The Jersey Life - Summer 2021 by The Jersey Life

SUMMER 2021 | thejerseylife.co.uk

Visit the Bat House at

JERSEY ZOO

NATURE'S NUTRIENT SUPERHERO

PRODUCTS THAT ARE RECOMMENDED AS PART OF THE NUTRITION PROGRAM

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MOTIVATE HEALTH

FITNESS•NUTRITION

Publisher Fish Media Ltd

Hel lo

Email: hello@thejerseylife.co.uk Website: www.thejerseylife.co.uk Director Jamie Fisher Editor Juanita Shield-Laignel Travel Writer Rebecca Underwood underwoodrebecca@hotmail.com Photography Simon Finch Production

And at last, some summer sun –

Zoo…my recent visit revealed

Ian Curtis

just what we all need and long

some fascinating truths…enjoy

may it last…make the most of

on page 6 onwards – a long

every drop of sunshine to sustain

interview article but well worth

us through whatever is to come!

taking the time to read…

I can’t tell you how excited I am

So, I will leave you to explore the

to bring you this extraordinary

rest of this digital issue – the joy

Contributors

summer issue. With guest

of digital as I discuss on page 14,

Rebecca Underwood

appearances from Patrick

is that you can click on many of

Holford, world renowned

the adverts and be taken

‘Institute for Optimum Nutrition’

straight to the advertiser’s

Caroline Spencer

Founder and Hedi Green of ‘Real

website – we have also included

Louise Carson

Housewives of Jersey’ fame –

a few audio files and videos – it’s

Sally Roberts

both advocating the hypotheses

all very exciting – I hope you find

that ‘there is a better way’ – this

value in it too.

Sales Manager Juanita Shield-Laignel juanita@thejerseylife.co.uk Accounts and Administration hello@thejerseylife.co.uk

Mark Shields Lorraine Pannetier Alistair Shield-Laignel

Front Cover Photo: Paul Ellis VR

really sets the tone for this

Email - skytrucker433outlook.com

magazine.

Until the autumn…I wonder how the world will look by then;

Follow us on Instagram: the.jerseylife Like us on Facebook: The Jersey Life © All rights reserved. The Jersey Life is copyright and may not be reproduced in any form either in part or whole without written permission from the publishers. Whilst Fish Media takes every reasonable precaution, no responsibility can be accepted for any property, services or products offered in this publication and any loss arising there from. Whilst every care is taken with all materials submitted to The Jersey Life the publisher cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage to such material. Fish Media reserves the right to reject of accept any advertisement, article or material supplied for publication or edit such material prior to publication. Opinions expressed are strictly those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views or policies of Fish Media. We accept no liability for any misprints or mistakes and no responsibility can be taken for the content of these pages.

Health, including nutrition and

interesting times beautiful

exercise, the environment and

humans – interesting times!

community are all high on our agenda. As such you will enjoy

In health & hope

the twists and turns of my Motivate Heath Blog…exercise and me are strange bedfellows at best, as you will see! The absolute star of the show is the Bat enclosure and it’s amazing inhabitants, at Jersey

Juanita Shield-Laignel

If you have an interesting story to share or would like your business reviewed, please feel free to contact us. SUMMER 2021 ISSUE | 3

contents 3 WELCOME and The Jersey Life contact information

Summer 2021 HOME & GARDENS 42 DESIGNING A KITCHEN

INTERVIEW 6 MEET PANDORA & THE REST OF THE GANG The Editor meets Dominic Wormell & Eluned Price

HEALTH AND WELLBEING 12 VITAMIN SUPERHERO – VITAMIN C By Patrick Holford

16 MOTIVATE HEALTH BLOG By Juanita Shield-Laignel

20 WHAT IS HEALTH? By Juanita Shield-Laignel

24 SUMMER DAYS The Herb Whisperer

You Will Absolutely Love

44 SUMMER NEUTRALS By Sam Wylie-Harris

BUISNESS 28 THE ULTIMATE TEAM BUILDING EVENT By Mark Baker

30 PARENTAGE IN JERSEY & PROPOSED REFORMS Corbett Le Quesne

COMMUNITY 34 GROW JERSEY

The Editor Takes A Trip To ‘The Field’

58 LOOKING BACK

Through the eyes of a teacher – Thelma Heard

26 SHIFTING PERSPECTIVES Lorraine Pannetier

ECO-ISSUES 38 2ND HAND CLOTHING – A SUSTAINABLE CHOICE By Louise Carson

40 REUSE MEETS CREATIVITY by Caroline Spencer

4 | www.thejerseylife.co.uk

MOTORING 62 FIRST DRIVE

The Ferrari Portofino M

BOOK REVIEW 68 FLUFIGHTERS By Patrick Holford

1-1 PERSONAL TRAINING SESSIONS

GET YOUR OWN PERSONAL TRAINER TO HELP GET YOU IN SHAPE!

1-1 personal training session and additional daily exercises sent via the App directly to your phone! Visit www.motivatehealth.co.uk or call 07700 322 344 Email: getﬁt@motivatehealth.co.uk

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MOTIVATE HEALTH

FITNESS•NUTRITION

Meet Pandora and the Rest of the Gang.. Bats have had a lot of bad press recently – more so than usual! There have always been sections of society that find them unattractive, possibly even scary…but could the humble bat be the answer to our problems rather than the cause…Juanita Shield-Laignel visited Jersey Zoo to find out. I love animals and ﬂora and fauna at large, so was

now I’m managing research for the zoo.”

really excited to be invited to meet Head of Mammals Dominic Wormell and Zoo Research

And as if to underline Eluned talking about free

Manager Eluned Price who is not only Dom’s co-

ranging monkeys, as we approached the bat house –

worker but also his equally dedicated to wildlife, wife.

Dom pointed out silvery marmosets feeding on un-

Eluned explained.

ripe cherries in the trees above. “They roam free, exactly the same as they would in the wild - they can

“I’ve been living in Jersey permanently since 1995,

go down the beach if they want to.” Dom laughed. A

Dom since 1989 and we met here in the zoo. I came

White Necked Crane from the neighbouring plot

over from the UK to do some research on our ﬁrst

joined in!

woodland group of free ranging monkeys. Dom had been here about year as a Keeper. I then went to

After watching them frolic eating cherries in the

Brazil to study monkeys for a while and then came

trees and a lesson in the breading habits of

back and stayed…the rest as they say is history. So

marmosets, (did you know that marmosets and tamarinds have twins as a breeding strategy, no I didn’t either) we ﬁnally alighted the bat enclosure! Dom was really keen to explain the physical building and I was delighted to listen…I confessed to loving Grand Designs especially the cob houses and handbuilt wooden ones. “Being a charity, we never have huge budgets, so this is our recycled modiﬁed bat house. Originally built in 2011, it’s just tyres, each rammed with 3 wheelbarrows of earth and weighing around 80 kilos – so they are not going anywhere, stacked on top of each other, insulated with straw and then mud plaster containing all sorts - horsehair, keeper hair, orangutan hair to bind it all together, slapped on top and then painted with lime. Lime is used on cob because it breathes - with ordinary plaster the straw would just rot.” Dom continued “Lots of stuff was donated and as a

6 | www.thejerseylife.co.uk

Outside Cob bat enclosure

Inside Cob bat enclosure

community project, around 200 volunteers got

“And it was an enormous amount of fun – towards

involved. We took ideas from ‘Rome Wasn’t Built In A

the end of the build we had a big mud plastering

Day’ and as you mentioned ‘Grand Designs’

party, we had a BBQ afterwards for all involved and

including using the bottoms of old wine bottles

there was a real sense of creativity and

stacked up as windows.” We joked it must have been

achievement. Humans in general seem to have

fun draining the bottles ﬁrst, but Eluned interjected

lost so many of these, old, often better ways.” That

that most of them had been donated. We went

made sense to me too.

inside and Dom pointed out how the different coloured bottles twinkle in the sunlight and a small

On to the main attraction - “The Livingstone fruit

glass covered panel showing the straw underneath. I

bats - the big, darker ones – are from the Comoros

got the feeling Dom is almost as proud of the

islands, small islands at the top the Mozambique

building as he is of the animals inside!

channel, and the smaller brownish bats are Rodrigues bats from Rodrigues Island which is

He explained “The reasons we built it like this is

about the same size as Jersey actually at 42 sq

because 1. We had very little money, 2. We wanted

miles, a tiny little island in the Indian ocean and

the community to be stake holders in this project -

very remote. In 1970 when Gerald Durrell started

they are not ‘our’ bats…nature is for everyone, and 3.

the breeding programme, there were only 70

and probably most importantly – if we had built a big

Rodrigues bats left in the wild. Gerald brought

crystal palace with oil heating – what sort of

some here and some to Mauritius in an effort to

statement does that make about sustainability? The

breed and repopulate the forest, but the forests

reason these species and so many others are

needed to be regenerated too and this has largely

endangered is because ‘we’ (the human collective)

happened in Rodrigues Island - the forest has been

are using their resources unsustainably! So we built

recovered in the uplands, water has come back

this with rubbish to make people think about

and so the people have beneﬁted too, and most

recycling and bestowing the ‘things’ we have with an

importantly there is now a wild population of

intrinsic value.” That all made perfect sense to me.

about 20k. Because of this success we aren’t SUMMER 2021 ISSUE | 7

breeding Rodrigues bats at the moment – we don’t need to.” “The Livingstones are a different matter. There has been a lot of deforestation in the Comoros in the last 20 years, and consequently the rivers have dried up and the people are suffering. So we need to keep a ‘safeguard’ population here but also build the habitat back. With the crazy weather events we are seeing, a little island community of only 100 bats could be wiped out with one ﬁre or an extreme cyclone. So we are still breeding Livingstones and have had a great year with 11 babies so far.” I felt very privileged to be invited into the enclosure. “This is the maternity area and hospital – here we have Pandora and her baby. They all have names and some of the keepers know them all. They do have

Eluned gave me a long pole with a small basket on

distinguishing marks, such as notched ears or a

the end containing banana – Iris and several others

particular pattern or coloration on their back, but

suddenly became very interested. I was fascinated to

they are also chipped and logged and assigned a

watch her grab the basket and pull it up so she could

house number. All the mammals begin with M – so

get her head right in and her tongue right to the

N’Pongo - our world-famous Gorilla was the ﬁrst, so

bottom to get every single morsel.

she was M1. This female here is subdominant – she has a break on her leg so we’ve had to separate her

Listening back to the recording at this point is quite

off for a while – her name is Iris – would you like to

amusing because I can be heard talking to the bats

feed her?” Of course I accepted.

as if they are puppies or children saying thigs like ‘hello beautiful girl – gorgeous girl – oooo your loving that nana’ and so on – I wondered if Dom and Eluned thought I was a ‘nana’! But then another turned up just behind Eluned and grabbed her plait for attention…Eluned turned to look at her and I realised just how playful and interactive they are with those they trust. I exclaimed that their faces are very sweet, like upside down bears of lemurs and Dom carried on explaining “They are upside down puppies basically – well their babies are called pups! Fruit bats are amazing seed disperses covering huge areas, more than birds.” Eluned carried on “We are determined to help people understand that nearly everything you hear about bats is rubbish. We are planning some interactive studies with the public – trying to

Eluned having her plait pulled 8 | www.thejerseylife.co.uk

establish exactly what it is that some people don’t

like about certain species – the bats are a good example. We are going to have a student asking those that don’t want to come in, why they don’t want to come into the enclosure, do they think it’s going to be dark and they don’t want to be in the dark or do they imagine it’s scary and that bats may ﬂy into their hair – we can’t get to people to change their attitude unless we know exactly what is bothering them. We hope to be able to better understand and be able to persuade people that they are actually cute and fascinating and worth saving and a very vital part of our ecology.” A mother with a baby on her belly appeared next to my shoulder – they seemed quite inquisitive “This is so joyful!” exclaimed I, also commenting on how

Me feeding Pandora with Banana

beautiful their eyes are. It was really amazing to see

you can see here he has marks in his wings where

them so up close and personal.

they box with their thumbs, but on the whole, they are so clever and intelligent, the mothers will leave

Eluned explained “This baby is about 2 months old –

babies in a crèche area whilst they go off to feed –

it’s peak birthing season from April to July.”

some bats have been observed to help others give birth…it’s really quite extraordinary.” This all sounded

Dom interjected – “And this is Kidogo he broke his

amazing and sensitive and nothing like the myths

thumb so has been separated whilst he heals –– they

that we hear so I just had to ask…

have amazing feet and toes with tendons that lock out so when they are hanging, they don’t use much energy.” I asked Dom how long they live – “About 30

What about vampire bats?

years and some European micro bats can live up to

Dom was happy to answer, “These guys eat fruit and

35, over there in the medical enclosure is the only

veg, our local bats in Jersey eat insects, but yes in

wild caught female we have left now, called Gem –

Central and South America, of the 1,360 species of

she is nearly 30 now.”

bats there are 3 tiny vampire bat species that feed off cattle, but it’s not like a great big bite on the neck as

“We created this big doughnut” Dom gesticulated to

popular culture would have you believe - they make

demonstrate the circular nature of the enclosure, “40

a tiny little incision and have an anticoagulant in

metres long and 15 m across so one ﬂy around gives

their saliva, they then feed on the blood ﬂow, storing

them a good 100 metres to travel – they’ve been

some for their young which they regurgitate when

seen doing as many as 5 loops, that’s half a kilometre

they get back to the nest. They only feed on larger

– in the wild they go quite a way up into the

herbivorous mammals not on humans.”

mountains in a night.” Eluned came in at this point “There really is a lack of A couple of robust boys were having a bit of a tussle

understanding, knowledge and education around

nearby, so I asked if they ever fought. Dom shared as

bats – it’s frustrating, we work with them every day,

he gently extended the wingspan of the

know how beautiful they are, how individual they are

Livingstone’s bat in front of us, “They box with their

and how important they are ecologically and to see

thumbs, this is Echo – he is a non-dominant male –

those myths being perpetuated all the time – it’s SUMMER 2021 ISSUE | 9

nature, who feel more connected to it are generally happier and healthier – local schools are starting to incorporate more nature in their environments and teaching. It is the only way forward.” He continued “This pandemic has demonised bats even more – ﬁngers have been wrongly pointed people need to realise that factory farms and crowded animal markets are breeding grounds for mutations of viruses where hundreds of animals are kept in un-natural ways so have depressed immune systems. We need to leave nature be and help to restore it because ultimately that will lesson pandemics – that is the answer, it’s not ‘let’s keep modifying vaccines, keep vaccinating everyone, it’s about re-building a natural environment.” really important that we don’t demonise bats in this way, it’s wrong and doing these studies, studying

I agreed and said, “It’s all a symbiotic eco system isn’t

people and how they interact, is a really important

it, and the more you strip elements out, the more

way to understand how they perceive different

dangerous other elements become, conversely, the

species and the way they feel about nature overall –

more natural, how it is supposed to be, that it is, then

the more at one with nature people feel the more

viruses et al become attenuated – makes perfect

likely they are to change their behaviour and do

sense to me.”

more to protect it.” Dom agreed “Exactly that - nature will not work to Dom agreed “Yes, the more connected you are to

have epidemics and plagues, it always runs in checks

nature at large the better and Durrell has taken this

and balances, that’s the way things have evolved - as

on as a vital concept – it’s relatively new in

soon as we have upset the balance it goes wrong -

conservation terms.”

we use no chemicals pesticides here in the bat enclosure and everything works in harmony, there

Eluned carried on “That’s why we have to make

are loads of insects amongst the plants and like the

people care. We can say – ‘oh this species of bats are

rainforests where there is little soil, most of the

endangered’ – and many will just shrug and say ‘oh

organic matter is wrapped in biome above, we have

that’s a shame’ but by bringing that emotional

no soil here just AstroTurf donated by Les

aspect into play – ‘these animals are vital to the well-

Quennevais hockey pitch!.”

being of the whole planet’ – then people feel protective.”

