HOW PAINT COLOUR AFFECTS YOUR MOOD

This is how paint colour in your home can a ect your mood

By Lauren Taylor, PA

A colour expert shares how the hues on our walls can impact how we feel.

The colours on our walls at home affect how we feel much more than we realise, according to Marianne Shillingford, creative director at Dulux.

Whether you need a mood lift, a creative space to think or calming place to chill out, throwing some colour on the walls can make all the difference, she says.

“We ll our wardrobe with colours that help us to become something when we need to. We use colour if we’re going out for a wedding or a big celebration, we’ll put on more colour than we normally would if we went into the of ce,” Shillingford says.

“So we use colour all the time as a language to express the way we feel, or how we want to feel. And in our homes, it is more important than anything to get it right.”

And spending more time at home during the last two years means many of us want to make changes to reinvigorate the space we’ve become overly familiar with. “Adding little pops of colour –rather than completely redecorating – is something that’s achievable and changeable without being overwhelming,” she adds.

This is what Shillingford suggests you should do to evoke different moods using paint…

To create a stimulating environment…

“Red is the colour that has the longest visual wavelength – it draws your attention. Red has long

been associated with eating rooms, restaurants and dining rooms, because it’s the most stimulating colour. It stimulates conversation, it stimulates our taste buds, it makes everything taste better and sweeter. It’s an incredibly convivial colour for an eating space,” says Shillingford, who recommends Fitzrovia Red or Pugin Red from the Dulux Heritage range.

“You’d be amazed how a tiny ash of red can create a little pocket of energy and excitement… Red is hugely powerful, but it’s one of those colours that you tend to overdecorate quite quickly if you use too much of it.”

To evoke calmness…

“Creating calm in any space is about shorter wavelength colours – like blues and greens, that reconnect us with nature,” says Shillingford. “They appear slightly further away from us, so when we paint them on the walls, it makes the space feel less enclosed and more connected with the outdoors. It’s a fact that being in nature can help soothe a troubled soul, so the colours of nature – whether they are soft, organic blues, grass greens or the colours of raw organic materials –they’re not overwhelming, which I think is perfect if you’ve got children and you’re trying to juggle work and family life.”

For a happy place to be…

“We associate happiness with colours that have more intensity and pigment to them. It’s like putting a little bit of lipstick on, a piece of jewellery, or some amazing shoes. We use ashes of colour like ashes of joy – and it’s the same in a home.

“We often think the most joyful colour is yellow, because it reminds us of the sunshine, the rst owers of spring, yellow daffodils, buttercups, primroses. It also reminds us of hopeful things that happen in spring, like harvest corn. It’s uplifting, and it’s quite a common colour for nurseries.

“Pink is another one. We’ve reclaimed pink from its associations with little girls and Barbie – we can all enjoy pink, it’s a gentle ash of joy.”

To evoke feelings of sleepiness…

“Dark blues and deep greens are perfect for helping you sleep,” says Shillingford.

“Some people do the whole wrap of a room and I think it can look lovely, but I get the feeling people are starting to paint out [sections of a room]. You could split your bedroom into two different spaces, say if you painted up the wall onto the ceiling and down the other side, to create a sort of canopy around your bed in a slighter deeper colour.” This could “help you relax”, she suggests, “Then you could have a more energising colour somewhere else in the room, that helps you get up in the morning.”

To inspire motivation or creativity…

“Get the energy levels up using a strong colour, but if you use too much of a strong colour you can become slightly agitated,” says Shillingford.

“So use blocks of colour, like colour blocking around a picture, colour blocking around a sofa, or a big shape [above a sofa]. Orange is the most creative colour, it’s got the vibrancy of red, but not the scariness of it, so it’s got that energy. More creative people tend to be more relaxed with intense colours, so [go for] oranges and yellows.”

The Dulux Heritage range (dulux.co.uk) is a collection of 112 colours, marrying classics with stylish hues of today. Easy-to-apply with a smooth nish and velvety feel.

Olia Hercules’ pasta with con t garlic,

goat’s cheese and thyme recipe

By Prudence Wade, PA

Crunchy lettuce is the perfect accompaniment for this dish.

“I don’t normally nd much pleasure in cooking for just me. Except when it’s this dish,” says Olia Hercules.

“This is adapted from an old Nigel Slater recipe, a writer who inspired me and so many others to look beyond cookbook recipes and to cook more freely and creatively. I turn to this recipe time and again when I have some moments on my own.”

She always serves lettuce leaves on the side, to mop up the pasta sauce with a bit of crunch.

