And so to bed....

And so to bed...

I finish each day, or almost every day, finding some quotation, something that reflects the day, the season, the news, or just my mood. I begin with the words of Samuel Pepys in his diary: "And so to bed." 

Here is a collection of some of my more recent quotations, with pictures especially chosen for this blog.

And so to bed... quote for tonight is from T.S. Eliot:

The river is within us, the sea is all about us;
The sea is the land's edge also, the granite,
Into which it reaches, the beaches where it tosses
Its hints of earlier and other creation:
The starfish, the horseshoe crab, the whale's backbone;
The pools where it offers to our curiosity
The more delicate algae and the sea anemone.
It tosses up our losses, the torn seine,
The shattered lobsterpot, the broken oar
And the gear of foreign dead men. The sea has many voices,
Many gods and many voices.

And so to bed... quote for tonight is from William Blake:

For Mercy has a human heart,
Pity a human face,
And Love, the human form divine,
And Peace, the human dress.

Then every man, of every clime,
That prays in his distress,
Prays to the human form divine,
Love, Mercy, Pity, Peace.

For all must love the human form,
In heathen, Turk, or Jew;
Where Mercy, Love, and Pity dwell
There God is dwelling too.

And so to bed... quote for tonight is from Isabel Greenberg:

Winter is the time for stories, staying fast by the glow of fire. And outside, in the darkness, the stars are brighter than you can possibly imagine.

And so to bed... quote for tonight is from G.K. Chesterton ("The Man who was Thursday"):

“There again," said Syme irritably, "what is there poetical about being in revolt? You might as well say that it is poetical to be sea-sick. Being sick is a revolt. Both being sick and being rebellious may be the wholesome thing on certain desperate occasions; but I'm hanged if I can see why they are poetical. Revolt in the abstract is – revolting. It's mere vomiting.”

And so to bed... quote for tonight is from Erich Maria Remarque:

And in the night you realize, when you wake out of a dream, overcome and captivated by the enchantment of visions that crowd in on each other, just how fragile a handhold, how tenuous a boundary separates us from darkness - we are little flames, inadequately sheltered by thin walls from the tempest of dissolution and insensibility in which we flicker and are often all but extinguished.

And so to bed... quote for tonight is from J.B. Priestley:

Just remember this. One Eva Smith has gone — but there are millions and millions and millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths still left with us, with their lives, their hopes and fears, their suffering and chance of happiness, all intertwined with our Ives, and what we think and say and do. We don't live alone. We’re members of one body. We are responsible for each other. And I tell you that the time will soon come when, if men will not learn that lesson, then they will be taught it in tire and blood and anguish.

And so to bed... quote for tonight is from Anne Brontë:

I love the silent hour of night,
For blissful dreams may then arise,
Revealing to my charmed sight
What may not bless my waking eyes.

The Registry that Never Took Off

The Parting of the Ways

In 2013, it was envisaged that the Channel Islands of Guernsey and Jersey would create and launch an aircraft registry as a joint venture.

Jersey withdrew from the process in the autumn of 2013 and decided to launch its own aircraft registry during 2014 branded as the ‘ZJ-‘ Jersey Aircraft Registry. Guernsey launched its aircraft registry in December, 2013 branded as the ‘2-REG Channel Islands Aircraft Registry’.

That decision was made by Senator A.J.H. Maclean - The Minister for Economic Development at the time. Jersey decided, in the words of the song, to say "I did it my way".

Giving evident to Scrutiny, Chief Officer Mike King said:

“We are where we are now because we had extremely clear and unambiguous legal advice that the option that we put forward is the option that provides for commercial advantage to be derived by both Islands from a common Channel Island’s registry function. That is not a position, as you can see from the latest communication between ourselves and C. and E., that has been accepted by our colleagues in Guernsey and therefore, regrettably, the Minister has made the decision that we would go our own way.”

Now Jersey has 2 aircraft registered, Guernsey has 147, and the Isle of Man has 932!

What a clever decision to go it alone by the Minister!

Senator Maclean’s Brave New World

The news in 2014...

Jersey has announced that it will formerly launch an aircraft registry in 2014 just three days before Guernsey, its neighbouring Channel Island, registers its first aircraft. Brian Johnson, a consultant at law firm Appleby and the first Director of Civil Aviation for the Isle of Man, has agreed to advise Jersey. Johnson, a veteran of the UK Civil Aviation Authority, was the first employee of the Isle of Man Aircraft Registry and worked hard to make it a success. The Isle of Man has registered more than 600 aircraft.

“It is fantastic news that Brian with his many years of experience in the aviation industry, and especially in the establishment of another very successful registry, Jersey will have an individual with unparalleled expertise to advise on this exciting project,” said Senator Alan Maclean, Jersey’s Minister for Economic Development.”

So why is Mr Johnson also very quiet about matters now? He was vocal about his part in the success of the Isle of Man! But somehow his “unparalleled expertise” does not seem to have provided Jersey with a similar success story. Could he come out of the shadows and at least explain why?

“This is an exciting opportunity for Jersey which will form an incredibly strong additional element to our inward investment strategy. Thanks to its business friendly environment, simple and attractive tax framework and world class professional and financial services infrastructure, Jersey already offers a compelling proposition to individuals and companies looking to relocate or expand their businesses,” said Senator Maclean. “The launch of the Jersey Aircraft Registry will undoubtedly add to Jersey’s overall offering and provide local businesses with significant opportunities, particularly in the fiduciary, legal and financial services arenas.”

Senator Maclean, it should be noted, has recently joined an order of Trappist Monks who keep silence about past shortcomings. A "compelling proposition" failed to compel, and he evidently does not want to revisit past failures, as goodness knows there are enough of them from his time as Minister for Economic Development, and the public might just be leary about re-electing him if they added them up.

The Farnham Air Show

Remember the news that Jersey would have its registry by 2014 – according to Senator Maclean it would “launch an aircraft registry in 2014”. As you can imagine when the States do anything, it takes longer than expected, so it was not until November 2015 that it was launched. As might be expected, the new Minister for Economic Development, Senator Lyndon Farnham, decided to grab a bit of the glory at its launch.

The Minister for Economic Development, Senator Lyndon Farnham, said: “This new registry will be a fantastic opportunity for the Island. We have created the Jersey Aircraft Registry for local service providers to register aircraft, aircraft mortgages and, uniquely, commercial aircraft engine mortgages for clients. This will enable local businesses to broaden their offerings, which already includes the registration of companies, ships and other security interests. Revenue will be created through the fees charged by the Registry, and we hope to see new jobs created in financial, fiduciary and legal services. There is also a longer-term goal of creating roles in technical positions, as we see maintenance and management organisations relocating to Jersey.”

Geoff Cook, CEO of Jersey Finance, was also eager to get in on the act, and said:: “It is always encouraging to see new and exciting opportunities being created for the Island’s finance, fiduciary and legal services. The Jersey Aircraft Registry will certainly add to the island’s overall offering.”

