Friday, 11 March 2022

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

 

Friday, 3 December 2021

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)

Saturday, 7 August 2021

Alexander Blok

Today is the 100th anniversary of the death of Russian poet Alexander Blok. I've done a couple of Jèrriais versions of short poems by him. Here are readings of my Jèrriais versions and of the Russian originals.

Sunday, 21 February 2021

International Mother Language Day 2021

A Jèrriais/Ulster Scots poetic collaboration for International Mother Language Day 2021

L'êteuchîn d'orcat à l'attercap;
lé ticl'ye en rouoge tchuivre ès ferntickles;
eune hâle d'or d'eune néthe minne hellsnationt...
lé pêtre à r'teurtchi les ferntickles
en enfilées tch'enfeunquent l'attercap.

D'en par où'est qu'i' fliambent, les ferntickles,
entréchîn chu radgîn hellsnationt,
la brûlâtion d'sahonte l'attercap
tchi s'êcappe au halant hellsnationt,
êcaûdé et taqu'té d'ferntickles.

L'înfèrna méta d'goutte hellsnationt,
les dgiâbliotîns attrioquent l'attercap
dans chutte ticlyie d'enfé d'ferntickles
à r'caûffer, dans l'cappeur, l'attercap:
qu'i' s'n âle hors, ch't însténabl'ye hellsnationt!

Composée par Geraint Jennings s'lon trais patholes en Scots d'Ulstèr proposées par Frank Ferguson dé l'Unnivèrsité d'Ulstèr prînses dé d'dans The Hamely Tongue dé James Fenton (1931-2021):

Thanks to Frank Ferguson of Ulster University for providing the three Ulster Scots words which served as prompts for the poem.

Monday, 25 January 2021

My heart's in the Highlands

Something new for Burns Night: a Jèrriais version based on Samuil Marshak's translation of Robert Burns' poem "My heart's in the Highlands" (readings of the Jèrriais, Russian and original texts)

Tanme lé Tchauteux - Tam o' Shanter

Tanme lé Tchauteux: ma vèrsion Jèrriaise d'la poésie d'Robert Burns - Tam o' Shanter in Jèrriais

Sunday, 6 December 2020

Lé Cramponneux

 

 Lé Cramponneux 

La sèrvelle d'la Saint Nicolas,
comme l'Hivé droque dans l'encriyi,
nou n'ouait pon d'cra, ni clyîn ni clia.
La couoche dé né est pitchie d'sie

et d'sang. L'êmânue êmittée
d'vale la cheunm'née en assâsîn;
ses chabots grînchent, ses grîns sont g'lés,
les gliaichons trélûthent en êclyîns...

Nou n'dêclyinn'te pon. La cliopinn'nie
du Cramponneux s'appraiche du liet.
I' veint bigorgi la rouoge trie,
s'y sîl'ye pouor êbieilli l'Hivé;

sa fache endouoillie d'sang et d'sie,
bouoche êbahie, ièrs êcalés.
D'êcliaques dé rouoge encre, i' prédit
l'adgèvement d'Dézembre dans la né.

What is a Procureur du Bien Public?

What is a Procureur du Bien Public? Each Parish has two Procureurs du Bien Public , elected for a 3-year term by the voters of the whole...