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Kathryn Lundy, a reporter for the Jersey Evening Post, grew up on the largest of the Channel Islands and after all this time, she has found that there is stillno place like home JERSEY GIRL As a journalist, I spend much of my time discovering Jersey. Reporting for the local paper doesn’t allow me to project my personal views, [...]
Kathryn Lundy, a reporter for the Jersey Evening Post, grew up on
the largest of the Channel Islands and after all this time, she has found
that there is stillno place like home
JERSEY GIRL
As a journalist, I spend much of my time discovering Jersey. Reporting for the local paper doesn’t allow me to project my personal views, but it has given me a unique opportunity
to understand an island still unfamiliar to so many. Simon Calder, Travel Editor at The Independent, recently suggested that Jersey should market itself as the “Deep South”. The
island is, indeed, south of the UK, nestled neatly in the English Channel, deeply set off the coast of continental Europe.
For as long as I can remember, islanders have always felt
smug about our slightly warmer weather, clear waters and
clean beaches. We’re proud that thousands flock here to walk
along the promenades, visit the picturesque harbours and
bustling seafood restaurants. But it hasn’t always been this
way for me. Growing up, I loved the outdoor lifestyle and my
tight-knit circle of friends, but I still wanted to be in the city,
any city – somewhere with more opportunities, more people,
more “things”. Jersey didn’t have a university, it didn’t have a
shopping mall, an ice rink, skate park or water slide. We didn’t
even have a McDonald’s.
GLOBAL VILLAGE
It was only in my late teens, when I finally got my chance
to head out into the wider world, that I developed a
newfound pride in my home island. I was surprised at how
much I missed it. What I particularly love about Jersey is its
diversity. We are no London, but our community is linked
with Portuguese, Polish, Irish, Scottish, Australian, South
African and other cultures. And everyone fits: Polish delis,
Portuguese cafés, Irish bars and pasta shops complement
Jersey’s award-winning restaurants.
There are also periodic attempts to revive our own
language, Jèrriaise (Jersey French). You can feel the French
influence everywhere you go in Jersey – after all, we are
minutes from Saint-Malo. In summer the streets are filled
with French visitors, from market traders to musicians.
EASY BEING GREEN
In Jersey we treasure our green zones, beaches and parks.
We even plan to restore one of the island’s central car parks
and redevelop it as a green space, a project with island-wide
public support. Residents still need somewhere to park, hence
related plans for a better-designed multi-storey car park
elsewhere on the island. With nearly 90,000 inhabitants and
almost as many cars, you wonder how so many can fit on an
island that measures just 45 square miles.
HOME TEAM
It’s at this time of year that the football season starts to
get exciting, with the countdown to the end of the season,
and numerous cup finals and play-offs. Football in Jersey
is a big sport, and growing, and the recent match between
Jersey FC and Blackburn Rovers Reserves drew one of the
biggest crowds our home stadium, Springfield, has seen.
Islanders are eagerly awaiting the arrival of Premiership
side Reading this month.
Even with 90,000 people, the thing I love about Jersey is
this small community feel. So much so, that I’ve finally come
to regard Jersey as my preferred home. That’s because it is
quaint, cosy, friendly – and completely unique.