Meanwhile, Chris Kelleher, in charge of Business Development for the JAR stated that: “… the JAR will adopt a competitive scheme of charges and provide customers with an impressive registration turnaround”.

And in case you’ve forgot about Brian Johnson, he was still about, and basking in reflected glory:

Appleby assisted with the establishment of the JAR by advising the States of Jersey on the structure and operation of the registry. Brian Johnson, Director of Operations for Appleby Aviation who also helped establish the successful Isle of Man aircraft registry, said: “We are very proud to have assisted with the establishment of the JAR which we see as an exciting new addition to Jersey’s offering as a highly respected and well-established financial services centre. The JAR will provide the perfect platform for customers around the world seeking an efficient registration of private and corporate high-value jets and helicopters”.

Presumably, they got the bulk of the sum for Specialist Advice and Consultancy which came at a cost of £177,000. Perhaps Appleby Aviation can explain why it failed to be such a "perfect platform", as we have certainly paid them enough in setting it up.

Murray, the Bringer of Bad News

Now the whole thing has gone pear-shaped, Senator Maclean, Brian Johnson, Chris Kelleher (he of the “ impressive registration turnaround”), and Senator Farnham have all joined the Trappist Order of Monks and are keeping silent..

So much for the Ministers, the business case civil servant, the Isle of Man expert, and of course the gung-ho approach of going alone...

Lyndon Farnham, as with the Ice Rink fiasco, has the perfect solution: get out your Assistant Minister to deliver the bad news, and so Murray is again in the limelight. Who better to freeze spending that the ice rink Assistant Minister?

Despite the poor performance of Jersey's registry, the politician in charge of it insists it can be made to work, and they can make back the money spent on setting it up. Assistant Economic Development Minister, Deputy Murray Norton, says he has frozen spending on the project and created a new team of officers to help to create a plan to make the register more successful.

Quite how it is possible to freeze spending, and create a new team is beyond me. I would have thought the new team would have to be paid, and spending would continue. Or are the new team doing this for free? I can understand that fixed regular costs - payments to marketing for instance - can be suspended, but in my accountant's book, "frozen spending" means no spending.

Deputy Murray Norton also said that a "radical" overhaul of the £800,000 project could still make it even more successful than originally predicted.

As the original prediction was way off its mark, it would be truly amazing if this can be done!

Actually, despite the promotional fluff from the Senators and associated individuals, when they spoke to scrutiny in 2013, it was established that even the IOM one took years before it could turn a profit. Jersey was hoping to break even at best for many years.

In the meantime,. Murray has committed himself to an updated business plan to be revealed by the end of May or June this year. Watch the skies! And please let us have the cost of producing this business plan, in terms of time and money, so we can see how much that has cost.

And in conclusion...

My correspondent Adam Gardiner has this to say:

My solution is close it down before it costs us another shed load of money - take it on the chin once more and accept that the States frittered away another £800k on a pie-in-the-sky idea….just like the Hollywood blockbuster that never was, the software company that never was, and subsidising three other businesses who keep a token office in Jersey whilst the real value of their enterprise is enjoyed by Chinese manufacturing and wealth management companies in the Cayman Islands.

While I will always subscribe to the motto ‘he who dares wins’ there is also an adage which says ‘ a fool and his money are soon parted’

Tony's Newsround

The Adventures of Boaty McBoatFace

British scientists are about to send a yellow submarine called Boaty McBoatFace to the Antarctic. The underwater robot carries the name that a public poll had suggested should be given to the UK's new £200m polar research vessel.

The Jersey connection is well known. Former BBC Radio Jersey present James Hand suggested the name and it proved incredibly popular. In the event, the polar research was named the RRS Sir David Attenborough, although there was a petition calling for Sir David Attenborough to change his name to Sir Boaty McBoatface "in the interest of democracy and humour"!

But the yellow submarine which travels with the polar research vessel was given the name, and of course it is topping many headlines. There is something very appealing about a yellow submarine of that name, and I’d be very much surprised if toy manufacturers didn’t try to get in on the act, or an author pens booklets by the name.

After all, the BBC is talking in its news reports about the “adventures of Boaty", and the Joey books about the little yellow Aurigny plane proved very popular. A Boaty book could also tell young children about the scientific work the submarine and polar research vessel are doing.

Cycles and Pedestrians

"Police in Jersey are appealing for witnesses after a female pedestrian was hit by two cyclists on Friday morning. The woman was crossing the road from the Route Du Fort car park to Cleveland Road at about 07:45. As she reached the central white line, she was struck by a male cyclist, who, in turn, was then hit by a second cyclist behind him, causing all three to fall to the ground. Police would like to speak to the cyclists involved, a second male who assisted the female up from the ground, and also the female driver of a white van who allowed the pedestrian to cross in front of her van just before the collision." (BBC News)

This incident highlights a perennial problem which Jorren Knibbe, writing in the Guardian, highlights: “a problem can present itself when the cars slow down and you want to get past: in a queue of traffic, should you pass on the left or the right? Or should you not pass at all?”

“The law doesn't provide an answer – there are no binding legal rules on how to pass other traffic on your bike.”

“The code recommends that you overtake where it's safe and legal, and also appears to allow you to undertake if you're in a queue and moving faster than traffic on your right (or if the car you're undertaking is turning right). So, legally speaking, cyclists essentially have a free choice as to how to approach stationary traffic.”

Gwenda Owen, an instructor on the Department for Transport's Bikeability cycle training scheme, proffers this advice:

"It is often better to remain in position in slow moving or stationary traffic, maintaining primary position [the centre of the left-hand lane] when your speed is similar to that of the other traffic. In instances when you decide it is advantageous to filter, then doing so on the right is a good manoeuvre as you are on the outside of cars, where drivers are more likely to see you."

Undertaking, she notes, can cause problems because “it puts you in a position where you are unexpected and cannot easily be seen”.

But what happens when a van slows down to let a pedestrian cross in front of them, and a cyclist overtakes and hits the pedestrian? Perhaps both should be taking care: the pedestrian to look out for the cyclist, and the cyclist to proceed with caution.

Caring about new information?

A further delay to the publication of the Independent Jersey Care Inquiry’s final report has created concerns and a sense of unease, the chairwoman of the Jersey Care Leavers Association has said.

The panel initially planned to release its final report by the end of last year, but later announced that this would be postponed until the first quarter of this year. This week they said that the report had been delayed further because new information had been received.

Carrie Modral, chairwoman of the JCLA, said: ‘I have had no concerns before, but I have some slight concerns now. What information have they received at this stage, and where has it come from? It could be a very easily explainable situation, but the panel have been evasive and because of that it is concerning. I want to know what the information is. If it has come from within Jersey, then as an interested party we should be able to see it.’

