up office, hopes were high that Jersey would put its special environment first. Sadly that promise has been lost. Things started to go wrong as Jersey replaced Committees with Ministers. Despite the poacher/gamekeeper conflict, public services and the environment roles were merged, only to be unmerged a year later. The States ducked the vital question of how one Minister who was responsible for planning and development could at the same time protect the environment. The fudge of having an assistant minister with no teeth still remains despite several States debates. Today, planning decisions have been delegated to Planning officers and a States appointed Planning Committee, which incredibly has no part in setting planning policy. The assistant minster role is even more diluted, as the two politicians share other roles. We have no political champion for the environment. The damaging consequences for Jersey are now becoming very apparent. Conserving our historic town, its history and culture is vital, not only to town residents and businesses but to developing Tourism. With 25% of Jersey’s land area now developed and with uncontrolled population growth, it is no wonder that our historic town of St Helier is under such pressure to accommodate
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high density housing development. The recent cultural strategy produced by Jersey Heritage bemoaned the loss of heritage buildings and damage to the streetscape. The States themselves through SOJDC promote a finance-led alternative vision for St Helier, wall-to-wall offices, sterile streets and fast food joints at the waterfront. This is far removed from the Andrews Downie waterfront vision of a world class waterfront in 1990. The States show no sign of any environmental policy initiatives. The energy policy in 2014 identified the huge opportunities available for renewable energy, energy conservation and electric vehicles. There are no signs of any implementation. Town traffic is close to gridlock; the air in town is polluted by toxic vehicle fumes, now similar to UK cities. We need to face the real costs of the traffic borne by the environment. Old vehicles are the worst polluters; our vehicle population now exceeds the number of people in Jersey. Cheap motoring is no longer sustainable. Increased charges can finance public transport. Will the town road network come to a complete halt before we face the reality? The recent state of the environment report was truly shocking, reporting red lights to the nitrate level in our water supplies which are the highest in Europe, ground water pollution from pesticides, and heavy metal run off from urban areas. There is a huge decline of our wildlife through loss of habitat. Our recycling of waste falls well short of our capability. We can no longer afford to take our environment for granted. At the last by-election there was no focus on green policy issues. Understandably the short term crisis we face took priority. But all of us need to look to the longer term future of Jersey. We must be open to more radical policies which have long term environmental benefit. We have to control our population. We need States priorities to give greater priority to environment. We all need to ensure the environment we pass on to future generations is at least as good as that we have enjoyed.
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LETTER TO THE EDITOR PERCEPTIONS FROM ABROAD With reference to the Article in RURAL’S summer issue, by John Young, titled ‘IS JERSEY’S BUILT HERITAGE SAFE IN STATES HANDS? ‘DEAR EDITOR, Recently I came back from my third trip to Jersey in 23 years. When I sat down in the evening and after I had read the above article, I had mixed feelings contrary to the ones I had after the previous two trips. It made me decide to write this letter and share my experiences and thoughts. In 1993, a friend and I decided to go to Jersey for a week due to what we had seen in the Bergerac series. We were enthusiastic when going and even more enthusiastic after the return. We had seen the Jersey atmosphere: very social, truly adult and responsible, people living in a truly astonishing island with lovely architecture, wonderful heritage and with beautiful nature and products to offer. In 2007, a year after I had met my wife, I decided to share the ‘Channel Island experience’ with her and we went island hopping. After the visits to Guernsey, Herm and Sark (a pity there was no ferry to Alderney available) I was sad to see that the previous view of St Helier from the sea was blocked with modern architecture. I have nothing against modern architecture when it harmonises with its surroundings, but this was blocking or overwhelming the old. I also noticed that the amount of traffic had risen on the roads in and around the capital. After this trip I came home with the hope that there would be no further changes. Now in 2016, after 14 days in the Island, I see cracks in the Jersey atmosphere. I saw even more crowded streets, with traffic light sprinters, motors being revved up more than necessary, impatient road users, more inappropriate modern architecture. Prices of property had also risen to absurd and unreasonable heights. Also, I have got nothing against guest-workers, but being served at shops by no one but foreign workers – not all of them very friendly - worries me. I also had thought that it wasn’t easy to become a resident and employee, but I now have the impression that it is rather easy. There were a couple of more items that worried me, but I think I have already mentioned enough! I ask myself: ‘Are the Channel Islands falling into the hands of profiteers? Is every square metre going to be used to get more people to settle in the Island and who will just consume more? Is the Channel-Island experience going to be increasingly superficial? Are more and more people going to be fooled with what they get for their money? Is Jersey going to be left in ruins after so many years of over investing, over consuming,
