Technology, Books and Other Neat Stuff

A time lapse tour counter-clockwise around Jersey's coast (with a few diversions inland). I keep meaning to do something like this with my Flip on one of our road trips, so kudos to the original videographer of this rather delightful evening jaunt.

It's a beautiful place:

...and that's what seems to be happening back home on Jersey.

A breeding programme has begun at Jersey's zoo in order to re-introduce the Red-billed Chough to the island. The bird, Britain's rarest crow, has been absent from Jersey for more than 100 years.

Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust has a colony of the birds which it aims to reintroduce to the coastline.

Read more.

I'm looking forward to photographing them...

I suspect you have to be from the island to see most of the humour in this, but hey, it's not as obscure as "Vraic My Beach Up"...

...of course I'm actually related (by marriage, through my uncle) to many of the St Ouen Le Maistres. Though on the other hand I should point out that my father grew up in Grouville (out at La Rocque).

Another image from our recent trip to Jersey.

We met up with one of my oldest school friends at his St Ouen's Bay café. It's currently being rebuilt, and we climbed up to the roof to look at the view. It's slap bang in the middle of the bay, and the bay curves round to the encircling arms of the island cliffs. An Atlantic swell was rolling in, amplified by the rapid shelving beach and giving the surfers a challenging set of waves.

The sun was starting its rapid winter descent through the last of the anti-cyclonic haze, turning the air that peculiar white gold you only ever get at this time of the year, framed between the solid columns of Corbiere Lighthouse and Rocco Tower.

A dog ran into the waves.



A few minutes later a surfer was wading out through the icy water, ready to join his compatriots floating out where the waves began to break...



St Ouen's Bay, St Peter, Jersey
December 2008

Christmas was spent at my mother's home, back on Jersey. As she has one of the best views I know, living at Greve D'Azette in the centre of St Clement's Bay, I took along my camera. Just like the last few years I pulled together a small selection of images, one form each day we were there.

One beach, six days:

22/12/08: Evening rays



23/12/08: All the greys



24/12/08: Breaking through



25/12/08: A brisk stroll



26/12/08: The big red



27/12/08: Overhead



Greve D'Azette, St Clement, Jersey
December 2008

Four views on four different days, looking out at St Clement's Bay from the balcony of my mother's flat at Greve' D'Azette.









Another Christmas passed, another trip to Jersey, and another chance to attempt my annual photo essay.

A shorter trip this time (thanks to fog and cancelled flights), so only four images from four days, though this time working with a new camera and new lenses. I'm still getting to grips with a DSLR, but I'm already moving out of the safety zone of the "auto" presets...

Well, we finally made it through the fog to Jersey, where we're cozily ensconced in my mother's flat by a chilly looking sea.

Bandwidth is limited here, so have a cameraphone picture of a christmas tree...

Season's greetings to everyone out there!

We spent the weekend back home on Jersey for a big family wedding - my little brother was getting married. The whole clan was gathering, from all over the world for a few days of celebrations. Jerseyfolk, especially the old island families, are clannish, and love a good party. Any excuse will do, but a wedding is one of the best...

Here they are, the man and woman of the hour: my brother, Robert, and his wife, Carol, coming out after signing the register at their wedding ceremony.

St Saviour, Jersey
August 2007

At the end of a near perfect summer day, the sun slowly sets into the Atlantic horizon.

St Brelade, Jersey
August 2007

All the families met up for a post-wedding brunch at our favourite surfer cafe, the excellent Big Vern's. Stretching our legs after a slap-up feed, I spotted this chap, paddling his surf board out to the waves.

St Ouen's Bay, Jersey
August 2007