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The Parish team of the Connetable and Deputy as we look forward to 2015 and beyond Gazette Gazette Grouville An independent glimpse of life in our parish Winter 2014 Volume 12 Issue 4 Printed on paper from sustainable resources. We have a new government and now Christmas to look forward to as we move into 2015. Thankfully, both our Connétable and Deputy were re-elected and so we enter 2015 with a stable Parish, albeit with a new Secretary, Rebecca Maindonald. Peter Falle has left the position and his work over the past 24 years is reported on page 3 with both the Connétable and Rebecca Maindonald adding their own words about Peter’s retirement. This issue of your Gazette has a Christmas and an activity flavour to it. There are two articles about the Royal Bay of Grouville and what you can see on it, to tempt you to get out for a walk after the festive season. One of the articles, on page 9, might even give you an idea for a present! There is a centre pages article for the children, as well as a Christmas quiz on page 24 to keep minds working. The Grouville Gazette is produced for you and we always welcome articles. It is a community-produced publication and on page 3 we are appealing for more people to help G G Happy Christmas! us distribute it to every home in the Parish. This does not involve a huge amount of work and, of course, you get to go to the Deliverers Drinks four times a year to collect your bundles. You therefore get a bit of exercise, as well as doing something for our Parish community and a reward! The Christmas services are on page 26, as well as an article on the following page about the nativity scenes to be placed in the Parish Church over the Christmas season. Sport is covered and there is a lovely article by Olivia Higgins on page 25 on her progress as a golfing professional in the United States. Staying with the overseas theme Manchi Wan tells us about the Chinese New Year celebrations in the middle of February and our fashion article on page 14 comes from our regular contributor, Nikki Whittle, who is now living in Chicago. All in all this issue covers a lot of bases, with something for everyone. We therefore hope that you will enjoy it and the Editorial Team wish you all a Happy Christmas and a successful 2015.

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Page 1: Grouville GG Gazette - Parishes - Parishes of Jersey size of each round varies but we try to accom-modate any specific requests as well as giving, as far as possible, a round near

The Parish team of the Connetable and Deputy as we look forward to 2015 and beyond

GazetteGazetteGrouvilleAn independent glimpse of life in our parish

Winter 2014Volume 12 Issue 4 Printed on paper from sustainable resources.

We have a new government and now Christmas to look forward to as we move into 2015. Thankfully, both our Connétable and Deputy were re-elected and so we enter 2015 with a stable Parish, albeit with a new Secretary, Rebecca Maindonald. Peter Falle has left the position and his work over the past 24 years is reported on page 3 with both the Connétable and Rebecca Maindonald adding their own words about Peter’s retirement.

This issue of your Gazette has a Christmas and an activity flavour to it. There are two articles about the Royal Bay of Grouville and what you can see on it, to tempt you to get out for a walk after the festive season. One of the articles, on page 9, might even give you an idea for a present! There is a centre pages article for the children, as well as a Christmas quiz on page 24 to keep minds working.

The Grouville Gazette is produced for you and we always welcome articles. It is a community-produced publication and on page 3 we are appealing for more people to help

G GHappy Christmas!

us distribute it to every home in the Parish. This does not involve a huge amount of work and, of course, you get to go to the Deliverers Drinks four times a year to collect your bundles. You therefore get a bit of exercise, as well as doing something for our Parish community and a reward!

The Christmas services are on page 26, as well as an article on the following page about the nativity scenes to be placed in the Parish Church over the Christmas season. Sport is covered and there is a lovely article by Olivia Higgins on page 25 on her progress as a golfing professional in the United States. Staying with the overseas theme Manchi Wan tells us about the Chinese New Year celebrations in the middle of February and our fashion article on page 14 comes from our regular contributor, Nikki Whittle, who is now living in Chicago. All in all this issue covers a lot of bases, with something for everyone. We therefore hope that you will enjoy it and the Editorial Team wish you all a Happy Christmas and a successful 2015.

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2 Grouville Gazette | Winter 2014

Offering support, care and friendship in your home

Jersey’s premier Residential HomeRooms starting from £120 per day

For more information please call us on 01534 888107 or [email protected]

For more information please call us on 01534 888237 or email [email protected]

www.lavendervilla.co.uk

Leaders in Elderly Care

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3 Grouville Gazette | Winter 2014

Peter Falle became our Parish Secretary on 19th November 1990 and retires on 31st December 2014, after 24 years service, a remarkable period during which he has been the consistent ‘power’ behind the scenes in the running of the Parish.

Peter grew up in Gorey Village, albeit on the St Martin side and went to St Helier Boys School at D’Hautree House on St Saviour’s Hill, where he was head prefect and head boy, something he is rightly proud of. Leaving school aged 16 he became an office boy with Huelin’s and then entered the civil service in Social Security, via a job with the JEP, aged 20. There he quickly rose to the position of Deputy Chief Inspector, heading a team of 4 people who made sure that people were contributing the correct amount of Social Security payments.

On his arrival at the Parish Hall he had a short handover from Mike Mallet, who was leaving to take up his new job as Parish Secretary of St Saviour. It was a ‘baptism of fire’, as Peter was soon deeply involved with the tri-annu-al issue of driving licences, in those days all done by hand. Very soon afterwards he came to realise the extent of his involvement in looking after the parishioners, a task he has always enjoyed and one that he still considers to be the principal role of a Parish Secretary.

By his own admission, Peter is a ‘people person’ and he “likes to be Father Christmas 365 days a year”. It is a real commitment and unsurprising, as he has been involved with the Parish since his childhood and the job of Parish Secretary was the one he had always wanted. It is a job that he genuinely looks forward to each day.

His first Connétable was Richard Le Sauteur, whom he regards as the key moderniser of the Parish Hall during his period as secretary. Through him Peter quickly learned how the parochial system worked and it is fair to say that Peter has been the deliverer of many of the changes that we all take for granted today. Perhaps the most important changes were the extension to the Parish Hall, built in 1995/6 and the handing over of the Parish Hall from its trustees to the Parish in December 2001, under the stewardship of Connétable Frank Amy.

Throughout his time, Peter has been punctilious in retain-ing a formal relationship in the office, referring to “Mr Constable” or “Monsieur Le Connétable” at all times in meetings and during working hours. To him this is simply good manners and he regrets that elsewhere in govern-ment politicians are referred to by their Christian names, seeing this as the reason for a less-than-helpful relation-ship between government and its bureaucracy.

Peter also regrets the changes in dealing with welfare following the introduction of income support in 2008, which led directly to the removal of most of the Parish municipality’s ability to deal directly with the welfare of its

Peter Falle, Parish Secretary Extraordinaire by Bruce Willing

A happy Peter Falle in his office doing the job he loves

parishioners. When Dan Murphy became Connétable in 2003, he initiated a Parish welfare committee, which broadened the ability of the Parish to deal with this aspect of life and was widely appreciated by all. Today that has gone and with it a large part of the overall role of the Parish Secretary. It is a loss that Peter, understanda-bly, feels deeply.

Throughout his time, his wife Carol, who was also a Parish Secretary until 2012, has actively supported him and from 1st January 2015 they will both be retired. We are all grateful for Peter’s contribution to the life of this Parish for the past 24 years and I can think of no better summary of his work that that written by his successor, Rebecca Maindonald, in her Parish News on Page 28: “Peter has always had the best interests of the Parish at heart. Our very own Oracle. . . Peter will be greatly missed by everyone, especially by the Parish staff.”

Gone, but not forgotten. Thank you, Peter.

What’s next for Peter? Procureur?

HELP NEEDED!!Enjoy reading the Gazette?

Like having it delivered to your home?Want to help YOUR parish magazine?

Can you spare an hour once every 3 months?The Gazette is written, produced and distributed entirely by volunteers, but following the retirement of several deliverers we currently have a shortfall in our distribution team.The size of each round varies but we try to accom-modate any specific requests as well as giving, as far as possible, a round near your house.

If you are able to help please contactAnita Boyce either on 840756 or at:

[email protected].

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4 Grouville Gazette | Winter 2014

The PembrokeNicola and her team look forward to welcoming you

We would like to welcome our new head chef Tony Gudgin who was previously head chef of the So Bar to our team. Enjoy our new menu created by Tony

featuring traditional winter classics & daily changing specials. We also serve a fantastic morning menu to suit all with traditional

English & Scottish breakfasts (Friday, Saturday & Sunday, 9.30am - 11.30am).There is also a full takeaway menu available.