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fast returns on investment and earning huge profits? Is the “Jerseyness” disappearing? I always had and still have the impression that the Islands are able to set an example of how adult life should be, regarding social behaviour, business practice, fishery and farming, tourism and heritage management. The islands are ‘small worlds’ which can be overviewed more easily and all the effects of humans and their needs and behaviour can be seen/measured more quickly. Therefore, the way to a more adult, sustainable and environmentally neutral way of life can be paved more easily too. What I want to say is: ‘Please “hit the brakes” and don’t let your Island be ruined by stupid behaviour and plans. Set aside the financial and personal profits and be more critical (in an adult way) to who is allowed to live and work in the Island. Set up an architectural supervision body which can cooperate with Jersey Heritage and nature organisations regarding developments. Set the political and economical vision to the growth in quality, not quantity. And please, please, keep the local Jersey and Channel Island atmosphere intact and preferably, let it grow, I want to visit and learn from the Channel Islands more frequently in the future.’ From N.J.E Pesch Beek (Limburg) Netherlands
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MARILYN LEONARD:Layout 1 07/11/2016 06:25 Page 1
Marilyn Leonard on site
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RURAL Winter 2016
FROM EMPTY SHELL TO FAMILY HOME A Victorian house in Trinity, which has lain empty for many years, is being sensitively renovated to ensure its unusual features are retained and celebrated as part of a project to create a family home VALE VIEW, which was built in 1837 – the same year that Queen Victoria ascended the throne – is a listed building of special architectural and historical interest. The Trinity dwelling, which can be found along La Profonde Rue, is also of special interest to Marilyn Leonard, the managing director of local firm Keystone Builders. She delights in discovering old Jersey houses which need something a little bit extra to bring them back to life. ‘I looked at Vale View initially for myself about seven years ago but I think it was taken off the market for a while. It is a beautiful property – I really like the symmetry of the house and it has well-proportioned rooms. As you walk in, it has a beautiful energy about it,’ she said. Vale View was built for Jean Pierre Herivel between September and December 1837. It is described by the Planning and Environment Department as ‘a well preserved example of a three-bay country house of the period which largely retains its authentic fabric, plan form and interior features – most notably its joinery. Noteworthy elements include unusual 16-pane sash windows, a mahogany staircase with stick balusters, panelled doors and moulded chimney pieces with integral flanking cupboards.’
An integral garage will also be created served by a new driveway to provide safer access onto the road. ‘When we began work on the outhouse we found a lovely wash tub, which is a bit rusty, and we will find a use for it,’ said Marilyn. The main house has two rooms on the ground floor, three bedrooms on the first floor and an attic above featuring original wood panelling. A small extension on the roadside was probably built quite soon after the property was first built. ‘The fireplaces in two of the three upstairs bedrooms really are quite beautiful and they will be retained although those downstairs were probably put in around the middle of the 20th Century so they have been removed. We are now trying to source some more from the Victorian period as replacements,’ Marilyn explained. The property has sash windows each of which has 16 panes of glass. ‘We will be taking great care to repair any rotten wood and replace any broken glass with traditionally-made historic glass - if you look closely, the glass has a ripple effect,’ said Marilyn.
Marilyn is looking forward to creating not just a house but a family home and, as a result, she is working closely with the new owners to make sure the property will meet their requirements.
The stained glass in the front door will also be retained despite probably originating from the later Edwardian era and the Welsh tiles on the roof will be carefully lifted and stored while repair work is carried out before being reused.
‘Vale View is a little bit of Jersey history and we are taking a lot of care to ensure we can turn it into the family’s dream home while still retaining its character,’ she said.
Marilyn is keen to ensure that as much of Vale View’s past can be incorporated into its future as a reminder of the significance of history in our lives and as a way of honouring the memories of those who may have lived there over the years.
A derelict outhouse, which could not be saved, has been demolished and, in its place, a new two-storey extension will be built incorporating a kitchen/family room on the ground floor and a master bedroom above with an ensuite bathroom.