We got onto the subject of human diets, Dom said, “Like fruit bats we have no need to make our own

This is a subject close to my own heart so I was

vitamin C as we evolved to eat lots of fruits and

glad of the in, “Yes – we have become so

vegetables. This shows me that we are essentially

disconnected, disparate - the urban jungle has got

herbivores - if people ate more plants and less meat

a lot to answer for.”

and processed foods, more of the forests would be intact. Eluned and I are plant-based as we feel it is

Dom answered my plea “Being in nature is good for

doing what is best for ourselves and the

our wellbeing – people who are spending time in

environment – if you eat an intensively produced

10 | www.thejerseylife.co.uk

chicken – it’s not just a chicken you are eating – it’s also the ‘embodied land’ and energy in a chicken which is about 6 square meters of rainforest, because you have to grow the food to feed the chickens! It just doesn’t make sense.” Now that we had set the world to rights Dom invited me to enter the hospital enclosure to meet Pandora and her baby and oh my what an amazing experience. Dom gave me a banana for her and she headed my way – I was able to get really close to her and at one stage she even reached out to me so she could get said banana – her baby hanging from her tummy – she seemed completely unphased. It was an experience that will sustain me for a very long time to come. Eluned had to leave us for another appointment, so my ﬁnal few questions were directed at Dom.

What’s the future for the bats?

Credit - Will Masefield

pollinators are to the survival of all – our bats locally

“Bats are really important. ‘Eco system engineers’ we

are insectivorous so feed them – restore declining

need to restore habitats, keep breeding - we need

habitats, if insects are in decline, bat numbers will go

bats if we’re to stop pandemics, stop climate change

down too. Look after roadside verges with the new

and stop biodiversity loss - bats really are a key

Branchage technique – in an island the size of Jersey

species to that, rather than being demonised as

that will give us 500 miles of linear nature – most of

something that is dangerous and causing this, they

all change your life a little bit - things we eat, the way

could be our saviour – bats are our way out of this, we

we live our lives, try and live more sustainably – make

need to look after them, they are our friends; ﬂying

a difference.”

cuddly puppies. We also need more planting of forests - agroforestry techniques, plant trees, bring the bats back, bring the rivers back and thus help

What can we do on a larger scale?

the human community, all these things work hand

“Get involved with projects that need help - re-

in hand. When you think that 20% of all mammal

wilding, plant trees in Brazil - what a great thing to

species on earth are bats – it just shows you how

do, projects in the West Indies all these places that

important they are to the eco-structure of all other

need help… come on board, be part of the solution.

living things, so we must protect them, guard them

Become a member of Durrell – go on our website for

with our lives as they will help preserve ours.”

more info. Get involved – do this together, they are

What can we do locally to help? “Remember bats are our friends so leave areas for them in your garden – 2 meter square pollinator patches – more of us are aware of how important our

not ‘our’ animals, not ‘our’ projects, they are everybody’s; take ownership, connect people with wildlife and be stewards for the future….”

e ste a s fo the futu e SUMMER 2021 ISSUE | 11

Nature’s Nutrient Superhero

– Vitamin C By Patrick Holford

like the guinea pig and fruit-eating bat, cannot make vitamin C and need much more when ﬁghting an infection. Following this book, between 1972 and 1975, ﬁve placebo controlled studies giving 2 or more grams of vitamin C were published. [1gram(g) = 1,000milligram(mg)]. Pooling the results together, Professor Harri Hemila from the University of Helsinki showed that ‘there was very strong

It’s with great pleasure that I provide this article for

evidence that colds were shorter or less severe in

Jersey Life magazine, some 25 years after I held a

the vitamin C groups’ thus conﬁrming that

workshop in Jersey after founding the Institute of

Pauling was right.

Optimum Nutrition (ION). There was a great turn out that day and I’m delighted to hear that some

But the medical establishment (aka big pharma)

of that information is still in use today!

didn’t like this and soon two ‘reviews’ came out, by Chalmers and Dykes & Meier claiming no effect.

My focus now, and for the past year since the Covid

The word went out – vitamin C doesn’t work. The

virus hit, has been raising awareness of nature’s

main ﬂaw was that, by including very low dose

nutrient superhero – Vitamin C – to empower the

studies, down to 25mg a day, and fudging the

immune system.

maths, they could eliminate a statistical effect.

Vitamin C is far more than simply a nutrient

Professor Harri Hemila then published the most

required in tiny amounts to prevent scurvy.

comprehensive review of all studies, including a

Numerous studies reveal that many health

clear exposé of the ﬂaws that were used to falsely

problems respond to treatment quicker and

discredit vitamin C, to tell the whole truth, and

recovery is far speedier, when you are receiving

nothing but the truth about vitamin C and colds.

adequate levels of Vitamin C. There’s no doubt that

In 2020 I published my book Fluﬁghters and

vitamin C is gold dust for your immune system. It

initiated the VitC4Covid campaign

boosts interferon, inhibits viruses multiplying and

[www.vitaminc4covid.com] to take up the mantle

boosts the production of immune cells, including

of raising the proﬁle of Vitamin C worldwide – for

phagocytes which attack viruses, and white blood

boosting immunity in particular for covid

cells (leucocytes). It is also a neuramidase inhibitor.

symptoms, including its use in hospitalisations.

Vitamin C Research

Dr. Pierre Kory, the Medical Director of the Trauma

In 1970 twice Nobel prize winner Linus Pauling,

and Life Support Center and Chief of the Critical

who was my teacher and patron of the Institute for

Care Service at the University of Wisconsin says “If

Optimum Nutrition, wrote a book on vitamin C

you can administer vitamin C intravenously

and the common cold, arguing that us primates,

starting in the Emergency Room and every 6

12 | www.thejerseylife.co.uk

hours thereafter, the mortality rate of this disease

intake of 6 g/day has been shown to restore normal

and the need for mechanical ventilators will likely

vitamin C levels in leucocytes during colds. This

be greatly reduced,” The big question, he says, is

suggests that similar daily doses may be required

"Why aren’t many more US hospitals adopting this

to have a symptom reducing effect.

protocol? “The only reason I can give is that there is widespread bias amongst physicians against the

Studies giving 3 vs 6 or 4 vs 8 g/day have shown the

use of vitamin therapy,” He adds, “The persistence

higher the dose the greater the effect with a 20%

of this bias is inexplicable given that the evidence

decrease in cold duration with 6 to 8 g/day. This

is in plain sight.”

equates to 1.5 to 2 days shorter colds. However, 46% of those taking 8 g/day in the ﬁrst day of a cold

The big problem is that vitamins are not

report being symptom free after 24 hours. Case

patentable, and relatively inexpensive, and

reports indicate greater effect with doses of 15+

therefore no trials will be funded by the

g/day, titrating the dose to ‘bowel tolerance’ levels.

pharmaceutical industry. There remains an unjustiﬁable media and medical bias against

You have to have a high dose from the immediate

vitamin C despite indisputable scientiﬁc evidence

impact of an infection or virus. During infection

to the contrary. We need the state to give funds for

most people can tolerate 1 g/hr without diarrhoea.

vitamin trials.

This was Dr Linus Pauling’s recommendation – to start with a loading dose of 2 or 3 g, then take 1g/hr

Fight Infection

until symptoms disappear. This is what I take.

That’s the politics so what are the facts? Vitamin C is one of the safest and most effective While a relatively small amount of vitamin C is

nutrients for the body and is ﬁne for most adults to

sufﬁcient for healthy people the effective use of

take. I take two of my ImmuneC

vitamin C depends on how much is required to

tablets which equates to

support the immune system.

1800gm of Vitamin C a day which I formulated with black

When a person is infected, the amount required

elderberry and zinc - which are

increases dramatically. This is illustrated by the

also important for immune

depletion of vitamin C levels in leucocytes, critical

health. I have been doing this

for immune response, during colds and ﬂu. These

for 35 years and can only recall a

critical immune cells normally have more than 10-

few occasions where symptoms

fold higher vitamin C levels than other cells. An

lasted more than 48 hours.

Patrick Holford is a British nutritionist, author, and founder of the Institute for Optimum Nutrition in the UK, the Food for the Brain Foundation, and the VitaminC4COVID campaign. He is also the bestselling author of over 40 health books, including Flufighters. Email customerservice@patrickholford.com Web www.patrickholford.com Phone 0370 334 1575 Address 14 St John's Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN4 9NP SUMMER 2021 ISSUE | 13

The Joys of an

Interactive Magazine

Did you notice our Healthy Eating Article on pages 38 and 39 of the spring Edition of The Jerseylife? And did you notice that if you clicked on the Lucas Farm Shop advert on the bottom right-hand corner – it took you directly to the Lucas Farm Shop website?

The Article was all about including more

Our Editor followed the link and ended up on

health-giving nutritional fruit and veg in our

the Lucas Farm Shop page displaying

diets; important at all times but imperative

various vegetable or fruit boxes or mixed

during a time of real health stress like a

boxes and most relevant to the article, a

pandemic! We discussed ways in which to

juicing box, and clicked to order. After

ensure high amounts of natural anti-oxidant

setting up an account and then following

nutrients, such as Vitamin C, A (in the form of

the quick and easy instructions she received

beta carotene) & E, show up in our daily menus,

an e-mail to say her juicing box would arrive

including soups, salads and smoothies.

the next morning.

Juicing with extra drop of ginger and lemon oil

14 | www.thejerseylife.co.uk

And sure enough, the next morning, on

impressed with not only the box itself, but with

returning home after a few early morning

the quick and easy service.

chores, there was the fresh box of fruit and veg picked especially as traditionally suitable for making juices and or smoothies, sitting on the doorstep. Loads of golden delicious (great base for many juices), carrots, beetroots, ginger, spinach, avocados, a couple of pineapples, bananas, celery and on it went. A huge box and a really good variety and mix of fresh veggies and fruit packed with vitamins. Our Editor was

Delicious Pineapple and Banana Smoothie

ER ORD EG RV YOU NOW BOX

Juicing & Journalling in the garden

Lucas Juiceing Box

SUMMER 2021 ISSUE | 15

The Final

MOTIVATE HEALTH

FITNESS•NUTRITION

HURDLE

When Jamie Fisher, Health Coach from Motivate Health asked me if I would like to participate in his 3 month programme – I jumped at the chance! Not literally you understand as Lycra, sweating and me, have been estranged for the longest time - and I intended for that to continue; till death us do part! However, given I am now on the other side of 50, still more overweight than I should be despite a disgustingly healthy diet, I figured it is now or never. The last bastion of health, my final hurdle, the last frontier and all those other cliches involving mountains etc…basically it was time I pulled my finger out and cracked on with an exercise regime that I can carry through for the rest of my natural born life…exercise blog by The Editor

Well I’m into my 5th week and still alive! I was never sporty – much more ‘arty’ - at school and this pretty much has stayed with me into adulthood. Walking, gardening and swimming have always seemed enough to keep me healthy but as one gets older there are other considerations; osteoporosis, muscle wastage, balance and a whole host of other health related issues that can be slowed down, if not halted completely with a little more exercise in one’s life. And then of course there are the cognitive beneﬁts attached to exercise; better mental health, increased circulation to the brain, less brain fog, more clarity etc. So it was one Thursday morning I met up with Jamie to go through my gruelling (well I expected it to be) schedule. As it turned out Jamie was 16 | www.thejerseylife.co.uk

Duke & Lady Penelope doing their stretching exercises

often referred to as ‘girly’ (kneeling) push-ups. This was much more achievable and now 5 weeks on – I am up to 50 a day. Really quite early on I noticed my muscles were getting stronger – quite quickly. This is my main goal – to be stronger and fitter. During our initial consultation Jamie asked me what my aim was so he could tailor my programme specifically to my needs. Weight-loss may well turn out to be an added bonus, but it’s mainly strength of muscles and core that I want to improve and general fitness. Along with the exercise programme there is a nutritional and hydrating plan. I

adamant that as a veritable exercise newbie, slowly but surely was my way forward. On day 1 my task was to complete 10 push ups and 10 glute bridges. Seemed simple enough but laying out my yoga / exercise mat was the first hurdle – my Greyhounds thought is was for them! And then the first push up attempt resulted in me falling flat on my face. Took me a while to stop laughing and when I did, I noticed there was an option on the Motivate Health app to do what is

My view as I do my leg raises beautiful clear blue sky SUMMER 2021 ISSUE | 17

but am enjoying how good my body feels and people / friends are stopping me to say things like ‘you are looking great by the way – really healthy’. As weight loss hasn’t really occurred much yet I am sure the hydration is making a big difference in general. The nutrition plan is simple to follow and although I’ve eaten really nutritionally viable foods for many years, Jamie’s programme has highlighted my portion sizes were off whack, but his programme method is so simple to follow – there is no weighing or calorie counting just a very simple measuring technique…it’s really easy and there are recipes you can follow too. Being mostly plant based in our eating habits as a family – I was pleased to see there are plenty of recipes on the Motivate Health website that can be adapted to vegetarian and even vegan options (see page 48). was pretty good with drinking plenty of water

Week 10 and hanging on in there!

already, but Jamie has doubled my daily intake to 3 litres a day. I thought I would struggle with this

18 | www.thejerseylife.co.uk

So I started off really great but then hit a bump in

the road with half term during May – well with two sons expecting daily ice-creams – it would have been rude not to participate! But Jamie was great and told me to put that behind me and just carry on. “We all have times that are difﬁcult to stay on track – but just keep going.” He told me when I owned my faux pas! Since then I’ve been pretty much OK. Now and

tiny, I’ve lost weight on my feet – who even knew

then I need to adjust things slightly – recently I

that was a thing, and I notice my clothes are

realised I’d put a couple of pounds back on – I am

looser! And my body shape is changing – I’ve

so body aware I can feel it straight away – Jamie

always been a good healthy British pear shape, a

asked me to check my portion sizes again as this

full size larger on my bottom half than my top –

is important. I realised I’d been eating too many

but things are definitely becoming more even! I

pulses / beans / lentils (as most of our meals are

still have a way to go but this is me for life now, I

vegan) and that I needed to pull back on these

am certain of it – I have built up a muscle memory

and include other proteins and different sources

that enjoys the feeling which means I actually

of protein. Jamie patiently re-iterated that this

want to exercise – I never thought that would ever

regime keeps metabolism working optimally and

happen to me…

the food intake works in conjunction with the exercise programme and both are designed to

I am really enjoying it. My body feels great, I am

complement one another.

sleeping well at night and more vibrant during the day and having someone I’m accountable to

Am now up to 60 or so of each exercise a day

makes it all the more doable. It’s so easy to start

(started on 10 as above) and as this physically

well and then get complacent but having

takes longer and of course we are all so busy…

someone in the background who I can contact if I

school runs, cooking, shopping, dog walks,

have any questions or just to chivvy me on, is a

working and a whole host of other daily chores -

definite plus and much more likely to keep me

I f ind breaking the exercises down in to smaller

going with this regime for longer.

tranches and doing them at intervals throughout the day makes it easier. My f irst lot

Thank you Jamie and Motivate Health.

is after school drop off when the house is quite and the last lot I do in the evening – my sons

There are different programmes for different

both join in with this section and f ind it hilarious

goals; Toning, weight gain, muscle building and

that mummy is donning herself in Lycra and

weight loss.

pounding the pavements (yes there is a small running section which I never imagined I would

Jamie also does one to one PT Sessions as well as

ever do let alone enjoy).