Pasta with confit garlic, goat’s cheese and thyme recipe

Ingredients: (Serves 2)

2 small garlic bulbs (yes, that’s correct, 1 per person) 100ml good olive oil Leaves from 4 thyme sprigs 200g spaghetti or linguine 200g soft goat’s cheese (logs are good)

To serve:

Lettuce leaves

Good vinegar Sea salt

Method: 1. I haven’t yet found a garlic peeling hack that works.

What I do is separate the cloves, then attempt to lightly bash on each with the heel of my hand and cut off the dry root end. The skins then slip off quite easily. If you accidentally squash some (or a lot, like I do, heavyhandedly) of the cloves, don’t worry too much, they can still be used. Put the oil into the smallest saucepan or frying pan you have, heat it gently and spoon in the garlic. The cloves should be submerged in oil and cook very gently over the lowest heat possible.

Sometimes I tilt the pan carefully, helping the cloves to submerge, and stand there holding the pan. But you can always use more oil. It won’t go to waste, as the garlicky oil is so good in other recipes, or to dress boiled vegetables. The garlic will be spluttering away, its water escaping the oil. It has to soften, mellow and colour only ever so slightly. The whole process should take about 20 minutes, but use your judgement. When ready, the garlic will smell very sweet and the cloves can be easily pierced with a knife. Take it off the heat and add the thyme.

2. Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions. Put the goat’s cheese into a food processor. When there are three minutes to go before the pasta is done, ladle 200 millilitres of the pasta water into a measuring jug. Blitz the goat’s cheese with half of the measured pasta water and two to three tablespoons of the garlic oil. You will have a smooth and rather liquid sauce, but do not worry, 3. Drain the pasta and put it back into the pan in which it was cooking. Pour the sauce over the pasta and, using tongs, pick the pasta up and down, making sure to cover the pasta in the sauce. Keep agitating it like this for a minute. At this point I take a mouthful and check if it slips down smoothly. If it feels a bit dry rather than slippery, I add another splash of pasta water and swirl it around with tongs some more.

4. Put the pasta into serving plates and pour over any goat’s cheese sauce that remained behind in the pan.

Serve with the con t garlic cloves scattered over the top and a drizzle of the garlic oil.

5. When you nish the pasta, pile the lettuce leaves directly into the pasta plate and add a little vinegar and salt. The remainder of the goat’s cheese sauce is so good with the leaves.

Home Food: Recipes To

Comfort And Connect by Olia

Hercules is published by

Bloomsbury Publishing, priced £26. Photography by Joe

Woodhouse. Available now.

Peonies, sweet peas and roses: How to

display your cut owers

By Hannah Stephenson, PA

Two expert florists offer their top tips and tricks for making the most of your home grown-grown blooms. By Hannah Stephenson.

If rain threatens to leave your home-grown peonies and roses a soggy mess, now is the time to cut them and bring their beauty and scent indoors.

Sweet peas also need cutting regularly to promote fresh blooms and extend the season, so should be snipped when they appear and enjoyed indoors.

“Peonies, roses, and sweet peas really look their best when they’re displayed in their own individual vases and then grouped together to create a contemporary and chic look, ideal for displaying in your living room or on your dining table,” says celebrity orist Larry Walshe, founder of plasticfree luxury online oristry service Bloom (bybloom.co.uk), whose clients have included Rihanna, Adele and Stella McCartney.

Judith Blacklock, founder of the acclaimed Judith Blacklock Floristry School (judithblacklock.com), adds that in a mixed display, gardeners should use both circular and linear owers for contrast.

“Peonies, for example, have a dominant round shape, so mix them with something that doesn’t have a round shape, like foxgloves, which are linear, and alstroemeria which will come up year after year in the garden, mixes with everything and will last for three weeks when cut,” says Blacklock.

Here, Walshe and Blacklock offer some more tips and tricks to make the most of your cut owers…

Peonies

“If you grow peonies, you’ll always notice they have ants on them, because they feed on the nectar which is abundant from peonies. Just give the owers a gentle shake and they will run off in another direction,” says Blacklock. “Before cutting, ensure there’s a big ush of colour that has broken through. If you cut peonies without the colour showing, it’s highly unlikely they will open.”

As for on-trend tones, Walshe adds: “If you love peonies, we recommend opting for on trend shades of coral, soft pink, peaches and caramels this year.”

Pair peonies with Alchemilla mollis for a stunning combination, Blacklock suggests.