RURAL
NATURE HAS ALL THE ANSWERS A series on natural health, by our columnist, Diana Mossop
RIGHT FROM THE START - ADULTHOOD Growing up is fun but being adult may come with many complications and responsibilities. THERE is no doubt that modern life throws many challenges at young adults today. ‘Financial complications’ seems to be high on the list. Young couples save to get married, but once married, along come the mortgages and extra expenses. Often both have jobs but then babies come along and finances become even more stretched. Often young mothers have to go back to work too early after having their babies, this can be frustrating and sad. Tragically being a stayat-home-mum is a luxury that many people cannot afford. Financial stress and pressure can be so destructive and cause serious breakdown in relationships. Another complication of adulthood today seems to be loneliness and with loneliness comes depression. Loneliness may occur as a result of working long hours, working on one’s own - especially on computers - and not having enough time to have fun and relax. You have heard the old saying: ‘8 hours work, 8 hours play and 8 hours sleep.’ Well this is as true today as ever! It is truly heart breaking that people are ashamed of being lonely and this seems to make the problem worse. Unfortunately there are huge
complications in modern society with relationships. There are many reasons why relationships do or don't work between two people. Modern expectations of the perfect partnership are monumentally skewed by the media. How we are raised and the type of education that we have play important roles in our ability to form good relationships. Children from happy homes seem to find it much easier to form good relationships. Often, if we have suffered a bad situation, either in the home, whilst growing up, or in a social situation this creates great loss of selfesteem and lack of confidence. We often blame a new love for the past traumas that we have suffered. Not having anyone in one’s life to love or be loved by can be cripplingly distressing causing depression, even to the extreme of serious illness. Fortunately there are so many wonderful opportunities to meet people and make friends, such as sporting activities, joining clubs, and planning events and outings. It is so valuable to have a date in the diary to look forward to. One of the most rewarding ways of meeting people is to join a charitable organisation and there are many that are quite desperate for helpers and volunteers. It is fun, rewarding and above all one meets other likeminded people and often make wonderful close friends with exceptional people. Of course I favour St John Ambulance, an exceptional charity that offers amazing friendship as well as life saving ‘Life skills’. Being able to save someone’s life whether it is your parent, child, grandchild, friend or even a stranger is most rewarding. Some simple ways of enhancing your life. * Always have delicious bowls of fresh food that you can help yourself to whenever feeling hungry. This prevents you from attacking the biscuit/ sweet tin! * Plenty of fresh air and exercise there is no excuse in Jersey. * Get up 10 minutes early and go for a short walk or run to get some fresh air into your lungs - or better still, get a dog. They will force you to go for walks in wind, rain or sun. * Have a pet – it will give you unconditional love! * Treat yourself or your family to something unusual or unexpected. * Invite friends around for an impromptu night out or in! * Cut back on excessive use of electronic tablets and WiFi which are dangerous, especially for children. * Eat meals at the table with the family which is such fun and good for everyone. * Always leave the house with a good word. Never end a conversation on a hostile note. * Spiritual health is just as important as physical health. For more information, e-mail info@phytob.com www.dianamossop.com Or phone Diana Mossop Clinic 01534 738737
RURAL
LE VIEUX MOULIN AT HÉDÉ
A few facts about the ‘Old Mill‘ Hotel and Restaurant at Hédé, north of Rennes, by its co-owner, VIRGINIE GOODWIN • The building that is now the hotel and restaurant was a paper mill – until it was set on fire by its owners due to family quarrels. • The house was bought by a Monsieur Pierre in 1942 and converted into a hotel by him, after his own hotel in Beauvais was bombarded and he found refuge in Brittany, where he had a family. He managed to rebuild during these hard times by exchanging food for building materials. The fact that mainly German high ranking officers came to eat gave him the reputation of being a collaborateur. The rumour has it that Rommel stayed within its walls.
* To reach us from Saint-Malo, take the fast road towards Rennes and turn off at the exit marked Hédé; once off the fast road turn left towards Tinténiac and Le Vieux Moulin is on the right at the roundabout. Keep going straight on, do not go into the village.
• The village children of that time who are now in their eighties say that this was the only place where you could get vanilla ice cream during these difficult times. Indeed they had a secret fridge that they could switch off from reception when the German army came in to commandeer food. • It was a very renowned 3-Star hotel for many years and we have found its recipes in the Larousse de la Cuisine. • M. Pierre died in 1952 and the Piro family ran it until 1998. There was a short transition of six years with a southern family who sold it to us in 2004. • Fergal Goodwin, my husband, used to work in high quality establishments in London such as Simpsons and Le Jardin des Gourmets. I also worked in London, in the coffee business. • The building and refurbishment work have been colossal since but we are slowly getting it back to its glorious days. We are planning a three-bedroom extension (one with disabled access) for 2018.