Alternatively just pop in and enjoy something from our fantastic range of beers, real ales and worldwide wines.

We show all major sporting events in full HD on our plasma screens or why not join us for our popular monthly pub quiz on Wednesday 17th December.

Call Nicola and her team on 855756 to make your reservation.

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5 Grouville Gazette | Winter 2014

‘Can’t imagine why we didn’t think of it before.. . A small charge of “ElectriqueFrancaise” through Harry’s old driving iron concentrates the mind remarkably well!’

Yes, Scouting can be real fun!

Check out Scouting in the east of the islandThe Eastern Scout Group, the 3rd Jersey (St Saviour) Scout Group meets at the Berni Community Centre and St Martin’s Methodist Hall, St. Martin, on Monday evenings: Beavers, 6-8 years 5.45 – 6.45 pm Cubs, 8-10½ years 7.00 – 8.30 pm Scouts, 10½-14 years 7.00 – 8.30 pmYoung Leaders, 14-18 years, any section; Adults, 18 years plus, any section.Boys and girls, males and females are most welcome. Please contact Hayley Dewar on 07797 739294 or [email protected]

A warm welcome to our new Grouville Dental surgery, offering all dental treatments, including cosmetic dentistry,

in a friendly and comfortable environment.

Situated on Gorey Coast Road – opposite Verona Stores and next door to FX Hairdressers.

We are currently open from 9.00 am – 5:30 pm on Wednesday and Friday with Dr Danny Yearley and also Monday, Tuesday and Thursday mornings for

bookings and more information.

We look forward to welcoming you and your family(free check-ups for children under 10), to our new practice

and providing you with quality dental care.

H SPECIAL OFFER H(when mentioning the Grouville Gazette)

TOOTH WHITENING KIT £150(must be in conjunction with dental examination)

Tel: 510563

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6 Grouville Gazette | Winter 2014

Club Sessions

Day Age Group Time Entry Fee

Monday Year 7 & 8 7.00pm – 9.00pm £1.00

Tuesday Year 5 & 6 6.30pm – 8.30pm £1.50

Wednesday Year 9+ 7.00pm – 10.00pm £1.00

Friday Year 8+ 7.30pm – 10.00pm £1.00

Over the past few months the Gorey Youth Project has been a hive of activity with lots of great activities taking place, including trips to St Ouen for some sunset BBQs, watersports at St Brelade Bay, high rope and assault courses, kayaking trips and team games on the beach at Gorey, to name but a few. These action-packed activities would not have been possible without the support of The Jersey Potteries and we would like to take this opportu-nity to thank them. The young people have had an abso-lute ball.

Four young people have completed and passed the Jersey Youth Service Young Worker Course and have gained an ASDAN qualification in volunteering, as well as young worker status for the Youth Service. Another four young people are enrolled on this year’s course.

Lots of issues and topics have been explored by the young people, including relationships, diet and nutrition, anti-bullying and team building, as well as the issues affecting young people and their key skills, including communication, problem solving, leadership and team work.

Enjoying the thrill of banana boat racing in the summer sun

Gorey Youth Project News bySarah Walker, Senior Youth Worker

AND LOTS MORE

Daily Deliveries to restaurants & hotels

721 400 483 500

“A true tasteof the sea”

All Major Credit Cards accepted

www.faulknerfisheries.co.uk

Les Viviers de L’Etacq, St Ouen

open Mon. morningsall Day tue.-sat.

Poissonnerie,Fish Market,

St Helieropen all Day Mon.-sat.

Over 34 years at L’EtacqOver 27 years in the Market

Christmas Specials(Specials end Saturday 20th December, 2014)

venus Clams 1 kg bag £4.95

shell-on Prawns (large) 1 kg bag £6.95

raw Gambas (approx 18) 1 kg box £9.95

King Prawns 1 kg bag £12.45(approx 80 Cooked & Peeled)

large Cooked Gambas (approx 25) 1 kg box £14.85

Coquilles st Jacques 10 per bag £16.95

King Prawns (approx 30 raw & peeled) 1 kg bag £17.95

Cooked SeafoodLocal “hand picked” Crabmeat,

Freshly cooked Local Lobsters & Crabs,Fruits de Mer, Local Lobsters & Scallops and

King Prawns in Garlic Butter,Poached Salmon, Coquilles St Jacques,

Fresh French Crevettes, Soups and Sauces

freSh fIShLocal Fish: Bass, Bream, Red & Grey Mullet, Mackerel, Pollock, Conger + Cod, Haddock, Salmon, Tuna, Plaice, Lemon Sole, Sardines,

Hake, Trout

SMoked fISh Salmon, Golden Cod & Haddock, Craster Kippers, Mackerel, Trout

froZeN SeafoodKing Prawns, Cooked & Raw Gambas, Peeled

Prawns, Shell-on Prawns, Calamari, White Bait, Red Snapper, Sardines, Fish Cakes, Battered Cod

WINeS at L’etaCqTo compliment your seafood: Muscadet, Sauvignon,

Pinot Grigio (White and Rosé) + beer and lager

PoULtrY & GaMeOrder your Farm Fresh Xmas Turkeys NOW!Pheasant, Partridge, Rabbits, and Venison

MerryChristmasand HappyNew Year

fromall at

Faulkner Fisheries

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7 Grouville Gazette | Winter 2014

This is a very special year at the Duck Pond. It is our 25th birthday!The children and their parents came to celebrate at a ‘silver party’ in our Wild Garden. Everyone made silver hats and crowns and two lucky children helped to blow

out the candles on a special silver cake.The nursery opened in April 1989 and we are proud to have provided nursery education for hundreds of chil-dren over the years. We would love to hear news of any former Duck Pond children in this special year.

Duck Pond News by Belinda Calvani

Belinda lights the candles on the birthday cake with her special friends

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8 Grouville Gazette | Winter 2014

Le Rocquier Schoolby the Head Teacher, Philip Slater

As we approach the festive season it is appropriate to look back over the past year. However, a school’s year finishes in July and, in our case, brought to a close another exciting term and the end of another memorable year. The Class of 2014 had their Awards Evening and enjoyed a remarkable Prom during a fine evening in June, which seems such a long time ago now.

The Le Rocquier Prom 2014. Just look at their enthusiasm!

In the summer term, Maria Stegenwalner introduced the children of Grouville to the ‘Send ALL my Friends to School’ campaign, which is about reminding world leaders that it is children with disabilities who are missing out most on their right to an education. For example, in 2000, world leaders promised universal primary education by 2015, but with only a year to go 57 million children are still out of school and over a third of them have a disability.As Deputy Head Teacher at Grouville, I have been con-tinuing with this work and on Monday 22nd September we took a large group of children to the States Building in Royal Square, together with Ms. Steg and pupils from St Mary’s school, to present our campaign work to the Assistant Chief Minister, Senator Paul Routier. Our campaign work for Send ALL My Friends to School included the children from both Grouville and St Mary’s schools making a large number of colourful ‘buddy’ fig-ures to represent the estimated 24 million children with disabilities who are missing out on school. We presented our ‘buddy’ figures to Senator Routier together with some very persuasive letters written by the children and we hope that he will pass them on to the Prime Minister to remind the UK Government of its prom-ise to ensure that all children have access to primary education by 2015.

Send ALL My Friends to School Campaignby Mrs Lisa Paul, Deputy Head Teacher, Grouville School

The Class of 2019 (the new Year 7’s in September) had a wonderful experience for their Induction Days in July and we officially welcomed them to the school in September.We said farewell and bon voyage to many students and several staff at the end of the last term and now we are into another packed academic year, welcoming the new students to Year 7, as well as new staff who have joined Le Rocquier School where we are committed to continu-ous improvement in all areas.Finally I want to thank all the parents, carers, guardians and friends of Le Rocquier who continue to support their children and our students in so many ways. It is really appreciated and is crucial to the future successes of the school and, in particular, the students. We also thank everyone in the community for their continued support and will keep you up-to-date with our news over the com-ing months.

