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J’Aime
Jersey
How French is Jersey? Is it British through and through?
The answer to these questions reveals the true
character of the island, as Roger Thomas finds out.
I’d just eaten a deliciously flaky, buttery
croissant for breakfast. I was now driving
through the heart of the country along
La Rue de l’Eglise. On the side of the road I
passed a pink granite farmhouse, its slatted
window shutters opened to let in the
morning sun. It wasn’t long before I came
to the entrance of La Mare Wine Estates.
No, I wasn’t in France. I was driving on the
left-hand side of the road, through the
lanes of Jersey.
There’s only a tiny soupçon of truth in the
island’s genteel, Old School image. Cream
teas, classic cars and a bucolic, blazered
vision of an England remembered are no
longer common currency in this
cosmopolitan island. For a true view of
Jersey you have to look north and south,
for it’s an island – culturally as well as
geographically – that straddles two nations.
So is Jersey French or British? It’s neither. The
island is a unique mix of the two – and that’s
what gives it its identity, charisma and
character. It’s a blend of British common
sense and French flair, Breton-style seashores
and traditional beach cafés, Norman farm
buildings and modern cityscapes, Gallic
seafood and good, old-fashioned sandwiches,
alfresco terraces and country pubs,
cappuccinos and… yes, cream teas.
The French writer Victor Hugo described
Jersey as ‘pieces of France fallen into the
sea and picked up by England’. A little
history lesson is perhaps in order to reveal
how it all came about. Jersey is not part of
the United Kingdom but it owes allegiance
to the crown. Its legislative assembly, the
States of Jersey, is self-governing in internal
matters, reliant on the UK government only
for defence and overseas representation.
And it’s not a part of the EU.
Modern Jersey’s lineage goes back to the
10th century when the Channel Islands were
annexed by the Duke of Normandy. It
subsequently became part of the Anglo-
Norman realm after William the Conqueror
won the Battle of Hastings. Jersey’s future
path was determined in 1204 when King
John lost Normandy to the French and the
islanders had to choose between Normandy
and the English crown. In opting for the latter
they gained rights and privileges that to this
day are not subject to the British parliament.
So Jersey goes its own way. Which means
everything from speed limits (just 15mph
in its tranquil ‘Green Lanes’) to taxation,
and local quirks like honorary (unpaid and
non-uniformed) policemen and the
‘branchage’, a twice-yearly ritual during
which the roads are inspected to make sure
hedgerows are cut back. If your hedge is
too thick, expect a call from an honorary
policeman. They have real policemen too,
by the way.
So don’t come to Jersey looking for a plain
and simple English colony. I plunged deeper
into the island’s identity when I met Geraint
ST LAWRENCE GARDEN
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