Lé Pipl'ye Scroûbieux - The Scroobious Pip

Lé Pipl'ye Scroûbieux: it came into my head to do a Jèrriais version of The Scroobious Pip by Edward Lear. This nonsense poem was left unfinished at Lear's death and was only published posthumously in 1935. There are a few lines and words lacking, and one would think that Lear would have tidied up the scansion here and there if he's got round to finishing it. Since first publication a number of completions have been undertaken, including that of Ogden Nash in 1968. Of course, in translating the poem, I've filled in any missing portions and rearranged as necessary for poetic purposes or mere whim.

Previously, I've done Jèrriais versions of Lear's The Owl and the Pussycat, The Jumblies, and some limericks

Dans Les Clios D'Fliandres - In Flanders Fields

 Dans Les Clios D'Fliandres - In Flanders Fields

Dans les clios d'Fliandres craîssent des pavots
entre les raies d'crouaix par-chîn, par-lo,
tchi mèrquent nouos pliaiches; d'à haut ouïyiz
l's alouettes tuiter, à voltiyi
par-d'ssus l'brit d'l'artil'lie ès clios.

J'sommes, nous, les Morts. Y'a raîque un mio
j'vivêmes, viyêmes l'assinne acouo,
j'aimêmes; aimés, achteu couochis
dans les clios d'Fliandres.

Contre l'ennemîn èrprannez not' d'so;
d'nos mains faillies j'vouos pitchons l'gliot
d'not' torche: ch'est à vous d'la r'haûchi.
S'nou nouos ahonte, tch'avons mouothi,
souos ches pavots n'y'a d'aut' d'èrpos
dans les clios d'Fliandres.

 

A few weeks back I was interviewed (and rang the bachîn for, and even sang for) by journalists from French television. The package was broadcast today. 

 À quelques kilomètres du continent, les îles anglo-normandes ont un secret bien gardé. Leurs paysages de dunes et de falaises sont connus des vacanciers et leur statut fiscal avantageux fait le bonheur des banquiers. Au-delà des clichés, ces paradis ont leur propre culture.

A new elected body for Saint Helier with devolved pwers

This Wednesday 27th April 2022 there will be a Parish Assembly to decide on progressing the project to modernise the administration of the Parish of Saint Helier and rationalise the Parish's powers to act as a one-stop-shop for many of the municipal actions that many Parishioners think we already have. It is a chance to make the inexplicable structure of governance clearer, more responsive and more transparent.

It's an issue I've campaigned on for years both at local government level and as a candidate for the States of Jersey. Local government ideally should be rather boring, and most people won't notice when things run smoothly, and Saint Helier in recent years has been run so boringly and smoothly that the level of rates has been maintained with no increase for a number of years. Since a lot of the work of local politicians is bread-and-butter implementation of municipal trivia, what is proposed is more efficient enactment of what people vote for.

I've been asked for more detail about the proposal, but there's an 86 page report on the background, the evaluation of the Shadow Conseil project which showed how a new elected body could operate (and that the Parish is capable of running such a body).

People who want change, should vote for change.

People who like the way things are run now, should vote for the existing ramshackle system to be placed on a statutory basis.

This has support from all the other Parishes, some of which would potentially be interested themselves in opting-in to the sort of devolved arrangement Saint Helier would like to have. But this is not about telling other Parishes should do: it's about what Saint Helier needs. And besides, Saint Helier's Roads Committee has acted for decades as a de facto conseil, and for the last 20 years with meetings open to the public and media (with the Procureurs du Bien Public also at the table, so that Connétable, Procureurs and Roads Committee can act together, if not vote together). A new law for the administration of Saint Helier would formalise this sort of arrangement, and enable a statutory basis for agreed devolution of functions to the new elected body so that bye-laws, within the framework set by central government, can be made promptly at the appropriate level.

Скрізь плач, і стогін, і ридання

My Jèrriais version of Скрізь плач, і стогін, і ридання by Lesya Ukrainka

Navithe dé dgèrre Russe, va t'faithe tchînze!

Eune poésie en Jèrriais composée duthant la dgèrre lanchie par la Russie contre l'Ukraîne en 2022

 

Parish Assembly to consider Government offer

The Parish of Saint Helier has received a formal offer from the Government of Jersey to acquire the land required to build the access road to the new hospital. As one of the Parish's 2 Procureurs du Bien Public I have agreed with my colleague that, having studied the offer and taken professional advice, this offer represents fair value for the sale of the land (plus fees paid, reinstatement of adjoining land, land swap re bowling club).

Would we get more through arbitration if the Government used its complulsory purchase powers. Possibly slightly more, but ratepayers would bear the cost of the Parish's legal and professional fees in trying to establish a higher price (and it is my opinion that the price is good value as the offer stands).

Should I have have taken the view that the previous decisions of the Parish Assembly meant that the offer should have been rejected without having been put to the Parish Assembly? No, my oath of office requires me to take advice from Parishioners, and always to act in the best interests of the bien public. The Parish Assembly should decide whether to accept the offer or not - but in light of the Parish Assembly's previous votes, I am making no recommendation whether to accept or reject the offer. Neither will I be proposing or seconding the proposition to the Parish Assembly - supporters of the Government's offer will have to formally propose and argue the case.

In the event that the Parish Assembly votes to authorise me to pass contract on behalf of the Parish, this will not happen until the Government has received planning permission for the hospital project (including the roads). In the meantime, those Parishioners who oppose the Government's plans or want to see changes will be free to object via the planning process without the Government having completed the purchase of the Parish's land. In the event that planning permission is refused, the proposed sale will not go ahead (and neither can compulsory purchase)