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From Times Online

September 14, 2007

Jigging on Jersey

An A-list festival brings added warmth to the island with the most sunshine hours in the British Isles

Gareth Scurlock

I'm backstage at Jersey Live, one of a raft of new, smaller events bringing music to more diverse places and feeding the British public's seemingly insatiable appetite for festivals.

Gruff Rhys, lead singer of the Super Furry Animals and one of the finest songwriters of his generation, is contemplating and getting confused by the Jersey one pound note, "What's this States of Jersey all about?"

It's a question I'd pondered earlier. How much do people know about the largest of the Channel Islands, beyond their famous spuds (Jersey Royals) and a dodgy '80s detective (Bergerac) that established an image of the island that they'd rather people forgot. After all, how feasible is it that a detective could be kept so busy by serious crime on an island of only 80,000 people. And Jersey is not some rich boy's playground full of self-important tax-dodging Charlie Hungerfords, it's an island of laid-back, friendly, down-to-earth locals.

Though British sterling is accepted and used, and Jersey currency is worth the same, it's novel to be able to use one pound notes again. One of the locals, our genial host Mike, born and bred on the island (along with the vast majority of the residents), explains the strange insignia on their currency. The island is not part of the UK but is part of the British Isles despite its proximity to France (14 miles east). This association dates back to early medieval times, when in 933 it came under Anglo-Norman rule. In 1209 England lost Normandy to France but the Channel Islands stayed loyal to England while having a French influence that has given it the French place- and streetnames.

Being caught in the middle of a tug of war helped give the Channel Islands some independence and strategic importance, and for being loyal to England they were allowed to stay outside of the United Kingdom and practice a large degree of autonomy. Now Jersey is made up of 14 states (hence the 'States of Jersey'), or districts, each or which has a hierarchy of elected representatives that make up the government of the island.

The island has also remained outside of the EU, allowing them to manage their own financial affairs without the mainland's tax regime - a bonus for visitors seeking bargain duty free products.

Back at the festival I ask Gruff why the Super Furries chose to play in Jersey. His answer is simple - he likes to see new places. Though he admits that it's tame compared to the most unusual place they have played - a prawn factory in the north of Norway.

On stage the band blast through their upbeat psychedelia while the crowd bask in early September sun. Who could fail to be uplifted by the track Hello Sunshine in such surroundings. The joyful recent single Show Your Hands is apt as a giant pair of hands loom over the festival site (you can buy those hands at the T Shirt stall, jokes Gruff). Towards the end of the set the relative old-timers show the young indie rock pretenders how to do it, a combination of sub-bass and rubbing together of guitars providing enough feedback to blow the mammoth soundsystem.

Despite this very rock 'n' roll mishap, the sound is fantastic all weekend and the festival organisation as smooth as could be. Queues are virtually non-existent compared to other events. Jersey Live is now three years old, and in that time has increased its capacity to a sell-out 10,000 for the two day event. People travel from the UK and France, many to stay with university friends who live on the island, but locals relish the opportunity to party on their doorstep. It's family-friendly, many younger teenage fans are there and one hotelier I met was there with four children from under-ten to late-teens.

The lineup is far better than you would expect for a 10,000 person event. Headliners The Fratellis and Kasabian both rock the place to the core. The great thing is you can get close to the action, to see these bands at a festival you’d normally have to push your way through a heaving mass of 100,000 people at Glastonbury or Reading. So it’s a success all round, with The Enemy and Pigeon Detectives stealing the show with the young fans and big-hitting names such as Digitalism and Steve Lawler packing out the dance arena.

When the music is over we decamp to Kasabian's after-party at The Grand Jersey Hotel. No televisions out of windows or other rock star antics here, just a host of bands and festival-goers supping on cocktails and lager, as befits the relaxed tempo of the island. The Grand Jersey Hotel overlooks Jersey's port and main bay, and has just been refurbished with the downstairs bar retaining the decor and feel of 1930s chic. With views across St Aubin's Bay to Elizabeth Castle, it's a great place to sit outside in the place with the most sunshine hours in the British Isles.