All existing submissions regarding child care from witnesses and experts in the field have been read into the inquiry and placed on the inquiry website. Are these new documents also going to be made public?

Air Chief Marshalls

A former head of the Royal Air Force will be sworn in as Jersey's Lieutenant Governor this morning. Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Dalton will take up the post as the Queen's personal representative for the next five years.

An air chief marshal is equivalent to an admiral in the Royal Navy or a general in the British Army or the Royal Marines.

Sir Stephen Dalton is a former pilot, and it is interesting to note that Air Chief Marshalls seem to be mainly drawn from the ranks of fighter pilots rather than other officer classes.

In his book, “Observers and Navigators: And Other Non-Pilot Aircrew in the RFC, RNAS and RAF” (2015) Wing Commander C.G. Jefford looks at the statistics and sees that:

“Looking a little closer still, we find that, of the total of 108 air officers, all four air chief marshals, six of the seven air marshals and seventeen of the twenty-five air vice-marshals were pilots. Yet forty-two of the seventy-two air commodores were not pilots (thirty—two drawn from branches other than GD plus the ten navigators). “

“In other words, as one climbed the four highest rungs of the RAF's career ladder, the proportion of non-pilots one was likely to encounter fell progressively from 58% to 32% to 14% to zero. It would seem, therefore, that for all practical purposes, the 1962 quotas were still being applied and that ‘comparability’ actually began. and ended. with air commodores — strictly speaking, it did not even begin with air Commodores because pilots were substantially over-represented even at this level.”

“There could be many explanations for this curious situation but it is difficult to dismiss the parallel with 1918 (see page 129). It would seem that pilots still had a natural tendency to favour other pilots and that the pilots who still filled all of the most influential positions in the Air Force, automatically selected others of their kind to succeed them. Intentional or not - because of the self-perpetuating nature of the organisation”

However the institutional bias in promotions, I am sure Sir Stephen Dalton and Lady Dalton will be a great asset to the Island.

But it is interesting to note that his replacement, Air Marshal Sir Andrew Pulford will become Chief of the Air Staff in a shake-up of senior Armed Forces posts, and will be the first non-fighter pilot to hold the job. All of his predecessors have been fighter pilots, and his appointment will be seen as a sign of the shifting nature of the RAF’s work.

And finally... I did like William Bailhache's speech as Bailiff to Sir Stephen:

"I wish you and Lady Dalton the most satisfying and happiest of sorties with us. May the Jersey sun shine warmly on your faces, our gentle breeze at your backs: may our Jersey Royals keep you nourished and the tranquility of our green lanes rise up to greet you!"

Call the Midwife: A Shocking Storyline

A recent “Call the Midwife” saw one of the nuns, after suffering a mental breakdown, being taken into a very grim mental hospital of the kind that was unfortunately prevalent in the 1950s. There, she meets a fellow patient who has a lobotomy, and herself undergoes a course of ECT or electro-convulsive therapy.

Lobotomy, also known as leucotomy, is a neurosurgical operation that involves severing connections in the brain's prefrontal lobe. When used with patients who were violent or suicidal, it was very effective because it effectively destroyed brain tissue and left them husks of the people they once were. The most celebrated fictional story about that is "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest"

The use of the procedure increased dramatically from the early 1940s and into the 1950s; by 1951, almost 20,000 lobotomies had been performed in the United States alone. Following the introduction of antipsychotic medications in the mid-1950s and under the influence of the anti-psychiatry movement, lobotomies were quickly and almost completely abandoned.

However, Electroconvulsive Therapy is still used to this day!

Most people think that electroshock is completely banned but this is not the case. As of early 2015, Western Australia is the only state with a partial ban, where it is banned on under 14 year olds. In 2013, a complete ban was placed on the use of electroshock for all ages in Sicily and there are various other partial bans around the world.

The United Nations Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment in 2013 reported to the United Nations on abuse in health care settings. Mr Juan Mendez stated, “States should impose an absolute ban on all forced and non-consensual medical interventions against persons with disabilities, including the non-consensual administration of psychosurgery, electroshock and mind-altering drugs, for both long and short- term application.”

The main side effect is memory loss (which is also common after seizures caused by epilepsy). This is usually short-term, but can be very significant, disabling and long-lasting in some people and is a cause of anxiety

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a procedure, done under general anaesthesia, in which small electric currents are passed through the brain, intentionally triggering a brief seizure. When used with patients who are distressed, severely depressed or suicidal, it can cause a remission of symptoms, albeit on a temporary basis.

The principal side effect of ECT is memory loss, and of course the cutting out of memory can often help in the short term, as it removes both the immediate emotions and any recent events triggering the patient’s distress. Repeat treatments are often needed, because the treatment is only masking the causes of distress, and not removing them.

The loss of memory itself can be extremely distressing. As one patient recounts:

“As a result of these treatments, the years 1966-1969 are almost a total blank in my mind. In addition, the five years preceding 1966 are severely fragmented and blurred. My entire college education has been wiped out. I have no recollection of ever being at the University of Hartford. I know that I graduated from the institution because of a diploma I have which bears my name, but I do not remember receiving it. It has been ten years since I received electroshock and my memory is still as blank as it was the day I left the hospital. There is nothing temporary about the nature of memory loss due to electroshock. It is permanent, devastating, and irreparable.” (Patel, 1978)

In a court case in 2005, a jury found that a patient had not been informed about risks before undergoing ECT treatment:

“The patient, Peggy S. Salters is a 60 year old former psychiatric nurse. She was subjected to 13 electroshocks within the span of 19 days. The defence expert psychiatrists–one who testified, the other who was not called to testify but was deposed under oath–justified the “treatment” and failure to inform the patient about the risks. The jury found that her loss of 30 years of memory and cognitive impairment–which are demonstrable symptoms of brain damage–was due to ECT.”

ECT causes persistent cognitive impairments and long-term memory loss in 25% – 30% of patients, while its efficacy in relieving depression is admittedly short lived-about four weeks–at most, six months of mood improvement.

When memory loss in patients is relatively minor, it is like forgetting people’s names, or not being able to find their way back to their room, or around their local town, and forgetting their passwords and bank pin number, or how to spell. These usually return over time or if they have been reminded of them.

However some people have found that they had lost memories of important events such as a daughter’s dedication, a surprise birthday party, a holiday, or the birth of a child. Clearly not being able to remember events in their lives could be frustrating and distressing.

These examples are documented, and here are examples of more permanent effects:

“Sue experienced long term “fogginess”, which she was told would go away, but it never cleared. She still has ongoing short-term memory problems, which are getting worse, though she does wonder if this could be related to her chronic fatigue and pains. “

“Albert had ECT in the 1960s and wasn’t aware of the side effects of memory loss until recently. He said he suffered badly with memory loss and he had difficulties using his mind and that affected his life. He thought it was “[him] that was the problem” but now believes it was a side effect of the ECT and has met others who have suffered long term memory loss after having ECT.”

