Bailiwick Podcasts

With the festive coming to a close and islanders thinking about throwing old items out, one man is encouraging both the Government and locals to be more aware about what they can reuse and repair. Inspired by the BBC series of the same name, Nigel Crespel has spent the last year repairing items for islanders from 'The Repair Shop' overlooking the English Harbour, and has already had droves of isla...

While Jersey now celebrates the festive season much like the rest of Europe, things used to be very different. Express chats to local Jèrriais expert Geraint Jennings about the weird, wonderful and heart-warming traditions that have died out... and the ones he'd like to see return! ★ Support this podcast ★

Express speaks to the chair of the Guernsey Competition and Regulatory Authority, Chris Bolt, and the Chief Executive, Michael Byrne. We discuss the future of regulation in Guernsey after the GCRA's split from the JCRA, the £1.5 million fine handed to the MSG, and why most of their work goes unnoticed by the general public. ★ Support this podcast ★

Senior Government policymaker Steve Skelton explains what is the Carbon Neutral Roadmap - a key document that sets out how Jersey will reduce its emissions of greenhouse gases to net zero by 2050. ★ Support this podcast ★

Next week, St. Helier parishioners will be asked a £6.5m question: should they agree to sell a significant amount of land to the Government to make way for the new hospital's (controversial) access road? Express spoke to Procureur du Bien Public Geraint Jennings - one of the individuals responsible for the Parish's finances - to understand, how did the negotiations work? What happens if the deal f...

In a recent letter to the politicians reviewing the Government's funding plans, the co-founder of children's dental charity, Super Smiles, said that "immediate" action to reduce "inequalities" in the island's dental services needed to be taken. She said that "children are waiting seven years for Orthodontic treatment and in the community department over 5,000 children are awaiting a dental appoint...

The community redevelopment project being undertaken at La Vallette is nearing completion, with the charity responsible excited for opening up a true community space for St Peter Port. 'Vive La Vallette' was set-up in 2019 with the sole intention of wholly redeveloping the area and the facilities that serve the children and ladies' pool. It's now set to open for Easter 2022 and Express spoke to on...

So close yet so far... New procedures introduced in the wake of Brexit are threatening links between Jersey and its closest neighbour, France. From stricter customs checks on the importation of produce to passport requirements dissuading French nationals from visiting the island, could Brexit be the end of the French Connection? Christine Bonhomme, Manager of the Maison de la Normandie et de la Ma...

The 26th annual UN summit on climate change (COP26) has come and gone, with Guernsey represented as one of hundreds of jurisdictions looking to make serious inroads in tackling climate change. We were represented at the event by two deputies, one of which was the President of Environment and Infrastructure and self-proclaimed environmentalist, Deputy Lindsay de Sausmarez. She sat down with Express...

COP 26 is done, climate change has had its week leading the news agenda...now that happens next? Is it all blah, blah blah...or are enough people now calling for lasting, meaningful change? Locally, we have the trade-off between carbon neutrality and net zero - and a focus on, basically, how much you use your car, how often you fly, and how you heat your home. So, what's happened to recycling? Rat...

Today marks the 103rd anniversary of the Armistice - the end of the First World War. Many will know something about the trenches, the Battles of the Somme and Ypres and the bloody slaughter of troops on both sides. But what was the impact of the Armistice in Jersey, how was it celebrated and what were the longer term repercussions? Express met local historian Ian Ronayne to find out the answers to...

While we were all on lockdown, shielding ourselves from the effects of coronavirus last year - one group continually put itself in the line of fire. Nurses and carers continued to venue out in the community, providing assistance to islanders from all walks of life. It wasn't an easy ask, though - there were PPE struggles, Government communications difficulties, and an impact on workforce wellbeing...

The 26th UN summit on climate change, COP26, is well underway, with hundreds of nations coming together in Glasgow this year to tackle climate change. To give his insight on the event so far expert economist, strategist, and local advocate for sustainable finance, Dr Andy Sloan, came in to talk to us. He's the founder of the International Sustainability Institute and sits on the board of the ESI M...

Independent shop owners at the Bridge remain unconvinced that Leales Yard will be developed anytime soon, arguing that the Co-op's hold on the land has stalled the redevelopment that the area "is crying out for". Express spoke to several business owners, to better understand why the development has taken so long and what it has meant for the area. ★ Support this podcast ★

How does a school stripped to the bone make ends meet when there's nothing left to cut? Which children is the underfunding of schools hitting hardest? What does 'putting children first' really look like? And do Ministers even care? Philip Le Claire, Chair of the Board of Governors at Haute Vallée, had this to say... ★ Support this podcast ★

It's a difficult time at the prison. While an ambitious programme to transform the service and introduce a new 'Seven Pathways' approach to reducing reoffending is underway, budget constraints, staffing and morale struggles, and the pandemic are all posing problems... Six months into the job, Express spoke to Prison Governor Susie Richardson about how she's balancing these pressures... ★ Support t...

You'd think that Herm Island couldn't get any more zen, but its gardening team have proved otherwise. The island beat out stiff competition to win one of this year's RHS community awards after developing its new 'Zen Garden' - a peaceful oasis built within an old quarry. We hopped over to Herm to meet with the gardening team, and discuss the inspiration behind their horticultural creation... ★ Sup...

A new Heritage report on the legacies of slavery in Jersey, released to coincide with Black History Month, has shown a number of people and places throughout Jersey's history have been linked to the transatlantic slave trade. One of the conclusions the report reaches is that No. 9 Pier Road, the Victorian House which forms part of the Jersey Museum, was built on proceeds accumulated from the trade...

Reports detailing serious bullying allegations, staff shortages, buildings which are no longer fit for purpose, and a new hospital which is still, at least, five years away. The daily challenges for senior managers in Jersey's health department only seem to worsening; but it is also the one part of government which quite literally affects the lives and wellbeing of every single person in Jersey, a...

The States has made a political decision committing to local quarrying for the next 30 or so year. The proposed site at the Chouet Headland was preferred to a reliance on full importation of aggregate - which some say would only have moved the environmental questions "out of sight, out of mind". Others have questioned whether the decision simply delays the inevitable, with the Headland the last id...

This week saw young people directly address Ministers about their "traumatising" experiences of mental health care, with their key aim to put an end to children being admitted to adult facility Orchard House. Keeping an eye on that issue over a number of months has been Patricia Winchester, CEO of advocacy charity My Voice, who told Express about her concerns, but also why she is hopeful that chan...

An unexpected new sports drink is being campaigned for in Guernsey, and has received the support of dozens of prominent sports men and women. Milk. Good ol' fashioned milk. It's being championed as an isotonic drink by the Guernsey Dairy, who tell us that a glass of it can replenish our salts and support our muscles after strenuous exercise. The Dairy has launched a campaign; 'Raise a Glass to the...

Are you wondering why we've got a bank holiday on Monday? Express asked Stuart Nicolle, Senior Archivist at Jersey Heritage, about the riotous history of the holiday, and how those events 250 years ago shaped democracy as we know it today... ★ Support this podcast ★

Express discusses the Belfast City Council Chief set to become the Government of Jersey's first ever female CEO, and examines the difficult process in appointing her... ★ Support this podcast ★

Sure has this week announced £37.5m plans to make Guernsey a digital leader through the creation of a fibre to the premises broadband network, which will directly reach every property in Guernsey with a faster, more reliable connection than is available currently and offer the possibility of 1 gigabit-per-second coverage. We spoke to Sure Group CEO Alastair Beak to discuss the economic benefits, t...