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- The Royal Connection
- The Channel Islands Eat
- Channel Islands VIPs
- Richard Remembers
- Owlbut's Birdwatch
The link to royalty here is easy.
The Channel islands were, way back before 1066, part of the Duchy of Normandy. So, when the Duke of Normandy, namely William, decided to invade England following
the death of Edward the Confessor, Normandy and the Channel islands came with him. In fact there is even an argument today to claim that the United Kingdom is
part of the Channel Islands rather than the other way around. I'm not sure it would go down too well but you can try. Just don't mention my name in this.
Since then the islands have always been a part of England and then the United Kingdom although totally self-governing. They are only about 25 kms (15 miles)
from the French coast. Later on, in the "Now That's Weird" Section, I will explain how they are grouped together and why. Let's just say does the word "Bailiwick" mean anything to you.
Thought not.
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I didn't want to favour the Guernsey
group or Jersey so I've found two recipes, one from each. Funnily enough both are types of bread.
Let's go to Jersey first. A speciality of that island, still baked in bakeries on the island, is called a Cabbage Leaf loaf. Basically you make some dough
in the usual way. Let it rise then knead it again, make it into a large round loaf and let it rise again. Finally, before you bake it in the oven for about
20 minutes, you wrap the dough in two large cabbage leaves and tie them lightly around. Watch the video and see the result.
Once the bread has cooked, remove the cabbage leaves and you might have an imprint from the veins on the cabbage leaves but that will just make your loaf
look prettier. All that's left is to taste the flavour and enjoy your Cabbage Leaf loaf.
Popping north in the English Channel or perhaps, as we are so close
to France, we should call it La Manche, and we arrive in Guernsey. Here
there is a traditional fruit loaf known as the Guernsey Gâche but pronounced gosh. I am told that gâche means cake in Guernesiais which is weird as
this is most definitely a fruit loaf. It is a traditional afternoon tea bread or is, apparently, very nice when toasted with butter for breakfast. I can now
confirm this as I made it and ate it.
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Seven random people who were born on one of the Channel Islands in the last 100 years:-
Babette Cole (Writer and Illustrator of Children's Books), Heather Watson (Tennis Player), Roy Dotrice (Actor), Rosie Boycott (Journalist),
Matt le Tissier (Footballer), Sarah Pallett (Politician, New Zealand Parliament) and Serena Guthrie (Netball Player)
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I have never been to the Channel
Islands and so it would be wrong of me to claim any memories. I did once sail close by on a ferry from Southampton to St Malo but that doesn't really count.
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Mandarin ducks are native to East Asia where they have actually become quite rare. The majority of mandarin ducks seen in
the UK today are descendants of birds who escaped from private collections in the 1920s. There are now around 2,300 breeding pairs here with some 7,000 birds
wintering in the UK. The main population of mandarin ducks is in south, central and eastern England. They like lakes and wetlands with plenty of overhanging
trees and branches.
Both the female and male mandarin ducks have black, blue, cream, grey and white feathers but the male, as seen in my picture, also has long orange
feathers on the side of his face, orange 'sails' on the back, and pale orange flanks as well as some blue and green colouring. Both sexes have browny,
orange legs and a black, red beak of medium length and thickness. They eat insects, vegetation and seeds.
Mandarin ducks are between 41 and 49 cms in length, have a wingspan of between 68 and 74 cms and can weigh between 430 and 690 grams.
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Two extra sections, "It Happened Here" and "Now That's Weird", will appear on 18 November 2024