Sweet peas

“Sweet peas should be displayed simply, without anything too elaborate. If you are cutting from the

garden, they often have short, wiggly stems. Just using even a jam jar is perfect. The owers are eeting, but they are gorgeous and should be beautifully scented freshly picked from the garden,” says Blacklock.

“Sweet peas are linear, so they can be mixed with owers with a round shape, but not blooms that are as big as peonies. You could mix them with small- owered roses and cosmos.”

Roses

“I wouldn’t put peonies with roses in a display because there’s insuf cient contrast,” says Blacklock. “You would if there were other owers to add from your garden as well, but peonies and roses are too similar.”

Best types of vases

“Stem vases are a great option for decorating the home, as they can be scattered around on sideboards and dining tables to add a pop of colour while only taking seconds to arrange,” says Walshe.

“Roses work well in an elegant tall glass chimney vase, which has clean lines for a classic and timeless appearance. Sweet peas look fabulous in a smaller sized vase to create a more impactful look.”

Blacklock suggests: “Choose a vase that is half the height of your stems. Most people try to arrange flowers in a vase that’s too tall. And if you only have a few flowers, get some foliage, which

doesn’t have to be expensive. Tree ivy is one of the best, which is available to all. The plain green shows off the beauty of each individual bloom.”

How to make them last?

“When putting flowers in a vase, always take off any leaves, which will be below the water level,” Blacklock recommends.

Walshe adds: “To get the most out of your peonies, it is best to remove the leaves running up the stem, so that the water and nutrients travel straight to the flower heads as opposed to travelling to each leaf followed by the flower heads. This ensures the best quality water and nutrients go straight to the flower heads as quickly as possible.

“To maximise the lifespan of your blooms, snip the ends of each stem, empty out the old water and thoroughly clean out the vase and replace with fresh, cool, water and flower food every two to three days.”

He says water sterilising tablets work well to keep flowers fresh, while Blacklock adds that a dribble of lemonade in the water will also help prolong the life of your cut flowers. “For sweet peas, I suggest refreshing them daily as they typically only last three to five days at best,” says Walshe. “It’s also important to keep your flowers in a cool environment, away from direct sunlight and free from draughts.”

Which plants need watering most in summer?

By Hannah Stephenson, PA

As the mercury rises, which plants should we be prioritising and are there some we shouldn’t worry about watering?

As the heat of summer continues, many gardeners have become a slave to the watering can and hosepipe.

But will some plants take more drought than others? Will vegetables wither with little water, and what about our beloved borders and cherished containers?

RHS chief horticulturist Guy Barter offers some tips on how to prioritise your watering regime, especially if you are short on time…

1. Pots and hanging baskets

These should be your rst priority, says Barter. And the smaller the pot, the more it’s going to need watering, because less compost means less moisture is retained. “Pots naturally restrict the root volume, so need to be watered every day,” he says. However, some plants will tolerate dry pots, including pelargoniums and lavender, so consider Mediterranean drought-lovers if you don’t want to watering too often.

During really hot spells, you may also bene t from placing pots together in a shadier, sheltered spot out of the wind. The collection will create its own little micro-climate and there will be less evaporation, Barter notes. “Place your pots into saucers to catch the over ow,” he adds. “The pot will suck the water back up. It’s also worth considering self-watering pots with a built-in reservoir of water, which can be very effective.”

2. New plants 3. Perennial borders

If you have new plants, which you have just planted out – whether seedlings, annuals, perennials, edibles, shrubs or trees – they will need watering while their roots develop.

“Newly planted things need watering every day to start with, and then every three days and ve days when they gradually root out and start growing. This is for any plant you have planted since April, and don’t forget things you planted last winter or the winter before,” says Barter. “Trees and shrubs take a while to get going. After two years, they will probably be ok. With newly planted trees and shrubs, they will need a good soak every 10 days to wet the roots. After a couple of years, they can look after themselves.”

Even drought-tolerant herbs such as sage, rosemary and thyme will still need watering for a few weeks if you plant them now, he says. But if you planted them a year ago in the ground, they shouldn’t need watering, and their aromatic properties are enhanced by dry conditions. “The watering regime very much depends on what perennials you have in your border. Some are very drought-resistant, such as lupins, stachys and Phlomis russeliana (Turkish sage). Often, there’s no need to water them at all,” says Barter. “Other plants tend to come from prairie regions, like rudbeckias and echinaceas and phlox. These are regions that have summer rainfall, so they are not that tolerant of drought, particularly on sandy soils which don’t hold a lot of water, and clay soils where the plants can’t access water. Watering every 14 days may be enough, but it’s got to be the right kind of watering.

