IN today’s stressful, worried and over-complicated world, the Battle of Flowers provides a welcome annual reminder that Jersey’s community spirit and its desire to have some fun both remain strong.

Yesterday’s floral parade once again provided spectacular entertainment for thousands of visitors and Islanders. As ever, the magnificence of the floats, the exuberance of the exhibitors and the spirit-lifting stamina of the bands combined to create another set of happy memories. Congratulations not only to the winners, but to everyone who once again helped to make it all possible.

These days, our holidaymakers are likely to be familiar with other festivals and carnivals around the world, some of them perhaps on a grander scale than Jersey can offer. But the Battle of Flowers, now more than a century old, continues to occupy a special place in the hearts of many.

Perhaps because of the pleasantly impressive incongruity of dedicated amateurs working together to professional standards, perhaps because of the quirky and ever-challenging location, perhaps because of its host of long-established traditions, constantly reinvented, it generates an atmosphere quite unlike anything else and rarely fails to bring a smile even to the most jaded of onlookers.

It is sometimes wrongly said that the Battle is of more interest to visitors than to Jersey residents. If that were ever briefly true, it is certainly no longer the case. Thousands of us either play an active part in the arena or behind the scenes, or go along to enjoy this unique Jersey institution, either at the main afternoon parade or the increasingly important Moonlight Parade. Any Islanders who have still never been, or who have stayed away for years, should do themselves a favour and give it a try.

That is true not just for the sake of a few hours’ entertainment, but because the real significance of the Battle lies in what it tells us about Jersey’s extraordinary community spirit, exemplified by the bands of fellow parishioners, family members and friends who enjoy each other’s company and give freely of their time for the many months it takes to plan and complete their wonderful creations.

It is a labour of love in several senses. The value of communal activity undertaken for pleasure and pride rather than personal gain cannot be overstated in today’s materialistic society, and the importance of the Battle of Flowers, therefore, grows rather than diminishes despite the decline in tourist numbers.