A smiling Senator Paul Routier with the Grouville School pupils and their ‘buddy’ figures

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9 Grouville Gazette | Winter 2014

Book Review – The Seashore Lifeof Jersey by Bruce Willing

In connection with the article on the ‘Mermaids Purse’ on page 20, Paul Chambers offered me the opportunity to review his book on the seashore life of Jersey, to be pub-lished by the Société Jersiaise just before Christmas. It is a wonderful book and does exactly what it promises to do in its Forward: “This guide has been created to help those who find themselves on a Jersey beach looking at an animal or seaweed asking: ‘I wonder what that is?’ ”

It is a photographic guide, in colour and has every sea-shore animal and plant you can imagine in its 81 pages, which includes a glossary of Jèrriais terms and a com-prehensive index at the back.

The book retails at £16 in bookshops and online retailers (Amazon and others), but do not panic! It will cost about £10 (to be confirmed) if bought from the Société Jersiaise bookshop and, of course, Société Jersiaise members get a 10% discount.

The Guide is the Société’s first ‘print on demand’ book, which means that copies are individually printed and dispatched to customers by the UK-based printers. As well as reducing paper use and distribution costs, print on demand means the Société can sell the book worldwide, which is not usually the case with local publications.

So there it is, the seashore book you have always want-ed, but did not exist, can be yours for a tenner this Christmas and even cheaper if you are a member of the Société Jersiaise. You just know you want a copy – I do!

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10 Grouville Gazette | Winter 2014

Most of us in Grouville know that we have an iron man in heptathlete, Daniel Halksworth, but I wonder how many of us knew we also had an Iron Lady. Leanne Rive is a personal trainer, fitness and nutrition expert operating right here in Grouville and, if you would care to learn more about running one hundred miles in under thirty hours, or have lesser ambitions like a team race over one hundred kilometres, or even your common or garden marathon, Leanne is the girl to talk to. She has been there and got the T-shirt. Of course, you might just like to get fitter than you are.

Leanne arrived in Jersey from County Meath with a girl friend back in 1992. Jersey was supposed to be a stepping stone on their travels to the Greek Islands but for Leanne, Jersey worked its magic and whilst the friend moved on, Leanne stayed. Mind you, meeting and marrying Philip may have had a little something to do with this as well.

Athletics and sport were not high on the curriculum at the convent school that Leanne attended. In fact the school hockey team she played for remained steadfastly at the bottom of the league but, with a natural interest in fitness and health, she signed-up for a course of gym and aerobics, which proved to be a precursor of her future vocation and business.

However, It was taking part in the Itex walk that sparked an interest in long distance events and where she first heard about the Greenlight Round the Rock event, the 48 mile run around the island, Leanne took part and was first lady home.

From there it has been non-stop. To name just a few of the ultra events that Leanne has featured in, the Connemara Ultra, 48 miles, fourth lady home; the Southdown Trailwalker a team event; Leanne was in a team of four (out of 550 teams) and they set a course record for the mixed teams and were beaten only by three Gurkha squad teams. In the Mozart Austrian 100k she came in second; the Cotswolds 100 mile she was third and nearer to home, the Five Islands Race a 3-day event where Leanne finished first overall.

2015 sounds equally gruelling with a 50 miler in the Highlands and the Eiger 100k to look forward to. Leanne has already booked her osteopath for the recovery programme!

In her small, quiet gym overlooking Queen’s Valley Leanne tailors her personal training and fitness exercises to the ability and condition of her clients where they will find they are not surrounded by muscle-bound body builders; its not that sort of gym.

Although she puts herself through a gruelling training programme, occasionally running along cliff paths at 4a.m, she never expects more from her clients than they are physically capable of.

So, if there is someone out there who feels the need to be a little fitter this winter, maybe it’s time to call Leanne 07797 840931, or have a look at the gym on her website www.lrpt.co.uk. It’s right here in your parish and she won’t ask you to run 100 miles, but she might just help to trim down that bulging waistline in time for Christmas!

Parish Personality Portrait No. 29Leanne Rive – Grouville’s Iron Ladyby Al Thomas

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11 Grouville Gazette | Winter 2014

Shona opened her Grouville Beauty Salon, ‘Purple Papillon Beauty,’ in June 2014, offering a range of treat-ments from massage to facial and nails. Shona was originally a Primary school teacher and made the huge

decision to change her career, finding that there is noth-ing better than allowing people to relax and take time out for themselves within their busy lives.

Getting to know you: Shona Livingstone by Anita Boyce

Purple Papillion Beauty Salon

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12 Grouville Gazette | Winter 2014

Ransoms Tearooms & Restaurant

Open 7 days a weeklast orders in restaurant 6pm

(4pm Sunday)

La Grande Route de Faldouet, St. Martin. Telephone 856699 Open Monday - Saturday 8.30am - 7.00pm

www.ransomsgardencentre.co.uk

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13 Grouville Gazette | Winter 2014

Do you neeD help?The Citizens Advice Service provides free,

independent and confidential advice to help you resolve your problems and understand your rights. We can advise you on many issues whether it be

debt, employment, benefits, housing, immigration, relationship problems and many other subjects.

hoW To ConTACT uSFace-to-face at the Bureau

We have a “drop-in” service at St Paul’s Centre, New Street, St Helier, between 10am to 3pm,

Monday to Friday

TelephoneWe have a telephone enquiry service available

from 10am to 3pm Monday to Friday

Freephone 0800 7350249 or 724942

electronicallyYou will find useful information on our website

www.cab.org.je or email your enquiries to [email protected]

Welcome tothe World ofPoliticsby Deputy Carolyn Labey

The Constable and I are actively looking to identify brown-field sites in the Parish to establish a development plan that will deliver affordable housing for our younger generations, thus encouraging them to seek a future in the Island. However, I am determined that whatever is considered will be appropriate to the surroundings and character of Grouville. The plan will be a Parish Plan, so it will require your input and views on how you would like your parish to look and what you expect it to provide. In effect it will be a village plan for Grouville.

I would also like to see TTS extend the Eastern Cycle Network into town. After securing the initial funding from the Car Park Restoration fund and providing a possible route, very slow progress has been made. Continuation of the network would support TTS’s own Sustainable Transport Strategy: it would also be an added attraction to visitors, as well as assisting the commuters of Grouville.

At the time of writing this article, the elections are ongo-ing, so I will report back on the principal appointments in our next government in our March 2015 issue.

Please remember that I am available to discuss any of your issues, or concerns, so phone me on 852488 or contact me by e-mail at: [email protected]

In the meantime, I would like to wish you and your fami-lies a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year.

First, I would like to thank my family, friends and support-ers for encouraging me to put myself forward for the role of Deputy of our Parish for another term, to which I was successfully returned on 17th October. I would especially like to thank my proposer Advocate Simon Habin and my seconders; Vicky Boarder, Dr John Le Gresley, David Morgan, Shelagh Dix, Daniel Thebault, Stephen Clipp, Shona Livingston, Nick Parlett and John Hodge MBE. It has been an honour to serve my Parish and I will con-tinue to serve you to the very best of my ability.

I shared the nomination evening with our Constable John Le Maistre who was also returned unopposed. Having known the Constable all my life, we work really well as a team and have similar aspirations for the Parish in the coming years.

Comparing election meetings in other parishes, I was pleased that our nomination meeting attracted around 80 parishioners, in contrast to a St Helier district hustings, which attracted 22 people.

It is wonderful that the Community Support Group is now fully up and running. It should be of particular comfort to you in the coming winter months, to know that there are people in the parish who can help make all of our lives easier through their different skills and activities. If you or a friend need help please just pick up the phone and call the Parish Office on 852225.

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14 Grouville Gazette | Winter 2014

Christmas Fashion by Niki Whittle

2. If you’re not sure about going for something so pale in the winter then why not opt for a bright colour instead of traditional black? There are some pretty green shades to choose from this season.

3. Why wear a plain dress when you can look pretty in print instead? Bold prints are all the rage this season and I think they’re the perfect choice for the party season. Don’t over accessorise, keep things simple and let the dress do the talking.

4. Separates are a great choice for the party season, not only do they make it easier to get the perfect fit top and bottom, but they are made for mixing and match-ing so will integrate into your wardrobe easily.

