BOATOWNERS had a couple of difficult weeks after two storms battered the Island.
At least six boats sank and two others broke away from their moorings after the high winds and torrential rain played havoc with the harbours. A £100,000 yacht was left damaged on St Catherine’s breakwater after being ripped from its moorings. The boat had sunk but was winched onto the breakwater to allow experts to assess the damage. Jersey’s Met Office said that the weather, which had included winds of gale force six, was unusual but not unprecedented. They said that there were only two days in the whole month of August when the temperature rose above 22ºC, with an average of 20ºC.
HUNDREDS of people turned out to the funeral of Radio Jersey presenter John Uphoff, on a day that was described as a celebration of his life. The 46-year-old broadcaster was known for his witty, non-politically correct views on his breakfast programme ‘Jersey Today’ with fellow presenter Roger Bara. At his funeral, he was recognised as an outstanding broadcaster who developed his skills through hard work and a natural flair for the job. A trust in memory of Mr Uphoff was set up to help others to make a successful career in broadcasting and a walk in his memory was held at Grouville Bay in October. Mr Uphoff died in Southampton hospital on Wednesday 6 August, having been in a coma for three weeks suffering from meningitis, encephalitis and blood poisoning.
DESPITE fairly inclement weather for the month of August, the tradition of a sunny day for the Battle of Flowers continued and thousands of Islanders and holidaymakers enjoyed the parade in the sunshine.
There had been warnings in the run-up to the day that a lack of funding and deliveries of hundreds of rotten flowers might threaten the event. But the big day went ahead without a hitch. The Optimists Club took the Prix d’Honneur for the tenth time since 1987 with floats from St Saviour and Trinity winning the Prix d’Excellence and the Prix des Paroisses respectively. TV star Christopher Biggins was Mr Battle and accompanied Miss Battle, Holly Fraser, throughout the day.
A 52-YEAR-OLD builder had a month to forget when he became a millionaire for just half an hour on the evening of the second annual Jersey Hospice Million Pound Lottery draw. When actress Anita Dobson, helping draw the four winning numbers, pulled out a nine and mistook it for a six, it seemed that Mel Thomas’s luck was in. He was in the Lake District for a wedding at the time and had phoned a friend to find out the numbers. On learning that he had the ‘winning’ ticket, Mr Thomas raced back into the hotel and was just about to order champagne and book an extra week’s stay when he got another phone call explaining the mix-up. The actual winners didn’t want to be named but the winners of the second prize of £100,000 celebrated sharing the cash among the 13 family members in their syndicate. Mr Thomas said that he wasn’t bitter about the experience and that he was glad that the money went to people who deserved it.
JERSEY’S highest profile police officer, deputy police chief Lenny Harper, retired from the force after serving six years in Jersey. Mr Harper, who led the Haut de la Garenne investigation, became a well-known face on national news channels from February, when the investigation became a story of national and international interest. The new deputy police chief, David Warcup, promised to maintain the momentum of the investigation, the day-to-day running of which was taken over by Det supt Mick Gradwell, who was appointed as the senior investigating officer. Meanwhile, Mick Waters, the founder and chairman of Survivors of Child Abuse, said that many of the alleged victims feared authority and wanted an opportunity to tell their stories. Also, British MP John Hemming urged all UK councils to check whether any children were ‘dumped and forgotten about’ in any care homes in Jersey, after reports that five children were illegally placed in care in the Island by Birmingham social services, who then allegedly lost track of them.
Article posted on 24th December, 2008 - 2.53pm
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