Group Classes.

So there you have it – 10 weeks into a 3 month

To sign up for Jamie’s Motivate Health

exercise and nutrition programme with the

programme e-mail:

option to continue for another 3 months beyond

getfit@motivatehealth.co.uk Facebook and

that. I surely will as I am fitter and stronger (my

Instagram: Motivate Health or go to his website

goal) and have lost some weight…my hands feel

www.motivatehealth.co.uk SUMMER 2021 ISSUE | 19

What is Health? It’s all so simple really

and then an honest

Having suffered pneumonia as a small child,

discoveries.

sharing of the one’s

growing up I was dogged with bronchitis, asthma and chest infections. As a teenager I chased a hedonistic life of parties, nightclubs, alcohol and dancing (not there is anything wrong with those things per se) but then I hit my early 20s and a close

True health – is so much more than the absence of disease.

friend gifted me a box of essential oils and a book

We are all so multi-dimensional, multi-faceted and

called The Art of Aromatherapy by Robert Tisserand.

capable of indomitable multi-tasking, there is a

My life changed…Juanita Shield-Laignel writes in her

danger of becoming too disparate in our everyday

capacity as a Natural Health

lives. On the other hand, accepting and moving

Practitioner

forward with all the things that bring us joy and not denying any part of ourselves…seeking - and

The discovery of

becoming our most authentic self…is what makes us

Aromatherapy opened up a

truly whole and therefore - naturally healthy.

whole new world for me, not only was I fascinated by the romance of the incredible

‘There is Truth in Nature!’

aromas but astonished by the

Owning every part of who we are, helps us to

numerous medicinal

move into a truly open, honest and loving

beneﬁts of the oils

being who can then help others to do the

that we are all so

same…this in turn leads one to not

familiar with and yet

want to harm anyone else, animals or

have only come to

the planet. It is all very simple really…as

really understand in the last few

you grow to truly love yourself – your

decades.

body, mind and creative essence – that spark that makes you human – you

This discovery led me to study and qualify in, not

realise you are inexorably linked to Nature / God and

only Aromatherapy, but several other therapeutic

that everyone else is also linked to Nature / God

techniques. Coupled with this thirst for natural

whether they acknowledge that for themselves yet

health knowledge was a realisation that in order to

or not and therefore you have no desire to hurt

be a good healer…one must also seek to heal oneself.

them or any other sentient being – you become

“That which we seek is Authentic Self.”

gentler, more compassionate, more loving, more understanding, kinder…you seek to heal not harm. You want to protect all life, the life of others, the life

My personal healing quest began and before long it

of all animals and the very life of the planet itself.

became obvious that the adage of ‘Mind, Body,

This is TRUE health. A connectedness beyond all

Spirit’ only just scratches the surface of what is

else…this is wholeness, this is health.

meant to be ‘truly healthy’ and is in fact a life-long continuum of self-improvement and self-discovery 20 | www.thejerseylife.co.uk

‘Heal yourself and heal the planet’

Spir-Art

NATURAL HEALTH, HEALING AND WHOLENESS

Healing Juanita seeks to promote Natural Health, Healing & Wholeness through a combination of healing techniques, holistic touch therapies, nutrition and supplementation, essential oils, self-care, meditation, mindfulness and creativity and teach the Natural Health, Healing & Wholeness techniques she has accumulated over the years. Juanita is Qualified in and offers: Aromatherapy

Nutrition; Nature’s Sunshine, Healthy Rascals, Nutri-Pets

Reflexology

Essential Oils; Young Living

Indian Head Massage

Natural Skin Care; Tropic

Raindrop Technique Juanita is also a Holy Fire Reiki Master Practitioner and Teacher, Artist, Author and Writing Angel And has also embarked upon a 4 year course in herbalism “WHAT WE DO NATURALLY AND EASILY, IS OFT THAT WHICH WE ARE CALLED TO DO.”

l H ea l t

at u ra

h, Heal i ng

o le & Wh

COMMON LAW AND THE STRAWMAN – HAVE YOU EVER HEARD ABOUT THIS THEORY (OR IS IT!?) WHAT IS THE STRAWMAN, HOW DID IT COME ABOUT AND..

DOES THE MAGNA CARTA HAVE ANY RELEVANCE TODAY? Local ‘Real Housewives of Jersey’ celebrity, Hedi Green explores the extraordinary, if slightly controversial but recently popularised world of Common Law and the ‘Strawman’…

Common Law, Natural Law or God’s Law. In order to give the acts and statutes of Admiralty Law (the legal system's laws) the same power as laws of the land, joinder, or agreement upon the terms of the contract must ﬁrst be agreed upon by both parties involved in the interaction. So for this to work it is purported that the strawman or legal ﬁction exists within the legal system but is a dead

SO THIS IS HOW THE THEORY GOES - In 1666, the

ﬁction in a dead world, which can transact with other

Great Fire of London blazed away and somehow

dead ﬁctions within the legal system or so the theory

Westminster and all of the parliamentary buildings

goes. To facilitate any transactions, the term

were saved, wherein the Cestui Que Vie Act was

corporation is used, rather than dead ﬁction or dead

passed. This act introduced the birth certiﬁcate, as in

entity. It is not a real human but instead a 'person'

the ‘berth’ certiﬁcate, which a ship's captain would

(persona - from early 20th century Latin meaning;

produce when harbouring in the dock, after having

mask or character played by an actor), which is a

passed through the berth canal…

corporate title for a legal ﬁction or corporation.

Although we have come to accept in society that our

Under this guise - only a corporation can exist or

birth certiﬁcate is proof of identity and proof of

trade/communicate within the legal system. Humans

registration, there are some who believe it is not but

cannot. Persons can. Therefore, a company can interact

rather that it is a contract that was signed by one of your

with a person (or strawman/legal ﬁction/corporation)…

parents (named on the birth certiﬁcate as 'informant'),

and on it goes.

when they registered you to the state. But, ﬁrst, your ‘person’ needs to contract, or give joinder, From this, your legal ﬁction (also known as your

and that's where you, the human comes into play. It is

‘strawman’) was created, which has the same name as

mooted by supporters of the Strawman theory that we

you, but it is always represented in writing by the use of

are tricked into thinking that the strawman is our real

capital letters (which is how a dead entity is

identity. Every time we give someone our name and

represented, legally) or will have a corporate title, such

address, we are giving them joinder and acting as our

as Mr., Mrs., etc., before it.

legal ﬁction. So assuming for one moment that this theory has some merit, one might ask - are we

According to strawman philosophy, the legal system

inadvertently taking responsibility for it every time we

contains no laws - instead it is made up of Acts and

sign our name?

Statutes. These Acts and Statutes are laws of the sea, not laws of the land. This is why it is sometimes referred to as

When a police ofﬁcer asks you for your name and

Admiralty Law. The law of the land is known as

address, are they asking for ‘joinder’? If you give it, are

22 | www.thejerseylife.co.uk

you accepting the contract and giving joinder,

coerced and free populous to conduct their affairs.

representing your legal ﬁction or Strawman in the corporate world, or system? These are just some of the

We’d all like to think we have what’s known as

huge questions posed by such an idea.

inalienable rights, right? A few examples are; freedom of speech, freedom to freely move around within the

The legal system is ﬁlled with words that have different

country or to leave the country, freedom to worship or

meanings to their everyday ones called, 'Legalese' and

not to worship God in the manner one chooses. Under

the meaning for these words are taken from Black's

Common law, astonishingly, free men and woman also

Book of the Law, or so the story goes. For example,

have the right to abolish a said government if it

proponents of the strawman community hypothesise,

becomes a destructive treasonous regime!!!! How

that when a police ofﬁcer asks you, "Do you

extraordinary is that? And this ﬁnally is where Article 61

understand?", they are not asking you if you

of the Magna Carta comes in, seemingly intended

comprehend, but rather, "Do you stand under my

originally as a security clause and basically enables the

authority?" A 'summons' is an invitation only and the

common man and women to rise in lawful dissent

word 'must' can mean 'may'. Person, parent and child

against tyranny…

are all legal terms for man, woman, boy and girl, according to popular belief. The subject can get very

Fascinating!

meaty and any investigator needs a head for twists and

This is a big subject and one that should really be taught

turns in the convoluted plot.

in our schools and universities. What do you think? Have fun ﬁnding out more!

Conversely, Common law is thought to be much simpler and easier to understand and is used in everyday life, for

As a former local political candidate, and a

the ‘common man and woman’ to live and work

Natural Health Care Professional, Hedi Green

together. It is deemed by an ever-burgeoning

seeks to understand the past and present in

community to be the best way forward for an un-

order to help shape a better future.

SUMMER 2021 ISSUE | 23

WITH THE HERB WHISPERER By Sally Roberts

I hope by the time you read this the summer sunshine has decided to return, and we have long, hot sunny days again. I have to say that all the rain has saved me a lot of watering time, and my new herbs are growing abundantly, but they need the sun’s rays as much as we do……I miss the smell of the herbs in the evenings after a day of heat, it is one of my favourite things. Now is the season to enjoy them fresh and at

My ﬁrst herb for summer has to be mint, and

their fullest strength, and of course, to begin

there’s so many to choose from, experiment,

harvesting them to dry for the winter

and ﬁnd your favourites. I frequently use it in

months. We really can’t eat too many of

salads of all kinds, and as well as making mint

them, as different herbs make salads sing,

tea, we can use the leaves in cool drinks too.

and every dish comes alive with the

My favourites for tea are either Moroccan mint

freshness of them – picked just before eating

or peppermint, and for cool drinks try

they contain all their goodness.

spearmint or apple mint, they are delicious

Pot of Basil 24 | www.thejerseylife.co.uk

Herb Posies

with all kinds of fruit and ﬂower cordials. Quite

cooking, its ﬂavour lighter and fresher than

by chance, I have discovered that my

our common garden thyme. Both of these

strawberry plants are evidently thriving with

herbs can be dried to make teas or added to a

mint growing next to them.

pot pourri mix.

Mint is cooling to our body systems, as we

Pot pourri and herb sachets for cupboards and

would imagine, and another herb related to

drawers are part of the fun of growing herbs,

the mint family that I wouldn’t be without in

and brings me to lavender. And rosemary. To

the summer, is lemon balm. It grows like mint,

me, a garden isn’t a garden without these two

so is best contained in a pot, it even looks like

plants, but if you don’t have a garden then visit

a mint. Its musky, lemon scent is wonderful in

the Jersey Lavender Farm and immerse

drinks both hot and cold – it has a soothing,

yourself in the soothing scents, and treat

calming effect on nervous tension and

yourself to locally grown lavender products. We

headaches. Try freezing some leaves in ice

are so lucky to have this on our doorstep.

cubes to put in drinks if the heat is getting you. Another herb that is irresistibly pretty in

Look out for wild fennel that grows wild

ice cubes are delicate blue borage ﬂowers.

abundantly here in Jersey, plant camomile and creeping thyme to walk on in bare feet,

Staying with the scent of lemon for a

grow pots of summery basil to eat with your

moment, I urge you to grow lemon verbena –

tomatoes, ﬁnd jasmine, honeysuckle and

the smell of the leaves rubbed on your ﬁngers

roses to soak up their heady scents, ﬁnd ways

never fails to bring a smile – it takes many

and places to enjoy the sense of abundance

people straight back to childhood and the

the herbs and ﬂowers bring us at this time of

sweet smell of lemon sherbet. It is a joyful,

the year. Make fresh herb posies for gifts,

uplifting herb, and it also makes a delicious

crystalize ﬂowers to decorate cakes, scatter

lemon syrup for a drizzle cake or fruit salads.

nasturtiums on salads, savour every moment

Lemon thyme is another essential for summer

of summertime.

Summer Roses

Bowl of Sage and Thyme

Lavender SUMMER 2021 ISSUE | 25

Shifting Perspectives beings we are blessed with an innate ability to feel a wide spectrum of emotions and have the physical and linguistic ability to express those - for better or www.thesoulfulword.com

By Lorraine Pannetier, Intuitive Copywriter for Lightworkers and Brands with Soul

In every moment we all have a choice. As human

We’re currently

worse. So, in an era where there’s so much fear and

living in an era of

division within the community, today I want to

huge shifts and

invite you to step into your truth, stay grounded

while that may

and anchor more love into the planet.

seem scary, it’s also

presenting us with so many beautiful

This is your opportunity to grow as an

opportunities to transform our lives for the

individual and play a part in shifting human

better.

consciousness.

Remember that your physical presence

It’s time for us all to share our own truth and see

itself is powerful.

the truth in others beyond the layers and layers of cultural conditioning. In letting go of our own

You have the ability to shift the energy in a

fears, doubts and made up stories in our heads,

positive way in any conversation, relationship or

we create space for the magical process of

platform simply by showing up in your truth.

transformation.

