Lost Souls

This weekend I will be lighting a candle for loved ones lost, but I got to thinking about those who die alone, no family, no one to mourn. Who will light a candle for them?

Lost Souls

All Souls night, last days of Fall,
Lighting a candle, an act to recall:
Friends and family that we mourn,
Gone far from us, to distant bourne,
That tears apart life, ends in grief,
Blown off in gales, as a fallen leaf,
Vast ages past, but lives so short;
At the Grey Havens, a final port,
Before the journey, across a sea,
Memories fade, by small degree:
But names remain, the love we felt,
When in harmony together dwelt;
Yet what of those unknown, apart:
They died unloved, alone of heart;
Lost souls, graveside once so bare:
Only Priest and undertaker there;
So sad, so sad, that such came to be:
No loved ones mourn, no family;
We will call of names yet unknown:
Light a candle, make them known;
Remember them, in this our way:
When at All Souls, we come to pray.

Regional TV in 1978: Channel Television

Channel Television is the trading name of Channel Islands Communications (Television) Limited, which is a limited liability company registered in Jersey and is the programme contractor appointed by the Independent Broadcasting Authority for the Channel Islands.

Despite its small size, Channel Television produces an average of three-and-a-half hours of its own programmes each week in its studios in Jersey and Guernsey. Local news is clearly an important element and viewers in the Islands now enjoy an extra late-night bulletin as well as lunch-time news in English and a close-down bulletin and weather report in French. A weekly programme provides information about what's on and a short monthly parliamentary feature is produced. Events and topics of local interest are covered in greater depth in the twice-weekly Report at Six.

The Television Centre, ST HELIER, Jersey, Channel Islands
Tel: 0534 23451
Les Arcades, ST PETER PORT,
Guernsey, Channel Islands
Tel: 0481 23451

Directors. E D Collas (Chairman); K A Killip, OBE (Managing Director); E H Bod¬man; Harold Fielding; M Letto; G Le G Peek; A E O'D Troy; F H Walker.

Officers. Brian Turner (Operations Man¬ager); Phill Mottram Brown (Head of Sales); John Rothwell (Head of News and Features); Miss W M Fearon (Company Secretary).

Staff. The total staff of the company is 64.

Religious Advisory Committee. The Very Rev Tom Goss, Dean of Jersey (representing Anglican Church, Jersey); Rev D Mahy (Roman Catholic, Jersey); Rev Donald R Lee, MBE (Free Churches, Jersey); The Very Rev F W Cogman, Dean of Guernsey (representing Anglican Church, Guernsey); Rev B Fisher, MA (Roman Catholic Church, Guernsey); Rev K E Street (Free Church, Guernsey).

Programme Journal. Channel Television Times is published by Channel Islands Communications (Television) Ltd, and its editorial address is: Smith Street, St Peter Port, Guernsey.

Studios. JERSEY. Studio One 40 ft by 25 ft — three colour cameras equipped with ten to one zoom lenses, and normal sound facilities for television and film recording. Presentation Studio with colour camera. Two colour telecine units for 35mm, slide and 16mm projection with optical, mag¬netic and SEPMAG facilities. In addition one telecine unit equipped with `Coxbox' colour synthesiser for presentation and advertiser's slides.

GUERNSEY. Studio measuring 30 ft by 20 ft designed for live television usage and 16mm film production. A microwave link from Guernsey to Jersey provides for live television inserts from Guernsey into local programmes.

Film Facilities. Channel has two film units, one in Jersey and one in Guernsey. They are equipped with Arriflex 16 BL, Auricon 16mm Pro-600 and Bolex Reflex electrically driven hand-held-sound/silent cameras. Nagra full-track tape recorders equipped with Neopilot sync are used with the above cameras. The station is equipped with transfer facilities from Neopilot ÷ in. tape to double-headed working, using PAG magnetic film recorders. There is a pre¬view theatre equipped with a 16mm projector capable of showing COMOPT, COMMAG, SEPMAG and DUO-SEPMAG films, and a dubbing suite with commen¬tary recording booth. Channel also pro¬cesses and prints its own VNF Colour Film.

Programmes. Channel News, a ten-minute bulletin, transmitted at six o'clock on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday — a `hard news' look at the day's events, with filmed and live reports. Channel Lunchtime News, What's on Where and Weather, a twelve-minute bulletin and diary of events taking place in the Channel Islands, followed by a weather forecast and tidal information. The programme is trans-mitted live every weekday.

