Why not escape the monotony of your local high street and step across to Jersey to experience a truly magical build up to Christmas? Fete de Noue is a Christmas festival holding court on the fair isle of Jersey throughout December which promises to fulfil all your yuletide needs. With such delights as the Spirit of Christmas Market, an experience not to be missed - indeed what better way to peruse the stalls than with a glass of mulled wine in one hand, and roasted chestnuts in the other?

As Jersey's harbour towns twinkle with Christmas lights, there will also be traditional markets, street theatre, Christmas parades and much more. You can also partake in the Ghost of Christmas Past, which is a late night ghoulish walk around the Island's historic castles, dark country lanes and old graveyards. On top of all this festive fun, you’ll also be able to do all your last minute shopping VAT free…perfect.

To tell us all about what’s in store for Fete de Noue 2008 we have Mike Tait from Jersey Tourism and Donna Le Marrec- Organiser of Fete de Noue. Step out from the crowds, and join our webchat which will answer all your questions about making this Christmas the best Christmas yet.

H: Lis Speight, host
M: Mike Tait from Jersey Tourism
D: Donna Le Marrec - Organiser of Fête de Noué

H: Hello and welcome to Holiday ’07. I’m Lis Speight. Now we all lead very busy lives these days, don’t we, and more and more of us are taking weekend breaks, but have you ever thought of hopping over to Jersey to recharge your batteries? It really is a beautiful island and things have really changed there over the years, and I’m pleased to say that two people who are lucky enough to live on the island have come into the studio to talk to us about it today. So welcome along to Mike Tait from Jersey Tourism

M: Hi Lis

H: And also Donna Le Marrec who is also from Jersey Tourism, but Donna organises the annual Christmas fete, Fête de Noué, which we’ll be talking about a little bit later on. So Mike and Donna have come to talk to us all about Jersey, they live there, they know, so if you’ve got any questions for them at all, this is a live and interactive show and if you want to take part, if you’ve got any questions about the food, the accommodation, how to get there, what’s going on, then get them in to us, all you have to do is type your name and your question that’s in the box on the screen, press submit and it’ll come through to us here in the studio and we’ll try to get through as many as we can during the course of the show. But let’s start off Mike by telling us a little bit about Jersey, for those who are unlucky enough not to have been there. Where is it exactly?

M: It’s a good question because I think a lot of folk who actually live in England would not realise how far away we are

H: No

M: In many ways, they’d probably estimate some 20 miles off the south coast, in fact almost 120 miles

H: Really, that far?

M: Yes

H: My goodness

M: South east, so – and we’re nestling in the Bay of Sherberg, 14 miles from France. I’ve spoken about distance but in actual fact only 40 minutes say from Southampton airport or 50 minutes from Gatwick

H: So very accessible then?

M: It’s really accessible and there’s some great routes also from the south of England, from Poole and Weymouth by wave-piercer, and that’ll only take you 3 ¼ hours in a high speed ferry

H: Wave-piercer, that’s a good name isn’t it?

M: Yes, yes it’s sort of futuristic

H: Now it’s very near France, tell us a little bit about the history Donna – is it quite French the island?

D: It’s a British island, we’re a peculiar of the Crown, but our past is steeped in France. You know originally we were all part of Normandy and you know our – we speak English obviously but our road names are in French and some of our names are in French

H: So there are a lot of names of the towns and what have you that are in French – does that have a real French feel to it? Or a British feel?

D: It has more of a British feel but there are a lot of French elements, for example the food is you know very nice, and we have lots of al fresco dining, you know and we’re very close to France, it only takes an hour on a ferry so we go over there quite often as residents of the island

H: Right. And tell us a little bit about the climate then, what makes Jersey so special?

