Spring-Summer Pure Jersey Part 1 with adverts:jersey Cover AW

Living the
Life
52 pureJersey
Dr Lee Durrell
Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust
Dr Lee Durrell has two
passions in life –
aeroplanes and animals,
not necessarily in that
order. They are not as
mutually exclusive as you
may think. An experienced pilot, she uses
her twin-engined Navajo to transport
animals to and from Jersey to sanctuaries
around Europe for breeding purposes.
By now, many of you will know where this
is leading. The surname says it all. Durrell
has become an island icon in Jersey along
with the cows and potatoes. Lee was
married to Gerald Durrell, the
conservationist and author who founded
the world-famous zoo on the island –
though it’s not called that these days.
‘Gerry was ahead of his time in so many
ways,’ recalls Lee. ‘He was interested in
conservation and bio-diversity long before
they became fashionable.’ Gerald’s wildlife
sanctuary in Jersey dates way back to
1959. At first, it was a huge struggle, a
hand-to-mouth enterprise run on a wing
By the time he met Lee in the late 1970s
the zoo had established itself on firmer
ground. Lee, from Memphis, Tennessee,
had only the sketchiest idea of what she
was letting herself in for. ‘I thought the
entire island was an animal sanctuary,’ she
admits with a chuckle.
When Gerald died in 1995, Lee – who has
a PhD in animal behaviour – assumed his
mantle of Honorary Director. She’s still heavily
involved as Durrell Wildlife’s only permanent
trustee, living ‘over the shop’ in an elegant
17th-century farmhouse within the grounds,
surrounded by a fascinating clutter of aviation
memorabilia, Noah’s Ark figurines and
artefacts from her world travels.
So where now for Durrell – or to give it its full
title, the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust?
‘What you see here is only the tip of the
iceberg. The centre keeps us in the public eye
– it’s a “window” on the work we do
worldwide. It gives us the ability to get on
with our mission of saving endangered
species and to run things like our International
Training Centre for people involved in animal
conservation all over the world.
and a prayer. If there’s one person who epitomises Jersey’s
‘I don’t like using the word “zoo” these
days. In Europe – but strangely not in
America – it has negative connotations of
animals cooped up in cages.’
It certainly doesn’t apply to Durrell, where,
on a lush and lovely 31-acre site, great
care and integrity have gone into
replicating environments from the
highlands and islands of the world such as
the Andes and Madagascar.
Lee still travels widely with her
conservation work. But she’s firmly rooted
in this small island. As she says, ‘I feel more
at home here now than I do in America.’
Alastair Christie
Jersey Lavender Farm
Sadie Renard
Islander Extraordinaire
living heritage it’s Sadie Renard, best known
as the semi-official singer of Jersey’s
anthem for the last 12 years. But Sadie is
also an organic dairy farmer with a pedigree
herd of Jersey cattle, an ardent supporter of
Jersey’s many ‘quirky customs’ as she
describes them, and now works alternate
weeks at Hamptonne Country Life Museum
since giving up her job as a beautician, first
with Dior and later with Chanel.
Sadie was first asked to sing Beautiful
Jersey in 1994 for the 50th anniversary
celebrations of the island’s liberation. Since
then her emotional rendition of the island’s
anthem has become a regular fixture at
many events. She’s also an active member
of her local amateur dramatic society and
regularly attends the theatre and opera.
Born on Clairval Farm in the lush green
Although born outside Jersey, Alastair
Christie nevertheless has strong ties to the
island. His great grandfather was a dairy
farmer who moved here in 1918, the farm
remaining in the family ever since.
When Alastair’s parents inherited the farm in
1983 they began growing lavender
commercially. Fortuitously, Alastair worked
as a chemist specialising in fragrances in
England, so he was well equipped to take
over the family business when his parents
retired in 2002.
He has no regrets about the change of
lifestyle. ‘I’m very lucky to be doing this, I
really am. I can wear shorts from May to
September,’ he jokes. But he takes the
business, the second largest lavender farm in
the British Isles, very seriously – especially
his commitment to ‘meet and greet’ the
farm’s thousands of visitors each year.
As well as lavender, Alastair grows rosemary,
eucalyptus and bay laurel, but he sees the
heart of the island, Sadie comes from a long
line of ancestors with agricultural roots in
Jersey. Her father was born on the farm too,
and both her grandfather and greatgrandfather
were horse dealers in the island,
though their travels often took them to
America. Sadie also has strong links with
America, not least through her love of country
music, which resulted in her being made an
honorary citizen of Tennessee in 1974.
But her love of Jersey is what lights up her
already exuberant personality when talking
about the island and her favourite places. ‘I
love it here. The countryside is unbeatable
and the north coast is so wild and open.’ Her
favourite spot, though, is St Catherine’s Bay
on the east coast where she’s often found
walking. Sadie’s a big fan of Jersey food too.
She may be partisan, but few would argue
with her when she says that the island has
‘some of the best restaurants in the world’.
business of looking after his visitors as being
every bit as important as cultivating these
popular herbs.
Today the farm grows six different types of
lavender, each flowering at a different time,
which extends the scented ‘lavender
window’ of the farm from mid-June to mid-
August. Inevitably, some hybrids arise from
keeping such a variety. One, exclusive to the
farm and named Elizabeth prior to its launch
at the 2007 Chelsea Flower Show, is
described as being ‘quite spectacular and
excellent for drying.’
Although the flowering and harvesting season
is quite short, Jersey Lavender is a year-round
business with 50,000 plants to tend, their
flowers to distil into essential oil, and a variety
of lavender-based products to make for the
farm shop. The café also uses lavender in
some of its home-made treats. Fancy an
iconic summer dish? Then Alastair’s lavender
and strawberry gateau is Jersey’s answer to
the West Country’s strawberries and cream.