If you’re not sure exactly what I mean, then think

If you desire to change your ﬁnancial, romantic or

of any occasion when you’ve felt gratitude for

physical situation, you’ll never succeed all the

someone’s kind gesture and when you thanked

while you grip tightly onto those old stories:

them, their face lit up and you sensed their joy

‘People like me never get rich. Who’s going to

and happiness in that moment. Perhaps you

love me? I can’t lose weight!’

both had a better day after that short exchange. In my own process of personal growth and It works the other way too…

transformation over the last 10 years, I’ve found many ways to support myself and to make

If you’re happily working in the ofﬁce and you

change actually happen:

receive a phone call from an angry customer or one of your colleagues comes in and starts

•

Get clear on your values and live your life in

ranting about their ‘bad’ day, then you feel your

alignment with them. I’ve been passionate

focus, creativity and positivity drain away in an

about healthy diet and lifestyle for over 30

instant.

years and my food and cooking choices reﬂect that. Living in alignment with my choice to not

Energy shifts can happen in seconds, and being

eat animal products looks like taking my own

aware of this is the ﬁrst step in creating a life

dishes to friends’ houses instead of eating

that looks more like the one you desire.

meat or dairy just to be polite or because it’s

26 | www.thejerseylife.co.uk

‘easier’. Living in alignment with my choice to

many years I struggled ﬁnancially, but always

make a difference in the world looks like

inherently knew that learning was my

running my own business rather than working

pathway to a better future. What initially

for a company who may not share my values.

started out as professional qualiﬁcations and an OU degree, slowly paved the way for

•

Decide what you want and own it! If you’d

personal and spiritual growth in so many

love to buy your own home, travel the world or

areas. I devoured every piece of information I

get expensive cosmetic dental or laser eye

could, savouring my new knowledge and the

surgery, then staying clear on those goals

ancient wisdom it ignited within me. Every

means you’re less likely to blow extra cash on

new thing I learned and every amazing soul I

unnecessary items each week - whether that’s

met has been intricately woven together into

takeaway food, new clothes or the dreaded

the ‘me’ who’s writing for you today.

late-night Amazon shopping binge! Write

•

down your goals in a journal and also in places

Whatever you want to achieve, whatever dreams

where you’ll see them multiple times a day: on

you hold dear in your heart, this is your

the fridge, by your bed, on your phone or

permission slip to get out there and make them

laptop screensaver or as your passwords.

happen!

Find others who share your goals. One of the

You don’t need to wait any longer.

hardest things for humans is to step outside of the ‘norm’ because we’re hardwired to need to

Remember that most people never think beyond

stay safe, be accepted and be part of a tribe. In

the notion of what is normal in their society;

caveman times, being alone meant almost

never even contemplating that working outside

certain death, whereas being part of a

of the ‘9-5’ model is even possible. And many of

community meant safety, warmth, food and

those that do begin to think outside of the box

shelter. So, if you’re the only one in your family,

are pulled back into it as fear after fear rears its

class or community who lives a particular

ugly head. ‘What if I fail? What if I can’t afford to

lifestyle or has dreams that no-one

feed my family? What if I don’t get any clients?

understands, then ﬁnd your ‘tribe’ in the

What if I move abroad and I’m lonely? What if I

online space or other areas of the world. I’m so

tell them I love them but they reject me?’

grateful to have found an amazing, supportive network of passionate, soul-driven business

Those fears feel absolutely real in your mind, but

owners who share my values and allow me to

99% of them are made up stories to keep us safe

step up and be the brightest, happiest version

and comfortable. Why step outside and risk

of me. Find your people and love them hard!

being chased by a sabre toothed tiger when we can stay in and watch Netﬂix in our pyjamas?

•

Get support. I couldn’t have got where I am today without the brilliant coaches and

The world needs you to show up as the brightest,

awesome humans I’ve met, primarily in the

happiest, most loving and joy-ﬁlled version of you

online space. (Did I mention how lucky we are

right now. In fact, it’s all it’s ever needed! So

to live in this digital era?!) I honestly couldn’t

whatever your heart is calling you to do, however

count the thousands of hours I’ve spent

big or small, please make a promise to yourself

learning through books, free challenges, paid

today that you’ll follow the path of love, not fear,

membership groups, mastermind coaching

and that however arduous the journey, you’ll

programmes, courses and 1-1 sessions. For so

never give up. SUMMER 2021 ISSUE | 27

The ultimate team building event I am delighted to be interviewing Mark Anthony Baker who organises what he refers to as ‘one of the most powerful teambuilding events available anywhere in the world today’. What is of particular interest to our readers is that it’s available right here in the Channel Islands, so let’s dive straight in… I am delighted to be interviewing Mark

allows people to share a profound experience

Anthony Baker who organises what he refers

together, which bonds people at a deep

to as ‘one of the most powerful teambuilding

subconscious level in ways they would rarely, if

events available anywhere in the world today’.

ever, experience otherwise. When this

What is of particular interest to our readers is

happens, we bond at such a deep level the

that it’s available right here in the Channel

effects are long lasting. Enabling those

Islands, so let’s dive straight in…

extraordinarily deep connections that are otherwise not often experienced and difﬁcult

Firewalking as a team building event Mark,

to create.

really! Isn’t that a bit extreme? Sounds fascinating, how does this happen? As an initial response that’s quite understandable, but the impact it has on

When you walk across hot embers at a

teams and the dramatic changes it creates

temperature of over 500 degrees you are

make it one of the most powerful team

challenging one of your earliest and most

building events in the world today.

deeply held beliefs which is “Don’t touch the ﬁre or you will get burned”. However, when

So, what are the key beneﬁts derived from

you walk across hot coals and emerge

this kind of event?

unscathed you subconsciously begin to ask yourself “If I can walk across ﬁre without being

The beneﬁts are many, but one of the most

burned what else can I do?”

powerful reasons it’s so effective is because it The answer to that question is a great deal more than what we currently think and believe we can achieve. We all have limiting beliefs that prevent us from releasing the potential that lies within each and everyone of us. Firewalking acts as a catalyst that allows us to transcend these limiting beliefs as it essentially, physically demonstrates to us that we can do something that we previously didn’t believe was possible. 28 | www.thejerseylife.co.uk

After all, if we can successfully walk on ﬁre, then

a massive expansion or even a contraction.

there really isn’t much that we can be faced with in a corporate or personal setting that can be

There are too many beneﬁts to list them all here

viewed as even slightly daunting by comparison.

but some of the key ones include;

As the ﬁrewalkers are all nervous about what is

• Deep bonding causes the creation of strong

ahead, adrenalin is released. This creates the

teams as people become more invested in

desire to support each other which brings out

the good of the group as opposed to being a

the best in us as people. The impact it has on the

group of individuals operating from a point of

group escalates dramatically when they

self-interest

successfully complete the walk together. There

• It allows us to release more potential

really isn’t much you could do within a safe

• Dramatically increases conﬁdence

environment that would allow a company to

• Alters our perception and creates a signiﬁcant

bond at such a deep level. It often creates a

increase in self-belief both as individuals and

euphoric reaction in people which makes it

as a company. Given that our level of belief

highly memorable.

dictates the amount of potential that we can release, it increases the collective level of

This all sounds really fascinating Mark and

belief enabling the company to successfully

makes perfect sense, but what long-term

attempt greater things with higher levels of

beneﬁts can individuals and companies

belief and expectation. It’s not hard to accept

expect to derive from doing this and can you

that just one individual’s low level of belief and

give me an example of what a company could

expectation can have a far-reaching negative

use this type of event for.

impact on colleagues. So, its easy to see how an entire group beneﬁting from increased

The reasons a company can use this event for

levels of belief and expectation can essentially

are many - from bonding teams to using it as a

move mountains metaphorically speaking.

powerful way for kicking off a new project or

• It also aides staff retention as its difﬁcult to

helping them confront a big challenge that they

leave a company where you have bonded so

will be collectively facing. It could be a takeover,

deeply with your colleagues. SUMMER 2021 ISSUE | 29

What else can a company expect from the

metaphors for creating change include;

experience? Arrow breaking, walking on glass and board We also incorporate many tools that create

breaking.

lasting change in individuals and companies alike at both a physical and psychological

That’s really interesting Mark, it’s been a

level. The entire event is constructed around

pleasure and a real eye opener to learn how

a seminar which is both practical and

we can access such high quality and life

motivational that provides everything a

changing events right here in the Channel

company needs to move onto the next level

Islands. Thank you. How can individuals

of success.

and companies contact you please?

Some of the other exercises we incorporate into our events which are powerful

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E. info@markbakerspeaks.co.uk W. www.markbakerspeaks.co.uk 30 | www.thejerseylife.co.uk

AVAILABLE ON

AGEING WELL

WITHOUT CHILDREN

The number of people over 65 without adult children is set to rise from over 1.2 million at the present time to 2 million by 2030. This compares to 850,000 living with dementia now, which is not set to rise to 2 million until 2051. And yet which do we hear most about in discussions about

agencies, who can help with overview information about the

our ageing population?

Long Terms Care (LTC) ﬁnancial support scheme and which

The above is a UK statistic. In Jersey we need to add the impact of those ageing without on-island children. This matters on an individual and a state level because, contrary to popular belief, most care for older people is provided by family members – and not by the state or private agencies. There is an “unseen army” of people caring on some level for parents or parents-in-law. This ranges from popping in regularly and providing social contact to handson day to day physical and emotional care. It also includes curating care support. I will never forget how confused I felt when the ﬁrst of my parents suddenly needed signiﬁcant support (not in Jersey). The frustration of being passed from pillar to post, needing to learn a bewildering

other bodies may need to become involved in your support, and how to access them. But you need to know that these avenues exist. “Paying for care is only half the issue, the real problem lies in lack of advocacy, someone to research, arrange and manage care and to deal with the administration issues that arise.” highlights the website Ageing | Ageing Well Without Children (AWWOC) | Dorset If you are an off-island son or daughter it’s worth a glance as it highlights some of the issues ageing parents face – some of which are as easily solved from Australia as St Aubins because so much can be achieved over the ‘phone or on the internet.

array of new acronyms, not knowing what to ask for in terms

And if you know an older person ageing without children, or

of physical aids. Who knows anything about incontinence

without on-island children, please consider offering (and re-

pads, hoists or that “slidey sheets” even exist before needing

offering!) help. Skills you take for granted in terms of internet

to support a parent who suddenly lost the use of their legs

research or making a few ‘phone calls may be complete

and couldn’t get in and out of bed, or make themselves

lifesavers for them!

comfortable, without help? Then there’s the ﬁnancial side. There’s a widely held view that people without children have more money than those with kids as they saved the money that others spent on raising a family. However, this is not always the case. And money alone does not solve the challenges of ageing. After the shock of Dad’s sudden deterioration and hospitalisation my normally capable mother was simply not able to make the myriad of ‘phonecalls and arrangements required – mentally and because she was too busy looking after Dad! My brother and I arranged everything. We are fortunate in Jersey to have an excellent Social Worker service – which you can contact direct or via referral - and a number of well-regulated and informed private care

y Live-in care specialists y Hourly home care

enquiries welcomed y Overnight and respite

care also available Simply call Nicola or Emma on 01534 883 886 for further information or to arrange a no obligation informal chat. Complete Individual Home Care Ltd., Suite 3 Longueville Business Centre, Longueville Road, St Saviour JE2 7SA

y Registered with the

Jersey Care Commission y Flexible, consistent and

friendly care

Parentage in Jersey and proposed reforms If the question is posed, who are a child’s parents, at first blush the answer might seem simple, her mother and father of course. However, is it actually that simple? Under Jersey law currently, a child can only have

not much difference between legal parents and

two legal parents, one female mother and one

those with parental responsibility. A birth

male father. A woman who gives birth to a baby

mother always has parental responsibility for a

is the mother and, under customary law, her

child, as does a father married to the mother at

husband, whether or not biologically connected

the time of birth. An unmarried father may

to the child, is the father (although this

obtain parental responsibility by being named

presumption can be rebutted). Legal parent

on the birth certiﬁcate, by court order or by

status is derived from registration of the birth

agreement. Other people can obtain parental

and can include a father who is not married to

responsibility by having a residence order made

the mother. Legal parenthood can also be

in their favour. A residence order (which

obtained through adoption.

determines with whom a child lives) can be held jointly. So, for example, a child born within

Legal parenthood is important as it is the basis

marriage has both legal parents who also have

of the child’s citizenship and inheritance.

parental responsibility. If they can’t care for her and a residence order is made in favour of her

However, legal parenthood is not the full picture.

grandparents, the child would end up with four

All tied up with legal parenthood is who looks

people with parental responsibility, but still only

after a child or who she lives with. In the old days

two legal parents.

this was called custody but since 2005 there has been a concept of parental responsibility (and

One of the biggest difﬁculties with the current

residence and contact orders). Parental

law is that it does not reﬂect the equal nature of

responsibility gives a parent all the “rights,

marriage and parenthood which now

duties, powers, responsibilities and authority” in

encompasses same sex relationships. At present,

respect of a child that a legitimate father had

where two women have a child together via

before the Children (Jersey) Law 2002 came into

assisted reproduction, only the woman

force in 2005. The big difference is that parental

who gives birth

responsibility can be held by more than one

can be a legal

person and it is not necessary to be a legal

parent (even

parent to hold parental responsibility.

if the other woman’s

As the rights and responsibilities of someone

eggs have

with parental responsibility are as potentially far-

been

reaching as they are, in day to day life there is

used to

32 | www.thejerseylife.co.uk

create the baby). A couple (a male couple,

status and parental responsibility and as far as

female couple or an opposite sex couple) who

possible to enable same sex parents to

have a child through surrogacy cannot both

automatically have parental responsibility.

have parental responsibility either. The surrogate has parental responsibility together with the

It is also proposed to enable intended parents to

biological father (if registered as the father). In

children born through surrogacy to become

such cases parental responsibility cannot be

legal parents and for stepparents to be able to

obtained by agreement or a parental

acquire parental responsibility by agreement.

responsibility order by the non-birth parent. The only ways for both parents to obtain parental

There are also plans for all children whose

responsibility are either by way of a residence

parents (same sex or opposite sex) are married

order or adoption. These options are more

or in a civil partnership to be legitimate and to

complex and costly.

be able to be registered as parents.