5. This striking yet simple dress is one of my favourite picks this year, it hangs beautifully and really is a showstopper.

6. I love jumpsuits! They make a great alternative to cocktail dresses; they are always my outfit of choice for parties.

7. Trousers can look so chic at the Christmas party, especially if you team them with a statement top and a pair of killer heels.

The party season is nearly upon us once more, the shops are pushing their party frocks to the front of the store, work colleagues are asking what you’re planning on wearing and you’re confused about what ‘smart casual’ really means!!Smart casual . . . it’s the one dress code I really dislike. I mean what does it mean? Either it’s smart or its casual, but surely it can’t be both! According to the Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English, the definition of smart casual is:smart ca·su·al – adjective: smart casual (of clothes) neat, conventional, yet relatively infor-mal in style, especially as worn to conform to a particular dress code. “Think of a smart casual outfit as one that you’d wear for a film or dinner date”So there you go, an informal, neat and conven-tional outfit. Sounds a little dull if you ask me! The way I see it is, it’s always better to be the one who’s overdressed a little for an occasion, rather than the one who’s underdressed. So I say go all out and impress your fellow partygo-ers in this season’s party perfect trends. I’ve rounded up the best the high street has to offer and included a few tips on picking the right outfit for YOU.

Tips:Understand your shape; celebrate your best attributes and choose shapes that highlight them. Don’t expect an item off the peg to fit you perfectly. It’s rarely going to happen, so be aware of what a good fit is and be prepared to have a few alterations made. I nearly always have to lift the straps.You don’t have to go for black and it doesn’t have to be a dress either! Separates work brilliantly. Not only can they offer you more options, but they are easier to inte-grate into your wardrobe for future use.Don’t go blindly following the trends; choose ones that suit your style and shape as this will be far more flattering and even more stylish. Don’t overlook the accessories! These are the most important part of your outfit and will make or break a look. They are a great way to add some personality to a high-street piece. If you can’t afford to splash out on a whole new outfit for your party then take my advice and invest in some new accessories to add contemporary style to last year’s out-fit.Don’t buy a dress that’s only going to be worn once; be creative and think if you’ve got anything else in your wardrobe that will go with it, or dress it down.

Outfits:1. White is the new black, so instead of choosing a LBD

how about going for something more festive like this pretty white and silver dress?

1. Silver dress from Oasis: De Gruchy, 46-52 King Street 2. Green dress from Monsoon: Queen Street3. Floral dress from Topshop: King Street4. Sequin skirt and separate top from Phase Eight: 46/52 King

Street5. Black dress from Whistles: www.whistles.com 6. Jumpsuit from Karen Millen: De Gruchy, 46-52 King Street7. Trousers and top from Reiss: King Street

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15 Grouville Gazette | Winter 2014

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16 Grouville Gazette | Winter 2014

Alfred’s Big Christmas Adventure by Pat Guegan

One Christmas Eve a little donkey snoozed in his stable in Grouville, his name was Alfred. When Farmer John came to give him his breakfast, he said to Alfred, “You are going to have a busy time today because on Christmas Eve you have a very important part to play in our Celebrations. You will carry Mary on your back when we have our Crib Service in the big stable.” Alfred was very excited. Alfred was bored! Maybe he could escape? Farmer John had gone and wouldn’t be back until much later, but in his warm cosy stable Alfred soon fell asleep and dreamed of a Big Christmas Adventure!He found himself in the field near the stable where the calves lived in their little white houses. Maybe Clarabelle would like to come with me he thought, so he went to find his friend.Clarabelle was snoozing, so he tiptoed up to her, “Clarabelle, I am going on a Big Christmas Adventure. Would you like to come?” Clarabelle opened a sleepy eye, “I would love to; oooh, yes please. How exciting”!The two friends went into the next field where they saw a little lamb who was leaping about happily. She stopped and stared at them. “What are you doing here?” she asked. ”My name is Alfred and this is Clarabelle. It is Christmas Eve and we are going on a Big Christmas Adventure. What’s your name?” “My name is Lily” replied the lamb. “I will come with you for your Big Christmas Adventure”. So the new friends set off. Lily asked shyly, “Will we be back in time to hang up our Christmas stock-ings?” “Of course we will”, said Alfred tossing his head; “we can’t miss Father Christmas. Besides I have a very special job to do this evening.”And off they went in search of their Big Christmas Adventure!Soon it began to get dark. The stars twinkled in the sky and the moon came out. The moon was round and yel-low with a big smile. “Hello” said the moon, “what are you doing out so late on your own?” “We are looking for a Big Christmas Adventure,” said Alfred. “But we haven’t found one yet” said Clarabelle. “Do you know where we can find one?” asked Lily“It is much too late for a Big Christmas Adventure” said the moon. “It is time you went home to make sure that you are fast asleep when Father Christmas arrives on his sleigh”.Alfred, Clarabelle and Lily looked at each other nerv-ously. They weren’t feeling quite so brave now that it was dark and they were all alone.“I don’t think I like being out here in the dark” said Lily. “Nor do I” said Clarabelle. “Don’t be silly” said Alfred; there must be an adventure out there somewhere. But now he was not feeling quite so brave either. An owl

hooted, “time to go home!” Perhaps he was right thought Alfred and his legs felt just a little bit wobbly. The little donkey did not feel quite so excited about his Big Christmas Adventure now. “Let’s go home,” said Lily.“Which is the way home?” asked Clarabelle; now that it was dark they did not know the way home. “I think we are lost” said Alfred, and his voice trembled. After a while it began to snow and it was very cold. Lily, the little lamb began to cry. The friendly moon said “Look, there is a stable over there. Why not have a little rest and then I will show you the way home”.So, the three friends went into the stable, snuggled down in the warm dry straw and promptly fell asleep! They were very tired.Alfred woke up! What was that noise? It sounded like a baby crying! He opened his eyes, looked around and there in the manger full of hay was a tiny baby, crying softly. “Clarabelle, Lily” whispered Alfred, “Look over there!” Clarabelle and Lily saw the baby in the manger too!The baby’s mother gave them a beautiful smile, so they

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17 Grouville Gazette | Winter 2014

were not afraid. She smiled lovingly at her baby too and at the baby’s father.

The three friends stood in the corner of the stable watch-ing the amazing scene.

All of a sudden there was a noise outside, some shep-herds entered the stable, knelt down before the baby and one of the shepherds presented him with a little lamb.

There was clatter of hooves and in the doorway the friends saw three camels. “I say!” said Lily “What are they doing here? They look just like kings in their beautiful clothes”.

The three kings came into the stable, knelt down before the baby and presented him with gifts of gold, frankin-cense and myrrh!

Suddenly, there was a bright light, a star was shining into the stable and they could see everything so clearly. Then as the kings and the shepherds knelt before the baby the sky was filled with angels singing “Glory to God in the highest and peace to all on earth”.

“Wow!” said Alfred “This really is a very Big Christmas Adventure”. Lily and Clarabelle agreed.

The friends decided to stay in the stable until morning and then go home when it was daylight.

They settled down to enjoy their very Big Christmas Adventure and soon drifted off to sleep again.

Suddenly, Alfred heard Farmer John talking to him. “Wake up Alfred, it is time for you to come and do your very special job on Christmas Eve”.

Alfred was a little confused! Where was he? What had happened? Had he really been on a very Big Christmas Adventure or maybe it was all just a dream and he had been here all the time?

He let Farmer John lead him away to the big stable where the people were waiting. As he went he had a warm cosy feeling inside as if he really had been part of a very Big Christmas Adventure!

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18 Grouville Gazette | Winter 2014

On your post Christmas walks on the beach, fancy find-ing a bit of the Titanic’s cargo? On 5th January 2013 the JEP featured an article about gutta-percha/rubber blocks washing up in Portelet and St. Ouen. On 5th September 2014 I found one in the Royal Bay of Grouville. Similar blocks have been washed up in Brittany, the Netherlands and Cornwall and there have been links to the Titanic, which was carrying a shipment as part of its cargo when it sank on its maiden voyage in 1912.

Here are some facts, should you find one:

= There has been considerable interest in the rubber blocks since the JEP article of 5th January 2013, with the Daily Mail publishing an article on 24th April 2013, the BBC commenting on 10th May 2013 and in France on 21st March 2014.