“ Sunil says for him memory loss is the most distressing effect of ECT. On a daily basis his wife tells him about something that has happened in the recent past which he has no memory of. His wife keeps a diary so he can look back at what has happened in the last few weeks. Dafydd’s wife watches repeats of television programmes but has no recollection of having seen them before.”

A 32 year old woman who had received 21 ECT treatments stated 5 years later.

"One of the results of the whole thing is that I have no memory of what happened in the year to year and a half prior to my shock treatments. The doctor assured me that it was going to come back and it never has. I don't remember a bloody thing. I couldn't even find my way around the town I lived in for three years. If I walked into a building I didn't even know where I was. I could barely find my way around my own house. I could sew and knit before. but afterward I could no more comprehend a pattern to sew than the man in the moon."

Dr. Harold Sackeim, a well-known proponent of ECT, produced a study in 2007 study in Neuropsychopharmacology entitled “The Cognitive Effects of Electroconvulsive Therapy in Community Settings, “which concluded: ““this study provides the first evidence in a large, prospective sample that adverse cognitive effects can persist for an extended period.”

The researchers found that modern ECT techniques produce “pronounced slowing of reaction time” and “persisting retrograde amnesia” (the inability to recall events before the onset of amnesia) that continues six-months after treatment.

While ECT may have beneficial effects, for instance in preventing suicide, and easing depression, it is clearly important – as the court case and the studies of patients have demonstrated – that potential ECT recipients be told the truth about the risk of disabling effects – including permanent memory loss and cognitive deficits – so they can make an informed choice.

Lenten Reflections - Part 2

Fruits of Mexico cheap labour, where vegetables are treated better than workers.

The 2006 Desert Southwest Annual Conference of United Methodists in the USA directed the Conference Board of Church and Society to provide a way to study the issues we face concerning immigration.

As part of this, they went to Mexico to explore, on a personal face-to-face level, what the issues were, what economic pressures the Mexicans faces, how Mexico and the USA were interlocked together, what effect trade deals had on Mexican farming, and all this comes out in their report. Below is the first part.

This was long before today’s troubled issues about immigration, but it opens up some good ethical questions with each section. I’m not giving my opinions; I’m leaving it for the reader to look and make up their own minds.

The Desert Southwest Conference Board of Church and Society
Borderlinks Trip Reflection - Part 1

As a theologian stated, “There is no such thing as a vicarious faith in God”, for we must all have and individual relationship and our own experiences with God if we are to know God personally in our lives.

The same is true for any experience we try to share with others. We can have a powerful impact when we share our experiences, and we can encourage others to risk seeking the experience for themselves.

Recently, several members of the Conference Board of Church and Society took a Borderlinks trip to Altar, Mexico. Altar was chosen because it is a major congregating point for migrants coming from southern Mexico and Central America to prepare for a trek across the desert into the United States.

We hope by reading this account that you will feel the challenge to have your own experience. One can share informational facts, but it is harder to share the deeper truths that come with the first hand experiences of talking with people, seeing their faces, and hearing the emotions of their voices. This, however, is what we will attempt to do in the sharing of our stories.

Altar is 60 miles south of the border town of Sasabe, which is the migrants’ point of departure into the desert to head north. We did not go to Sasabe as it was deemed too dangerous for us to travel there. Sasabe is now a major entry point for drug runners into the U.S. as well as the migrants. In fact, the gang members, who fight each other for control of drug trafficking, add another hardship to the plight of the migrants.

The gangs will round up the migrants by force, and require them to follow some of the more well known routes across the desert as a large group, hence attracting the attention of the Border Patrol. While the Border Patrol’s attention is focused upon the migrants, the drug runners will seize the opportunity to transport their drugs into the country via another route. This is just another example in the long series of ways in which people are manipulated and used in their quest to seek new life.

Our group was met by Poncho as we were welcomed into his home for lunch after a 5-hour drive from Tucson to Altar. Poncho became involved in migrant ministry after seeing so many people traveling through Altar as they journeyed toward the United States. At one point around the year 2001, Altar had 1200 migrants coming into the community daily. Today that figure has dropped to approximately 800.

Initially, Poncho got involved simply to meet the basic needs of the people he saw: water, the proper shoes and clothing to face the trek. What he and others also discovered was that many coming from the southern reaches of the country had no understanding as to what the desert was like. In response, Poncho and others began trying to help the migrants understand and prepare for what they were about to face in their journey

This commitment to the migrant actually transformed the economics of the community. Poncho shared that one of the leading reasons why immigration north increased so dramatically was because of the North American Free Trade Agreement, NAFTA. The Mexican government actually created some of the present economic hardships for their people through the NAFTA negotiation process.

For example, Mexico, which had been subsidizing farmers and agricultural products, ensuring a livable income, agreed that they would no longer do so. This meant that the Mexican farmers’ prices, including prices on goods grown for export, would have to increase for them to make a livable return. United States farmers, however, were not required to do the same. This meant that American agricultural interests, including the corporate farms, were able to send subsidized products into Mexico.

This policy made it impossible for the small Mexican farms to compete. One report noted that the Mexican farmer pre-NAFTA received $5 a bushel for corn, and after NAFTA subsidized American corn sold for $2.50 a bushel in Mexico, making it economically impossible for a Mexican farmer to survive.

Consequently, farmers needed to find work that would provide other sources of income. Many travelled to urban areas seeking employment in factories. Not everyone was able to find work, however, and for those who did, the wage of a factory worker in Mexico today is approximately $10-12 per day. Living at a subsistence level in Mexico costs $18 per day.

These conditions are found not only in Mexican owned factories, but also in U.S.-owned factories called Maquiladoras. These facilities are built in the border towns, such as Nogales, utilizing cheap labor while enjoying the free trade agreement which requires no tariffs or fees to import the goods.

This is obviously a good thing for the American consumer, as it allows us to receive cheaper products in our stores.

What does it mean that American policies and agreements create a lower standard of living for other people, and that these policies contribute to the present migration issue?

Is there an issue of ethics in this present scenario?

Is it ethical and moral for one group of people, or one nation to seek a higher standard of living at the expense of another group of people or another nation?

If we answer “No,” what, then, is our responsibility as Christians?

Seeing the real issue of drugs and gangs right at our border, does this not lend credence to the belief we must strengthen our borders and prevent crossings?

Does the focus on the migrant actually divert our attention from the real issues of border security and national security? Do our leaders keep our attention on this issue so we do not question their inaction on such issues as port security and airport security?

Crystal World

One from my unpublished "back catalogue" today, from January 2007. It's a rather mystical one.

