Murray Norton and Peter Morris – day and evening parade compères

Now in his 25th year of involvement with the parade, it is safe to say that the Battle of Flowers is well and truly rooted in Murray’ Norton’s blood.

The St Brelade resident has one daughter called Emily and says that his current occupations include online TV presenter, radio presenter, restaurateur, travel writer, compère and charity fund raiser.

What does your role involve?
Knowing what happens in the parades and knowing the audience. Also encouraging the audience to welcome and enjoy the real stars of the show: the floats, exhibitors, dancers and bands. That means warming the crowd up, having some fun, not sitting on a chair and giving out stats but running around and filling in the gaps and giving the hard working float builders the reward of an appreciative audience.

How long have you done it for?
I first covered the Battle for radio in 1984, I also got to commentate and drink beer with the great Gordon Young. I was frightened of heights and of Gordon and we were 30 feet up a wobbly platform with a case of beer. This year is my 25th year of not only working in radio, but of my covering Battle too, which I’m extremely proud of. I’ve been drenched by hose pipes and hail showers, knocked senseless by clowns and lamp-posts, cycled, run, danced and driven down the avenue on the back of most things, fallen off floats, buses and trucks, dodged the odd seagull wing and called Jodie Marsh ‘Jordan’ (no wonder she left). I’ve also enjoyed many of the crowd’s picnics, worked with some of the best people in broadcasting and interviewed every charmingly beautiful Miss Battle of the last 25 years, which can’t be bad as a job, can it?

Why do you do it?
Does this happen anywhere else? On this scale? With such skill and dedication by so many people? In a changing, globalised world, the Battle of Flowers sums up everything that is good about Jersey. It’s about Jersey and I guess so am I. I want people to have a party in the stands and go away feeling good about the day. That means them clapping, waving, dancing, cheering and laughing.

Anyone who helps you to
carry out your role successfully?
For this year, a team of sound engineers, co-commentator Peter Morris, the float builders and Battle committee who have faith in me. Over the past 25 years, great broadcasters to work with, engineers who make it happen but don’t take the glory and very kind audiences who join in with gusto.

Prior to carrying out this role were you
involved in Battle in any other ways?
Apart from the 25 years of radio commentary and/or being the MC, I’ve been the compère of quite few Miss Parish and Miss Battle competitions. I was also on the Battle of Flowers committee for a few years, working with great Battle people of the past like John Stebbings, Graeme Rabet, Colin Goss, Margaret Beadle, John Rothwell and Mike Snell. I was part of a committee that introduced the folding seating stands we have today and the popular Moonlight Parade. One of my roles was to find Mr Battles like Emlyn Hughes and the all time perfect Mr Battle – Roy Castle. Being involved with Battle on the committee or in the parade is tough on you and your loved ones as it seriously takes up a huge amount of your time.

Where will you be during the parade?
Up and down the arena in front of the stands. This year, in an effort to save my legs (you’d be surprised how far you run and walk over two days in the arena) I had the bright idea of putting both Peter and myself on a segway to get up and down the length of the avenue, so it adds a little bit more danger to the day.

What do you like about
the Battle of Flowers?
It’s everything I’ve already said and more that anyone involved with Battle will also find hard to explain. It’s exhausting, even frustrating at times and hard work, but somehow I love it.

Why do you think that the parade still has an important role to play in Jersey life?
It’s a street party gone mad, that has been part of growing up in Jersey for so many. It feeds memories and nostalgia and that develops traditions that make Jersey attractively different. I reckon over half the audience is local anyway. This started in 1902 so how many generations of Islanders has the Battle touched in 106 years? Just like Liberation Day, the Battle of Britain Air Display and the radio Charity Auction, we need to be different to stand out, to put on a show that involves the community that could not be done anywhere else.

ALTHOUGH a relative new-comer to the Battle, Peter Morris strongly shares Murray’s love of the parade. Married to Donna he has one son called Tom. The St Helier resident, who is a project manager for Jersey Telecoms and chairman of the JKPA, is keen to point out that he is much younger than his co-compère.

What does your role involve?
Keeping the crowds happy and feeling like they are part of the Battle and stopping Murray from flirting with Miss Battle and the Miss Parishes.

How long have you done it for?
This is my second year doing the Moonlight and first time for the day parade.

Why do you do it?
I give my time and fee on behalf of the JKPA and their Dialysis 08 campaign. They are trying to raise £40,000 for three machines for the hospital.

Anyone who helps you to carry
out your role successfully?
Murray – or do I help him?

Prior to carrying out this role were you
involved in Battle in any other ways?
My father-in-law is one of the Battle directors and I have helped him over the years.

Where will you be during the parade?
On a segway in the arena. Then on a pavement with a segway on top of me and St John Ambulance tending to me.

What do you like about the
Battle of Flowers?
It has to be the fact that it is the most famous and fantastic Channel Islands event of the year and to be part of it is such an honour.

Why do you think that the parade still has an important role to play in Jersey life?
The Battle is part of Jersey’s summer history. It has to be kept alive or Jersey’s summer will never be the same.