The previous morning we’d set off from the port in search of some excitement at sea in the company of up-and-coming band The Twang. The thrills were provided by a dose of ‘ribbing’ to clear the festival cobwebs - nothing to do with teasing or making fun of the band despite their slightly cheesy take on indie, but a ride on a ‘rib’, a speedboat with inflatable sides that you can sit on. It’s invigorating wind in the hair action as Tom - owner of the ‘fastest’ rib in Jersey and a curious Smashey and Nicey accent that mixes island dialect with Australian (“That, mate, is where Nigel Mansell’s building his new mansion, mate. Hold on, mate”) - pushes the speed over 40 knots and banks right and left, crashing over waves that we don’t quite ride the crest of. Apart from the adrenalin rush we get a good view of the coastline, from beaches and bays to lighthouses and German-built sea defences.

Post-festival provides time to chill out and check out the rest of the island. There's a boon in recently-opened or refurbished luxury hotels, many with top class restaurants attached. We stay at the Royal Yacht Hotel on the edge of the port in the island’s capital, St Helier, recently reopened after a huge redevelopment programme. It’s a top class all-singing all-dancing affair with a new spa, decking and balconies outside many rooms, two restaurants and a harbour side bar that buzzes at the weekend with guests and locals.

Elsewhere The Boat House in St Aubin’s is a gastronomic treat, historic Longueville Manor is a class act with beautiful grounds that served a fine lunch and The Club Hotel and Spa approaches the luxury of The Royal Yacht with a Michelin-starred restaurant, Bohemia, where we enjoyed an exemplary, creative dinner.

Taking a tour around the island by car, we pass the festival site about five miles outside St Helier in luscious green countryside. Despite being a short drive away, it couldn't be much further away from anywhere on the island which is only 9 miles long by 5 miles wide. And we soon discover that Jersey seems much bigger than it is, with its main 'A' roads and country lanes weaving through the hills and valleys, past beautiful Mediterranean-style gardens and rich farmland - and the leisurely island-wide 40mph speed limit that helps you watch the world go quietly by without realising that you haven't actually got far.

We head for the Jersey War Tunnels, a Second World War museum. The 100-metre long tunnels, originally built as a hospital, are a spooky reminder of the five years of German occupation. On May 17, 1940 the decision was taken to leave the island undefended against German invasion. The British Government failed to inform the Germans, instead leaving lorries laden with Jersey's famous potatoes in the harbour that looked like military vehicles from the air, so the island was bombed anyway.

In a series of rooms we are told the story of the occupation, with multimedia displays showing newsreels from the time, accounts from those who lived on the island through the war, and dozens of artefacts - from guns to operating tables and German signs. The final room celebrates the liberation of the island on May 8, 1945, by which time the visitor shares the elation of the islanders.

We move on to the La Mare Vineyards and distillery in the north of the island. Tasting tours are available, and the shop stocks all the products they make. There’s decent quality red, white and rose wine, and they are famous for their cider brandy. Most of the apples that they use from around the island are made into brandy, though they make very good cider as well. The new brandy distillery was obtained from France and Remy Martin, the famous cognac estate, assisted them.

Jersey black butter is a famous product from the island that La Mare produces, and like the cider and wine they can never meet demand, so they concentrate on quality ahead of quantity. They also produce fine chocolate (stocked by most of the top end hotels on the island) and fudges.

Moving west around the north coast, we stop at a series of beautiful small inlets such as Bouley Bay and Plemont Bay which has its own lifeguards. Down the west coast there’s a dramatic, sweeping seven-mile stretch of sand, St Ouen’s Bay, that benefits from Atlantic breakers - a mecca for surfers and other watersport enthusiasts.

It’s low tide when we get back to St Helier, so we walk out to the dramatic Elizabeth Castle a few hundred yards out on an outcrop in St Aubin’s Bay. But there’s not time to visit the island’s other dramatic fortifications. Or the other vast beaches past the headland in St Helier and up the east coast. A long weekend just isn’t enough time. There’s enough on the island to make it a good alternative to Cornwall or Pembrokeshire - but with more sun.

Need to know

Getting there

Flybe flies to Jersey from Gatwick and 12 UK regional airports, from £24.95 each way

Condor Ferries operate from Poole and Weymouth, the fast service taking 3 hours 25 minutes

Where to stay

The Royal Yacht Hotel offers rooms from £105 for a single up to £850 for penthouses. Telephone: 01534 720 511

Longueville Manor Hotel from £250 per person per night. Telephone: 01534 725501

The Club Hotel & Spa offers rooms from £195 per person per night

Where to eat

The Boat House, St Aubin

Bohemia, Club Hotel & Spa (see above)

Longueville Manor Hotel (see above)