Report at Six, a 35-minute news and current affairs magazine, transmitted at 6p.m. on Tuesday and Friday. The programme includes full local news coverage, with an extended look at political affairs emanating from the four Channel Islands parliaments. Also included in Report at Six is 'Police File', a live five-minute insert on local crime, presented by a police officer.

Channel Late Night News and Weather, a three-minute round-up of the day's headlines, transmitted live immediately following News at Ten from ITN.

Channel News Headlines, a three-minute bulletin of local news and sports results at 6.10p.m. on Sundays.

Election Specials, Channel provides full coverage of elections for the island parliaments. These include The Hustings and Election Results. Today in the Guernsey States, a five-minute programme covering debate and the decisions made in the parliament's monthly sessions.

Reporting on the weekly meetings of the Jersey States is included in the Tuesday edition of Report at Six.

French speaking inhabitants are provided with several programmes in their own language live on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, and Commentaires, a French language current affairs programme on Tuesday nights. Both programmes include a 'Bulletin Meteorologique', a French weather forecast.

Puffin's Birthday Greetings, a daily series of programmes in which Oscar Puffin, the station mascot, sends greetings to young viewers, helped by the duty announcer. On Saturday morning Oscar has his own ten-minute greetings programme, with cartoons.

Link Up, a monthly half-hour programme looking at Channel Islands' religious communities and the questions affecting them.

Jack Douglas at Home, a kitchen chat-show for men, with women in mind, hosted by the comedian and his wife, Susan, with recipes and tips from Jack's guests from the Channel Islands and the world of entertainment.

Channel Report Special, an occasional hour-long programme, designed to examine important island topics in depth. It is generally transmitted live with maxi-mum community participation, phone facilities and a studio audience.

Breakfast in the Ruins

Just past a year since conflict erupted in the Middle East and it is still not abating.

Breakfast in the Ruins

Gaza, one year on: began by a crime
Unexpected murder, hostages taken
Hamas attacks Israel: a clock’s chime
Marks hour when chaos was awaken

From hours to days, and days to weeks
Bombarding Gaza, and the children die
Occasional pauses, and highest peaks
As the turning world has gone awry

Breakfast in the ruins, early morning
Rubble around, a people displaced
Thunder clouds bring storm warning
Violence and fear are interlaced

Pray for these lands, O pray for peace
That the conflicts might one day cease

Two Appreciations from 1990 - Ken Webb and Christine White

Two appreciations from the JEP. On a personal note, Ken was the P.E. teacher at my schools Mandalay and VCP. I remember seeing him doing sports on Channel TV News. He came to work at the same accountancy firm, and we chatted over coffee and became friends.

In 1984, as a member of Mensa, Ken developed the magazine from the photocopied and stapled pages he inherited into a neat little piece of journalism, with a glossy cover, bound and stapled into a small booklet, and produced monthly by means of a photcopier and an Amstrad PCW512 - remember them? He was editor, and I was assistant editor.

Because contributions were exceedingly thin on the ground from the membership, Ken wrote additional material under his own name and the pseudonymn Charles Cabeldu, and I contributed extra essays and reviews under my own name and also the unlikely names of Matthew Shepard, Dr Gideon Fell (picnhed from the books John Dickson Car),  Una Nancy Owen (pinched from Agatha Christie's "And then there were none") and Magnus Riddolf (from a science fiction short story collection by Jack Vance)!

JEP Tuesday, 26 June, 1990

Appreciations: Mr Ken Webb

ONE of Jersey’s illustrious sons passed away last weekend.

Ken Webb was extremely well know not only in Jersey but also all over the Commonwealth for his knowledge of many sports.

Seventy-year-old Ken was educated at De La Salle College, and on leaving school he joined the staff of Lloyds Bank. In 1939 he joined the Royal Air Force, but was in Jersey on the day the Island became occupied, so he carried on working for Lloyds Bank both in Jersey and Guernsey.

Ken became engaged to Joan in 1940 and they were married in 1945. In 1946 he went into the , hotel business and in 1951 he decided to train as a schoolteacher, He then went to St Mary’s College, Oxford, and then to Loughborough. At the end of his training he commenced teaching at La Motte Street School, then moved on to Victoria College Prep.