“If you are planning a new border and want to make life easy for yourself, replace vulnerable plants in the autumn with more drought-resistant ones.”

4. Vegetables

“I would water the area well before sowing seeds, letting it drain overnight. For transplants, I would water every couple of days until they get growing.

When that happens you can water once a week. For crops – and you must remember that vegetables are mostly water so they do need watering – give them a really good soak every 10-14 days that completely wets the ground, and check with a trowel a couple of hours after watering, to make sure it’s gone down where the roots are,” Barter advises.

Freshly planted seedlings initially have to be watered every day, while transplanted veg will need watering every three to ve days, he suggests. Once the crops are growing strongly and beginning to ower, that’s the time to think about watering thoroughly every 10 days. “When lettuces form rosettes, water them then and that will get you 90% of the bene ts of regular watering. Water beans when they come into ower.”

Tomatoes will need watering regularly when they are in ower, otherwise they are prone to blossom end rot. Spasmodic watering can result in the skin of the fruit splitting.

5. Woodland plants

“Things like camellias and hydrangeas are intolerant of drought, so plant them in a bit of shade,” says Barter.

How should you water?

“The worst thing you can do is little and often. You need to give mature perennials a thumping good soak, which would be two watering cans per square metre. Do that once every couple of weeks. If you water little and often, then much of the water will be wasted. It will evaporate and will never get to the roots.”

Plants which won’t need prioritising…

“Don’t worry about established trees and shrubs including roses and fruit. In Britain, we don’t have a dry climate, although we have dry spells. Established trees will go on happily in all but record-breaking droughts. They shed a few leaves at the back end of summer but they will recover in autumn, and the same goes for established shrubs,” says Barter. “We never water our (mature) roses at RHS Garden Wisley – which is one of the driest gardens you can imagine. Give them a good mulch and feed them and they’ll get all the moisture they need.”

Grass also doesn’t need prioritising, as long as you can tolerate a lawn which goes brown during summer. It will recover with the autumn rains. “Grass drinks up the most water. If you put a sprinkler on the lawn, vast quantities of water are lost. We advise against watering lawns,” Barter notes.

And if all else fails…

“Plant drought-tolerant plants – anything with grey leaves, like Cistus ‘Silver Pink’, lamb’s ear and lavenders and anything with waxy aromatic foliage, such as rosemary, sage, hyssop, thyme, plants with needle-like foliage such as santolina and many dwarf conifers, which are well adapted to resist moisture loss.”

A mini-break in Mesmerizing Munich

Munich, the captivating capital of Bavaria, the largest German state, is located on the river Isar to the north of the Bavarian Alps, and continues to attract tens of millions of visitors every year, all of whom are sure to be enchanted by its fascinating folk lore and charming traditions.

It is thought that Munich was founded in 1158 when the Duke of Saxony and Bavaria, Guelph Henry, built a toll bridge across the river Isar, which was the main thoroughfare for the old salt route. Munich was granted city status in 1175 and when

Otto Wittelsbach I became Duke of Bavaria, the city was handed over to the Bishop of Freising until 1240 when Otto Wittelsbach II took control. In 1255, when the Duchy of Bavaria divided; Munich became the ducal residence of upper Bavaria. In 1314, Duke Louis IV, of the Wittlebach dynasty, became King of Germany and in 1328, when he was crowned Holy Roman Emperor, he granted Munich the salt monopoly securing the city’s nancial position. In 1506, when Bavaria was reunited, Munich emerged as its capital.

Today, Munich offers visitors the opportunity to experience the old and the new; a mixture of modern architecture, such as the Allianz Arena, famous for its exterior of colour changing in ated ETFE plastic panels, and historic churches in the centre of the city, such as the Peterskirche, built during the Romanesque period in the 12th century, and the Frauenkirche Cathedral, constructed in 1468; its twin towers topped with onion shaped domes are Munich’s best known landmark. Many

visitors are keen to see a popular, yet disturbing attraction, which is said to be Satan’s footprint embedded in the church oor.