Crystal World

The future held within one single sphere,

As the mists part, and time's great seal

Opened. Shades of hope brought so near

Within the darkness, glimmers that conceal

And need interpretation. Heisenberg's stern

Reminder that the viewer changes the view,

And that when we are looking, we also turn

What we see into our reflections made anew;

Discern the hopes and fears, shadows within

The self. Cross the barrier of imagined time,

And open the mysterious portal of the djinn,

Where thirteen strikes the clock each chime;

Peer into the crystal world, and come to see:

Everything that you might ever come to be.

Jersey Agriculture in 1981

Bernard Binnington

Today's blog is an extract on Jersey Agriculture from a report compiled by Nicholas Paines, covering the period June to December 1981. It is interesting that a Jersey-Beef mix which was suggested but resisted as an option is now permissible.

 Potato blight, mentioned in the article, is one of the worst disease problems for the potato grower. It can wipe out the plants almost overnight and, worse still, it can infect neighbouring potato crops both on an allotment and any nearby commercial crop if adequate precautions are not taken. The Jersey Royal is a blight susceptible variety.

1981 saw a disastrous outbreak of potato blight Jersey. The President of the Agricultural and Fisheries Committee, Bernard Binnington, told the States that “My Department has written to all registered growers of maincrop potatoes urging them to continue to apply routine treatments of anti-blight spray and offering advice on disease control measures."

Steve Luce

In 2016, Jersey's Environment Minister Steve Luce, said that farmers must change the way they grow Jersey Royal potatoes, in order to protect the Island’s reputation as a world-class food producer. Farmers currently use the century-old practice of growing Jersey Royal potatoes year after year in the same ground, but the discovery of the chemical oxadixyl in Jersey’s surface water supplies, 13 years after it was last used, means they need to rethink their practices. Oxadixyl was used up to 2003 to control potato blight.

Looking at the cattle story, and about the idea of interbred cattle. This eventually happened. In 2011, the first beef from the Jersey-Angus cattle went on sale. These have been bred since the importation of bull semen was allowed to strengthen the island herd. There are four cattle farmers based in Jersey who are producing mixed breeds, part Jersey cow, part Aberdeen Angus. The first batch came from La Caroline Farm in St Peter, run by farmer Richard Lee who said the meat was superb quality. It still feels strange to me to see these rather alien looking black cows on Jersey.

Agriculture in 1981
Compiled by Nicholas Paines

The economic problems of several sectors of agriculture are still a major worry. In August the States adopted an Agriculture and Fishery Committee proposal to make a 6p per gallon heating oil subsidy to glasshouse growers.

Backdated to 1 January, the subsidy was expected to cost £210,000 for 1981. The reason for the subsidy, Senator Bernard Binnington explained, is that the Dutch Government are subsidising their growers in breach of EEC law. Consequently the UK Government were subsidising UK growers, which would put Jersey growers at a disadvantage unless the island followed suit. The subsidy has now been increased to 10.7p per gallon from 1 October and extended to 31 May 1982.

The States also approved an amendment to the existing agricultural loans regulations raising the amount which the Agricultural Committee can lend without the approval of the Finance Committee from £50,000 to £75,000 per loan and providing that loans could be given for the purpose of converting from oil to coal. In a later debate in October, a further amendment to the regulations made possible 100% loans for energy-saving improvements.

As was rapidly becoming clear when I wrote the last newsletter, the 1980/1 potato season was a disaster. After an encouraging May, the June export figures, affected by constant rain and an attack of blight, were £1 million lower than in June 1980.

The JFU asked the Finance Committee for £600,000 compensation to enable growers to plough in fields of diseased potatoes. The committee felt that the request was premature and told growers they must continue to export. JFU President Mr Stan Morel asked for vigilance to prevent diseased potatoes being exported and destroying consumers' confidence in the crop.

Fortunately, in July, Ag. & Fish. President Senator Bernard Binnington was able to tell the States that the maincrop was largely unaffected by blight. Nevertheless, the average return on maincrop over the season was £100 per verge lower than production costs.

The Jersey Maincrop Potato Marketing Board abandoned the statutory minimum pricing system because of the impossibility of enforcement. Farmer and Deputy Hendric Vandervliet criticised the legislation which permits the export only of the Jersey Royal strain of potato. Though an excellent potato, the Royal is not a true 'first early' potato, but rather a 'second early' or 'early maincrop', he claimed.

Furthermore, tests he had carried out showed the Royal to be substantially more prone to blight than the Marts Peer variety, which cropped four times as heavily despite late planting. "Unless other varieties are allowed into the island, then the Jersey new potato industry as we know it is doomed", he concluded. At present, island legislation bans the export of the Marts Peer before 1 August each year.

Deputy Vandervliet's paper came to the attention of a UK company manufacturing coleslaw and potato salad, who are looking for a reliable source of potatoes in June. An island grower has applied for permission to supply the company with a 'second early' potato other than the Royal from a trial crop of 12 vergees. The company warned that if permission were not given, they would move the project to France.

Deputy Vandervliet told me recently that permission had been granted, a development which he welcomed. He is not involved with the grower concerned, whose name remains a secret, but he promised that as a member of Ag. & Fish, he would continue to press for the introduction of new varieties, as well as continuing to experiment with them privately.

Not all farmers agree with Deputy Vandervliet. In a letter to the JEP, retired grower Mr E. Le Breton points out that the Royal commands prices nearly twice those of its competitors "not because it is the first early potato on the market, or indeed the most attractive, but solely because the Royal has a very special flavour all of its own, and it is for this the English housewife is prepared to pay. Should the Jersey grower abandon his Royal for the earliest of English varieties, he would have very few weeks to sell his crop before being caught up with the same variety grown and marketed at far less cost by his English counterpart."

Deputy Vandervliet counters by saying that if the Royal were the best early potato, it would be grown in England, whereas in fact the UK growing industry has a poor opinion of it, whatever the UK housewife may prefer.

How much better off would Jersey growers have been in a year like 1981, if they had grown a different variety? What would Jersey be without the Royal? The last word in this debate had certainly not been spoken. Watch this space.

A working party set up by the JFU to investigate improvements to the early potato crop criticised the current group marketing system and pooling of prices as leading to a lowering of standards. Replies to a questionnaire sent out by the working party indicated that up to a fifth of the crop could be picked and graded by hand next year.

A group of potato growers, committed to higher quality and traditional methods, has been formed. Supporting the scheme, produce merchant Mr John Le Sueur asked "how can an English housewife enjoy a Jersey Royal which has been lying in a muddy field, had a tractor tyre rolled over it, been rattled over a harvester chain, laid out to dry on a tarpaulin, tipped into a bulb net, tipped into a store grader, placed in a paper sack and eventually placed on a market stall a week later? .If our forefathers saw us handling potatoes as we do now, they would disown us", he added.

The suggestion (reported in the last newsletter) of crossing Jersey cattle with beef cattle to produce an island beef herd has been supported in a letter to the JEP from Dr H.G. Hudson, chairman of the Council of Fellows of the Royal Agricultural Societies. In the UK the crossing of Jersey cows with Limousin bulls has been very successful, he wrote.