The intention is for there to be changes in the

These long overdue reforms to family law in

law relating to parentage. This did not happen

Jersey are greatly welcomed by family lawyers.

when same sex marriage was brought in,

The changes in the law will conﬁrm equality for

despite the States being made aware of the

same sex parents and uphold the human rights

unfairness of the situation.

of parents and children which have been sadly lacking. It seems that these reforms have been

The plan is to change the law to enable same sex

delayed by COVID but it is good to see the

parents to be registered as a child’s legal

importance now being placed on this signiﬁcant

parents, for opposite sex parents in civil

area of law. Next step, divorce reform!

partnerships to be able to obtain legal parent

ǅ Ēö êĒÎĳČöŤ ĕĳ ūĒö īÎƆ Ɔĕīī êļĳċĕŞĲ öŝŰÎīĕūƌ ċļŞ ŤÎĲö ŤöƋ śÎŞöĳūŤ Îĳð ŰśĒļīð ūĒö ĒŰĲÎĳ ŞĕČĒūŤ ļċ śÎŞöĳūŤ Îĳð êĒĕīðŞöĳ ƆĒĕêĒ ĒÎƅö éööĳ ŤÎðīƌ īÎêĨĕĳČǅ ðƅļêÎūö ÎŞéÎŞÎ ļŞéöūū

ĒÎīīöĳČĕĳČ ċļŞ ĒÎĳČö ƥƦƪƨƩ Ƭƨƨƥƨƥ

ƆƆƆǂêļŞéöūūīöŝŰöŤĳöǂêļĲ SUMMER 2021 ISSUE | 33

Grow Jersey Recently, whilst flicking through Facebook, I alighted upon an invitation from Grow Jersey to attend a presentation on ‘Cultivating well-being through nature’ – very much fitting in with my own ethos, this immediately caught my eye. I attended said talk given by Damien Newman visiting the island from Thrive UK…The Editor The event at the town hall was excellent. In his

caveat of a gradual take back over a number

hour-long talk, Damien really got across the

of years.”

importance of nature and the therapeutic value of community growing. This really gave

“So myself, Sheena, Dave over there from

me an appetite to learn more so I booked time

Men’s Space, and also Andy Le Seelleur from

to visit Sheena Brockie, one of Grow Jersey’s

Thrive Jersey, and a few others started this up.

founders, at the St Helier site.

We currently have 100 fruit and nut trees, the start of the orchard planted by volunteers, and

On arrival I was concerned to hear Sheena

you can see we also have pollinator patches

had to isolate after being a direct contact

and cover crops such as mustard, clover and

for someone who had picked up Sars-Cov-2

lots of pineapple weed (wild chamomile) all

- such is the way of the strange world we

good for the soil. The pollinator plants include

live in at the moment…I was instead greeted

poppies, verbena, cornﬂowers, salvias and so

by Kevin and his recently adopted beagle

on - it is intended that between every fruit

pup, Jasper.

tree there will be fruit bushes and herbs.”

Kevin explained, “I’m on the committee and

It all looked beautiful and calming. I was

have been involved from the start. It’s only a

interested to l know more. “Eventually we will

few months old and if you’d have seen it in

be teaching people how to grow crops but

February – totally ﬂat and empty…you

beyond that, how to use them for cooking,

wouldn’t recognise it compared to today.”

pickling and so on – the plan is to have an

Kevin pointed out the rows of pollinator crops

outdoor classroom, fully accessible raised

and fruit trees now emerging from the once

beds, butterﬂy surveys, bat and even worm

bare soil.

surveys with schools, a pond project, beehives, a sensory garden and so on.” This all sounded

I asked about the concept of the project and

amazing.

how it came about. “A few of us were looking for a space for a different project when we

Kevin continued “When you are up here with

found this ﬁeld. We intended to raise funds to

the sounds of the birds in this green space, it’s

buy it, but St Helier Parish were also interested

so healing. It’s also intended to be a non-

because of its location next to Surville

judgemental space where people can come

cemetery. So we can use the ﬁeld with the

and be who they are and reconnect with

34 | www.thejerseylife.co.uk

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nature – we have a vision of working with schools, education teams and volunteers…I personally do some work with the Recovery College, so other organisations like that will be invited to come along, it’s a privilege to be part of such an amazing project.”

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At that point we were joined by one of the two Dave’s on site – and it turned out we knew each other – it was lovely to see him again. Dave joined in, “Several groups are coming at this about social and therapeutic horticulture, we want to grow native species, medlars, quince, almonds, pears and apples, the idea is to create a third space. Many of us have a workplace and a home space but not all have access to a growing space, so this will create that green, third space

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project from slightly different angles – it’s all

that we all need. A familiar place where you can

SUMMER 2021 ISSUE | 35

the health of the planet. This was a potato ﬁeld farmed with chemicals, so it’s really interesting to see what comes back with permaculture techniques. We are at a tipping point; the earth is not going to continue unless we rethink – so in this project we hope to provide a wonderful example of what can be done in terms of sustainable growing. We intend to have a muddy play area and pond dipping and not just for the kids!”

“Nature is so good for the soul,” said Rose Anne Dave, Kevin and Jasper

hang out in a community area with a kitchen.” Dave then took the beautiful but very vocal Jasper for a walk so I could hear Kevin better! “We have Barn owl, bat and kestrel boxes, we are surrounded by orchards, valleys and meadows, and our neighbours have been really supportive. Over there is Rose Anne - part of the education team.” Kevin suggested I take a walk around the ﬁeld and go and introduce myself to Rose Anne. I did just that… Rose Anne shared, “I’ve been involved since the end of January. Sheena is leading as she has so much experience and knowledge and I’ve been collating information for education. I’m on the Branchage committee and the Pollinator Project and my background is in zoology, I was also a speech therapist for adults and am a yoga instructor, so am interested in health and wellbeing, especially mental health and of course 36 | www.thejerseylife.co.uk

“We are currently getting ready to work with school children next term and have plans to apply for a kitchen area to make things with the produce in a ‘seed to fork’ campaign.” Talking of school I needed to go and pick up my son, but, on my way, out I met the other Dave, he shared “Sadly so much of life revolves around commerciality and how it looks on a spreadsheet, a lot of good will effort and time goes into projects like this but the world at large don’t seem to see the value – being here with the bees and butterflies diverts you from daily stress.” “My background is in engineering; I now work with Men’s Space and was looking for a space for a men’s shed and am a volunteer peer support with Mind Jersey – it’s all very people centred up here and it’s amazing to see people change.” Sadly I had to leave but had thoroughly enjoyed my time wandering around the field, chatting to impassioned people, taking photos and learning about the project….and meeting Jasper of course! And I somehow just know I will be back…

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motivatehealth

motivatehealth1 SUMMER 2021 ISSUE | 37

2nd Hand Clothes

a Sustainable Choice… Many people are turning to second-hand clothing as a result. So, what’s all the fuss about? The term ‘fast fashion’ describes the production of cheap Louise sporting a very fashionable 2nd Hand Desigual Coat

clothing which is designed to have a short life span and be discarded as styles move on very quickly, but who doesn’t love a bargain in a high street store right? It’s interesting to discover that according to Business Insider the fashion industry is responsible for 10% of global carbon emissions which we all know are contributing to climate change problems which will change our very shoreline if we don’t take action. Also, 1.5 trillion litres of water are used by this industry annually and the output

As an avid crafter and consequential watcher

of their manufacturing processes often cause

of the likes of The Great British Sewing Bee, I

serious pollution to land or water sources.

have been both fascinated and galled by the throw away (pardon the totally intentional

So, what can we as individuals do about these

pun) comments of presenter Patrick Grant. In

issues? There are a couple of strategies that

the most recent series, during ‘reduce, reuse,

people are turning to. One is designing a small

recycle’ week, Patrick nonchalantly announced

capsule wardrobe of good quality items that

that a ‘shocking million tonnes’ of clothing are

are timeless in design and will have a long life

thrown away EVERY YEAR in the UK alone!

span. There are many online shops that sell

Last year Patrick said there is enough clothing

items made from recycled fabric items or

currently in circulation, world-wide to clothe

clothes made from the off-cuts from other

the next half- dozen or so, generations. If that

fashion manufacturers.

is indeed the case – that is astonishing and it’s time to stop producing any more throw away

Another option is to choose to stop buying

fashion and that’s just for starters!!! Mindful of

clothing until all the items you have are

this ridiculous situation – I asked Louise Carson

completely worn out. The problem is then

of Journey to Zero waste to put together an

what to do when your tops are holy, all your

article on the subject. Here is the very well

jeans have been converted into shorts and

thought out result…

your work clothes just are no longer ﬁt to be seen in. You can only mend things so many

We are all hearing about climate change and

times, particularly if like me your sewing skills

living more sustainable lives regularly now.

leave a little to be desired.

38 | www.thejerseylife.co.uk

This is where second-hand clothing can

to add more colour and style to my wardrobe

become a solution. For many people

with high quality items like the pictured

shopping in charity shops has been essential

Desigual labelled coat bought preloved for a

due to budget constraints says Sam Burt

snip! I can still shop from home on eBay or

from Company of Dogs charity shop, so

sites like Oxfam online or Vinted but there’s a

charity shops are essential. Sam’s experience

certain satisfaction in finding an item I love in

is that mostly women shop in the store in

a local charity shop that gives me a great

Victoria Street, so great quality women’s

dose of that retail therapy high!

clothing are coveted ﬁnds. Finally, what choices does the Eco conscious For others, including me, second-hand

consumer have to ensure the best disposal of

clothing is necessary because it diverts items

clothing once they have decided to part with

from landﬁll or from the incinerator locally. If

them? Emily Smith from the local Salvation

I buy preloved items then I haven’t

Army explained that they have 60 textile bins

contributed to the environmental problem by

around the island (pictured). The contents of

buying new fast fashion. I also get to re-

most of these bins are shipped to UK and

purchase vintage items I wish I never got rid

sorted into those suitable for resale and

of like a recent ﬁnd of some Levi 501’s for £4!

those that can be repurposed. Emily shared that they are able to divert 99% of the textile

For some, there remains a stigma attached to

waste placed in their green bins from landfill

charity shop bought clothing feeling that

or the incinerator by repurposing them into

people will assume they can’t afford new.

items such as home insulation or cleaning

Others don’t like the idea of pre-worn clothing

products. The profits from these items are

touching their skin and they only wear

then payed back to our local branch for their

second-hand clothing if they know where it

work in the local community. According to

came from. It seems though that this is

Emily the Salvation Army believe in keeping

starting to change according to

prices low because they feel everyone should

businesswaste.co.uk whose survey found 45%

be able to afford quality items, I certainly

of people are happy to buy second-hand

enjoy a visit!

items, they state this market is “set to double in the next 5 years”” as younger, eco conscious

So, whether you are shopping for budget or

people join older, thrifty generations in

environmental reasons, or both, there are a

choosing the second-hand market.

great number of charity shops in the island to visit. If you haven’t been before you are

Initially, I found second-hand shopping less

certainly missing out and should definitely

convenient. They can’t have an item in all

go and check them out! You can even make

sizes and colours waiting for me to pick it up,

a day of it and get lunch in the café at Acorn

but with a little effort I have been managing

or the Salvation Army café! SUMMER 2021 ISSUE | 39

Where reuse meets By Caroline Spencer, Acorn’s Fundraising Manager Fans of reusing, repurposing, shabby chic and making something new from old are being invited to take part in an upcycling charity challenge over the summer. Art in the Frame Foundation, managing charity of The Harbour Gallery Jersey, have joined forces with Acorn Reuse to provide an exciting, imaginative and environmentally friendly challenge. Islanders are being invited to buy an item from Acorn Reuse in Trinity which they can then upcycle or repurpose. They have three months to create something new from their item, which can be anything from furniture to fashion.

Adrian Higham and Tara Franklin will be visiting Jersey later this year to judge the entries in the upcycling challenge

The challenge will culminate in a silent auction in October and will be judged by Adrian

seeing what amazing and creative ideas people

Higham and his wife Tara Franklin of Hoof

come up with.

Brocante UK and Tara Franklin Antiques. Adi is best known as being one of the antique experts

‘Adrian Higham and Tara Franklin will be here

on the popular BBC1 TV series The Bidding

for four days and we are delighted to have such

Room.

a wonderfully interesting couple to work with us and to be able to show them how much great

During their stay in Jersey, they will visit Acorn

work goes on in our island.’

Reuse and Tara, an expert in French vintage fabrics, will give an evening talk.

Adults will be asked to pay a £5 entry fee to cover costs, but school entries (11-18 inclusive)

Harbour Gallery managing director Pat Robson

will be free. There will be awards for the most

said: ‘Acorn has an enormous variety of goods

inventive and wonderful piece in each age

for sale from furniture, clothes, household

category, kindly provided by the Co-op. The

goods and toys. Almost anything can be given a

challenge also has the support of Decorare at

second lease of life and I am looking forward to

Miladi Parade, Longueville, who are giving 10%

40 | www.thejerseylife.co.uk

discount on any paint bought for this event and

Accountants and Cavendish Fiduciary (Jersey)

will advise on the best paint to use.

Ltd, will be opened by the Harbour Gallery’s Patron Lady Dalton and her husband the

In October the challenge will culminate in an

Lieutenant-Governor Sir Stephen Dalton.

exhibition of the items and a silent auction at The Harbour Gallery in St Aubin. 50% of the sales

Entry forms are available from the Harbour

will go back to the upcycler and 50% will go

Gallery Jersey and Acorn Reuse.

back to Acorn, which helps people who have a disability or long-term health condition with work and training opportunities. Acorn Fundraising & Relationships manager Caroline Spencer said: ‘This is where reuse meets creativity. The great thing with this challenge is it’s so inclusive. Everyone can take part. I hope it inspires people who may never have tried upcycling before, as well as people who love it as a hobby. ‘We hope to have some entries from individuals who enjoy our upcycling projects at Acorn.’ The silent auction on 12 October, sponsored by Abaris Chartered

Acorn fundraiser Caroline Spencer and Harbour Gallery director Pat Robson at Acorn Reuse

SUMMER 2021 ISSUE | 41

7 important tips for designing a kitchen you’ll absolutely love By Liz Connor, PA Want to start the summer with a fresh, updated,

feel of a kitchen. Aim to shed light on the parts of the

modern kitchen? Liz Connor hears spend-smart tips

kitchen you will use regularly, such as the cooker and

from the experts.

worktops, but play with shadows in the rest of the

Full-scale kitchen renovations can be expensive,

space to create an atmospheric and zen place to relax.”

which is why it’s important to make sensible, practical choices during the planning stage, that you won’t

3. Opt for matt cupboards if you have small children

regret in the long-run.

Lynskey continues: “Nobody wants jammy hands all

While it’s tempting to opt for style over substance,

over their kitchen cabinets. Choose a matt ﬁnish as

the kitchen is arguably the most important room in

opposed to gloss, as they are easier to clean and

the house, and for many families, it’s a space that

disguise visible marks better.

needs to function as an ofﬁce for homeworkers, an entertaining hub and a stand-up breakfast spot. Consider these tips when planning your revamp for

“Matt also has a timeless appeal, so your kitchen will remain fashionable for years to come.”

a space that’s both beautiful and functional… 4. Go for practical materials 1. Suss out your storage needs early on

Laura Davie, marketing manager for Cosentino UK

“If you’re partial to a crockery collection or two and

(cosentino.com) says: “Consider a kitchen surface that’s

have a pantry bursting with exotic ingredients, storage

suited to your lifestyle and the way in which you use

is going to be particularly important,” says Stephen

the kitchen.