For a taste of Bavarian hospitality I visited the Hofbräuhaus am Platzl. The history of the inn dates back to 1589 when Duke Wilhelm V founded a royal brewery; a few paces away from today’s site. In 1828 King Ludwig I declared by decree that the royal beer hall would be open to the public and he remains the toast of the town. I headed for the Bräustüberl on the rst oor and savoured the wonderful atmosphere as the strains of the brass band playing on the ground oor enticed the diners to sing, dance and be merry and I didn’t take much persuading. The menu features a wide choice of Bavarian dishes, including the most succulent roast pork with crackling, served with homemade gravy and a fat potato dumpling and of course a glass of Hofbräu beer was absolutely After such a sumptuous feast and much merriment I was looking forward to an extended period of relaxation followed by a deep slumber. For the ideal place to stay in the heart of the city and a stone’s throw from the alluring designer boutiques on Maximillianstrasse, the Mandarin Oriental, located on Neuturmstrasse, offers guests the highest level of service and comfort. This beautiful Neo-Renaissance property, built in 1880, was once Munich’s opera house. The lavish rooms and suites are stylishly furnished with comfortable beds, spacious marbled bathrooms with under oor heating, and luxuries include a Bang and Olufsen television and a complimentary mini bar, should guests fancy a late night tipple. Hotel facilities include a tness centre with state-of-theart cardiovascular and weight training equipment. However, I prefer to take things easy, and headed

for the Mahjong Roof Garden to take a few leisurely laps in the outdoor heated swimming pool and I then selected a seat at the open-air bar, ordered a delicious cocktail and admired the stunning views. Feeling a little peckish after my exertions I didn’t need to go far for a magni cent dining experience. Nobu Matsuhisa’s in-house restaurant offers a new style of Japanese-Peruvian cuisine and it is exceptional. Signature dishes include the Black Cod and Yellow n Tuna Sashimi with jalapeños and, served alongside a glass of Nobu the Sake, with its clear and complex oral notes; it is of course an unforgettable dish.

If you prefer to dine ‘al fresco’, head for the Brenner on Maximillianstrasse. This very popular restaurant features an open grill, where a frenzy of chefs prepares a ne menu. I savoured the mouthwatering entrecote of blank Angus rind and treated myself to a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon Montello e Colli Asolani 2012.

For a more casual affair and a taste of Italy, visit Bar Centrale on Ledererstrasse. This buzzing restaurant is very popular with Munich’s Italian community and those ‘in the know’. The homemade pasta is rst class and you won’t nd a frothier cappuccino.

Munich is ideal for those who like to take a leisurely stroll around the city seeking out the local attractions such as Marienplatz in the city centre, the site of the stunning neo-Gothic New Town Hall. I paused awhile and admired the striking façade of

the world famous carillon, which features eye catching gargoyles, imposing statues and a erce looking dragon scurrying up the towering turrets. During the summer months the glockenspiel entertains the crowds at 11am and 12pm and also at 5pm from March to October. 43 bells and 32 lifesized gures depict the story of Duke Wilhelm V’s marriage to Renata of Lorraine. For a taste of Munich’s cultural heritage, I made my way to the Residenz Museum, a sprawling complex of buildings, which was home to the ruling Wittelsbach family from 1508 until the early twentieth century. I feasted my eyes on the glittering treasures including exquisite collections of china, silver and miniatures. There is also a ne collection of paintings and bronze sculptures dating back to the 16th century. Other exhibits include beautiful tapestries, furniture, candelabras and sparkling chandeliers.

TOP TIP

For a spot of lunch I visited F Take advantage of the efficient and friendly Brasserie OskarMaria at the B check- in service and the highest level of comfort Literaturhaus on Salvatorplatz. L and service on board; ‘fly the flag’ with British Tables are situated on the T Airways from London Heathrow to Munich. For ground level or g rst oor. I more information visit www.britishairways.com decided to dine ‘al fresco’ and d indulge in a spot of ‘people in watching’. The service is excellent and the ox tartar, served with a fried quail’s egg is scrumptious. Be sure to sample a glass or two of the 2009 Montessue Isola dei Nuraghi and savour the moment. For a real taste of Bavarian hospitality visit Munich, it’s a city full of charm and you’ll be mesmerized. Images excluding the Hofbräuhaus am Platzl and accommodation courtesy of München Tourismus

There was no jam and no Jerusalem - but

there was plenty of cake...

Juanita talks to the Le Hocq WI about Michael Ginns MBE

On 7th April I received the following e-mail:

Hello Juanita,

You don’t know me, but you have been recommended to me as an excellent speaker by Caroline Spencer. She was due to speak at my WI’s meeting on May 10th at 8.00pm but now finds she can’t come. I do appreciate that this is very late notice and will quite understand if you can’t come. Caroline tells me that you have a great deal of knowledge about Michael Ginns and his story which sounds really interesting. I look forward very much to hearing from you Joy Thomson Le Hocq WI.

Now I have given talks for various WI groups before – most notably on Re exology, Aromatherapy and essential oils, but this was new to me both in terms of a Le Hocq group (the pub immediately sprang to mind – and not to disappoint – that is exactly where they started in October 2014) and to give a talk to the WI about Michael Ginns.

