A blooming good result

There was a real sense of the right decision being made – I was delighted but not surprised – when I heard on 10th July that a gold medal and the award for Best Florally-Decorated Parish Hall had gone to St Saviour, and we had also achieved a silver-gilt medal in the Parish in Bloom competition. Every year I wonder how our dedicated parish team can do better and each year they have surpassed themselves. The award and the many visitors I see stopping to take photographs are a real testament to the effort and hours of work that have gone into making our parish hall look wonderful. Many comments have been made and I have been very pleased to receive many compliments on behalf of our St Saviour in Bloom team, led by co-ordinator Graham Langlois, our own parish workforce down at the Parish Depot and the many parishioners in the community who have taken on projects that have all helped to enhance our parish and involved friends and neighbours working together to make St Saviour a better place.
Photo: Elaine Hanning

Commemorating a lifetime's service

At a well-attended celebration and commemoration of the life of service my predecessor, Philip Ozouf, gave to the parish, we were able to present the gifts we had intended to give to the Connétable on his retirement to his children, Elena, Elissa and Senator Philip Ozouf. A superb photograph to join those of other previous Connétables hanging in the Assembly Room was unveiled by Philip's brother, Francis. Elena and Elissa formally uncovered the Parish gift of a traditional Jersey marriage stone in carved granite featuring Philip and Olga's marriage date and two entwined hearts with, underneath, details of the Connétable's dates of office. The Honorary Police, represented by Chef de Police Colin Foley, presented the family with a sculpture in bronze of a cow, in memory of the many occasions when the "honoraries" turned out to deal with escaped cattle that turned out to be from Highstead. Earlier, we had met the family in Patier Park to dedicate the handsome young pear tree that has been planted by the St Saviour Parish in Bloom committee in honour of Philip Ozouf's commitment to improving and enhancing the parish through our entry in the Parish in Bloom competition. I was delighted that so many members of the Ozouf family, including Miss Doris Ozouf, and parishioners, including our Lieut-Governor, General Ridgway, as well as a good company of States members and others wanted to join us in commemorated a superb record of service to the Parish of St Saviour which is unlikely to be surpassed. I am sure we were all moved to hear from Senator Philip Ozouf speaking on behalf of the family that the familiar Parish Flag, lowered on the day of his father's funeral, is flying once more at Highstead.

Digging in together

The sun shone brightly when Elaine and I visited the Jersey FOCUS on Mental Health's group home, Camelot, this morning to see the first joint venture between the Parish in Bloom teams of St Helier and St Saviour dig in and get planting. Sue Rodrigues and her team from St Helier and Graham Langlois and his team from St Saviour were made very welcome by Julie and Karen and the other staff and residents of Camelot, and everyone soon got stuck in to planting flowers, vegetables and herbs...well, that's excepting Elaine and me. We found ourselves a good spot on the first floor where we could wander, hot coffee in hand, from a view over the front garden, where flowers were taking pride of place, to the bridge link to the raised garden at the back from where we could look down on the sun-trap patio down below where peas, beans and herbs were being tucked into rich soil. We called ourselves "two mugs on a bridge" ... and nobody argued!
Jersey FOCUS on Mental Health is a charity devoted to the aims of promoting good mental health and helping to develop effective services for those who suffer from mental illness and I was delighted to be part of this first joint effort between the two parishes to improve life for the residents.