= The blocks are rectangular in shape measuring 12” (30cms) by 14” (35cms) with rounded corners and weigh 5lb 4ozs. (2.4 kg).

= They were produced in the tjipetir plantation factory in Java, Indonesia in the early 1900’s.

The Tjipetir Rubber Block Mysteryby Geoff Walker

= The blocks are made of the sap of the gutta-percha tree native to Asia and North Australia.

= The Tji (river) Petir (thunder) plantation factory was owned by the Netherlands (Dutch) East India Company and employed 350 people between 1900 and 1920.

= Gutta-percha was mainly used to insulate underwater cables, but was also used to make golf balls and teddy bear noses. The invention of wireless telegra-phy and development of the rival British rubber plan-tations in Malaya led to a sharp decline in prices so the industry was no longer profitable.

= If these blocks came from the Titanic, as they were released they would have floated to the surface car-ried across the Atlantic by the North Atlantic Drift and the Gulf Stream towards Jersey.

= A Dutch East India Company ship, the Moerdyk, was also carrying a cargo of gutta-percha when it sank off the coast of Brittany in 1904. At that time the tjipetir plantation trees would only have been 4 years old.

Keep looking – I am!

Geoff Walker holding one of the tablets. They are quite a find!

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19 Grouville Gazette | Winter 2014

Christmas at Holme Grown is set to be grand

With lashings of everything needed, at handTurkey and stuffing, fresh veg and meatBrilliant to look at - delicious to eat!

Book your Turkey, choose your wine…red, white or rosé - it’s all simply fineDelicious extras, like chocolates and cheeseFill a Hamper with what-ever you please!

Holme-made bread, croissants, biscuits and rolls

Complete frozen meals for very hungry souls

Champagnes and gifts, festivegreetings on a card

Everything for Christmas - in your own back yard!

There’s construction in store to make shopping a treat

Please excuse the upheavalwe’ll try to keep it neat!

If you’re stuck working hard but your cupboards are bareGo online, take your time… we’ll be waiting there!

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20 Grouville Gazette | Winter 2014

As you walk off your Christmas meal on Grouville Bay beach you will probably come across a mermaid’s purse. To a vrai Jèrriais they are bourses au dgiâbl’ye or crap-auds d’mé – those strange horned leathery objects that wash up with the vraic along the high tide mark.

Mermaids’ purses are the egg cases of rays and small species of shark. When they wash up on the shore they are usually (but not always) empty and may have been drifting in the sea for several weeks or months. However, each mermaid’s purse will have begun its life many metres underwater where it would have been either glued (literally) to a rock or deliberately entangled in sea-weed by the female ray or shark that laid it.

Each purse will have held a single embryo that would have developed over several weeks into a juvenile ray or shark. After hatching, the animal will vacate its empty egg case, which in time will become loose and then washed up onto the seashore.

In December 2012 the Marine Biology Section of the Société Jersiaise was presented with a bagful of mer-maids’ purses that had been collected during an organ-ised beach clean. We didn’t know much about mermaids’ purses at the time but, with some help from the Shark Trust, we were able to determine that the egg cases came from two different species of ray (blonde and undulate) and one species of shark (small dogfish).

Intrigued, we asked our regular beach cleaners to keep any mermaids’ purses that they found. In the first month we had 21 handed in! The month after that 63 and then, as word got round, we were soon receiving hundreds. The most we have had in a single month is 505, which

Rays of Hope by Paul Chambers

included one that had been attached to a supermarket trolley recovered from St Helier Marina. The task of sort-ing and identifying the egg cases can be quite mucky and smelly, but the results have more than compensated.

But what is the point of all this? It is possible to relate each mermaid’s purse back to the species of shark, or ray that laid it. By counting the mermaids’ purses we can also keep an eye on the health of our elasmobranch (the technical terms for rays and sharks) population. In par-ticular, we can monitor the number of species in the seas around us and check for changes in their numbers.

Our study seems to confirm that Jersey has an unusually large population of undulate rays, a species that is clas-sified as threatened in the rest of Europe and whose commercial capture is banned (including in Jersey). Our study also suggests that the blue skate (Dipturus batis) is locally extinct. In the 1960s this species was regarded as common, but we have not had a single blue skate egg-case (which is very large and distinctive) handed in. We are also keeping an eye on the smaller shark species, such as dogfish and nursehounds, as they are at present being deliberately killed and discarded in large numbers by fishermen using set nets between Seymour and Icho Towers.

We hope that this fascinating project will continue for many years and we are grateful to people like Geoff who have made all this possible. If you find any, please collect (or photograph) them, making a note of the beach on which you found them and the date. Then get in touch with us at: [email protected] or tele-phone 758314 (or drop them off at 7 Pier Road). All our records are shared with the Jersey Biodiversity Centre as well as the Shark Trust and the A.P.E.C.S., their French equivalent.

For more information on mermaids’ purses visit:www.sharktrust.org/en/great_eggcase_hunt

A nursehound (Scyliorhinus stellaris) egg case

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21 Grouville Gazette | Winter 2014

On September 10th, the highest tide of the year, seven Grouville ‘Princesses’ (Jan Romeril, Betty Hambly, Tracy Lauren, Mandy Siouville, Carol Cotterill, Sandie Livingston and Jill Le Maistre) went for a glorious fun-filled overnight stay at Seymour Tower, travelling in style on a red tractor driven by John Le Maistre Jnr, accompanied by their very own personal guide, Martin Viney.The Princesses certainly didn’t slum it. That evening Martin cooked them a BBQ, which was washed down with several glasses of the very best wine. While the Princesses were getting their beauty sleep, Martin ventured out under the moonlight to do a bit of fishing and did not come back empty handed.The following day started with a large cooked breakfast, which went down very well. When the water had gone down far enough the Princesses went out for a little walk on the rocks, enjoying the stunning scenery. Winkles were picked and one very brave Princess, Tracy, even took a swim!

Lots of fun and laughter was had by all and soon the time came to go home, (ah!) this time with Grouville’s own Constable, John Le Maistre, who came to pick them all up on a green tractor!

I forgot to mention that the Princesses wore their sparkling diamond encrusted tiaras for most of the duration of their stay. After all that’s what Princesses do! So, where will the Princesses travel to next? Watch this space!

Six of the seven ‘Princesses’ and their guide, Martin Viney, at Seymour Tower, having successfully navigated the steps to the tower

Seven Grouville Princesses go to the Tower by Jill Le Maistre

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22 Grouville Gazette | Winter 2014

When Christmas and New Year have gone and there are a couple of months of bleak winter until spring arrives, a way of shortening the wait is to join in the celebration of Chinese New Year. In my two decades as a restaurant owner in Jersey the restaurant is always fully booked in the week of Chinese New Year with guests arriving wear-ing something red, using the greeting “Kung Hei Fat Choi”.

Chinese New Year is based on the lunar calendar and falls between mid January and mid February with a differ-ent date each year, named after an animal from a cycle of 12 animals. In China it is called the Spring Festival and is the most important celebratory week in the Chinese calendar. The next one begins on 19th February and is the year of the Ram, bidding farewell to the year of the Horse.

China has a history of over 5,000 years of civilization and many of her ancient customs and traditions continue to this day. For example, the naming of the animal for each year is based on the legend of the Emperor of Heaven’s decree. The story is that the Emperor summoned all the animals of the kingdom to his jade palace in heaven but only 12 animals came. Obviously he was not very happy. To show his pleasure for those that turned up, he hon-oured them by naming each year after them. But who was to be named first? The animals argued and jostled for position and the Emperor suggested that there be a race across the river, the first animal to reach the other side to have the first year named after it. So the race began with the buffalo strolling across the river, confident that it would be the first, as it was so used to living in the water. As it reached the other side and was ready to climb up the riverbank, out popped the rat who could not swim but was smart and small enough to hide in one of the big ears of the buffalo. The rat therefore won the race, followed by the buffalo, the rabbit, the tiger and so on.

The theme of Chinese New Year is renewal. Homes are given a thorough spring clean in the hope that the gods of heaven will give their blessings for the diligence of the household and for its cleanliness. The tradition is for each household to cook a few fine, sweet dishes and place them on the shrine in the kitchen to sweeten the mouth of the kitchen god who, in turn, will bless the kitchen with abundance, if he is happily ‘entertained’.