Two Jersey cows worth £1000 each have been given to the Prince and Princess of Wales as a wedding gift from the island. The balance of the sum raised in the island's royal wedding appeal is to be distributed to charities chosen by the Prince and Princess. In a handwritten letter to the Governor, Prince Charles asked him to thank the people of Jersey for their "most generous and cream-filled gift".

The Princess, incidentally, is descended from Georgiana Carolina, daughter of John, Lord Carteret and Earl Granville.

Herald of Disaster

Herald of Disaster

6th March, 1987. Cross-channel ferry Herald of Free Enterprise left Zeebrugge for Dover with over 500 passengers and crew aboard. Within minutes, it capsized. Over 190 people lost their lives. Mixing evidence given at the subsequent inquest with the story of a fictional family of day trippers, Stephen Phelps' documentary drama asks whether this was a freak accident or a disaster waiting to happen.

Last Saturday, the drama-documentary play, “Herald of Disaster” was broadcast on BBC Radio 4:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08g2r99

The Herald of Free Enterprise was a roll-on roll-off ferry operating between Dover and Zeebrugge. That afternoon the vessel was at about 40% capacity, mostly carrying passengers from the UK. It set off without the bow doors being closed and became unstable.

Vehicles rolled from port to starboard and back. The ship capsized on to its port side on a sandbank, all its lights out, in just 90 seconds. There was not enough time to send an SOS signal, nor to lower the lifeboats or deploy life jackets.

In the formal inquiry that followed, blame was placed on assistant boatswain Mark Stanley for not closing the bow doors. First officer Leslie Sabel was also blamed for not making sure they were closed while the captain David Lewry was criticised for leaving port without checking the doors had been shut.

Part of the drama is taken verbatim from the inquiry that followed, with official evidence, and part centres on a fictional family and groups (like the truckers) among the passengers. It effectively shows the nightmare situation passengers and crew found themselves in when the stricken vessel was on its side. Stairs became vertical shafts. Doors were in what had become ceilings or floors. And there were no lights, but the influx water, cold, was swilling around the survivors, reducing their chances of survival as they struggled to escape from this trap.

The one and only stroke of luck was that the ship was resting on a sandbank - which undoubtedly saved hundreds of lives.

The inquiry in the drama also brings out that these ferries were rushing back and forth across the Channel, and their captains were under intense pressure not to delay and check everything, but under management's directive that running late could lead to reprimands.

This also meant that there wasn’t even a proper  list of people on board  ("the manifest") because that counting people in cars would have taken too long , and delayed departure. Profit was the key: speedy turn-around, and cutting corners.

Charles Arthur (https://medium.com/@charlesarthur/the-herald-of-disaster-or-why-you-should-welcome-regulations-fbaaeaed17e5) sees this as part of the general social culture of the time:

"In March 1987, the UK was in the midst of the revolution triggered by Margaret Thatcher’s privatisation agenda; British Telecom, formerly nationally owned, had been sold off in 1984, as the first big and noticeable one; British Gas had gone towards the end of 1986. The national mood was one of watchfulness: how would privatisation (and “free enterprise”) change the way these businesses behaved?"

"As the calamity, and deaths, showed, there were limits to what free enterprise could do for you — and what it was prepared to do for you, which could amount to 'not much, if it involves effort and cost'."

BBC News also recounted the survivors stories:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-39116394

Gillian Lashbrooke was one of the first people to know something was wrong. She was 16 years old. Her mother, stepfather and uncle died in the accident while she and her three stepbrothers survived.

"I was outside on the deck when it started, I was looking over the rail into the water. The water was getting further away, at first I thought I was imagining it. The ship just tilted over and I was flung backwards and was knocked unconscious for a little while and - when I came round - I was lying on the seats. But they were in the wrong place because the ship had gone on its side - so the floor was now like a wall. I tried to climb up the seating like a ladder but I couldn't. All I wanted to do was get back inside to my mum."

Eventually she jumped into the sea.

"I was wearing long boots and a denim coat, they were so heavy they were dragging me down. I struggled to take off my boots and coat while I was still trying to swim. I thought I'd try to swim back to land. But it was so cold and the waves were so ferocious. I swam back to the boat and managed to hook my skirt on to a thing sticking out from the boat because the waves were dragging me down, and I needed to stay up."

"There was a woman near me, and she was holding a little girl above the water. Helicopters were overhead, but they couldn't see us. So I flung myself back into the sea and there was a fishing boat. The woman kept screaming 'don't leave me to die' and I shouted back I would tell rescuers where she was. I don't know what happened to the woman or the little girl. I tried to find out and I put out an appeal. I'm fairly sure they both died."

"People in a fishing boat rescued me. Then I was taken to land and an ambulance took me to hospital. That night I became an adult. I washed my clothes out in the sink and put them on a radiator to dry. I prayed for my mum, hoping I was praying for her and not speaking to her."

The following day Ms Lashbrooke and her stepbrothers were told their parents were dead. They were taken to a makeshift mortuary in a gym.

"I saw my dad as soon as I walked in. I saw children dead and laid out. They were children I'd seen alive the evening before. It didn't seem real they were dead. Then my brother found my mum. I couldn't believe I was looking at my mum. I loved her so much and she was dead in front of me. She wasn't just my mum, she was my best friend. The night before, she'd given me some money just before I went on deck and said 'get something to eat love, and I'll see you in a minute'. "That minute never came. That was the last time I saw her."

The ship's owner Townsend Thoresen was criticised for its "staggering complacency". New rules were brought into force, such as installing emergency lighting, CCTV to monitor critical areas of the ferry, and windows that could be broken using a hammer.

For Those in Peril on the Sea

Bill McCrea was chaplain to the Merchant Navy and National Sea Training College and officiated at four of the funerals. He said the disaster tested his ministry to the limit.

"It was an incredible shock to my system and I was very anxious. I have dealt with individual loss of life with seafarers' families over the years, but so many people lost their lives that night. I wanted to do the right things. Who can train you for that? You depend upon the grace of God."

"I knew some of the men who died very well, including a young fellow who was 17. It was his first posting as a seafarer. He'd only just finished his college course. I conducted his funeral service, comforting his family as I, too, struggled to come to terms with the devastating loss. As much as I ministered to his family, they ministered to me too."

One woman had to wait six weeks before they found her husband's body. I gave her all the support I could during that time.

"I also supported passengers who had survived. I met a woman on one of my hospital visits, she lost her husband that night. She told me the only reason she survived was that a truck driver helped keep her awake by pinching her. There were a lot of heroic acts that went on that night."

Memories of the 1980s: Space Invaders

Having a clear out at home, I chanced upon an old book of cartoons. This was Micro phobia: How to Survive Your Computer and the Technological Revolution (1982), drawn and written by Martin Honeysett, whom the Guardian described in its obituary in 2015 (when he died, aged 71) as " one of the greatest gag cartoonists Britain has produced and also one of its most brilliant artists".

