10 August: Jersey

The Battle of the Flowers is a carnival taking place in Jersey on this date in 2023. Here are 10 things you might not know about the largest of the Channel Islands.

1. First, some geographical facts. The island is located 14 miles (22 kilometres) from the French coast and 85 miles (137 kilometres) south of the English coast. It’s nine miles (14km) east to west and five miles (8km) north to south, although thanks to the fact it has the third largest tidal movement in the world, with tides of over 40 feet (13 metres), the island doubles in size twice a day when the tide goes out.

2. The name may derive from the Norse word for earl (jarl) and the suffix “sey” meaning island. The Romans called it Caesarea.

3. The largest settlement and capital is St Helier, named after a 6^th century Belgian monk who travelled to the island to find peace and quiet for contemplation, and convert the islanders left after the Viking invasions. Helier settled on a tidal islet, nowadays known as the Hermitage Rock, and was murdered by marauding pirates in about 555 AD. Local legend has it that he picked up his decapitated head and carried it down to the sea.

4. Street names are in French and English. In some cases the English translation bears no relationship to the French, but one which is a direct translation is Rue Trousse Cotillon, which translates to Tuck Up Your Petticoat, and was basically a warning to women in long skirts that they needed to lift them off the ground if they didn’t want them covered in muck!

5. As well as French and English, Jersey has its own language, called Jérrais. It descended from ancient Jersey-Norman, and proved a godsend during the German occupation during WWII. It was used as a way for islanders to communicate with each other so the Germans couldn’t understand what they were saying. Only a few of the older islanders still speak Jérrais today, but there are moves to re-introduce it in schools to keep the language going.

6. The fact that a jersey is a word for a jumper points to the fact that knitwear was once a major product, although it was woollen stockings rather than jumpers that were widely exported. Mary Queen of Scots went to her execution wearing a pair of Jersey Woollen Stockings. In the 17^th century, virtually everyone on the island could knit. However, knitting was so popular that in 1608 they had to pass a law banning knitting during harvest season so that people wouldn’t knit instead of bringing in the harvest. It was also banned in churches, because vicars deemed the clacking of knitting needles during sermons to be too distracting.

7. Today Jersey is known for Cows and Potatoes, with Jersey Royal potatoes having a Protected Designation of Origin so only spuds grown on the island can use the name. However, Jersey was also known for producing Cider. There was a time when everyone on the island drank cider, even the kids, because the water was brackish. In the 17th century, the States of Jersey became concerned that too much land was being used for orchards, at the expense of vital crops such as corn, and in 1673 an Act was passed which forbade the planting of any new orchards. Even so, by 1801 it was estimated that the island produced 2 million gallons of cider a year. Apples not used for cider were used to make black butter, an island speciality which isn’t butter but a kind of apple preserve.

8. There is allegedly a huge black monster with enormous eyes roaming the cliffs, dragging a chain behind it. It’s known as the Black Dog of Bouley Bay, and at one time rumours of a sighting meant people stayed at home, terrified to go out. It’s thought this legend was fabricated by smugglers, so they could get on with the business of bringing in contraband without being seen and apprehended. Other Jersey folklore includes the notion that native islanders are descended from fairies known as ‘pouques’ (pronounced “pooks”). They also believed in witches, so there are a number of old houses which have a witch’s seat, basically stones which jut out of the gables. This provides passing witches with a place to sit down and out of gratitude they wouldn’t curse the people living in that house.

9. Jersey is home to La Corbière, the most southerly Lighthouse in the British Isles, and the first to be constructed using concrete.

10. It’s possibly the only place in the world where pound notes are legal tender. Officially the currency is sterling but it also has its own Jersey pound.

Character birthday

Blue and Blow, members of the group of villains known as The Swarm. They are identical twin brothers with the genetic variant ability to turn into giant flies. Although they are mostly despised by their associates for their lack of intelligence and ugliness, the brothers are happy to stay, being too stupid to realise the others despise them, and display a pathetic gratitude to "the masters" for giving them a home.