China might have been under communist rule in the last 65 years, but underneath it all almost every Chinese is a capitalist at heart. The greeting in Chinese New Year of “Kung Hei Fat Choi” is to wish you first and foremost ‘wealth and prosperity’, rather than ‘happiness’ and good health’. Symbolically, the hanging of a motif of fishes signifies abundance, as the word ‘fish’ in Chinese is synonymous with abundance. Similarly the motif of bats will bring ‘felicitations’. So, when you come across a Chinese person on 19th February 2015, greet him or her with “Kung Hei Fat Choi” and you will bring a real smile to their faces.

Chinese New Year by Manchi Wan

Manci – Chinese New Year

We will enable you to

reclaim, revitalise and

maintain your space.. .

and peace of mind.

= organising & de-cluttering

= down-sizing

= home staging

= interior design

Contact us to find out more:

07797 750647

[email protected]

www.spaceagain.co.uk

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23 Grouville Gazette | Winter 2014

H O T E L & R E S T A U R A N T

Welcomes non-Residents toEvening Dinner

& Sunday Lunch

Reservations: 01534 875236 Beachcombers Hotel = La Rue a Don = Grouville = Jersey

Email: [email protected] shote l . co.uk

AvAilAble for PrivAte functions:Weddings, Anniversaries, christenings, any special family occasions

and social club Meetings

Dinner

2 Course – £15.503 Course – £18.50

traditionalsunday lunch

2 Course – £17.953 Course – £21.50

GrouvilleParish Hall

GrouvilleParish Church

BeachcombersHotel

La Rue a Don

Chris

tmas

Parti

es

bookings

now

being

take

n

Enjoy our newSnack Menu

cream teascoffee and Drinks

Served aroundthe swimming pool or

in the Lounge Bar

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24 Grouville Gazette | Winter 2014

Four old men are playing their weekly round of golf together when one remarks how nice it would be to wake up on Christmas morning, roll out of bed and, without an argument, go directly to the golf course, meet his friends and play a round of golf.His buddies all chimed in and said, “Let’s do it! We’ll make it a priority; work out a way and meet here early, Christmas morning.A month later, that special morning arrives and there they are on the golf course.The first guy says, “Boy this game cost me a fortune! I bought my wife a diamond ring that she can’t take her eyes off.”The second guy says, “I spent a ton too. My wife is at home planning the cruise I gave her. She was up to her eyeballs in brochures.”The third guy says “Well my wife is at home admiring her new car, reading the manual.”They all turned to the last guy in the group who is staring at them like they have lost their minds. “I can’t believe you all went to such expense for this golf game. I slapped my wife on the backside and said, ‘Well babe, Merry Christmas! It’s a great morning – intercourse or golf course – She said, “Don’t forget your hat.”I bet my wife wishes I played golf!

Humour – Golf onChristmas Day.. .by Chris Clancy

CHRISTMAS

TREE

CRIB

BABY

JESUS

MARY

JOSEPH

FED UP WITH THEGROUVILLE RAT RACE????

THEN GO

FISHINGWITH WEIGHTS, RIGS & LURES

FROM GROUVILLE’S OWN MAKER OF FISHING TACKLE

No hassle shopping at a timeof day or evening to suit you

No passwords, no searches, no card worries

We take blue, brown, red & green paperand

Gold, silver & copper coins

Initial contact at:

[email protected]

07797 733199

No texts – we like to talk to people!!

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ADULTS, CHILDREN, NERVOUS SWIMMERSLessons for beginners and Improvers all ages

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Heather Uwins ASA Tel: 852678Book now for Spring!

Christmas Quiz SHEPHERDS

STABLE

MAGI

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TURKEY

TINSEL

DECORATIONS

Y K W G I V I N G C Y Y N

J B R E L B A T S L L F A

O U Y R R E M D J L M Q T

R C A H Z H R M O G R F I

X D Q S X E M H S C N M V

O J C X H R S Q E N M O I

S P J P L Q S L P S T G T

Z X E I V B A X H L B I Y

O H S B T A M E H B N F D

S I U Y J B T Q I S J Y I

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FIND THE WORDS

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25 Grouville Gazette | Winter 2014

SPORT & RECREATION

The 8th January 2014 is a date we will all remember as the day Grouville ended the 85-year wait to lift the Trinity Shield. Now we face the challenge to retain our title. The competition is held over the Christmas and New Year period, so please visit our website (www.grouville-fc.co.uk) for fixture dates and come out and cheer us on, in our quest to retain this historic trophy.The first half of the domestic season is nearly over, with the usual mix of wins, draws and losses coupled with the famil-iar mix of excitement and disappointment that makes our sport so enjoyable. Many new faces have arrived and it always seems to take a while to get to know each other’s strengths and weak-nesses.We have introduced another team this season, which is achieving great results. Grouville Over-35s team gives the chance for players to both keep fit and carry on enjoying their football for longer. Meanwhile, our Junior teams continue to progress well, with many of our

The GFC 1st Team (blue shirts) in action against St John

youngsters being selected for the Centre of Excellence.

The Ladies team provide excellent football entertainment on Sunday morning, showing the quality of the local ladies league.

To keep up to date with news fixtures and results, please visit our website - www.grouville-fc.co.uk or for the tweet-ers please follow us @GrouvilleFC

Grouville Football Club by Richard Noel, Chairman of Grouville FC

My 2014 season has been an interesting one. I started the year determined to try and earn my LPGA card, after finishing 11th on the money list in 2013, missing out on my LPGA card by just $114.

I had a few good finishes here and there, but just could not get all parts of my game to come together. In the mid-dle of the season I became burnt out and lost my love for the game. So I decided to take things back to basics and keep it simple. My main focus was to start having fun and appreciating the fact that I get to play golf for a living.

Then a new caddy, Jeff, joined me for the final four events. Working with him has been really good for my game, boosting my confidence and helping me have fun on the golf course. We finished 5th in our first event which was exciting for both of us.

Little did we know, it was about to get even better. We travelled to Mayetta, Kansas to play in the Prairie Band Resort and Casino competition; we had a good feeling about it. In the first round, I had 8 birdies and took the lead with a 66. The second round was more testing and I ended up shooting 71, leaving me two shots back from the leaders going into the final round when I shot a final round of 67 and won the tournament by 3 shots. This was definitely the sweetest moment of my career so far. Winning this event removed all my doubts.

At this point I was 18th on the money list and within reach of earning my LPGA tour card but I finally finished 20th. However, this has given me an automatic exemption into the Final Stage of qualifying school and another chance to earn my LPGA card. Although this year has been mentally tough, it has been my best year so far. There have been struggles and I now look forward to a break to recharge my batteries away from the golf course. I would like to thank The One Foundation for their financial support this year – it has been a great help and I also thank my family and friends for their continuing support – through all the highs and the lows.

Olivia Higgins, A Professional Golfer in America

The look of determination on Olivia’s face says it all!

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26 Grouville Gazette | Winter 2014

Just one of the many nativity scenes on display in the Parish Church

ChurchesCompiled byBruce Willing

In September we said good-bye to Father Philip Harris af-ter only one year and we wish him well in his new Parish at Didcot.In October we welcomed our new Priest, Father John Lavers who comes from New-foundland in Canada and therefore has an historic con-nection with Jersey. We look forward to celebrating his first “Jersey Christmas” with him and to getting to know each other.