What is really fascinating about this particular book is that it comes just at a time when the microcomputer was starting to reach out into the workplace, and even into the home.

Schools were gradually getting the BBC Micro (as did the home market) and in 1986 the BBC launched an ambitious project to record a snapshot of everyday life across the UK for future generations largely using the Micro to compile computerised and digitized Domesday book. A million volunteers took part across the British Isles, including Jersey. Here's one snippet:

"Jersey's 4,200 milking cows provide the Island's co-operative dairy with 45,000 pints of milk each day. This is collected from the 145 dairy farms on the Island. Once at the dairy (Jersey Milk Marketing Board) the milk is treated and fat separated. Seven different types of milk are produced and packaged in waxed cartons."

"Milk bottles were last used in 1966. These were stopped because they were expensive and unhygienic. Each week 21,000 cartons containing one third of a pint of milk are delivered to the island's Primary Schools. The cost of a 'Pinta' is 27p for all the different types except "Full Cream' which sells for 28p a pint. Unsold milk is recycled into animal foods."

Incidentally, 3,000 cows in the Island were recorded in 2015, a reduction of 4,200. School milk was stopped some years ago as part of a government cut back in 2010. The milk cut plan was put forward by Economic Development Minister, Alan Maclean.

But the 1980s was also the age when computer games invaded pubs and hotel lobbies, with computer tennis being the first. Two paddles and a moving square, extremely primitive, but quite addictive in its way, and a complete novelty. It would get faster and faster until you missed it with your paddle.

I remember they had it in the lounge at the Cheslea hotel in Gloucester Street, the one owned by the three Binnington brothers (Bernard became a Deputy and then a Senator) - that's now been demolished and replaced by flats. When he was running for Deputy for the first time, the Cheslea was his election HQ, and we played electronic tennis to pass the time.

But the big one was Space Invaders! That four tone beat of music as the aliens came at you was unmistakable, and the graphics (for its time) were way ahead of the tennis game.

There was at least one local company which bought (using finance leases) masses of different games, including Space Invaders, which was the mainstay, and were busy putting them in pubs as an attraction.

Electronic games seemed here to stay. This is what we see in the cartoons in this book. At its release in 1978, Space Invaders was a cultural and technological phenomenon, and everyone wanted to try it out. 

Space Invaders is one of the earliest shooting games and the aim is to defeat waves of aliens with a laser cannon to earn as many points as possible. Looking in part for inspiration at Star Wars (1977), it build on the same kind of idea as space shoot out scenario at the end of the movie, when the bad guys keep on coming, and the goodies need to zap them.

I remember the student coffee bar at St Luke's Exeter had two Space Invaders consoles, and they were forever in use. While the boom lasted, they must have made a fortune. But they were quite large, bulky consoles, so they were not the kind of games people could buy for home use, and the capital outlay was also fairly expensive.

The pubs were full of the beeping noises as the players attempted to get high scores in each round of the game. But by the end of the 1980s, the technology had advanced and home operated consoles, which could be fitted to your television set, were becoming the vogue, and were cheaper as well. The pubs began to lose their electronic games machines, and now they are almost completely gone, part of a lost world.

Jersey Zoo: The Stationary Ark

In the 1995 Obituary of Gerald Durrell, the Independent wrote:

“Familiar to millions as a maker and presenter of zoological television programmes and as the author of entertaining and best-selling books on his life with animals, Gerald Durrell made an important contribution to his science in spotting and exploiting the role that zoos can play in active conservation.”

“The zoo world still sees itself largely as a living museum. Many zoos carry out fieldwork, but it remains a secondary part of their operations. But the zoo which Durrell founded on Jersey in 1959, dedicated to saving endangered animal species by breedingthem in captivity, has been one of the very few that have successfully mixed displaying animals to the public in a sensible and humane way with effective involvement in field conservation.”

After Gerald Durrell’s death, the Zoo was renamed Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust in 1999. This was ostensibly in memory of its founder, but it always had a subtext that might have been construed as a rebranding activity by the executives in charge.

The Lemur News, 1999, Vol 4, noted that: “In honour of Gerald Durrell the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust has been renamed to Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust. The name ‘Jersey Zoo’ will not be changed.”

And yet despite that statement, the marketing men went to work with a will, and the name Jersey Zoo was changed and became Durrell, and the word “Zoo” eradicated from the signs. Part of this may have been negative connotations of the word "Zoo", but I think that is too simplistic.

It is difficult to track down the history of that change. I know that Dr Mark Stanley-Price became Chief Executive of the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust in Jersey in 2001, and that seems to have been when the local site lost the name "Jersey Zoo". Stanley-Price wanted to launch "an updated image to help communicate the vision to a broader audience." There is no indication at this time in the news that I have read that it was because of negative image of the word "Zoo".

He said that: "As part of the strategic roll out, the previously named Jersey Zoo is realigning its brand to the international brand of Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, the only international charity based in Jersey."

The next CEO, Paul Masterman, who joined in 2003, seemed very much in favour of that name change. When asked "Do you think people still perceive Durrell as being Jersey Zoo?", he replied:

"Yes, but I don't get upset by this as long as we can create the understanding that Durrell is so much more – and that, at our core, we are a conservation charity. Having a visitor attraction is very important to us as it helps educate people about the pressures the natural world is under, and it is a significant income generator for us. But, fundamentally, Durrell isn't here to be a visitor attraction, it is here because of our conservation mission."

Now , however, a change has taken place. Dr Lesley Dickie, Chief Executive Officer, Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust has written a letter to members as follows:

I am writing to inform you that from 3rd April 2017 Durrell Wildlife Park will be changing its name to Jersey Zoo.

When Gerald Durrell founded Jersey Zoo in 1959, he was a pioneer in his belief that good zoos could do great things in conservation. Today Durrell continues that mission and we believe that we set an exemplary example of best in class zoo practice across animal husbandry, education, science and conservation.

At Durrell we are proud to be a zoo and the work we do both here in Jersey and in the wild all follows the same mission – to save species from extinction. Zoos are now the fourth largest funders of conservation in the world and we are pleased to be able to make a significant contribution. We are also proud that Jersey is our home and this name change re-affirms that.

Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust will not be affected by this change which only refers to the zoo.

The primary objective of the name change is making the zoo more visible to visitors to the island as well as staying true to the wishes of our founder.

Lee Durrell is very much in support of this change and comments:

Putting ‘zoo’ back into Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust is something I welcome, for it reinforces what Gerald Durrell had been working towards all his life - to ensure that zoos are genuine and powerful instruments for conservation. Ten years ago, we made a conscious decision to avoid the word ‘zoo’, because of its perceived negative connotations.