Lynskey, head designer at Hammonds Kitchens

“For instance, keen cooks will beneﬁt from a heat

(hammonds-uk.com). “What many people don’t

and scratch resistant surface, such as a composite

realise is that storage options are decided right at the

surface. It’s ideal for those wanting to recreate a

beginning of a kitchen plan, when the blueprint is

speciﬁc look, such a marble or wood, without wanting

being mapped out.

to worry about the hassle of maintenance.

“Think about whether you need more drawers or

“As for splashbacks, composite surfaces offer the

cupboards, whether a display unit is speciﬁcally

opportunity to use a large, single slab splashback,

important and how big your pantry needs to be at this

making a real design centrepiece, while being easier

stage, to avoid disappointment later down the line.”

to clean with no awkward tile grouting.”

2. Lighting is really important

5. L-shared islands are great if you like socialising in

“Lighting is so important when creating a cosy

your kitchen

atmosphere in a kitchen. I recommend focusing on

“If you’re the type of household that loves having

three different kinds when creating your perfect setup:

gatherings in your home, thinking about elements

top lighting, task lighting and ambient lighting,”

such as seating in the kitchen, is essential,” says

advises Lynskey. “All three need to come together

Lynskey.

perfectly to create the mood you ﬁnd most relaxing. “Thinking about where to have shadows and where to cast light can have a surprisingly large effect on the 42 | www.thejerseylife.co.uk

“Kitchen islands are a great opportunity to create a sociable space, but rather than having seating down just one side, why not opt for two sides so that your

guests can face one another when socialising? For this, I recommend an ‘L’ shape, rather than the

about and give the kitchen a luxurious feel.” He adds: “Lighting also needs to be a key

standard square.”

consideration, as it must be bright, easy to ﬁnd and operate. For this, opt for a one-switch policy that

6. Get an expert involved

controls all lighting, to avoid confusion. “

Bella Glenn, design expert at Benchmarx Kitchens And Joinery (benchmarxkitchens.co.uk) says: “I would always recommend getting an expert planner involved in your kitchen design early on, to ensure you maximise the features that are important to you. “There’s a wealth of knowledge available at kitchen retailers, who are best placed to discuss ways to achieve a bespoke look. Many manufacturers will have options available that can replicate a look at a range of price points, so if you have a style in mind, then it’s certainly worth talking this through.” 7. Accessibility matters “Accessibility is of utmost importance when designing a kitchen for older clients, or those with elderly relatives,” stresses Lynskey. “Doorknobs may prove troublesome for arthritic hands, so larger handles that can be easily grasped are a better option. Soft closing doors and drawers make for one less thing to worry

Crafting beautiful spaces inside and out

MEMBER OF THE

Discover how our team can transform your home into something truly special, contact us today to find out more. 01534 738 358

www.mtstonemasons.com

07797 750 820

mtstonemasons

mtstonemasons SUMMER 2021 ISSUE | 43

Styling summer neutrals: how to put some punch into a pale palette By Sam Wylie-Harris, PA

Interiors experts share their thoughts on texture, natural materials and putting a little luxe into neutral schemes. By Sam Wylie-Harris.

Even if you’re not new to neutrals and love

summer months, as we enjoy longer days and

everything clean and serene, chances are

want to instil a sense of relaxation into our

you’re at your most creative come high

homes, reminding us of holiday travels,” says

summer – and looking for ways to buff up

Tara Thallon, co-founder of Bound Concept, a

your beige and freshen those fawn ﬂoors.

new online modern design store offering a curated range of ‘objects of desire’ from

“Light neutrals are always popular during 44 | www.thejerseylife.co.uk

emerging designers.

Copenhagen Cobra Vases: Tall Bubble White Vase, 135; Cobra Double, 145; Cobra Uno, 95 (others from a selection), Bound Concept

Rebel 3 Seater Sofa in Taupe Velvet, 1,099 (other items part of room set), SNUG If you’re not sure where to start, Jenna Choate,

“To avoid neutrals looking too flat, mix in

co-founder of Interior Fox, says working with

tactile pieces to bring rich texture and visual

cream, grey and taupe shades will allow you to

interest. Think hand-made, imperfect

create a base that’s easy to build upon,

ceramics with rough surfaces and

depending on the season or mood.

accessories with strong, interesting silhouettes that will draw attention,”

“Add in bursts of vibrant colour during the

suggests Thallon.

summer months, or sumptuous and earthy colours during the winter,” suggests Choate.

To further your sense of calm, consider introducing natural materials alongside neutrals. “Jutes, rattans, light woods – all

Hana Pink Recycled Cotton Throw, 29.50, Oliver Bonas

hint towards nature and have calming,

“Find a colour that you feel drawn to the most. If

natural tones to complement neutral

you’re stuck for inspiration, have a look in your

surroundings,” adds Thallon.

wardrobe to see what colours you naturally gravitate towards,” Choate adds.

SUMMER 2021 ISSUE | 45

somewhere warm, like the coast.”

Ocean Shores, Shell Wall Art Shadow Box Cream Natural, 94.99, Oak Furnitureland To build on those soft furnishings, a fresh lick of paint is one of the easiest ways to bring a new lease of life into a room. “To create contrast, add in wooden cladding vertically,” suggests Choate. “This look is a contemporary take on the panelling trend. Complete with a curation of art that reﬂects your style, and ﬁnish with a mix of clashing cushions on the sofa.”

Mirage Cushion in Cacti, 70, Kagu Interiors Flooring can be given some new neutrals “We ﬁnd green and blue are a winning

treatment too, especially if you’re looking for a

combination, they reﬂect the colours you’d

signiﬁcant revamp.

ﬁnd outside and work perfectly with a neutral base. Whatever colour you choose, introduce

Jemma Dayman, carpet and rugs buyer for

it through soft furnishings, such as cushions,

Carpetright, says choosing a light and bright

throws, and rugs.

neutral shade for your ﬂoors, whether soft beige carpets or marble effect vinyl, ensures your

“For a look that feels effortless, steer away

room feels spacious and airy – making it the

from using the exact colour and instead opt

perfect choice for smaller spaces.

for a tonal look.”

Rattan Wall Mirror Natural, 25 (other items from a selection), Dunelm

Somerton Twist Carpet in Sand Heather, 31.99 per square metre; Safi Fringed Pyramid Natural Rug, from 59.99 (other items part of room set), Carpetright

As well as adding texture, creating interest through natural materials, such as decorative

“Pairing neutral tones with natural materials

seashells or beach themed decos, channels

like rattan and raw woods, adds depth to your

holiday vibes.

scheme whilst helping bring the outside in, for an additional summery feel,” says Dayman.

As Choate points out: “These materials are perfect for summer as they give a relaxed,

“If you’re looking to tone down bolder themes,

lived-in feeling that transports you

pairing throws and lighting with neutral

46 | www.thejerseylife.co.uk

ﬂooring will ensure the room feels considered, rather than overpowering.”

Portobello Scalloped Bowls – Set of 2, 25, The White Company

Natural Braided Rattan Lampshades – Low, Belly or Bottle, 90 each, Kagu Interiors

“When decorating with neutrals, texture is

“Sophisticated and contemporary, soft

“I like natural elements and lots of texture:

summery neutral tones are the perfect base for

weathered wood, slubby linens or marbled

an understated decor,” Dayman continues.

slate, all of which connect us back to nature

“Enhancing natural light and brightening

and contrast well with crisp china and

darker rooms, these versatile yet

glassware, adding interest.”

key,” says Chrissie Rucker, founder of the The White Company.

complementary shades will emanate warmth and unify existing colour schemes, creating a

And for the ﬁnishing touch, what could be

harmonious and relaxing atmosphere.”

lovelier than the scent of freshly washed tumble-dried ﬂuffy white towels, or sun-dried

Tactile to the touch, texture is a word that

cotton sheets? Check out Yankee Candle’s

comes up a lot in the world of neutral interiors.

collection of Pre-Fragranced Reed Starter Kits,

And if you’re starting out on your jute journey

from £16.49, to sit alongside their Candlelit

or pale palette, to echo your love of pared-back

Cabin Reed Diffuser, £19.99, in Fluffy Towels

simplicity, in the same vein as ‘more is more’,

and Clean Cotton.

you can never have too much texture.

59.4&9678 84 .4&96782"9-759,82'4356752.

3*699478-759,83()'69 ABH1GEBG7.BH>GD?GEHAFH9:B@C<H<D?GH5AF?C5H?G9CE;H ==GEAF/HDH6DB@HBG>G9@ACFHC=H2EG<A:<H3EDF?H B7B@G<BHDF?H=D3EA9B8H=EGGHAF,4C<GH9CFB:>@D@ACF8HDF?H2EC=GBBACFD>HB:E6G7AF/HDF?HAFB@D>>D@ACF;H $EC<HEC>>GEH3>AF?BH@CHEC<DFH=C>?8H5GH4D6GHDHB@7>GH=CEHG6GE7H2CAF@HC=H6AG5;;;Hespecially yours!

+FA@H)8H0DF?GBH&:H DE94G8H0DH#EDF?GH!C:@GH?GH"@;H AGEEG8H1%*H('-

!/$#181%1/1/8 000+3*69947-759,2+3() SUMMER 2021 ISSUE | 47

If you’re always throwing away bagged salad,

try growing your own lettuce mix By Hannah Stephenson, PA

Charity Garden Organic offers tips to help you grow salad leaves of your own. We bin so much bagged salad every year, it’s surely time to think again. Figures f rom government waste advisory body WRAP suggest we chuck out 40% of the f resh lettuce and leafy greens we buy every year, making salads among the most wasted foods. Shoppers don’t always buy bagged salads with a specif ic meal in mind, meaning parts of, or even whole bags are often thrown away untouched, according to separate Tesco research. Yet it’s so easy to grow your own, insists charity

Bestselling bagged salads include lettuce, rocket,

Garden Organic (gardenorganic.org.uk), which

spinach and pea shoots, but you can mix and

promotes organic horticulture.

match to suit your particular tastes.

Growing your own mixed organic salad requires

Follow Rosenfeld’s top tips for growing your own

minimal space, with most varieties suitable for

stress-free salads…

growing on a window ledge, says the charity’s growing expert Dr Anton Rosenfeld.

Do your prep Prepare your veg patch (or a tray on a window sill)

It’s also quick, with shoots revealing themselves

by weeding, raking and levelling the soil to a ﬁne

in days, ready to be harvested in less than a

tilth and gently ﬁrming it down. Lightly water the

month.

area so you’re just moistening the soil. You don’t want to compact it.

“Britons buy a huge amount of bagged salad each week, and so much ends up straight in the bin,” says Rosenfeld. “However, it couldn’t be

Grow your favourite leaves

simpler to grow your own – you don’t even need

Pea shoots

a garden. With a bit of planning and a sunny

These are ideal for beginners, easy to grow and

windowsill, you can keep yourselves in a variety

delicious. Simply buy a bag of dried marrowfat

of salad leaves all year round.”

peas from the supermarket and soak a handful

48 | www.thejerseylife.co.uk

overnight. Then sow them 1-2cm deep, a few

Lettuce can be sown directly into the ground

centimetres apart. You’ll see results in days and

from when the risk of frost has passed, right

within two weeks you can snip the shoots to

through until the autumn. Some varieties are

harvest. If you keep the soil moist, you can get up

prone to bolting, or running to seed in the hot

to three harvests from each shoot.

dry summer months, so just check the details on the packet before you sow.

Rocket With its peppery flavour, rocket livens up any

And in winter?

salad. Sow from March until late August or early

Don’t worry about the colder months as you can

September (depending on where you live). Sow

simply switch to growing your leaves on a

seed 0.5cm deep in pots or rows, then thin to

windowsill. Mixed lettuce leaves, for instance, will

15cm apart. You can start to enjoy them when the

grow all year round indoors.

plants are 10-15cm tall and regular cutting is advised to encourage new growth of young, fresh

When to harvest

leaves.

When young leaves are big enough to eat, use scissors to harvest just the amount you need for

Spinach

your salad or garnish. Start with the outer leaves,

This is not only delicious but is also a great source

making a clean cut. The stems will grow new

of essential vitamins. It can be sown in the spring

leaves, hence the name ‘cut-and-come-again’.

to late summer. Sow 1cm deep in pots or rows and when the seedlings are big enough to

As the plants mature you might notice the leaves

handle, thin them to 15-30cm apart. You can cut

taste bitter or attempt to flower, especially in hot

individual leaves as needed or you can cut

dry weather. If so, it’s time to remove them.

seedlings and mature plants to 2.5cm above the surface as the plants regrow.

TOP TIPS

Lettuce This is the key ingredient of all mixed salads and there is an abundance of different varieties to choose from including the pretty Lollo Rosso, with its frilly deep copper red leaves, or the ‘cutand-come-again’ mixed leaf varieties. You can either buy your favourite or purchase a packet of

A good, consistent watering habit is key. Ideally little and often. Slugs could be an issue if you’re growing outdoors. Avoid non-organic slug pellets as these are poisonous to hedgehogs, birds and other wildlife that might visit your garden.

mixed seeds.

Are you PREPARED? We offer prompt, efficient solutions for wasps nests, moles, rats, mice and other unacceptable nuisances, using sustainable, effective, economical and environmentally sound methods. FRANK RAIMBAULT La Grenier a Pomme, La Rue de la Prairie, St Mary JE3 3EH T: 07797 829885 E: malcolmlewis60@gmail.com or frankraimbault@gmail.com SUMMER 2021 ISSUE | 49

How to Transform Your Gut for Optimal Health - and Why! By Charles Robottom

We have been trying to avoid Covid-19 since last year and it is now time to learn to live with it. The big question is How? Internal body inﬂammation is one of the major factors in the immune response to any

• Gut transformation to heal and populate with ‘friendly bacteria’

virus which affects our health. Therefore,

• Supporting the friendly bacteria in the

reducing the severity and impact of the

bowel with a good quality probiotic

cytokine release when our immune system

• Stop regularly eating the foods that

attacks viruses, could affect us being

promote bad bacteria and fungi (eg:

hospitalized or even getting long covid.

Candida) • Making a habit of eating a broad range of

The Health of the Gastrointestinal system is

different coloured vegetables that will feed

one area that we can control in times where

the friendly bacteria

everything seems so out of control. This also can help reduce body inﬂammation…

• Reducing or avoiding foods that contain Gluten or a lot of sugar such as sweets, biscuits and alcohol. Total abstinence is not

Evidence indicates that the gut microbiota

realistic for many, but not eating and

plays a vital role in our health, including

drinking these carbs for more than 2 days

immunity. The so called ‘forgotten organ’, the

in a row will dramatically affect the balance

microbiome, comprises of trillions of

of your Gut Biome.

microbes, including bacteria, fungi and viruses that are unique to each of us. Personal

In an ideal world, the above regime would

experience of the beneﬁts by following the

last more than 100 days as this will create a

Nutri Advanced Gut Transformation

new habit. Diff icult I know but it is food for

Programme for 6 weeks last summer, helped

thought.

to heal my small intestine lining, reduce leaky gut and increase my ‘friendly’ bacteria. The

Evidence is also pointing to taking Vitamin

change in my intestinal health and biome had

D3 as this reduces inflammation but also

the effect of reducing inﬂammation within my

stabilizes the mast cells therefore reducing

whole body which led to me feeling fantastic,

the cytokine release.

shedding a stone and most importantly the beneﬁts are still very much in evidence.