M: I think it’s certainly where we’re placed which is just on the edge of the Gulf stream, we are the more southerly British isle, so it’s very temperate. One of the ways you can illustrate that is we’re always first to the market with our Jersey Royal potatoes

H: Yes, we all know about those – yummy

M: It sounds a little bit pedantic but it’s very important – the island slopes north to south, so its’ whole aspect is more appropriate for the sun to catch it

H: Right

M: It’s very well drained as well. If it ever snows I think dogs run around barking in confusion and we all dash into the supermarkets and it’s a catastrophe for us

H: So it’s generally much warmer then

M: Absolutely

H: So you get lovely summers and also much milder winters as well

M: It’s Britain’s sunniest place, and that’s a record that we’re very proud of

H: Wow, so a great weekend destination for people then, or for longer breaks as well

D: Yes lovely

M: Absolutely. And very nice in autumn or in spring, it’s got – what we call it the shoulder months, the periods just outside of the main summer season, so it attracts different people at different times of the year and the winter too is lovely too because it’s not freezing cold and biting

H: Ok so a nice little escape then for the weekend, and there’s plenty to do as well. We’ve put together a little video to show you some of the highlights of Jersey. Take a look at this

Video footage

H: Well that just looks absolutely fantastic doesn’t it? It’s nice to see the sun there, isn’t it? There are obviously some beautiful beaches there – it is an island obviously, is that one of the main attractions, do you think, the coastline?

M: Yes I think there’s an excitement about going to an island, because it is quite compact, Disney has an expression called “site density”, it’s how much you can pack into a Disney environment, and you can apply the same to Jersey. One of the very very interesting aspects of Jersey is its history, so for example if I was going to illustrate site density to you I could start a little walk with you along a beach which started in a fisherman’s chapel which would be 13th century, amble across the beach and you’d see evidence of Jersey’s second world war heritage, because we were one of – well we were the only British, part of the, of Britain that was occupied by the Germans

H: Oh that’s right, there’s a big wartime hospital there isn’t there?

M: Absolutely

D: The War Tunnels

M: The Jersey War Tunnels. And then as you amble around another little cove you see Napoleonic fortifications, which incidentally we’re making available to the public to actually stay in which is quite exciting

H: Oh wow

M: Innovation. And around the corner I’d be able to show you a Palaeolithic cave, bear in mind how close we are to France, it was part of a land bridge to mainland Europe.

H: Right

M: And there’s real evidence, and very exciting evidence of the origins of man in the island, so if you’re a historian, fabulous, and if you’d just like an ice cream, just wander along and look at the sights!

H: So there’s something for everyone then Donna – do you think it’s the sort of place that would appeal to all ages?

D: Oh absolutely, I mean there’s fantastic things for families to do, you know it’s a beautiful place to walk if you’re really into walking. One of the highlights is sort of around island walk, because you can literally walk around the island, about 48 miles, but it’s just stunning, stunning scenery. But you can shop, you can have spa breaks, you know you can blow cart, co-steer this – something for everybody, and actually that’s part of – it’s quite a fun place to work for because you’re trying to promote this and there’s something for everybody really

H: So you’re not just banging on about the beaches all the time

D: No

H: There’s all sorts of other things to do

D: Yes

H: And as we say a great weekend destination because it is quite easy to get to but yet you feel like you’re worlds away don’t you?

D: Yes

H: But you were talking about shopping there actually and it’s quite a haven actually for shoppers, because it’s VAT-free, is that right? We’ve got a question in on that actually, James wants to know “is everything VAT free in Jersey? It must be a great destination for smokers and drinkers!” He’s obviously planning a bit of a party! Tell us a little bit about the shopping and the VAT-free aspect?

D: Well you won’t pay value added tax as you do in the UK but I mean there are you know some costs, because obviously we have to import everything being an island

H: Right

D: Apart from obviously our local produce, so there is some charges on some things that you have to import but it is, you know, a great place to shop, there’s lots of choice, lots of quality and there’s a nice mix of the big brand names and sort of smaller boutiques

H: Yes

D: So it’s a shopper’s haven really and it’s all in one small place, so our high street is a really interesting place to walk around

H: So when you say “our high street” there’s one main town in Jersey is there, that if you were going to stay there where would be the best place to go and stay?