Ken was a founder member of many clubs and organisations, including the Jersey Life Guards, the Jersey Rifle Association Supporters Club, and the Jersey Dinner Boxing Club. He was a trustee of Pisces Boxing Club, an instructor at Southhill Gymnasium, and also a world-class weightlifter.

But his ambition as a young man was the forming of the Jersey Commonwealth Games Association, which he accomplished in 1957. He then took the Jersey team to the next five Commonwealth Games as general team manager.

Ken was the editor of the Mensa magazine for the Channel Islands, and to add to his interests, he was also president of the Rozel Boatowners Association. He was responsible -for planning the course to be followed by Denize Le Pennec when she made the historic first-ever swim around Jersey.

But I feel that Ken will be remembered by many not for what he did for sport and other societies, but for the unselfish way which he always cared for, and about, others — especially youngsters who were not quite up to the standard required to pass exams. He was always available for extra tuition or if anybody needed advice of any sort; he always had time to listen to their problems, and always made time to help out no matter for whom or when.

Ken was also an accomplished musician; and played the piano, clarinet and saxophone in his younger days, and his love for jazz and classical music never left him, nor did his preciseness, politeness and consideration for others.

Joan has lost her partner of many years, and those who knew him have lost a very good friend and a true gentleman.

SJP

Appreciations: Mrs Christine White

CHRISTINE WHITE was born in Devon, and first became interested in the St John Ambulance Brigade when her father donated an ambulance to the local division. As no member was competent to drive this vehicle, Christine agreed to act as ambulance driver for the division. This led to her taking a first-aid course and becoming involved with the work of the Brigade.

After her marriage to David and the birth of her two daughters, a move to Jersey was made by the family, where her son was born.

Christine continued her work for the St John Ambulance and joined No 2 , Nursing Division, now known as Mountbatten Division.

But not satisfied with carrying out the duties of a nursing member she became a lay lecturer, and many people in the island owe their knowledge of first-aid to her. She will be sadly missed by all.

CAE

Lord of the Storm

One from the archive, from 30/05/2007, but appropriate I think given the hurricanes and storms of  late. The ancients often saw storms as the creation of gods, and in this poem, I have imagined giants invisible, walking and tearing at the land and sea.

Lord of the Storm

I walk the earth in giant strides
Sweeping all before my hands
Along my back, a storm rides
As I step over seas and lands

I walk the earth in giant strides
None can escape upon my way
Yet unseen, my presence hides
As I make trees bow and sway

I walk the earth in giant strides
The thing invisible, mighty, vast
Tearing great houses on all sides
But then I am still, all has passed

I walk the earth in giant strides
One in which nemesis abides.

1974 - 50 Years Ago - October Part 2

1974 - 50 Years Ago - October Part 2

17.--From January 1 next year, air fares between Jersey and the UK and between the Channel Islands themselves, will be increased by 7 ½ percent.

18.——J. Richardson re-elected Constable of Trinity.

19 .—States Housing Committee' may launch home design contest. Evaine, the only 12 metre racing yacht, falls at her moorings in St Aubin’s Harbour. Major Christopher Davey flies the. Army’s first hot-air balloon.

20;--Twenty-one members of the JEP Junior Club left for a week’s holiday in Majorca. They were accompanied by two representatives of the paper and several parents.

21 .-—Colour television will not be available till 1976 unless the BBC reverse a decision to withdraw from a joint operation with Channel Television.

22.—Waste heat from Sewerage Board Plant may be used to make electricity. CTV says colour on target for 1976.

23.—“Fire raiser” Terence Roy Hutchings (25), of Gorey, sentenced to 6 years jail by Royal Court :for setting fire to garages and cars. George J. Singh, business man, sues lawyers Gruchy, Gibault and Voisin for breach of duty, and claims £42,500.

24. Full Court sentences four men up to 6 years for sodomy, etc.. Housing Committee to investigate illegal occupation of property. [ In 1990, Jersey legalized homosexual sex with The Sexual Offences Law (1990)]

25.—Deputy Philip Bailhache of Grouville, and Advocate or Royal Court, is appointed Solisitor-General, the first step on the path to Bailiff. States may set up “ Building Society " to finance house loans. Death of Jersey’s oldest resident, Mrs. L. E. Voisin, aged 103 of 15 Midvale Road .Royal Court grants injunction freezing one million dollar account to Belgium Ministry of Post and Telegraphs and Telephone.

26.-Another gorilla born at Jersey Zoo.