To reduce the effect of, or getting the disease, evidence is telling us to eat well,

This anti-inﬂammatory focus is vital, especially

exercise, get good sleep and simply, take

at the moment. This can be achieved by:

more care of our health.

50 | www.thejerseylife.co.uk

RECIPES

MOTIVATE HEALTH

FITNESS•NUTRITION

MAIN MEAL Serves 2

CHICKEN DOPIAZA What you need: 2 chicken breasts 1 red onion 2 Tsp of coconut oil ½ a red pepper ½ a green pepper 3 Tsp curry powder 1 Tsp garlic 1 Tsp ginger 1 tin 400g chopped tomatoes 100 ml chicken stock 25% less salt

What you do: Heat 1 Tsp oil in a pan/wok, add the ginger and then the chicken. Cook for approx 5 mins then remove the chicken from the pan. Add 1 Tsp of oil and cook the peppers and onions until they are soft. Return the chicken to the pan. Add curry powder. Mix well and add chopped tomatoes and stock. Simmer until the sauce has reduced and the chicken is cooked. Garnish with coriander. Serve with either bulgar wheat or veg.

SUMMER 2021 ISSUE | 51

Struggling to run in the heat? This is what experts advise about training outdoors in summer By Liz Connor, PA

When the temperatures spike, it’s important to be strategic with your workouts, says Liz Connor.

Beautiful sunny days can seem a rare treat, so it’s natural to want throw on your trainers and make the most of the weather with a lunchtime run in the park. But running in the heat can be a lot more tricky than you think, and if you’re not careful, you can easily max out too early and ﬁnish your ﬁrst kilometre wanting to lie down in a hot, sweaty, exhausted mess. Yep, summer training isn’t easy – but you don’t have to give up on your outdoor runs just because of the sunshine. It’s a case of being prepared, sensible and adapting as necessary. We asked some experts for

52 | www.thejerseylife.co.uk

Sponsored by

MOTIVATE HEALTH

FITNESS•NUTRITION

their advice on safely managing the heat with

around sunrise and sunset during summer

summer running…

months.

Why is running in heat so hard?

“A simple tip is to run in the morning or late afternoon, to avoid the hottest part of the

“Running in the heat causes a rapid increase

day,” says Randall Cooper, sports

in your core body temperature, which the

physiotherapist and CEO of Premax

body counteracts by redirecting the blood

(premax.co/uk).

from our muscles to the skin to support the cooling process,” says NURVV Sport Scientist,

Getting your run done ﬁrst thing in the

Anna Kosciuk (nurvv.com).

morning also leaves lunchtime free to focus on some all important recovery, like

Because of this, less blood is available to

stretching and myofascial release.

transport oxygen to the working muscles, and when your skin’s receiving the blood ﬂow that

2. Go slow

would normally go to muscles, Koscuik says keeping pace becomes way more difﬁcult:

Cooper advises running a course that is

“The lack of oxygen quickly induces

mainly in the shade (woodland paths are

premature fatigue and results in a decline in

good for this) and slowing your pace to adjust

muscle function, which can affect overall

to the heat and humidity. It’s an obvious

performance.”

point, but the hottest day of the year is no time to aim for a PB.

In this way, running in the heat is quite similar to altitude training.

Although your pace may feel torturously slow, your heart rate will still reach between the

That overheated, heavy feeling is never

optimum 50-85% because of the extra

pleasant, and dehydration can also play a role

challenge of the hot weather.

in its intensity. When you haven’t drunk enough ﬂuids, your

3. Make sure you’re drinking water often

body sweats less to stop you losing ﬂuid more rapidly than you are replacing it, which means

“When you’re sweating more, you lose

you have a harder time controlling your body

valuable ﬂuids and electrolytes, which

temperature.

compromises the efﬁciency of the cooling process of the body,” says Kosciuk.

How should you adapt your running technique in the summer?

Wearing a hydration vest, like the Salomon Advance Skin 5 (currently £89.90 down from

1. Time it right

£110, wiggle.com) allows you to sip on a 1.5-litre bladder of water as you go, so you don’t have to

Even on baking days, it’s signiﬁcantly cooler

wait until the ﬁnish line to properly rehydrate. SUMMER 2021 ISSUE | 53

4. Consider your gear

two to three hours after the session has ended,” says Cooper.

When it comes to summer running, Cooper says “light, technical fabrics that wick sweat

7. Sleep it off

and allow the skin to breathe” are best. Running in the heat will be more stressful on Microﬁber polyesters and cotton blends with

your body, and getting seven to nine hours of

mesh areas and vents will help to keep you

sleep is vital to allow the body to repair and

cool, and a hat and UV sunglasses are

recover. “If it’s possible, sleep in a cool room

essential for keeping your face and eyes

between 17-20°C. However, I’d recommended

protected from the rays. Wearing a broad

not running an air-conditioner, as the dry air

spectrum of SPF50 on hot days is a no-brainer

will cause further dehydration overnight,” says

for runners too.

Cooper.

5. Get a good pair of running socks

A ﬁnal word…

“Specialist running socks will keep your feet

Despite the disadvantages of summer

dry to prevent blisters, as high temperatures

running, learning to adapt to the challenge of

increase the moisture in the shoes and often

hot weather can actually make you a more

lead to painful wounds,” notes Kosciuk. We

efﬁcient runner. “For runners who successfully

like Balega Blister Resist Running Socks

adapt and acclimatise to hot conditions, it can

(various styles available from Amazon and

actually improve athletic performance,” says

balega.co.uk) for keeping feet cool, comfy

Cooper. “This is because the body learns to

and dry.

sweat more, which improves thermoregulation, both in hot and cold

Shoe choice is equally important. “Get your

conditions.

trainers ﬁtted to the shape of your feet and the function of your foot and lower leg,”

“Training in the heat can also lead to positive

stresses Kosciuk. “There’s no better way to

changes in blood plasma volume, reduce

avoid injuries than to ensure appropriate

overall core temperature, reduce blood lactate

support and structure around your feet.”

levels and improve aerobic performance.”

6. Plan ahead for the end of the session

That said, it can also be dangerous to run outside in the heat as it increases your risk of

Have extra water on hand, some small wet

heat stroke and other potentially serious heat-

towels to place on the back of your neck or

related illnesses.

wrists, and know where you can get out of the heat and the sun into a cooler environment,

For this reason, Cooper says adapting to

says Cooper.

running in the heat should be done incrementally, over many sessions. “Not

Replenishing the body with cold ﬂuids is also

everyone responds to training in the heat in

a vital part of your post-run recovery. “A good

the same manner, so it deﬁnitely needs to be

rule is to ensure your urine is clear [not yellow]

approached with caution,” he advises.

54 | www.thejerseylife.co.uk

SHAPE UP FOR SUMMER INVEST IN YOUR MIND, INVEST IN YOUR HEALTH, INVEST IN YOURSELF

Visit www.motivatehealth.co.uk or call 07700 322 344 Email: getﬁt@motivatehealth.co.uk

motivatehealth

MOTIVATE HEALTH

FITNESS•NUTRITION

8 simple ways to cool your house down during a heatwave By Luke Rix-Standing, PA

When the weather heats up, you want your house to be a haven of coolness. Here’s how to achieve that. We’re already one heatwave down, and there’s

the coolest coverings you’ll ﬁnd. And if things

probably more to come, but summer can

get really, unbearably hot, try popping sheets

prove tricky when we’re away from air-

in a plastic bag and stashing them in the

conditioned ofﬁces, and escaping abroad for a

freezer for a bit, before putting them back on

week by the pool still isn’t guaranteed.

the bed for super cool sleep.

Here’s how to keep your house cool during the

3. Close the curtains

summer swelter… Closed curtains and blinds are often 1. Get a fan

associated with stufﬁness, but by exposing all your windows at the start of a scorching day,

Fewer than one per cent of UK homes come

you can basically trap yourself in an enormous

equipped with air conditioning (and most of

greenhouse. Black-out blinds are especially

the time we all know why), so if you want cold

effective at blocking incoming rays if you’re

air blowing your way, a plug-in fan is likely the

willing to opt for something a little more

easiest way to go. They only provide

heavy duty.

temporary respite, but on a really hot day temporary respite is more than enough.

4. Seal any gaps

For added freezy feelings, place a bowl of ice

You’re looking to physically block as much

or iced water in front of your fan, which will

heat as possible from entering your home,

help cool the air the fan blows in your

and some surprisingly blunt methods might

direction.

help you do so. Towels or draught excluders can do the trick around doors and windows,

2. Sleep with cotton sheets

while DIY enthusiasts can close up any cracks in the masonry with off-the-shelf sealant.

Put away the duvets, quilts and bedtime blankets, cotton should be your sheet material

Keep your windows closed during the day,

of choice during long hot summer nights.

and only open them to let in cooler air

Even more breathable than satin and silk,

overnight. If you must engage in daytime

light-coloured cotton bedsheets are probably

window-opening, make sure you open

56 | www.thejerseylife.co.uk

windows on either side of the house, and keep doors open to create a through-draught. 5. Invest in house plants House plants can help permeate a stuffy room with moisture, and window sill staples like rubber plants, snake plants, and peace lilies can help create a more breathable microclimate. Some indoor-friendly ﬂora even sucks up pollutants and particulates – aloe plants spring to mind – potentially helping you deal with the heat a little more easily. 6. Turn off your tech Appliances give off a surprising quantity of heat, particularly while charging. Power down computers and televisions rather than leaving them on standby, and try to leave plenty of space behind fridges and freezers for ventilation. If your laptop is actually on your lap, you’ll be able to feel the heat very directly, and if you can, it might be wise to periodically switch it off during your day. 7. Engage in cooling activities It’s not exactly rocket science, but cold drinks

PLUMBING AND HEATING LIMITED

can cool you down; damp cloths can cool you down; and cold showers can cool you down a lot. Ice your wrists, pop your feet in a bucket of cold water, eat a lot of ice lollies – you have options. 8. Turn off the lights The marginal heat loss beneﬁts do not outweigh stubbing your toe, so still ﬂick the light switch if going for a bathroom break after hours, but light bulbs do emit heat as well as light, and a naturally lit home tends to be a cooler home.

Call Tony Mobile 07797 743005 Tel/Fax: 872066 7 Le Clos Paumelle, Bagatelle Road, St. Saviour, JE2 7TW email: tlvplumbingltd@hotmail.com SUMMER 2021 ISSUE | 57

Looking back...

‘Through the Eyes of a Teacher’ Given the turbulent nature of education during the last 18 months, The Jerseylife thought it would be thought-provoking to follow the life of someone whose education had suffered the constraints of post WWII and Occupation and yet progressed to become one of Jersey’s most dedicated teachers with a career spanning 39 years. Last time Thelma Heard spoke about her very earliest memories. In this issue, Thelma talks of the next stage in her life… suffered the Occupation were unrestrained,

And so to school

boisterous and some were even bullies. I had a second-hand red coat sent to us by relatives in the

By Thelma Heard

USA, (a few second-hand clothes came to us this way and were welcomed what with rationing and

After our return from the UK, after the War, I

lack of money) which I would hang in the

became a pupil at St Luke’s School. In those days

cloakroom at the foot of a ﬂight of steps. As I was

pupils started school at 6 and left at 15. The interior

going to fetch it one day, I saw one of the boys

of the building was nothing like it is now - there

tearing it apart at the seams. I suppose he was

were draughty classrooms with high

jjealous as I had something

ceilings and a large

nice to wear. n

stove in each room. If you sat by it you

The boys had a playground T

overheated, but if you

sseparate from the girls. It

were further away you

w was one of their ‘games’ to

got very cold.

pull girls over to their area. p The bullies would also T

Every morning milk was

w waylay us as we turned

delivered in metal milk

tthe corner towards the

churns and poured into

sschool gate. I found the

battered old metal mugs.

b best way was never to llook scared as they

I have never been able to drink milk like that since

St.

l Luke’s Schoo

as I can still taste that slimy, slightly warm liquid.

ttended to concentrate on those wh who did. I remember one day, a teacher was absent, so my class joined another and I ended up sitting next to a girl called Mary. We

It was a rough place - so many children having

58 | www.thejerseylife.co.uk

paid little attention to the lesson which was the

usual ‘chalk and talk’, (I don’t remember any books -

a nurse down a, to me, long, dim, stone ﬂagged

my sister remembers some rather grubby

passage. My mother had gone and I was led into

specimens - only a blackboard and

the children’s ward and I was put into

we had slates and a piece of chalk)

b bed. No one told me what had

and instead, my new-found friend

h happened or why I was there. That

and I had a fascinating discussion

n night I yelled most of the time. I felt

on ghosts. The poor harassed

s abandoned and did not so

teacher caught us and I was

u understand what was going on. I

called out to the front of the

c still recall it and the faces of the can

class. She told me to put out my

s staff who stood at the foot of my bed

hand for the cane. She wanted

n knowing what to do about me. In not

to hit me on my left hand and I

t the morning at breakfast, we were

refused because I had not long

t told we had a treat – eggs! I said, ‘Yes

recovered from a fractured left

p please’ but the nurse curtly told me

arm, but said she could hit my

“ “Not you…you have to have an

right hand. Corporal

o operation today”. The after-effects of

punishment had little effect on me.

1948 - 8 year old Thelma with little brot her Martin at Snow Hill

t this accident meant I had to start w writing with my right hand; previously I h been left- handed. To this day I had

The nit nurse used to visit

h have never had decent

frequently as there were many

h handwriting and experience

cases after the war. We had to line up

c confusion on occasions as to

to have our hair tugged apart while she

w which hand to use especially

searched for the invaders. At home we

w when faced with doing

had to sit while our mother raked

s something new. My left arm

through our hair with a special comb.

h stayed weak throughout has

Any discoveries meant a head dousing in

m life. my

an evil smelling liquid. I 1950, when I was In My fractured left arm happened when my

a approaching 10, my sister

sister and I were playing a game we called

a and I changed schools.