M: For a town experience, St Helier, which is our capital which is a bustling, thriving centre of commerce, Jersey’s got one of the largest off-shore financial centres in the world, it’s got a fantastic reputation, and with that grows a population of exciting folk who are working in those professions. But there are two nice little harbour towns on either side, the west coast and east coast

H: Right

M: Which are very very different offerings. One is St Aubins towards the west side, and on the east side is Gorey, and again back to my history is an 11th century castle, but another fascinating thing if you’re talking about history is just plonked off-centre on the top right of the island is the home of Durrell, Gerald Durrell

H: Oh right

M: So you’ve got –

H: Hence the zoo

M: So you’ve got one of the rarest gatherings of endangered species – sorry rarest species, in the world and endangered species there you’ll see mountain gorilla, orangutan, and what Durrell used to call LBJs, little brown jobs that sort of more, non-descript varieties of animal, but equally important in terms of bio-diversity

H: So lovely for the children actually, and on that note we tend to think of Jersey as being a very safe place to take the children, we’ve had a question in about childcare, we’ve had a question in saying “are there good childcare facilities, it sounds like there’s much to do, but what should be do with the kids?” I don’t know whether they’re thinking of going out at night or – childcare facilities, I don’t know, hotels –

D: I’m – you’ve got some really fantastic family-friendly hotels that will have crèches and you know sort of, you know, staff that would monitor your children if you want to eat in the hotel, but it is a very safe, you know the water’s extremely clean, it’s a fantastic place, as I say to walk and cycle and we have green lanes which I think we’re the only place that has those, and they’re sort of –

H: And what does that mean?

D: Well they’re country lanes that have got a 15 mile an hour speed limit

H: Oh

D: And you know people who walk and cycle and horse ride have priority

H: Oh how lovely

D: So there’s lots of –

H: So really safe for the children, if you’ve got little ones to take them cycling

D: Yes and it’s a beautiful way of seeing the island. I mean Jersey’s a strange place because although it’s only 45 square miles it actually has over 500 miles of very tiny little lanes, and we talk about the coast quite a lot but the interior of the island is beautiful. Beautiful you know hedgerows and banks, and so it’s a lovely way of exploring

H: So a lot of wildlife there as well, in the sea and on the land as well?

D: Yes absolutely, Jersey’s bio-diversity is quite interesting as well because we have lots of different types of habitats and we have Ramsar site which is a sort of wetlands area of International importance, we have you know amazing sites for special interest, we have dolphins, we have species that you don’t find –

H: Oh lovely. People love dolphins don’t they? Something about dolphins, to see a dolphin on holiday would be fantastic wouldn’t it?

D: Yes you do see them quite often because you can go kayaking on small boats out to some of the reefs just off the island, so – and it’s almost a biblical experience seeing a dolphin

H: Yes how lovely

D: There’s something amazing about you know seeing a dolphin in its natural habitat

H: Yes

D: So there’s lots of wonderful things to do

H: So does your population almost double with the tourists that come in in the summer or –

M: No

H: It doesn’t get overrun?

M: That was the heydays of old Jersey, the 60s, 70s and 80s. The tourism sector’s shrunk to a significant extent, almost half the bedstock has been used for other reasons, building houses and so on, so for my money, and I come from Jersey, I’m born there, I think we’ve now got to a sustainable level whereas some 25 years ago we had dreadful expression for holidaymakers called Grockles, and that I think, although not a very pleasant thing, reflects the way it was whereas now, the harmony between somebody visiting Jersey and people that live there, is far more in balance, and the island can sustain the numbers that it welcomes, so we’re looking, looking after – if you include folk who come for a day trip, we get a lot of French folk who come for a day trip for example, I mean the region of 750, almost 800,000 people a year