Caroline Spencer had been due to give a talk on her wonderful and thought-provoking book ‘Ahimsa’ (meaning: respect for all living things and avoidance of violence towards others), all about her amazing travels through Indian and her personal journey with veganism….so I had big boots to ll as they say, but I willingly said yes and rocked up at St Martin’s Community Hall on the

I was greeted by an array of smiling faces including that of Joy Thomson and asked if I would mind waiting for the group to rst conduct a short meeting. How could I object! As it turned out I was able to contribute what I was told was valuable information; but that is another story for another time.

The group meeting nished and I was invited to take the stage…

I started by asking how many people in the audience knew Michael and a few people raised their hands. I then went on to share a little of how I knew Michael and how I had come to write a little book containing many of his stories.

I had the good fortune of already having a USB containing a Power Point presentation from a Festival of Words talk I had given some time ago – the photos of Michael were all still relevant and go through his life chronologically so I spoke a little about each photograph as it came up – Michael in a pram outside the family home ‘Les Mars’ –now the Bausite Hotel, Michael as a toddler holding a train and a few years later in school uniform.

It was at the age of 15 that Michael, along with his family and 600 odd other islanders, found himself suddenly embroiled in the strangest of circumstances; ripped away from his home and thrust into captivity, in a southern German internment camp.

I spoke a little about this time and then about Michael’s adult life and his dedication to repairing the damage done by war, Occupation and being sent away to a foreign country. Michael could have returned from Germany bitter and twisted I think is the best phrase, but instead he sought conciliation and reparation and forgiveness –remembering how kind the everyday German person was to them during his internment and how they mourned the loss of their own liberty. His adult life very much re ected that, and I explained this as I shared the rest of the photographs ending with the most beautiful picture of Michael and his beloved wife Josephine taken by Tony Pike at one of the last Town Hall Christmas tea parties that he was able to attend.

At this juncture I sat to read a few paragraphs from the book I was privileged to be able to write about Michael’s life, mostly whilst he was still with us (having passed in February 2017). I had already highlighted several

paragraphs speci cally chosen to read at a local school to children studying the Occupation. I had deliberately chosen snippets that would both delight and horrify children and they seemed to also work for the WI.

Having nished reading I then asked the ladies present if they had any questions and one lady wanted to share that her parents had been interned with Michael and his family and recalled her mother speaking very highly of Michael’s mother who, having been a nurse at the St Georges Hospital for Of cers during WWI, had been one of the camp nurses in Wurzach. A few other stories were shared, and books bought and signed.

I was thanked for a wonderfully informative and enjoyable evening and asked if I would like to join the ladies for tea and cake…which I of course did. Well – it would have been rude not to! If you’d like any further information please contact the secretary Andria Albert (tel:) 525552 or Joy Thomson (tel:) 721151.

NOW AVAILABLE AT HOLME GROWN

Michael’s story is one of compassion, love, truth, reparation, and reconciliation, despite having lived through the beginnings of the Occupation of Jersey in the Channel Islands and then jettisoned at the age of just 14 from his island home into an internment camp in southern Germany.

Instead of harbouring pain, bitterness and hate, Michael sought to understand, to forgive, to remember the kindness of the ordinary people he met along the way.

This is a story that can teach us all – especially now as history seems so determined to loiter on the precipice of repeating itself!

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

Looking back...

‘Through the Eyes of a Teacher’ - Part V

Given the turbulent nature of education during the pandemic, The Jerseylife thought it would be thoughtprovoking 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 shared her allimportant time at college and in this issue, Thelma tells us all about her return to Jersey, meeting her husband her amazing career…

By Thelma Heard

Return to Jersey;

I was appointed to an all-age school (pupils of 6 to 15 years of age) in the countryside where the children often spoke Jersey French and sometimes just French. I’d been told I was to teach History, Geography, RE and English. Each secondary age group was divided into the more academic and the less academic; my pupils were in the less academic group - 13-year-olds and our class room was half a large hut. On the first day I was surprised to see that all had changed, and I was to teach English, French, RE and PE. When I asked why French, the head replied ‘well you’ve got ‘O’ level! I felt very under qualified, so I enrolled in a French Advanced level correspondence course and also an evening class in RSA advanced level – this particularly for the practice in the spoken language. I found I really enjoyed it and when I passed both exams, I then entered for the Brevet de Capacité. This was local qualification to teach French which I also achieved. This would all set in me in good stead for much later in life… the school yard but this was like déja vu for me as there were no changing rooms or showers – most unsatisfactory so I thought of a plan to change things. My class of girls changed into shorts in the shed where the boys’ footballs were kept, and we set off on a jog around the country lanes. The Head saw us coming back one day but said nothing. I also had to take Netball (the pupils knew more about the rules than I did) but it wasn’t regarded as a PE lesson, so I was expected to supervise it in my lunch time!