Today we embrace “it, because modern zoos have made great progress in the service of conservation, both in the zoo setting and in the wild, through innovative research, professional training, inspirational public education and improvements in animal wellbeing. Gerry and his early team had pioneered much of this, and Durrell will continue its ground-breaking work through Jersey Zoo”.

It is worth, perhaps, finishing with some words about Gerald Durrell and Jersey Zoo that I found from a speech by David Attenborough at Gerald Durrell's memorial. In it he said:

"As a one man pressure group he was years ahead of anti-zoo propagandists and the international zoo community alike. In one of his last television interviews he was asked if he was pleased that more zoos were putting conservation first on the agenda, "I think its marvellous, wonderful", he said, paused, and then, sadly, "But why did it take so bloody long?".

And finally, from the letter that was placed by Gerald Durrell in a Time Capsule, a copy of which was read out by the Princess Royal at his memorial:

Many of us, though not all in this year of 1988, recognise the following things:

1. All political and religious differences that at present slow down, entangle and strangle progress in the world will have to be solved in a civilised manner.

2. All other life forms have as much right to exist as we have and that indeed without the bulk of them we would perish.

3. Overpopulation is a menace that must be addressed by all countries; if allowed to continue it is a Gadarene syndrome which will cause nothing but our doom.

4. Ecosystems are intricate and vulnerable; once misused, disfigured or greedily exploited they vanish to our detriment. Used wisely they provide boundless treasure. Used unwisely they create misery, starvation and death to the human race and to a myriad other lifeforms.

5. It is stupid to destroy things such as rainforests before we know how they function and what is in them, especially because in these great webs of life may be embedded secrets of incalculable value to the human race.

6. The world is to us what the Garden of Eden was supposed to be to Adam and Eve. Adam and Eve were banished, but we are banishing ourselves from our Eden. The difference is that Adam and Eve had somewhere else to go. We have nowhere else to go.

We hope that by the time you read this you will have at least partially curtailed our reckless greed and stupidity. If we have not, at least some of us have tried...

All we can say is learn from what we have achieved, but above all learn from our mistakes, do not go on endlessly like a squirrel in a wheel committing the same errors hour by hour day by day year after year century after century as we have done up to now.

We hope that there will be fireflies and glow-worms at night to guide you and butterflies in hedges and forests to greet you.

We hope that your dawns will have an orchestra of bird song and that the sound of their wings and the opalescence of their colouring will dazzle you.

We hope that there will still be the extraordinary varieties of creatures sharing the land of the planet with you to enchant you and enrich your lives as they have done for us

We hope that you will be grateful for having been born into such a magical world.

Gerald Durrell

Warning about Scammers

Monday's post is information from the police about scammers. I have this advice to offer:

If a friend endorses someone on Facebook, double check with them outside of Facebook by speaking to them in person to find how they know the person in question. 

Be on guard. Be especially cautious with people you only know through online messages and phone calls. If possible, try Skype or video chat. Many scammers use fake photos to lure their victims but video messaging is much harder to fake.

Be cautious if someone claims to be local but happens to be out of the country.

Be your own detective. Use search engines to research the person’s name and background. Look up their phone number to see if it’s listed in the region they claim to be from.

Don’t send anyone money.     

Please read and also see this link - it is a video by Jersey police.

https://www.facebook.com/StatesofJerseyPolice/videos/1192839277501168

Police Advice

NEVER give out your personal passwords or information even to your friends and family, personal information is for you only.

Things they may ask for:

• Friendship/relationship getting you to trust them and then they take your details.

• Passwords.

• Bank details.

• Personal information about you or your family.

• They may say they are in trouble and need money quickly NEVER send it.

If someone you don’t know asks you strange questions about your money, account, life, family or asking you to do things that you feel uncomfortable with, please contact the Police, they will be able to help.

http://www.channel103.com/islander-loses-money-in-facebook-scam/

Islanders are being warned about a Facebook scam after a resident lost a large amount of money after accepting a friend request from a stranger.

A fraudster contacted the islander on the social media site claiming to have purchased them a winning lottery ticket.

They then hacked into a Facebook account belonging to a friend of the victim, posing as the friend to verify that the deal was real.

Crime Prevention Officers PC Chris Ingham says the scammer said they needed money put into a bank account to cover tax and postal charges:

”They’re asking for money to cover the cost of sending the money and that Customs had got involved and they needed more money.

”The scammer will keep making excuses as to why they need more money.

"The victim is devastated. Their confidence has really been hit by this.”

He says people should not speak to anyone they don’t know on Facebook:

”If you get any requests from anyone that you don’t know, then we recommend that you just delete it.

”If you get a second party that you do know telling you that the other person is alright, then you should consider carefully before adding them.

”When it comes to the lottery and anyone telling you that you’ve won money that you haven’t bought a ticket for, then if it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is.”

http://www.bailiwickexpress.com/jsy/news/islander-loses-large-amount-money-facebook-scam/#.WLtQsW-LTow

Jersey Police are warning Islanders about a Facebook lottery scam.

The move follows an incident in which a victim reported losing a ‘large amount of money’.

It’s believed the scammer contacted the victim through a Facebook friend request which seemed to be endorsed by an existing friend.

The Police say what the victim didn’t realise was the existing friend's Facebook account had been hacked and it was the scammer who was recommending himself to the victim.

The scammer then told the victim they’d won a big lottery prize, and asked them to send some money to cover the tax. They then asked for more money to cover shipping costs and so on.

Crime Reduction Officer PC Chris Ingham said: “we would like to remind the public to be very cautious with any friend request you receive on Facebook and as a general rule you should delete any friend request from anyone you don’t personally know. Please also bear in mind that if an offer looks too good to be true, then it probably is. If you are concerned at any time you can call the force on 612612.”

http://www.itv.com/news/channel/2017-02-22/jersey-police-warning-after-islander-scammed-out-of-large-amount-of-money/

Police are urging people to delete friend requests from strangers

A Jersey resident has been scammed out of 'a large amount of money,' prompting a warning from police.

It is understood that the scammer made initial contact with the victim through a friend request on Facebook, which appeared to be endorsed by an existing friend of the victim.

The victim had been unaware that the existing friend's Facebook account had been hacked, and it was in fact the scammer who was recommending themself.

Once the friendship on Facebook had been established, the scammer told the victim that he had bought some lottery tickets for them and as a result of that, the victim had won a large amount of money. The scammer then asked for an amount of money to be sent to him to cover the tax. This would then be followed by another request for money to cover shipping charges and so on.

The requests for money would continue, with a different reason given each time.

We would like to remind the public to be very cautious with any friend request you receive on Facebook and, as a general rule, you should delete any friend request from anyone you don’t personally know. Please also bear in mind that if an offer looks to be good to be true then it probably is. If you are concerned at any time please call us on 612612.

– CRIME REDUCTION OFFICER, PC CHRIS INGHAM

JERSEY POLICE contact details:

Mr Chris Ingham
07797 – 865683
c.ingham@jersey.pnn.police.uk