27.—-The‘ first of two JEP parties leave for South Africa. The members of. ” JEP ” Junior Club party returned from Mallorca.

28..Outdoor tomato growers face serious losses due: to poor weather.

29.:The general secretary of the TGWU, Mr. Jack Jones, currently visiting Jersey, said that he would like to see higher wages paid in the Island, for agricultural workers and better conditions for catering workers.

30.—-The Jersey Gas Company are making a survey of appliances in Island homes, with a view to the possible introduction of natural gas.

31.—A 26 year old former estate agent, who ran a pornographic mail order business from a St. Brelade flat in June, was fined £200 today for sending pornographic literature through the post.

The Dream

The poem today bases its structure, but not its content, on a well-known hymn. Can you guess which one?

The Dream

I heard the night in whisper say
The time has come for rest
Close eyes in weariness, lay down
And enter dream so blest
In a dark place there I was
So weary, worn, and sad
And much in need of resting place,
And night’s call made me glad.

I heard the moon in whisper say
A gentle light I give
Much softer than the raging sun
Where night creatures can live
Caressed by moonbeam, deep I drank
Of her life giving stream
My eyes were opened, soul revived
And so I sang this hymn

I heard the stars in whisper say
Come blessed be the night
In a canopy of black, we rise
The constellations bright
I looked above, and I found
That tapestry so spun
And in soft starlight, I will walk
Till dreaming nights are done

1974 - 50 Years Ago - October Part 1

1974 - 50 Years Ago - October Part 1

1.—-Jersey’s “Miss Battle of Flowers” 20-year-old Sue de "Gruchy, is to visit Northern Ireland later this month and become “ Miss Ropal Hussar ”. The Hussars (Prince of Wales Own) made the invitation because the Channel Islands fall within their recruiting area. and Miss de Gruchy was delighted to accept. She will visit the Regiment, which is stationed in Ulster, from October 17 to 20.

2.--Mr. Phillip Misson,‘ Acting Viscount for the vast three years, has been appointed Viscount. Mr. Misson is 59, married with one son and lives at Trinity. He was Deputy Viscount under Mr. H. V. Benest from 1966 until the latter’s retirement in 1971. Under a new law, passed this year, the appointment is made by the Bailiff- personally.

3.——-Jersey’s new Medical Officer of Health, Dr Anthony Essex-Cater, moved into his Pier Road office this week with an impressive Public Health pedigree behind. him. Dr Essex-Cater (51) is married with four children. He said this morning that he was still “feeling his way around ” and getting used to the local setup.

4.——-Emergency legislation is :being drafted which it is hoped will be put before the Committee of Agriculture next week to enable the felling and disposal of trees infected with Dutch elm disease to begin as soon as possible.

7.—-—A subsidiary of Property Investments Channel Islands Ltd, Mandarin Investment Ltd. has purchased the premises in Bath Street formerly occupied by “Boudims motor cycle and cycle business”. It is understood that the premises will be offered on a long-term lease and will join the portfolio of CI properties held by Property Investments Channel Islands Ltd, an associated company or Slater-Walker (Jersey) Ltd.

8.--The " Jersey Evening Post ” pro-am golf tournament got off to a splendid start in bright sunshine at La Moye promptly at 9 am

9 .-—-His Excellency the Norwegian Ambassador to the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland is paying a courtesy can to Jersey, and this morning he met the Channel Islands Consul, Mr John Huelin.

10 .——The Jersey Bulb and Flower Growers Association’s new flower Shep at the Airport was officially opened by Harbours and Airport Committee president, Deputy Bill Morvan.

11 .-—The amendment to the Children ( Jersev) Law which will permit publication of names of youths appearing at the Island’s courts once they reach the age of 17 has now received the Royal Assent.

12.—Among the winners in the October Premium Bond prize draw were six Channel Islands residents. One won £1,000. and five won 100 each.

14.——The first interviews were held for the post of Director of Fort Regent. Eleven applications have been short-listed for the post, which carries a possible salary of £7,000 on a three- to five-year contract.

15.-—-The Jersey district of the Girls Brigade has received news that Lady Fitzpatrick has agreed to be the local president during her time in Jersey.

16.—-—For the first time since he was named' as Viscount-designate, Mr Misson promulgated and published several laws which have recently received the Royal Assent, by reading them from the base of the statue of King George II in the Royal Square in the traditional manner.