SPECIAL OFFER! Two nights B&B for 150.00€ for two, subject to availability. Please quote code VM001 when booking. Offer available from December 2016 to April 2017 (except bank holidays)
• Fergal has a preference for fish dishes and all our guests say his foie gras is to die for! • Our guests’ satisfaction is our foremost priority and I believe we achieve it through genuine care and efficient customer service. • The mill can cater for up to 60 in the main restaurant and 25 in the other banqueting room. We offer outdoor dining in the summer. • We are on the Canal Ille-et-Rance, which goes from Rennes to St Malo passing through Dinan, and we welcome many cycling guests as well as walkers. We do rent bicycles for the day. Ideally located for a short break, we are only 45 minutes from Mont St Michel.
Le Vieux Moulin • The Valley of the Mills 35630 HEDE-BAZOUGES BOOKING +33 2 99 45 45 70
www.levieuxmoulin-hede.com
PASTELLA Charles Yorke Kitchens at Pastella Ceramics
CHARLES YORKE’S bespoke furniture making - their heritage and experience is clear in all the kitchens produced. They range from the traditional style of the Edwardian kitchen, with handpainted finishes and ornate, finely crafted details, through to the expert use of exotic veneers in more contemporary ranges such as the Valencia.
From initial thoughts to the final day of installation, Pastella will be there every step of the way. Following a free initial design consultation, either in the showroom or at home, see a presentation of ideas brought to life. Only when absolutely everything meets with approval, will the talented design team ensure those ideas turn into a reality.
Bespoke furniture, by its very nature, is endlessly versatile, giving you much scope for individuality. Every need can be tailored for, from awkward corners to specific storage requirements. Attention to detail is important to Charles Yorke, as it is one of the elements that give its highly engineered furniture a little extra luxury and originality.
If you’d like to arrange a free design consultation for your new Charles Yorke Kitchen, please speak to a member of the Pastella design team or visit their showroom.
Nothing compares to exploring one of these breathtaking kitchens in the flesh. Important inspiration, something which a brochure can never compete with, can be found at Pastella Ceramics’ showroom, boasting stunning Charles Yorke Florentine and Porto displays.
Monday – Saturday 8.30am - 5.00pm
As a family run hotel and so as to keep it this way, Chantal et Pascal Duval manage the place in a friendly and warm atmosphere, while offering quality services. Four stars grade Hotel for a wonderful and comfortable stay : lovely large rooms, a heated-up indoor swimming-pool with a Jacuzzi, and a quiet and peaceful private garden. Olivier Valade, our Head Chef and his qualified team will ensure a gastronomic journey full of surprises and discoveries for your senses, combining with subtlety worldwide tastes and local fresh produce. With one Michelin Star awarded this year, Olivier creates recipes and dishes to equally ravish and astound gourmet diners, whether they be confirmed or newbies.
A stone’s throw from Saint-Malo and within minute s of the Baie of the Mont Saint-Michel our four-star hotel welcomes you with a warm and friendly atmosphere. Need to relax? Our facilities include an indoor swimming pool, a sauna and a Jacuzzi. Olivier Valade, our Michelin-starred chef, creates memorable culinary experiences thoughout the year sourcing local produce from the « Pays des Ondes » and the « Baie de Cancale ».
Maison Tirel Guerin – Restaurant « La Gouesnière » 1, Le Limonay – 35350 Saint-Méloir-des-Ondes – France 0033 2 99 89 10 46 – www.tirelguerin.com – resa@tirelguerin.com
WHAT’S FOR DINNER? THE FUTURE OF FARMING AND FOOD PRODUCTION – IN JERSEY AND ELSEWHERE What sort of farming do we want in the future? Is there still a viable place for the small mixed farm? Can we – and should we – give more emphasis to producing more food locally for local consumption? Can we still combine agriculture with a traditional countryside and plenty of diverse wildlife?
A series of four UK speaker events in 2016 organised by
RURAL – Jersey Country Life magazine and sponsored by the Howard Davis Farm Trust The last in this 2016 series of talks will take place at the Royal Jersey Showground (Royal Jersey Agricultural and Horticultural Society, Trinity) Thursday, 24 November: starting time: 8pm.
The last speaker in the 2016 series: DAVID WILSON 24 November at 8pm The subject of his talk: ‘THE
ADVANTAGES OF GROWING AND SELLING IRREGULARLY-SHAPED CARROTS!’
FREE PUBLIC EVENT TO REGISTER, OR FOR DETAILS OF FUTURE EVENTS THIS YEAR E-mail: alasdair.crosby@ruraljersey.co.uk or call Alasdair Crosby on: 865334
NEXT SPEAKER:
David Wilson LVO, Manager of the Prince of Wales' organic farm at Highgrove.
