Picture courtesy of Mike Engles DECEMBER 2016 Parish matters 5 Jersey Opera House – a house of good repute 18 JSPCA – more than just a home for dogs 8 Fête dé Noué: markets, parades and music 24 St Helier’s Christmas present 10 Meet the retailer 30 Geraint Jennings: Un Podîn d'Noué Jèrriais 12 News from the Parish Homes 34 Designed and produced each month A day in the life of Deputy Scott Wickenden 14 The French connection 36 by MailMate Publishing Jersey in Historic St Helier: dancing in the streets 39 partnership with the Parish of St Helier Youth Arts Jersey 16 Connétable: Simon Crowcroft Tel: 811821 Fax: 619146 Email: [email protected] Town Hall: PO Box 50, St Helier, Jersey, JE4 8PA to the December edition of the Town Town Hall Opening Hours: 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday Crier. This month’s magazine has full Parish Meetings: Notices of Parish meeting are published on our website: www.sthelier.je, in The St Helier Town Crier and the Jersey Evening Post. details of the exciting range of events taking place in St Helier in the lead up to Christmas. While some of Procureur du Bien Public: Peter Pearce these are organised by the Parish – notably the St Helier Tel: 639533 Email: [email protected] Angels, the Christmas Window Competition and the Procureur du Bien Public: Geraint Jennings Tel: 280778 Email: [email protected] Glow Parade – the majority are made possible by other Director, Human Resources: Martin Roberts groups, and these include Christmas festivities both large Tel: 811824 Email: [email protected] Director, Parks, Gardens & Open Spaces: Anthony Andrews and small, from carol singers to innovative events held Tel: 811700 Email: [email protected] by retail and hospitality groups, churches, community Director, Municipal Services: Debra D'Orleans Tel: 811703 Email: [email protected] groups and individuals. The Parish is grateful to everyone Director, Technical & Environment Services: who helps to animate the town during this important John Stievenard Tel: 811845 Email: [email protected] Director, Finance: Neil Macdonald and busy period as well as to the Parish’s municipal Tel: 811829 Email: [email protected] services staff who work, often in inclement weather, to Director and Manager of HR: Alison Sweeney Tel: 811880 Email: [email protected] keep our Parish clean and tidy for the shoppers and Director and Town Centre Manager: Daphne East Tel: 811813 Email:[email protected] visitors who throng our streets. The month of December is for most of us a time to enjoy being with family and friends, for the giving and Deputy Judy Martin Tel: 780641 Email: [email protected] receiving of cards and presents, and for supporting in Deputy Russell Labey Tel: 481083 Email:[email protected] any way we can the people in our community and Deputy Scott Wickenden Tel: 07797 717766 Email: [email protected] beyond who are facing danger, hardship, ill health, Deputy Rod Bryans Tel: 737236 Email: [email protected] anxiety or loneliness. The Parish’s Christmas lunches for Deputy Geoff Southern Tel: 728231 Email: [email protected] Deputy Sam Mézec Tel: 07797 811130 Email: [email protected] more than two hundred of our senior citizens are always a high point for the social committee which organises Deputy Jackie Hilton Tel: 07797 713293 Email: [email protected] them, while our residential homes and day nurseries lay Deputy Mike Higgins Tel: 873956 Email: [email protected] Deputy Richard Rondel Tel: 07797 711537 Email: [email protected] on their own Christmas festivities. Deputy Andrew Lewis Tel: 862663 Email: [email protected] We hope you enjoy receiving our monthly Parish magazine. Available by post and email (on request), from Constable’s PA: Annie Bienvenu a dozen distribution points in St Helier, and online, the Tel: 811821 Email: [email protected] Customer Services Manager: Daryn Cleworth Town Crier combines useful information with news about Tel: 811870 Email: [email protected] events that take place in our busy Parish. We are grateful Community Support Helpline: Tel: 811866 RPZ Helpline Tel: 811811 Email: [email protected] to our advertisers whose support enables us to produce Parish Depot: Tel: 811708 Email: [email protected] the magazine at no cost to ratepayers. Please let us know Duty Centenier: Tel: 07797 722227 Registrar: Tel: 811088 if you would like to be included in the mailing list. Avranches and Westmount Nurseries Nurseries Co-ordinator: Linda Le Marquand Tel: 811719 Email: [email protected] Manager at Avranches: Carole Luce Tel: 811719 Manager at Westmount: Jane Snodgrass Tel: 811718 St Helier House Residential Home: Jacqueline Jolley Tel: 