‘caravans’ where we placed 2 old chairs

H How my parents scraped

together. My chair was too near the edge

t together the money I

of the grass which was about two feet on my extended left arm. I was taken into

r old Thelma 1950 - 10 yea s Josephine with sibbling

the kitchen where my grandfather held my

and Martin

above the yard and I slipped off and landed

d don’t know. It was not a q question of we needed a b better education as then i was deemed girls did it n need that much, not

arm still then went to hospital and had a plaster put on. The following night I was in

h my mother had had enough of the bullying rather

pain all night so my mother took me back to the

and the nit nurse.

hospital in the morning. My arm had been incorrectly set and had to be redone. I was taken by

We were enrolled in a small all girls’ school of 165

SUMMER 2021 ISSUE | 59

pupils. This school no longer exists. We didn’t learn

all by heart. Once I got into even more trouble as

science (not for girls then) but most other subjects

the girl who had gone up before me to recite her

including elocution and sewing. It was a very strict

dates, couldn’t remember them so I started

place with rigid uniform rules. My grandmother, a

whispering them to her as I was tired of waiting for

seamstress, made my winter coat from a grey

her to ﬁnish.

blanket dyed green. The other girls used to snigger at it. At other times they just stood around in

Lessons were proving too easy for me so I was put

groups to laugh at me. We were forbidden to go

up into the top class when I was with girls of 15 and

out any evening in the school week without the

16. I was still just 13. As you can imagine this did not

head mistress’ permission. We were also in deep

endear me to them at all. That is until they realised

trouble if we were seen talking to a boy or eating in

they could copy my work and get better marks.

the street. Later I was nearly expelled because I joined

W We had little in the way of educational

the St John Ambulance

rresources. There was one book for each

Cadets!

ssubject: History, Geography, French and A Arithmetic. There were also copies of

There was a group which

tthe current exam book of, to me, an

met in a building at the end

iinsufferable Shakespeare play,

of our road. The head

C Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales and

mistress then decided to have

w whatever other book was set for a

a St John Ambulance group

p particular year’s O level exam. I quite

at the school. I attended

e enjoyed one book I studied for my

regularly and attained the

e exam. It was Tale of Two Cities by

Grand Prior award (it meant

C Charles Dickens. As I was with the

passing 12 exams such as ﬁrst

o older pupils ahead of time, I studied tthose set for 2 successive years’

Aid, Home Nursing and History of the Order). It also involved carrying out duties such as helping out at an orphanage called Westaway Creche, an old

to embark on 1956 - About ould lead to the path that w ing College Teacher Train

e exams. To this day I dislike anything w written by Shakespeare though I c can quote at length from some of h his works. The rationale behind

people’s home and sometimes at

learning by b heart pages of Chaucer I cannot

public events. On one occasion I was on duty in

understand. Geometry was mostly doing patterns

Howard Davis Park for some event when a man

with ruler and/or a pair of compasses and these

collapsed with a heart attack so I was sent to the

were then coloured. How I longed for a decent set

nearest telephone box in Colomberie to call for extra

of colours. Arithmetic was endless sums. I

assistance as I was calling through a brass band

particularly struggled with long division. I worked

passed by right outside which made things difﬁcult.

long hours when I had these for homework never seeming to get them right. My father used to get

There were so many rules at school it was inevitable

annoyed with me saying I was only prolonging my

I would break some. In fact I broke so many that I

work to stay up later!

was frequently in detention where we had handwriting practice – which I dreaded of course.

In the next issue Thelma shares how she was soon

At other times we had to learn columns of historical

to be on course to attend Teaching College and

dates but I was in detention so often I learnt them

beyond…

60 | www.thejerseylife.co.uk

LE N B A W IL O A R V G A E W LM O O N H T A This book is a treasure trove of information for anyone interested in Jersey’s Occupation history. Above all, it tells a very personal and human story. Juanita Shield-Laignel has skillfully woven the strands of a life together and ensured that Michael’s own voice shines through. The road he took from the German internment camp to his banquet with the Queen was a long one, but it demonstrates the capacity of ordinary people to make a positive difference to the world. Michael Ginns MBE is now gone; but his work of reconciliation will endure. Paul Darroch - Author of Jersey; The Hidden Histories

The Author says: “Writing this book was an absolute joy. Michael was such a special man and was keen for me to share the details of his whole life – not just his internment to SoVthern GermanZ aged just 15 or receiving his MBE but – his early childhood memories, such as sitting in church on a Sunday and thinking he would rather be on a nearby farm watching the pigs…and other such seemingly small details that shaped this extraordinary man’s life. No matter who you are – we all have a story to tell and I am thrilled to be able to share Michael’s unique story with you. I know you will Enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed interviewing Michael, and writing it for posterity. Enjoy!” Juanita x

THE FERRARI PORTOFINO M IS AN EXCITING ALL-ROUNDER By Darren Cassey, PA Motoring Reporter

Ferrari has updated the Portofino GT, promising sharper handling and improved comfort. Darren Cassey gets behind the wheel. WHAT IS IT?

and adapted the styling to improve cooling

It’s funny how Italian words make everything

through the air intakes. But with this being a GT,

sound better to us Brits, especially when it comes

comfort has also been improved.

to cars. A classic example is the exotic-sounding Maserati Quattroporte, which translates as ‘four

There’s also a redesigned exhaust system that

doors’. Today we’re testing the Ferrari Portoﬁno M,

allowed for the removal of the silencer and

with that ﬁnal initial standing for ‘Modiﬁcata’, or

reduced the size and weight of the system, while

simply ‘Modiﬁed’ in English.

the rear diffuser is totally new and separate from the bumper.

The Portoﬁno is a 2+2 hard top convertible from Ferrari’s GT family, ﬁrst introduced in 2017. The M

WHAT’S UNDER THE BONNET?

treatment now means there’s an extensive raft of

A 3.9-litre turbocharged V8 engine, which is a

upgrades and improvements. Think of it like a mid-

direct descendant of the unit that won Engine of

life refresh – a really extensive one.

the Year four times in a row between 2016 and 2019. It makes 602bhp (an increase of about

WHAT’S NEW?

20bhp) and 720Nm of torque, and is mated to a

Firstly, and perhaps unsurprisingly for a Ferrari,

totally new eight-speed automatic transmission.

there’s increased performance from the engine. The engineers then also worked on driving

To achieve this jump in power, Ferrari engineers

dynamics to make the most of the extra power,

worked on the engine’s internals, improving the

62 | www.thejerseylife.co.uk

ﬁlling of the combustion chamber, while some

focused on comfort, again with a decent amount

turbocharger trickery means it now spins faster

of success. There’s a little jiggle on the worst roads

than before. The result of these upgrades is a 0-

the Cotswolds threw at us, but with the

60mph time of about 3.2 seconds and a top speed

mannettino switch pointed to comfort, there’s a

in excess of 199mph.

subtlety to the ride that surprises given its ability in the corners.

WHAT’S IT LIKE TO DRIVE? Unsurprisingly for a car with over 600bhp, the

Perhaps the only complaint in this regard is that

Portoﬁno M has utterly ballistic acceleration. Our

the driving position didn’t offer as much

test in damp, changeable conditions meant full

adjustability as you’d hope from a car built with

throttle applications were a test of nerves (and,

long-distance driving in mind, leaving us feeling a

perhaps, stupidity). As such, in lower gears it was

little cramped after a few hours behind the wheel.

hilariously terrifying going beyond 80% throttle, with the angry engine note ﬁlling the cabin and

HOW DOES IT LOOK?

the car lunging forward at a rapid pace.

The Portoﬁno is a distant relative of the California that came before it, arguably one of the blandest-

Despite being a GT car, it’s still a Ferrari. The

looking Ferrari models in recent memory. However,

Italians don’t want to build a Bentley with a

while the original Portoﬁno carried some of those

different badge, they want to build a comfortable

unappealing styling cues, the latest model has had

car that’s still sharp and direct in corners. It has

enough nip and tuck to make it a serious looker.

succeeded, because while it’s not as conﬁdenceinspiring as the ﬁrm’s 488 supercar, it’s still

On the face of it, changes are subtle, but there’s a

ludicrously capable on an undulating country road.

sharper, more muscular appearance that’s come from the fact designers wanted to reﬂect the

However, Ferrari was keen to stress that it has also

improved performance from the engine. There are

FACTS AT A GLANCE Model as tested: Ferrari Portofino M Engine: 3.9-litre turbocharged V8 Power: 602bhp Torque: 720Nm Max speed: 199mph 0-60mph: 3.2 seconds MPG: TBC Emissions: TBC

SUMMER 2021 ISSUE | 63

bigger intakes up front and new vents at wheel

This being a luxury model, the option list is

arch height, while the new exhaust allows the rear

extensive and eye-wateringly expensive. A few

to be more streamlined.

examples include Magneride suspension (£3,168), carbon-ﬁbre rear diffuser (£6,720), ‘historical’ paint

Ferrari has given the Portoﬁno a fastback look with

job (£7,104) and 20-inch forged diamond wheel

the roof up, and it looks great from all angles

rims (£4,608).

except the rear, where the roof looks awkwardly proportioned. As all the best convertibles do, the

Inside, you can pay almost £2,000 for a neck-

Portoﬁno is at its best with the roof down.

warming stream of air, there’s a carbon-ﬁbre driving zone and steering wheel for £4,320 and

WHAT’S IT LIKE INSIDE?

£2,400 for smartphone connection.

Interior changes are more subtle, and while the overall appearance isn’t quite as luxurious as some

If you’re paying less than £200,000 for your

rivals, there’s a minimalist, driver-focused feel that

Portoﬁno M then you’ve shown quite a bit of

instantly screams sports car.

restraint…

The dials are large and easy to read, while the

VERDICY

10.25-inch touchscreen is elegantly integrated into

With the Portoﬁno M, Ferrari is trying to ﬁnd a

the centre of the dashboard. The menu design is

sweet spot between out-and-out performance cars

simple, modern and easy to use, and though it’s a

and luxury-focused GT models. With such a target,

little slow to respond to inputs, overall it’s an

it would be easy to be compromised, excelling at

excellent system.

neither.

There are a few minor irritations. With minimal

However, that’s not the case. In general driving, the

adjustability, we found the top of the dials were

ride quality is impressively comfortable, so all but

always blocked by the wheel unless it was pushed

the roughest roads are smoothed out in true GT

unnaturally high, while a few ergonomic oversights

fashion. But the Modiﬁcata updates have given the

that frustrated would likely not be an issue for

Portoﬁno a sharp edge that would give more

long-term owners.

focused machinery a run for its money.

WHAT’S THE SPEC LIKE?

The Ferrari Portoﬁno M is a fantastic all-rounder,

With an on the road price of £175,360, the Ferrari

then, with two different characters that can be

Portoﬁno M naturally has an extensive standard

called on at the ﬂick of a mannettino switch.

equipment list. For your cash, you get full LED headlights and tail lights, 20-inch alloy wheels, a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system, air conditioning, and plenty of performanceenhancing technology.

64 | www.thejerseylife.co.uk

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Are we moving towards a cashless society in the near future? By Vicky Shaw, PA personal finance correspondent

One in three people think the UK will be cashless in the next five years, according to Paragon Bank. Vicky Shaw reports. Nearly three-quarters (71%) of us think the UK is moving towards a cashless society, according to a new survey. And one in three think this will happen in the next five years, the research from Paragon Bank found. Cash use nosedived last year during the pandemic –

choosing to carry a purse or wallet

with recent ﬁgures from trade association UK Finance

either never or only occasionally.

showing cash payments plunged by 35% last year,

Only 13% anticipated returning to

with 6.1 billion transactions recorded.

pre-pandemic spending behaviours.

While coins and banknotes were used for 17% of all

However, only one in four (26%)

payments in the UK last year, 27% of payments

people would see a move towards

were contactless.

a cashless society as positive, while one in three (34%) view it as

However, there are still reasons to believe cash will be

negative.

around for the foreseeable future. Many people were concerned about depending The UK Government has said it intends to legislate to

more on IT systems – although some thought

protect the future of cash, and there are various

having less cash around could potentially reduce

industry initiatives taking place to make sure people

incidents of violent crime, the research found.

will continue to have free access to coins and banknotes.

Plus, while contactless technology may be very convenient for many, it’s important to remember it

Paragon Bank’s survey of 2,000 people also found

may not be accessible for some people, who will

that two-thirds said they used cash less during

still reply on cash.

lockdown than before – and many thought the shift would be permanent.

Derek Sprawling, savings director at Paragon Bank, says: “The concerns people have voiced about the

One in ﬁve were using cash less frequently due to

impact of going cashless are very real factors that

technological advances making it easy to pay for

reﬂect that cash currently plays a vital role in

goods using smart devices, including phones and

communities. This has deﬁnitely also been

watches.

highlighted during the pandemic – any move away from cash will likely be very gradual, and must be

The demise of cash may also have a knock-on effect

carefully managed to ensure no groups are

for wallets, with a quarter (25%) of people now

negatively impacted.”

66 | www.thejerseylife.co.uk

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Book Review Flufighters Flufighters explains why some people get really sick, even die from flu, while others don’t. Colds and flu, including COVID-19, are viral diseases that a healthy immune system should be able to fight off with natural immunity. But what is a healthy immune system and how can you promote your own immune power with diet and nutrients? Patrick Holford helps explain the weaknesses of viruses and how vitamin C can be used as a natural nutrient by anyone to help boost immunity so they can avoid pandemic ﬂu as well as other future ﬂu viruses.

• The truth about vitamin C and how to use it when you’re infected. • How black elderberry blocks viral replication. • Why vitamin D levels crash in winter to make us more susceptible. • Other critical immune support nutrients

“Vitamin C is an extraordinary all-rounder for supporting healthy immunity”, says Patrick Holford, founder of the Institute of

from selenium to zinc. • How intravenous vitamin C saves lives in those with respiratory distress.

Optimum Nutrition. “It boosts interferon, a protein released by cells which can inhibit a

You will also discover how to restore and

virus from replicating and boosts the

maintain a healthy immune system when

production of immune cells, such as

not infected, complete with recipes for

phagocytes – which attach viruses – and

foods and drinks, and what to eat, drink

white blood cells (leucocytes)”.

and supplement when you are under attack to shorten duration and severity of

This book explains:

colds and flu. You can find out more about the book at www.flufighters.net and it is

• How viruses work and where are their weaknesses • Why animals that make vitamin C rarely succumb to ﬂu or colds.

available to purchase for £9.99 at www.holfordirect.com. It's also available from Amazon, as well as a Kindle E-book and Audible Audiobook.

The Jersey Life - Summer 2021

Articles inside

FIRST DRIVE

LOOKING BACK

REUSE MEETS CREATIVITY

DESIGNING A KITCHEN

2ND HAND CLOTHING – A SUSTAINABLE CHOICE

SUMMER DAYS

SHIFTING PERSPECTIVES

PARENTAGE IN JERSEY & PROPOSED REFORMS

WHAT IS HEALTH?

VITAMIN SUPERHERO – VITAMIN C

THE ULTIMATE TEAM BUILDING EVENT

MEET PANDORA & THE REST OF THE GANG

MOTIVATE HEALTH BLOG