His theme: 'The advantages of growing and selling irregularly-shaped carrots!' See website: http://thefarmerandhisprince.com/index.php/derfilm -4/129-wilson-2
David has been Farm Manager at the Duchy Home Farm since it was established in 1985. The farm, comprising 1,900 acres of organically managed land, is used to demonstrate organic production methods both as a commercial working farm and through a number of research projects. David served on the Soil Association Council from 1999 to 2005 and was made Honorary Life member. He is a committee member on the Royal Agricultural University School of Agriculture Advisory Board and a member of the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust Farming Committee. Enterprises on the farm include: Dairy (180 Ayrshire cows) selling milk through the Organic Milk Suppliers Co-operative into Waitrose under the Duchy Originals label. Beef and lamb are sold both locally and through the organic livestock marketing Co-operative. Rare breed pigs are used for the production of charcuterie which is sold through Fortnum & Mason and for the Royal Household. Wheat and rye is sold to Shipton Mill, our local mill, and made into flour for both the Duchy Original biscuits and also artisan bakers. The heritage barley goes to Warminster Maltings and is used for brewing both local beer and Duchy Ale. Oats are sold to Morning Foods where they are processed for oats and biscuits. Vegetables are marketed locally through a stall and honesty box, as well as supplying other box schemes and local pubs and restaurants. For his talk in Jersey on 24 November, David says: ‘According to Professor Jules Pretty of Essex University, we are using five planets worth of resource, which is obviously not sustainable. There is no doubt we need to tread more lightly on our planet and, with a still rapidly expanding population, this will not be easy. Couple this with climate change and fossil fuel depletion; we need to think about all aspects of our lives in terms of sustainability if we are to survive.
‘The sustainable production of food is an absolutely key element of this and my talk will cover fundamentals of organic farming methods including rotation, closed circles, reduction of purchased inputs, moving into soil health and linking into our own health, covering areas such as genetic diversity, soil and gut biomes, multinational control, food security and animal welfare.’ There will be limited quantities of books by the previous two speakers Colin Tudge and Andrew Whitley, available for sale from the rear of the lecture room at the end of the evening. *This is a free event with a retiring collection, but we only ask that those wishing to come should register with acrosby@live.co.uk or telephone 865334 so we can keep track of numbers coming.
LOUISE THE ELF:Layout 1 04/11/2016 19:04 Page 1
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RURAL Winter 2016
THE ELF SERVICE AT RANSOMS As Louise Macleod prepares to leave Jersey after 18 years, she was asked by TERRY NEALE about her rise from Christmas elf to Ransoms store manager ONCE upon a time, in November 1998 to be precise, a Christmas elf arrived at Ransoms Garden Centre to give Santa Claus some much-needed help in his grotto. Eighteen years on that elf, who in human form is better known as Louise Macleod, is not only still there but has risen to the exalted rank of store manager. It is a magical story which all started in the traditional home of the ‘Little People’ itself – on the east coast of Ireland. ‘I come from County Wicklow where I qualified as a chef in 1998,’ said Louise. ‘I was 22 in October that year and just before my birthday my mum took me and my two close friends aside and said: “What are you going to do with your lives?” We told her that we were going off together to see the world and four days after my birthday we flew to Cardiff.’ As a first step on this mission of global exploration, Cardiff proved to be wet, miserable and rather disappointing, so the girls booked themselves a trip to Tenerife. Two weeks later, with most of their money spent and the dream of world travel fading rapidly, they returned to London. Undaunted, Louise and her friends decided to head for Paris in the hope of finding work. ‘It was then we realised that none of us could speak French,’ she explained. Faced with this linguistic challenge, and with job hunting resulting in little more than a succession of Gallic shrugs, the trio took a train for St Malo where they boarded a boat for Jersey. The first port of call – as, no doubt, has been the case for adventuring globe trotters since Phileas Fogg was a lad – was Simple Simon’s café in Charing Cross. ‘A kind lady there advised me to buy a copy of the JEP, which I did, and I saw an advert for a job at Ransoms. I went for an interview, told Katherine Ransom my whole story – including that I was down to my last £60 – and she took me on. I was late on my first morning.’ Perhaps it was a punishment for her first-day tardiness, but a week later Father Christmas flew into Ransoms and Louise found herself sitting on a bale of hay greeting the children and sending them in to visit the merry old chap in his grotto. ‘It was lovely,’ she said. ‘The children were so excited. It was just a magical experience. It was a real eye-opener for me; I had no idea just how long it took to build a grotto and prepare a large store for Christmas. I didn’t appreciate just how much went into it all. When it was all over, I asked to be allowed to stay.’