H: Yes

M: A little under 400,000 people staying on holiday

H: So you’re not swamped by any means then? It’s just a nice balance

M: No, no. Yes it is in balance

H: Ok. On that point actually, travelling to the island, Sean from Wembley wants to know “do I travel – I want to travel to Jersey, is it by boat or plane?” I guess it depends where he’s going from, if he’s going from Wembley –

M: Well you could catch the train down to Southampton if you don’t fancy coming out of the main London airports, and you’d be in Jersey in 40 minutes, I mean Southampton’s a much smaller airport. But one of the things we were very fortunate to have is tremendous airline access to the island and I recommend if you’re thinking about making your decision, pop onto jersey.com and there’s a nice navigation site that will give you a whole range of airports,

H: Right

M: Otherwise, if you’d like to bring the car, drive it down to Poole or Weymouth, and you’ll be with us in 3 ¼ hours if you want to bring all your stuff, your surf board and all those things

H: Yes exactly, people like having their car often don’t they?

M: And with children too

H: Yes it might be easier to - I mean that’s an experience as well isn’t it, going on the ferry? I used to quite like that when I was a little girl

D: It’s the start of your holiday really

H: Yes exactly

D: But also if you’re self-catering it’s a fantastic way of coming over and –

H: Bringing all your stuff with you, all your cornflakes and what have you. Mind you they do have shops in Jersey as we’ve just been saying, so you don’t need to bring your cornflakes do you? But talking a little bit more about this time of year, and about Christmas, there is a special festival period in the run-up to Christmas, and it’s called Fête de Noué, and it’s a lovely time on the island, lots of stalls and parades and all sorts of things going on, and we’ve again put together a little video for you just to show you what sort of thing you might experience at the festival. Have a look at this

Video footage

H: Some delicious treats on offer there, it looks really cosy as well, that sort of Christmas feeling doesn’t it? Now Donna you’re actually in charge of organising this festival aren’t you? Tell us a little bit about it, how long’s it been going for and what exactly is it?

D: Well it’s been going for about 7 or 8 years now and it’s my favourite festival of all the ones we organise, but it starts at the beginning of December and we have, this year we have a wonderful lantern procession which is a very community-based event. We have about 300 children who sort of parade –

H: Oh lovely

D: Through St Helier with beautiful lanterns and we have a gypsy band and a street theatre, and that sort of starts the month’s activities but from then on there’s beautiful winter walks, there’s markets which you’ve just seen on the clip, we’ve got a visiting French market that comes over from our neighbouring Normandy which is all crepes and coffee and –

H: Lovely

D: You know lovely things, lovely cider. And so –

H: Do you get the same stall holders coming year after year then? Do you sort of get to know them a little bit?

D: Yes, we do, we know them all actually, we have quite good relationships with them, but we invite them over and – but we also have genuine Jersey markets which is where we have all our local produces and artisans and artists, and we have ghost walks

H: Oh brilliant

D: We do –

H: Tell us about that, I love things like that!

D: They’re getting quite famous our ghost walks, we have queues of people

H: Do you, goodness

D: But we take, it’s all sort of local myths and legends and we combine that with a walk with characters and costumes who sort of leap out and scream at people

H: I love things like that, I love being scared but knowing you’re ok really! That’s a nice one to take the children on if they’re not too young

D: Yes it’s fine for children; it’s great for children. We have you know we have a Christmas Battle of Flowers which is –

H: Oh lovely

D: Is our oldest festival, but what we’ve done recently is to work with the float builders and they take all these beautiful floats, beautiful creations and we paint them and cover them in lanterns so we’ve got oh a significant parade that happens, and we have our fresco carol services – all sorts of things

H: Just everything you’d associate with Christmas is there really

D: Absolutely

H: Does Father Christmas pop up as well?