For English it was mostly ‘talk and chalk’. I managed to get some comprehension books. At that time pupils brought money every week to put in the savings bank. Every Monday morning I was to deal with the school bank while taking my English class - at least I could give some work for them to do as pupils from all the classes lined up in turn to hand in their savings. Every Saturday morning, I had to go to town to pay the money into their accounts… and there was no overtime paid back then!

After 2 years I succeeded in transferring to another all-age country school. My classroom was still a large hut, and it was back to the stove of my first childhood school. Pupils had to be careful in one of the corners as the floor was somewhat unsafe. There were 3 secondary classes and I

taught French to those and the oldest primary class and thankfully there were more resources than at my previous school.

In my second year at this school, I was one of the members of staff in charge of a group which went skiing in Kandersteg in the Alps. When we arrived at our hostel a group of Swiss Army was moving out. When I saw the state of the bedrooms I was horrified and said that pupils could not possibly sleep there. Luckily there were vacancies in a hotel further up the valley and we stayed there for a couple of days then once the hostel had been cleaned up, we moved back.

We had great fun on the ski slopes. I vividly recall one of our girls hurtling down the slopes shouting as she neared me “please miss get out of the way I can’t stop”. She did arrive at the end of the slope safely. We had a tall, darkly handsome pupil in our group and Swedish girls flocked to him. He was embarrassed by them and used to blush, so he avoided them and kept with the teachers but other than that the pupils were all well behaved. When we arrived back home and explained to the parents what we had to do about accommodation they were very understanding and agreed to pay the extra, saying they were pleased their children were so well looked after.

In September 1964 all pupils of secondary age were to go to the new secondary school, but it wasn’t ready until the following January. As I was pregnant by then I had to resign at half term as there was no maternity leave back then. My son was born in 1965 and I faced a new challenge. My husband was at work from 8 am until 10 pm at times. Having enjoyed my career and being very academic, I found it extremely hard staying at home on my own, particularly as I had back trouble caused by my pregnancy which made it difficult coping with a young baby. My husband worked as a bank clerk at that time but didn’t earn very much so I couldn’t even get out and about as we couldn’t afford petrol! My mother helped out from time to time and even bought us petrol now and then but when I did manage to get to baby clinic, I found I had little in common with the other mothers. All they could talk about was nappies, sleeping habits of their babies and soap powders – I so desperately missed the mental stimulation of school and the company of staff and pupils that I spent one afternoon a week, Friday, in school without pay! Luckily my in-laws were happy to look after my son.

After about a year I was able to work with pay for 3 mornings a week. My mother and sister helped by looking after my son. Even though not a fulltime member of staff I accompanied a group of pupils skiing in Obertauern in Austria. We arrived in France in the morning and had to change trains in Paris. We foolishly let the pupils retain their tickets and of course some lost them. A rather large ‘more than my job’s worth’ type of official folded his arms and said we could only retrieve the cases if all contents of each case were written down in French. So the pupils who did not have their tickets lined up and I frantically scribbled the lists as they told me their case contents. We raced for the train with mere minutes to go saying “get into any carriage and we will come to find you”. My husband who had accompanied us even had to resort to kicking the case of a boy in front going very slowly and the forward motion of the case pulled him forwards. We all made it.

At the hostel we told the pupils that as we were in a foreign country not to expect something like fish and chips but to try whatever was put before them. When the food arrived the staff carried in platters of what looked like fish and chips and the pupils looked at me grinning. It was actually wienerchnitzel and chips, but they enjoyed it. Our ski instructor had a twisted sense of humour and gave us exercises that made us fall over e.g.” stand in a line down this slope and lift up your left ski” she used to yell after me

Thelma and Brian 1958

“stay on piste” when my skis took me into snowdrifts.

Even though we had warned pupils about the risks of sunburn they still ended up with problems mainly that their faces were swollen. So I accompanied those affected to the village doctor. Then followed a consultation with a German speaking doctor who gave his diagnosis to the nurse who then spoke to me in French then I translated what had been said to the pupils. They did all recover quite quickly. For the last day we had to change hostels. This was quite a trek and a descent into a small valley crossed by a bridge. There was so much compacted snow on the bridge the handrail was only up to our knees. When I arrived at the hostel the other female staff member met me all in a fluster saying that the pupils had been shepherded into the 2 allocated dormitories with no regard as to whether they were male or female. So it was left to me to sort it. All in all – it was a very good trip, and no one was seriously hurt.