Louise’s Christmas wish was granted, but how did she make the transition from elf service to customer service? ‘I began by working on the tills and gaining experience of the different departments,’ she explained. ‘I quickly felt that I was part of something special. I had no family in the Island but the Ransoms’ team looked after me – it is such a loving and caring place in which to work. They taught me how to be a caring manager.’ That caring ethos, Louise believes, is also evident to customers. Ransoms has been celebrating its golden anniversary this year and the welcoming atmosphere of the store has much to do with its longevity. ‘People come to Ransoms because they really want to come here,’ she stressed. ‘It is such a lovely environment. ‘I think that you try harder when you work in a busy environment. Everybody works hard here and is a part of the team. I have never driven to Ransoms in the morning feeling that I did not want to be going to work.’ Louise’s route to the top took her through the store’s gift section and then on to a spell of running the clothing department. She then trained as a gift buyer and supervisor. Visits to trade fares came next, at which Christmas items featured on her shopping list. She became store manager about four or five years ago. ‘The person who was general manager at the time retired and I applied for the job – even though I knew I couldn’t do it because I didn’t have the horticultural experience. Katherine and Rebecca Ransom decided to split the role and I became the shop manager while someone else ran the plant side.’ Sadly though, the time has come for Louise to embark on the next stage of that long-abandoned world voyage – well, over the sea to Skye, at least. ‘My husband, Donald, comes from Skye and we both rather miss our families. He will run a family croft there with sheep and chickens, but we both plan to do less work and spend more time together. I will finish at Ransoms on the 16th of December and we will be on the boat to Skye the very next day.’ It is difficult to imagine this popular and energetic store manager living a life ‘free of work’ and she readily admits that she will almost certainly find something to do; go back to her cooking roots, maybe, and run a bed and breakfast establishment. In the meantime, no doubt, her friends and colleagues at Ransoms will raise a glass – and wish her the very best of elf!
RURAL
CHRISTMAS TREES:Layout 1 04/11/2016 19:07 Page 1
Today we don’t use Yew trees; apples have become baubles; colour paper is now tinsel and tree trim with ‘sweets and tapers’ has become today’s Christmas light strings. Although our trees are now 21st Century models, they are still one of the strongest anchors we have to make our homes ‘look like it is Christmas’.
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RURAL Winter 2016
A TREE IS NOT JUST FOR CHRISTMAS REBECCA RANSOM writes on that essential component of a family Christmas – the traditional Christmas tree ALTHOUGH it is popularly believed that Prince Albert started the trend for the Christmas tree, they were in fact around much earlier. It was the lesser known Queen Charlotte, the German wife of King George III, that brought the idea with her from her home country in 1800. Legend has it, that it was ‘Teutonic’ Martin Luther, the religious reformer, who invented the Christmas tree as a symbolic reference to Christ and the heavens. However, it probably pre-dates Martin Luther to a more pagan start up. It was sequestered by him for religious symbolism and to over-ride pagan beliefs and certainly by 1605 decorated Christmas trees had made their appearance in Southern Germany. It was in that year that an anonymous writer recorded how at Yuletide the inhabitants of Strasbourg ‘set up fir trees in the parlours... and hung thereon roses cut out of many-coloured paper, apples, wafers, gold-foil, sweets, etc.’ Queen Charlotte would bring a large yew bough into the house and decorate it. Then one year she decided to pot up an entire Yew tree and decorate the whole tree instead. The idea continued in a small way until Prince Albert, in tandem with the introduction of more modern printing presses, circulated the idea throughout Britain. Today we don’t use Yew trees; apples have become baubles; colour paper is now tinsel and tree trim with ‘sweets and tapers’ has become today’s Christmas light strings. Although our trees are now 21st Century models, they are still one of the strongest anchors we have to make our homes ‘look like it is Christmas’. There are several varieties of Christmas trees that you can buy, with the most popular in the UK being the Nordmann Fir (Abies nordmanniana). Although not as scented as the classic Christmas tree (Picea abies), the needles last longer and when they do drop, they are less painful on bare feet! There is also the beautiful but heavier Noble Fir, Abies procera.