D: Oh he does! He does and we work very closely with the National Trust and we use lovely Heritage sites, but we have really beautiful street theatre coming over

H: Yes

D: You know you can have Blue Wine and hot chestnuts and it’s all very, very traditional

H: Oh how lovely

D: And very nice

H: Quite a Victorian feeling really

D: Yes

H: And is that mainly based in St Helier Mike?

M: Yes, that’s the heart of the festival, although another interesting facet of the island that I think is rather fun, certainly my kids really enjoy is when you are driving out and about in the evening, people decorate their houses with lights

H: Oh lovely

M: Which some go to quite extraordinary lengths

H: Yes

M: And it’s very amusing and great fun to – all adding to the animation

H: Yes, exactly, so it really comes alive at Christmas even though it’s darker and a bit cooler, it’s still a great place to go. And the shopping as well, I mean it would be a brilliant place to get all your Christmas presents as well wouldn’t it because you go over for a long weekend, get all those Christmas presents out the way and you’ve had a nice break and got all your Christmas presents as well

D: Yes

H: Can’t be bad. Now what currency do you use over there, might seem a silly question but we’re all a bit Euro-tastic everywhere – is it Euros or is it Sterling?

D: It’s Sterling but we still have our – we still have Pounds notes which –

H: Oh right!

D: Which is unusual

H: How quaint!

D: It is!

H: didn’t realise they still existed

D: Well it’s actually much easier, it’s only when you come to the UK that you realise you’ve changed a £10 note for something you paid 50p for how heavy your purse gets!

H: You’ve got to carry around this huge suitcase full of pound coins

D: Yes. So we have our own currency but it’s Sterling

H: Now we’re nearly at the end of the show actually but let’s just try and crack on and talk a little bit about food on the island because it’s quite famous for it’s food isn’t it, Jersey? Mike can you –

M: Donna’s touched on genuine Jersey produce which is absolutely fantastic, I think the base of that is the great dairy products that we have, but the other natural asset that we enjoy are the waters around us

H: Right

M: We have fantastic seafood and that’s not just preserve of oysters and lobsters and crab, but great bass for example is highly prized on the island

H: Lovely

M: Scallops which are hand collected

H: Oh my favourite

M: By divers.

H: All sustainable stuff which is good for the environment isn’t it?

M: Well it’s all about, it certainly supports the concept of eating fork to plate as it were without having to travel thousands of miles

H: Just before we came on air actually Mike was telling us a little bit about the accommodation, how that’s really come on over the years

M: Yes, we’ve – there’s a renaissance in Jersey’s accommodation stock if you like and almost 25% of the hotels now have been upgraded to a 4 star range. Some great spa hotels, boutique hotels

H: Quite posh then really, some of them?

D: Very nice

M: Posh one could say but

H: Classy

M: Stylish

H: Stylish

M: I wouldn’t want folks to be put off by posh. There are hotels for every taste really. Some folk who might have the money may be very happy to stay in a nice, quiet little guest house and eat in a Michelin star restaurant

H: So there’s something for everybody then, whether you’re a couple and you’re looking for something a bit classy or a family and you’re wanting your kids to be feeling at home then there’s really something for everybody

M: That’s right, yes

H: Ok

D: That’s right

H: Well look thanks very much for coming in, Donna Le Marrec – look at your surname there – is that a good Jersey name?

D: Yes. French origins of course

H: Good Jersey name! Donna and Mike Tate from Jersey Tourism, thanks so much for coming in and have a safe trip back, and we hope that we’ve whetted your appetite for Jersey, fantastic food, great accommodation, lovely weather, great shopping – what more could you want? But if you want to know a little bit more about Jersey and also the Christmas festival which is the Fête de Noué, you can go onto the website which is www.jersey.com, that’s easy isn’t it, www.jersey.com. So go and have a look and why not go along and have a closer look at the island yourself that’s it from us, we’ll see you next time, bye bye

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