Last year saw the inaugural Nativity Festival at Grouville Church. Although the organisers were quietly confident, promotion of the event was fairly low key in case the level of support from folk lending their nativity scenes did not meet expectations. They need not have worried. Literally dozens of crib scenes, illuminated with Christmas lights, transformed the interior of the church into something quite magical. Visitors were struck by the huge variety of scenes from all over the world, some home-made, some family treas-ures, some recently acquired or created specially for the event. Materials included ceramics, wood, knitted wool, card and paper, gingerbread, smooth stones from the seashore, glass and metal. The comments in the Visitor’s Book showed how delighted people were at what they found when they visited. A JEP photographer came, expecting to take one or two pictures of some mediocre event, but was surprised by what he saw, finding that even he was entranced. A BBC Jersey reporter stayed over half-an-hour recording the reaction of children who were present.A team of volunteers ensured that visitors were offered a welcome and, if they wanted, some refreshment. Many friendly conversations took place, while cheerful Christmas music played in the background.Building on the experience of the 2013 Nativity Festival, the organisers are busy making preparations for this year’s event. It will open on the evening of Saturday 20th December with a showing of the Christmas favourite

Catholic Parish in the East by Pat Guegan

A Second Nativity Festival in Grouvilleby the Rector, The Reverend Mike Lange-Smith

Father John Lavers

Miracle on 34th Street, followed by Christmas refresh-ments, then to be open most days until 28th December (except Christmas Day and Boxing Day) when the leaders of worship that day have been challenged to incorporate the festival into Sunday worship. The 2014 Nativity Festival may be viewed from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm and from 1:30pm to 4:30pm from 21st to 28th December, excluding Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, when it will only be open immediately before and after services. Do please come along and be amazed at the rich variety of ways that the birth of Jesus has been modelled in the dozens of crib scenes on show.

Tel: 840400

Querée Optometristsare celebrating ten years in Gorey Village.

To mark the occasion we have had a refurbishment, and look forward to serving you for the next ten years!

Wishing all our clients, new and old, all the very best for Christmas and the coming year.

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27 Grouville Gazette | Winter 2014

Times of Christmas Services 2014ANGLICAN CHuRCHES:Grouville Parish Church and St Peter La Rocque Reverend Mike Lange-Smith: Tel: 853073Friday 12th December 7.30pm Songsmiths Christmas Music Evening Sunday 14th December 9.30am “Combined Service” of Holy Communion 5.00pm Christingle, Crib and CarolsTuesday 16th December 6.00pm Carols at St Peter La RocqueSunday 21st December 8.30am Holy Communion10.30am Nine Lessons and CarolsChristmas Eve 5.00pm Crib Service at Les Prés Manor11.15pm Midnight Communion ServiceChristmas Day 8.30am Holy Communion 9.30am Holy Communion (BCP) at St Peter La Rocque10.30am Family Worship with Communion

Nativity Festival at Grouville Parish ChurchThe Festival opens with a film show on Saturday 20th – check with the church for details.The Festival is open for viewing on 21st, 22nd, 23rd, 26th, 27th, 28th December from 10.00am to 12 noon and from 1.30pm to 4.30pm (NB: Not Christmas Eve, or Christmas Day).

Gouray ChurchReverend Dr. Canon Gavin Ashenden: Tel: 853255Sunday 7th December 5.00pm Christingle ServiceSunday 14th December10.30am Family service with children’s Nativity playSunday 21st December 5.00pm Carol and readings by candlelightChristmas Eve 5.00pm Carolling on the streets of Gorey11.30pm Midnight MassChristmas Day 8.00am Holy Communion10.30am Christmas family service

ROmAN CATHOLIC SERvICES:Catholic Church in the East of JerseyFather John Lavers: Tel: 853953Christmas EveSt Patrick 7.00 pm CarolsSt Patrick 7.30 pm Family MassOur Lady of St Martin 9.30 pm Carols 10.00 pm Night Mass

Christmas DayOur Lady of St Martin 9.00 am MassSt Patrick 11.00 am Mass

Friday 26th December The Holy FamilyOur Lady of St Martin 9.00 am MassSt Patrick’s 11.00 am Mass

mETHODIST SERvICES:Methodist services are in St Martin and Georgetown

FULLYINSURED

SUPPORTS THE LONGTERM CARE SCHEME

REGISTERED AND INSPECTEDBY PUBLIC HEALTH

Cambrette Careand Nursing Services

Keep enjoying life in your own home

Registered homecare. Your way.

Beth Gicquel RN

E [email protected] 633083 F 633193

or pop into our centrally located offices:1st Floor, 17 Queen Street St Helier

Please call us to discuss your care needs, or if

you have questions regarding the Long Term

Care Scheme. We can arrange a free informal

meeting at a time that suits you, either in our

office, or the comfort of your own home.

Cambrette Half Page

www.cambrette.comT 633083

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28 Grouville Gazette | Winter 2014

reGULar What’s ON Mothers & Toddlers Tues. 9.30 am – 11.30 am Katie Davie-Williams 07797 711330

Portbail Association Liz Viney 855330

Bridge Club Wed. 2.00 pm – 5.00 pm Joan Gavey 853027

W.I. Second Tuesday of each month; 7.30pm

Betty Hambly 853846 Sue Proper 853345

Senior Citizens Last Friday in every month Nelley Le Bredonchel 854065

Mobile Library Wednesday Gorey Common car park 11.15am – 12.00 Grouville Parish Hall 12.05 – 12.45 Holme Grown car park 1.30pm – 2.30pm

Battle of Flowers Mark Labey 854760

Grouville Football Club Richard Noel 853400

Girl Guides Thursday 7.15-9.00pm at Grouville School Ruth Huish 736766 07797 742027

Brownies Monday 6.00-7.30pm at Grouville School Michele Peace 854598 07797 785253

La Rocque Boatowners Raife Robson 07797 722986

Parish HallNewsfrom Rebecca Maindonald

December 2014 will be a sad time for the Parish, as we wave goodbye to two long serving members of staff.Jimmy Machon has been employed as the Parish Sexton since May 2000. Known for his sunny and cheerful per-sona, as well as being sombre and respectful at funerals, Jimmy will be greatly missed by us all.

Peter Falle, the Parish Secretary has served the Parish since November 1990. A passionate Grouvillais, he has always had the best interests of the Parish at heart. Our very own Oracle, Peter has an amazing ability to be able to retain all sorts of information and recall it at a later date. Peter will be greatly missed by everyone, espe-cially by the Parish staff.

I am very fortunate to have worked with Peter for the last 12 years. He has been a real mentor to me and I intend to carry on his good work. I am proud to be officially confirmed in my appointment as Parish Secretary. It is an exciting time to be involved in Parochial Administration and I am looking forward to the challenges that the Parish team face in the future.

I am sure you will all join with me to wish Peter a very long, happy and well-earned retirement.

Keyholder CardsWith Christmas approaching and premises, both resi-dential and commercial, being left empty during the holi-days, you are encouraged to complete a keyholder card, which are available from the Parish Hall. The card should be filled-in at least a week before departure and handed back to the Parish Hall. The Grouville Honorary Police visit the properties regularly and will report any problems to the named keyholder.

Dog LicencesThese are due from the 1st January 2015 and all owners of dogs over the age of 6 months should ensure that they have a valid licence. Collars with a name-tag showing contact details should be worn at all times. Application forms for the Licences are available from the Parish Hall, or you can download them from our website: http://www.parish.gov.je/Grouville under the ‘Licences’ tab.

Christmas and New Year Refuse Collection All domestic refuse collections will take place as normal over the Christmas period. The Commercial Refuse col-lection scheduled for Friday, 26th December will now be on Saturday 27th December. Glass collection remains on the third Thursday and Friday of the month throughout 2015.

Father ChristmasFather Christmas will make his annual visit this year on Thursday 11th December at 5.20pm. All gifts and dona-tions for the less well off in the Community can be made on, or before, this date. Entertainment by DJ Nelson, soft drinks and the traditional refreshments for the Children will be available. All are Welcome.

SocialConnétable’s Christmas ReceptionThe Christmas reception takes place on Friday, 19th December, starting at 4.00 pm. All are warmly welcome to join the Connétable and Jill for a Christmas tipple.

Senior CitizensThe Senior Citizens Annual Christmas lunch will be held on Saturday, 10th January 2015. Places are limited and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. The closing date date for ticket applications is Friday, 2nd January 2015.

We send Seasons Greetings to all Grouvillais from everyone at the Parish Hall.

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29 Grouville Gazette | Winter 2014

The ConnétableIt was a great honour to be re-elected unop-posed as Connétable on 17th September and I thank all my support-ers and well-wishers for their encouragement. My thanks also go to the Parish Hall team, the Municipality and all who make this Parish what it is. We are a good team and I am privileged to lead it for a further three and a half years. I will do my very best to live-up to everyone’s expectations.