Trees are chipped and netted BUYING YOUR TREE • Decide where the tree is going in your house and measure the room height (allow for the tree stand) and the diameter of the space. • Decide how many decorations you want, remembering that sometimes trees can be so full that decorating can present quite a challenge. • Choose the freshest tree you can find. • You can also buy trees in a pot but do ensure that it has been ‘grown in a pot’ and is not one that has been field-grown and only subsequently put into a pot. CARING FOR THE TREE • When you get your tree home, saw a couple of inches off the bottom of the trunk before setting it in water. • If you can delay putting your tree up until a couple of weeks before Christmas, leaving it somewhere cool helps its longevity. • Watering is critical. A freshly-cut tree can consume a gallon of water in 24 hours! • Fill the tree stand with water and keep it filled. • Never let the water level go below the tree’s base. • When indoors, keep the tree away from heating ducts or other heat sources. In fact, the lower the temperature, the better the tree will do. AFTER CHRISTMAS • Create a bird feeder and haven by stringing your tree with orange slices, bread, cranberry, and other bird-friendly goodies like fat-balls and feeders and place it in a sheltered location. • Remove the branches and use them as mulch in the garden. • A fir tree’s foliage can be used for stuffing small, fragranced pillows. • Or simply use the Jersey Hospice Tree Collection scheme where for a donation they will come and collect the tree from your address and get it taken to the green waste site for chipping. Register online at www.jerseyhospicecare.com
Nordmann trees in blocks
RURAL
A CHANGE OF VEHICLE… … and a change in routine: the owner of the Glencoe company, SIMON DRIEU, for once test drives (rather than auctions) the new Kia Niro First Edition 1.6 Gdi DCT Hybrid UPON taking delivery of the new Kia Niro crossover from Robin Henwood of Bel Royal Motors I wondered what I had let myself in for. My usual drive is a sizeable 4 x 4 with a hefty diesel engine and parked before me was this hatchback or estate (or was it a SUV?). In fact it is a Crossover - a product of pedigree breeding. Keyless entry provided access and the driver’s seat gracefully retreated to facilitate my landing into the leather upholstered seat. Gadgetry within was plentiful; a generous computer screen offering all manner of information from engine and battery performance; climate control, telephone, audio and Advanced Driving Assistance pack (ADAP) – a reversing camera to you and me! Upon pressing the ‘Start’ button I was subjected to an eerie silence, nothing, no engine noise at all – very unnerving. Selecting ‘drive’ from the automatic transmission and disengagement of the parking brake I applied a small amount of pressure to the throttle pedal and off we went in total silence. This quiet process was one aspect that really did take some getting used to but I soon happily adapted to it. Out on the road the Niro was very pleasant to drive. It was exceptionally smooth whilst alternating between its battery power and petrol engine. With its automatic transmission (which is always my preference) making it perfect for the local ‘stop-start’ way of driving. Performance and handling were crisp and pleasant. With fuel economy reaching almost 75 miles per gallon, the fuel gauge hardly moves and for those ‘techies’ among us the computer uses various graphics to communicate the vehicle performance. The interior is ergonomically perfect with all the controls falling to hand beautifully. There is plentiful leg room in the back and the boot is cavernous. All in all I really enjoyed my time with the Niro. As I said earlier I normally drive a conventional diesel 4 x 4 and if I’m honest I really did expect the Niro to be a bit bland how wrong I was! A very comfortable, energetic, well equipped hybrid with exceptional fuel economy and you even get the added benefit of a seven year warranty.
RURAL
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A BIRD’S EYE VIEW OF WINTER The wind it doth blow and we shall have snow – and what will the birdies do then, poor things? MIKE STENTIFORD, Jersey’s ‘bird man’, gives us the answer THERE can be few better reasons for appreciating our very own duvet comfort zone than when reading a book at bedtime with the rain lashing down outside and the wind blowing harder than a regiment of pipers. Despite a comforting glow of satisfaction in such situations, I have to confess to having a smidgen of mind-wandering as to how the outdoor fur and feather brigade cope under such adverse conditions. It’s a tough old life out there in the jungle and we can only imagine the kind of - preferably weatherproof - shelter wildlife manages to find. For the majority of small roosting land birds that depend on tree cover for their overnight accommodation, there’s one obvious problem during winter: an absence of leaves. But, being the visionary souls most of them are, there’s always Plan B. Held in reliable reserve for such extreme conditions are conifer trees and ever dependent clusters of ivy, both offering the best and safest of overnight protection. Ivy, in particular, proves a safe bet by providing the best of ‘creature comforts’; something worth thinking about when next declaring unconditional winter war on any luxuriant blanket of ivy.