811715 Email: [email protected] St Ewold’s Residential Home: Ann McLean Tel: 811716 Email: [email protected] Nigel Blake Tel: 875339 Email: [email protected] The Very Rev. Bob Key Tel: 720001 Email: [email protected] Bob Le Brocq Tel: 743606 Email: [email protected] Peter Wade Tel: 875663 Email: [email protected] Bernie Manning Tel: 07700 356438 Email: [email protected] Barry Le Feuvre Tel: 874391 Email: [email protected] Plaques unveiled on St Helier’s Memorial Bench in memory Parish Battle of Flowers of former members of the St Helier Municipality group It may be winter, but the St Helier Battle of Flowers team is already in a high flurry of activity preparing the float for the magical Christmas Parade on Sunday 11th December and making plans for the 2017 Battle Parade! The float theme for 2017 has been chosen and the design ideas are flowing. Thoughts of building, colours, eye-catching costumes, make up, music, dance routines, flower-making, pencil pointing and all those little extras that go into making a spectacular award-winning float are constantly on our minds. This year we were overwhelmed by the response to our cries for help on local radio – so many amazing people joined us at our Battle Shed to help make our paper flowers – thank you. This was Relatives, friends and colleagues of four past members of the Municipality gathered at a perfect example of community spirit the Cenotaph at the beginning of last month to remember the many years of service given which is the essence of the St Helier to the Parish by Marlene Colston-Weeks, Mitch Couriard, Pat Gibaut and Tony Kelly. Battle of Flowers, and as a result we After the ceremony refreshments were provided in the Town Hall’s Assembly Room. achieved four awards at this year’s Battle. We are always looking for people to Marlene Colston-Weeks served at a Constable’s Officer 1991–2003 and was also a help out on the float, and if you would member of the Rate Assessment Committee 2005–2010. like more information please contact Dee Cousins on 07700 700169 or email Michel (Mitch) Noel Couriard MBE served as a Constable’s Officer 1983–1987, [email protected] a Vingtenier 1987–2015 and was also a member of the Accounts Committee. Mitch If you’d like to join the ‘St Helier was the Honorary Police Events Officer and was seen at many of the main events both Battle of Flowers Social Flower Nights’ in St Helier and across the Island. He was awarded an MBE in the Queen’s birthday and learn how to create the thousands of honours list in June 2002 jointly for service as a youth officer and his honorary work. beautiful flowers needed to bring the Patricia Anne Gibaut served as a Constable’s Officer 2006–2008, a Vingtenier 2008–2010 float to life, then come along to Chordz and a Centenier 2010–2012. She was also a member of the Community Service Board Coffee House in West’s Centre on 2004–2008, and was the Parish’s voluntary events co-ordinator until 2010, responsible Wednesday 11th, 18th and 25th January for organising senior citizens’ Christmas lunches, Liberation tea dances etc. from 6.30pm to 9pm. Make friends, have Anthony Alan (Tony) Kelly served as a Constable’s Officer 1977–1980 and a Vingtenier fun and be creative! 1980–1986. Tony was also a member of the Rate Assessment Committee 2001–2009, and assisted with the distribution of Sir David Kirch vouchers at Christmas. Do you want a 20mph speed limit within the Ring Road? Parishioners are being consulted this month over whether all roads within the Ring Road should be restricted to 20mph. At present they have a speed limit of 30mph. The St Helier Roads Committee has supported such a move but wishes to consult parishioners before asking the Minister of the Department for Infrastructure to make the necessary law change. Some additional signage would be required and both the Honorary and States of Jersey Police would need to carry out enforcement to ensure the new limits were complied with. To have your say please email your views to [email protected], or write to Silvio Alves, Manager of Technical & Environmental Services, Town Hall, 50 York Street, St Helier, JE4 8PA. Comments to be received by 31st December please. 5 PARISH MATTERS CONTINUED Battle of Jersey Commemoration Planning is underway for the first event in the 2017 calendar for the Parish, the annual commemoration of the Battle of Jersey which took place in St Helier’s Royal Square on 6th January 1781. The event begins at 9am with a walk, organised by Frank Falle, following the route of Jersey’s Militia companies; this starts at St Ouen’s Church, arriving at St Lawrence Church at 10.30am and then on to the Royal Square.