I enjoy my role, especially meeting Parishioners and try-ing to help them with their difficulties and concerns. A Connétable cannot please everyone all the time and we are unpopular when we impose fines for the branchage, or encourage the honorary police to control speeding, or monitor yellow lines. Likewise, we take no pleasure in imposing late-payment penalties on overdue rates.

Regarding the branchage, there are always some who forget, or neglect to cut their hedges bordering our roads. This places an additional administrative burden on the Parish, as we have to write and notify owners of the uncut hedges and re-visit to make sure the offence is rectified, for which we impose a fine. This year we have also sent a number of warning letters to those people who have cut their hedges but have not cut them back far enough, leading to the hedge encroaching on the highway, or pavement and forcing traffic or pedestrians towards the middle of the road.

The Parish has recently had to deal with a number of stray dogs. Whilst one can expect some dogs to escape, it is annoying when they do not have a collar and an identifying disc with at least a telephone number on it. This means, rather than a phone call from the Parish office, we have to use our contractors to collect and look after the dog until its owner can be found - and pass on any charges that occur. Please make sure your dog is licenced and is wearing an identifying disc.

There has been a consultation on the law that requires dogs to be kept on a lead on the beach during the sum-mer months. We would be interested to receive your views on this subject. One suggestion is the infrequently used bathing area near Le Hurel could be designated a dog roaming area. What do you think?

Sadly, our Parish Secretary, Peter Falle, retires at the end of this year. On behalf of all Parishioners, I wish Peter and his wife Carol a long, healthy and happy retirement.

And finally on behalf of Jill and my family and all at the Parish Hall I wish you all a Happy Christmas and a pros-perous New Year.

THE PARISH ADMINISTRATION

Procureur W.P. Labey 855182 B. Rebours 854688

Rector Rev. M. Lange-Smith 853073

Chef de Police Centenier C.P.C. Dix

Centeniers C.P.C. Dix N.J. Andrews Duty number: A.E. Viney 07797 710321 P.A. Robinson

Vingteniers P. Abrantes B. Godfray Duty number: P. Martins 07797 722156 J. Noble

Parish Registrar Andy Labey 851871

Parish Secretary R. Maindonald 852225

Parish Hall Tel: 852225 Fax: 855991 email: [email protected] website: www.parish.gov.je

Opening Hours Monday to Friday 8.30am–4.00pm

}}

CALL FOR A FREE QuOTATION

Lawrence de Gruchy(Irrigation) Ltd

Homestead, La Vieille Rue, Grouville JE3 9UL

Telephone: 01534 [email protected]

Complete Automatic Irrigation Systemsspecifically designed for your garden

and installed by our experts.

Drip Tubes for Hanging Garden & PotsTrickle Hose for Shrubs and Borders

Sprinklers for Lawns

NO GARDEN TOO BIG OR TOO SmALL!

John Le Maistre

Page 30: Grouville GG Gazette - Parishes - Parishes of Jersey size of each round varies but we try to accom-modate any specific requests as well as giving, as far as possible, a round near

30 Grouville Gazette | Winter 2014

GROUVILLE GAZETTE TEAM

THE EDITORIAL TEAM are: Chick Anthony, Anita Boyce, Colin Campbell, Carol Cotterill, Cindy Ferrow, Simon Ferrow, Pat Guegan, Carolyn Labey, Al Thomas,Bruce Willing

Treasurer Nick Danby

Legal Advocate Simon Habin

Contributions Bruce Willing [email protected] Tel: 856673

Advertising Colin Campbell [email protected] Tel: 851832

Distribution Anita Boyce [email protected] Tel: 840756

ARTICLES & ADVERTISING LATEST DATE FOR

OuR SPRING ISSuEby 14th January 2015

preferably by email:Articles – [email protected][email protected]

The Grouville Gazette is typeset and printed in Jersey by local printers Dingle & Nel, 10 Commercial Street, St Helier.

THE GROuvILLE GAZETTE

ADVERTISING RATES

QUARTER PAGE £75

HALF PAGE £120

FULL PAGE £240 (Limited availability)

BACK COVER £275 (taken)

FLYERS £90

If you wish to place an advertisement in the Grouville Gazette, please contact Colin Campbell on 851832 or email [email protected]

DisclaimerWhilst the Grouville Gazette Editorial Team and contributors to the Grouville Gazette have provided the information contained in it in good faith, they accept no responsibility, financial or otherwise, for any action taken by any other party as a result of the information provided. Independent and appropriate advice should always be sought on such matters. The Grouville Gazette Editorial Team accepts no responsibility for errors or omissions that may occur.

GROuVILLE GAZETTE

next

“DELIVERERS’ DRINKS”on

THuRSDAY,

12th MARCH 2015Grouville Parish Hall

at 8.00pmAll ‘Friends’, advertisers and, of course,

deliverers, are most welcome!

TheGrouville Panto

2015If anyone would like to take part, or help in any way, please contact John Lamy, Chairman, on 854033, or e-mail [email protected]

RosedaleStores

Gorey VillageAn Aladdin’s Cave of surprises

Pat, Christina and staff are continuing over 50 years of family tradition and look forward to serving

customers old and new with old fashioned courteousy and friendliness.

= Delicatessen = Groceries Wines and Spirits= Christmas Cards & gift wrap, candles,

chocolates and many groceries linesnot generally available elsewhere

= Instant print photographic service direct from your digital camera, USB, CD Rom, Bluetooth

Why go to town!

Groceries, Fair Trade Products, a variety of cheeses and cold meats from our delicatessen,

Wines and Spirits and so much more.

Open Monday to Saturday8.30am – 5.45pm

Page 31: Grouville GG Gazette - Parishes - Parishes of Jersey size of each round varies but we try to accom-modate any specific requests as well as giving, as far as possible, a round near

31 Grouville Gazette | Winter 2014

T: 855656 | W: leshoumets.com | E: [email protected]

A true ‘home from home’, Les Hoûmets Care Home is always warm, welcoming and cosy. Our residents are encouraged to invite friends and family to visit at a time convenient for them. Meal times are flexible, and there are winter treats galore – from gorgeous casseroles, roasts, homemade soups and desserts, to a traditional Christmas roast with all the trimmings, Christmas pudding, cake and mince pies.

At Les Hoûmets, we also understand the benefits of staying active.

We offer a full range of leisure pursuits throughout the year including singing, keep fit, arts & crafts, and theatre trips.

Les Hoûmets Care Home offers all levels of residential personal care, from entry level to high dependency support. Our experienced, fully qualified and friendly staff provide 24 hour care. Owned and operated by the Amy family, we are unique in that the directors live on-site.

Call Monica Meredith, our friendly Home Manager, on 855656 to arrange a visit.

of Gorey Village, Les Hoûmets Care Homehas been established and operated by the

Amy family for over 30 years.

of Gorey Village, Les Ho

During winter, Les Hoûmets is always warm and cosy with festive treats galore

Page 32: Grouville GG Gazette - Parishes - Parishes of Jersey size of each round varies but we try to accom-modate any specific requests as well as giving, as far as possible, a round near

Christmas Set Lunch at The Moorings HotelFrom Tuesday 2nd December

Our homemade soup of the dayBlue cheese, cranberry and walnut salad with walnut oil dressing

Oak smoked Scottish salmon served with capers and shallotsClassic prawn cocktail

Terrine of game served with spiced pears and toasted brioche

Grilled fillet of salmon with bernaise sauceEscalope of turkey breast with smoked bacon, chestnut and sage jus

Braised steak in red wine sauce with bubble and squeakCrispy confit of duck with roast root vegetables and thyme jusMushroom and roast chestnut risotto with parmesan crackling

Homemade Christmas pudding with brandy sauceVanilla crème brulee

Brown sugar meringue with whipped cream and spiced fruitsChocolate torte with hazelnut ice cream and salted caramel

Selection of British and continental cheeses

Coffee with homemade mince pies and petits fours £1.75

2 course £13.75 or 3 course £15.95Available from Monday to Saturday – Booking is advisable Tel: 853633

Local offer £120.00 based on two people sharing a double/twin room with private facilities,our daily dinner menu and traditional English breakfast (excluding Christmas and New Year)

GifT VOuCHErS arE aVailaBlE fOr OVErNiGHT OffErS aNd rESTauraNT rESErVaTiONS; idEal CHriSTMaS prESENTS.. .