While land birds have the undoubted benefit of overnight shelter, it’s a luxury that’s well beyond the dreams, or indeed the requirements, of sea and shorebirds. Being attuned to a life at sea, birds such as puffins, razorbills and guillemots spend the entire winter out on the open water; a somewhat precarious place to be considering the malevolence of some of our winter storms. Thanks to information gained from recovered bird-rings, both of these species are known to spend the entire winter navigating their way around the English Channel. Where puffins carry out their seasonal ‘wave bobbing’, however, is a bit of a mystery although the assumption is that they spread themselves out across the North Sea. Whichever location they choose, it’s an unenviable existence for such comparatively small seabirds. But, what then the likely precautionary measures afforded birds such as waders and Brent geese throughout such overnight storm and tempest? To be honest, there’s no accepted night or day on the schedules of these particular maritime specialists. Should the tide be low on any dark, wet and windy night, it’s business as usual for the wide-awake birds as they capitalise on the edible goodies on offer along the tideline.
We might, on the other hand, imagine that abandoned bird-boxes also rate pretty highly on a small bird’s list of B & B opportunities.
If, on the other hand, the tide is high then it’s a matter of reserving a wind-protected position alongside others of their ilk on an offshore reef or islet.
By and large, however, such overnight accommodation is only taken up when temperatures decide to go into serious sub-zero freefall.
Either way, it’s easy to become hugely impressed by such tough and remorseful lifestyles.
Certainly when it comes to procuring any available unoccupied nest-box, wrens are known to be the indisputable masters of the winter ‘huddle’.
I guess we’re more than content to stick to our bell, book, candle - and duvet.
As for us humans?
The remarkable thing is that, following such wet and windy nights, birds seem to be out and about at first light pecking at the breakfast crumbs in the perkiest of conditions. In a word, they’re all a mite tougher and far more resilient than we sometimes imagine.
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RURAL Winter 2016
Photo credit: Tony Wright
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A CHANGE OF SCENERY Mike Stentiford has the last word
THERE’S been a lot of cross-fire banter lately on the environmental wherewithal of the local farming industry. Seems that while certain folk think that farmers aren’t doing quite as much as they could, farmers say that, actually, they’re doing a darn sight more than they should. This has nothing to do with productivity as such, but more so, the manner in which their endeavours are affecting the landscape and its biodiversity. While there’s little doubt that changes are indeed afoot that affect our countryside and wildlife, such changes are certainly nothing new; they’ve been going on for eons. With the disheartening - yet understandable - prediction of future population trends and all that it entails, it’s a foregone conclusion that further changes to our currently familiar landscape are inevitable. But then again, it’s sometimes worth reminding ourselves that the Island’s rural setting has endured a multitude of makeovers ever since the first ‘Jerseyman’ set to and ploughed the first furrow.
It’s also interesting to note that throughout most of the 1800s, the majority of Islanders owned a gun and as powder and shot were relatively inexpensive, acquiring food for the ‘family pot’ would have been a fairly routine chore. This meant that any incoming wild bird that looked remotely nourishing received a very different reception to the welcome afforded them today. Any thoughts of wildlife laws or commitments to conservation would, quite literally, have been over the hills and far away. One of the biggest changes to the Island’s landscape came in the middle of the 19th Century with the arrival of big time outdoor crops such as potatoes and tomatoes. This high profit export commodity delivered a truly serious blow to the previous proliferation of cider orchards and woodland.
There was, for instance, a time as recently as the early 19th Century when relations with our French neighbours were rock bottom and very much on the serious side of hostile.
At a stroke, almost all were felled as land was opened up for an entirely new era of agriculture.
Because of this constant and unhelpful threat of siege, farmers and anyone else with a back garden or part vergée of workable land commandeered the countryside and produced enough home grown crops and food supplies to keep everyone full and reasonably happy.
In comparison to temps passé, Jersey now has a comparatively serene and well managed countryside and a conservation law that protects a wide diversity of wildlife.
With a surfeit of apple orchards and the customary keeping of livestock, most of the landscape would have looked marginally different to that of today. There were certainly no such luxuries as roads, while tracks, such as they were, would have been bordered by high banks and elm trees. On the face of it, this small but diverse island of wetlands, open pasture, woodlands, orchards and enough edible wildlife to sustain the average family, sounds romantically idyllic.
The reality is that, notwithstanding the population being comfortably modest in comparison to that of today, the lives of both man and beast would have been short, hard and frugal.
RURAL
Time, then, for a landscape reality check perhaps!
Farmers, landowners and environmentalists are working closely together in a joint effort to address the general decline in certain species of bird and there’s a general public desire to protect the rural landscape from inappropriate development. The Island’s countryside is always subject to a ‘change of scenery’. Having managed to survive centuries of change already, I guess that, by now, it’s getting pretty used to it!
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