When my son was 3 he attended a nursery every morning as my husband and I decided he needed the company of other children (I had been told by my doctor not to have any more children as I could end up in a wheelchair), this enabled me to teach every morning. Working more hours, l enquired if I could start paying towards my States pension but was told as a married woman I would never get a pension in my own right. Thankfully for women that has now changed. moved to his school as a full-time teacher as primary age children in States’ schools in those days had to go home at lunchtime.

It was a steep learning curve adapting to new teaching methods. I had a class of 9 to 10 year olds. This was the time when the metric system was adopted by the UK I spent some evenings making work cards for the purpose of explaining this to the pupils. Though I had been no artist at school I was carried along by the children’s enthusiasm for painting. Almost too enthusiastic as I had some complaints from parents re paint on clothes even though I had encouraged the wearing of men’s old shirts to cover up the children’s clothes.

Pupils were expected to learn their tables. I felt that though learning by rote had its benefits, explanations should help. So I used to make piles of books on my desk e.g. 3 piles of 3 books to illustrate why they made 9. The class was composed very much of mixed ability. Those who had difficulty with reading to a boy with an amazing general knowledge.

After only 2 terms I was contacted by my former secondary school and asked if I would return as a Geography teacher was needed especially for the exam groups. So in the next school term I returned. My son moved to another primary school nearby on condition he would be with me at lunchtime. When it was my turn to do lunch duty supervising the pupils in the school yard he used to accompany me. I was now back in more familiar

circumstances and involved in subjects for which I was qualified. At times I had too keen a sense of humour and found it difficult to be serious I used to face the blackboard, but the pupils would say that they knew I was laughing as my shoulders were shaking. I loved teaching geography and took pupils out on field work whenever possible. Once when we were in Beauport Bay a boy shouted “look” and a school of dolphins swam by leaping and glittering in the sun. The pupils were entranced. I encountered again the belief that girls did not need much education. One parents’ evening a girl’s father sat in front of me and said she had not done well but did it matter as she was only going to get married.

When I applied for promotion, I was asked why I was doing this wasn’t my income just’pin money.’ I did become a head of year, which meant I had oversight of the 15 to 16 year old pupils and was part of the pastoral system. At this school which, in addition, to having considerably more resources than any previous school I had taught in, there was an emphasis on pastoral care. This meant pupils were considered individually.

There was a belief that every child had talents which could be different from those of others but just as valuable.

As I had overall responsibility for pupils in their last year in the school I was able to add to their social and personal education (or PSE as it was known and a part of the timetable for all pupils). I believed they should know more about the government of their island. Each class went to a States assembly in turn. We were there for the start of business and I had to forewarn them that their presence would be acknowledged and the states members would applaud by tapping their feet. Pupils had to remain silent and were made aware of what would happen if they didn’t as once a man joined us in the public gallery but left his dog tied up outside the door. As the assembly proceeded the dog started making a noise. We saw that the usher kept looking up to see what the disturbance was. Eventually the man was ejected and subsequently fined. The pupils were very observant and noticed members passing sweets to each other under their desks or temporarily ‘dropping off’ to sleep. On one occasion some male members left the assembly to smoke (this shows how long ago) and have a coffee in a side room, this when a woman got up to speak. When we had descended the stairs (this had to be done carefully and quietly, difficult as the stairs were narrow and uncarpeted, and we had to leave before the session ended to get back to school for afternoon lessons) the girls exploded with indignation on reaching the pavement outside but the boys had noticed nothing. I also invited some States members to individually talk to classes. The pupils were very good at questioning. I vividly recall one boy asking why computers were not yet part of the curriculum as they were the future. At the time it was the president of education who was there and he got out a notepad and wrote in it. Not that long after computers were being installed in schools!

Many of those pupils I meet nowadays are doing very well in their chosen lives. Some have their own businesses. In such a small island it is inevitable I will meet them in later life. I have been told by some I was strict but fair. I do not ask for any greater accolade. I always hope they realise that I always tried to do my best for them. I still keep little notes signed by them thanking me for something I did.

Thank you Thelma for sharing all your stories, they really highlight the many changes that have taken place in education and for the working woman over the years, some of them good and some of them bad. We look forward to the next part…