From Jane Pearce.
In response to Hugh Gill’s letter of 14th May regarding Liberation Day, and the apparent lack of respect by the various uniformed organisations seated in the amphitheatre at Liberation Square.

I was standing near my daughter who is a St John Ambulance Cadet, while watching my husband who was standing around the edge with our Parish Standard. During most of the very long proceedings we could neither see nor hear much of what was going on, we certainly couldn’t see the dignitaries on their comfortable seats, nor the choirs or bands, or most of the re-enactment.

Thankfully we could hear Sadie Rennard with her captivating rendition of Beautiful Jersey.

The children were seated in full sun facing each other in an empty basin which, while the sounds are designed to echo around it, does nothing to catch sound from way above it.

At one point I mentioned to one of the St John Ambulance officers beside me that I couldn’t hear a word Hamish Marrett-Crosby was saying, and we were standing a few feet away from him. My husband was slightly luckier in that he could hear and see some things.

I was bored for quite a lot of the time and I felt very sorry for the uniformed children. We are supposed to be encouraging them to celebrate Liberation, if they have to put up with this every year how boring it must seem to them.

Please would someone rethink the appalling layout of Liberation Square on Liberation Day and instead of always making sure the dignitaries get the best views and comfiest seats, give a thought to everyone getting a good view and being made to feel part of the event.

The children and adults who take part in Liberation Day put in many hours of practice and drill to make sure they get everything right on the day, they then seem to be brushed aside by the organisers who stick them in little more than a holding pen until they are needed to march past again.

My children get very excited when they are asked to join in with something as important as this, and I know how much this sort of criticism can hurt them. All of the uniformed children were perfectly well behaved in spite of the boredom and extreme heat, well done to them and all the adults who supported them.

On a related matter, with regard to the Jersey Anthem, I agree with Deputy Jeremy Maçon that Beautiful Jersey is the rightful heir to the Anthem crown, but would someone please teach our children the words and the tune, any anthem only works if people know it. Perhaps Sadie could tour the schools, what a treat.
18 Vauxhall Street,
St Helier.