Thousands of Islanders have spent months working in sheds and marquees across the Island to make sure that the 25 floral exhibits taking part in this week’s Battle of Flowers parades are finished in time.
With themes this year ranging from Scooby Doo, Minions and the Flintstones to Cuba, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and a printing press, the magnificent floral creations look set to be as imaginative and colourful as ever.
Among the entrants are eight parishes, many of whom also have junior exhibits.
Battle Day, Thursday 13 August
- 1 pm Gates open
- 2 pm Everyone must be in their seats
- 2.25 pm Arrival of the Lieutenant- Governor, Lieutenant General Sir John McColl, and Lady McColl
- 2.30 pm Let Battle commence!
The Moonlight Parade, Friday 14 August
- 7.30 pm Gates open
- 9 pm The Moonlight Parade
On Wednesday, many float-building teams will be working throughout the night to finish their entries and will be setting off very early the next morning to assemble for the big parade.
On Battle day the floats and entertainers will be split into two groups, entering from both the north side at First Tower and south side of the arena at West Park. Afterwards the Parade will conclude with a surprise floral ending.
The Grand Battle Day Parade will take place on Thursday afternoon, following which the Battle teams will do it all again on Friday evening, but this time with their creations transformed by thousands of illuminations for the Moonlight Parade. The floats will all be in position on Victoria Avenue with their lights off ahead of the parade and will be illuminated at the same moment to create an instant wow factor. This time the floats will compete for the Best Illuminated Award, in a night that always has a more relaxed and carnival atmosphere. And bringing two days of Battle to an end, the Moonlight Parade will finish with a laser show and confetti spectacular followed by fireworks.
FOR the ninth consecutive year, free tea, coffee and cakes will be provided for Battle-goers at St Andrew’s Church community centre at First Tower following Thursday’s parade.
Because St Andrew’s Park is used as a car park for people going to watch the parade, the community centre gets into the spirit of the Battle by offering free afternoon tea to drivers before they head home. This also helps to stagger people’s departures, with the aim of reducing traffic congestion after the parade.
Compères for this year will once again be provided by BBC Radio Jersey. Matthew Price and Cameron Ward will give a live commentary on the afternoon parade and Sara Palmer and Ashlea Tracey will be in the arena during the day and at the Moonlight Parade.
As in previous years the Battle is raising money for charity and in recognition of the 70th anniversary of the Liberation of the Island this year’s chosen charity is the British Red Cross. The charity will receive half of the proceeds from programme sales and volunteers will be collecting money at both parades.
1 Scooby Doo & the Haunted Mansion – Adrian & Friends
2 Watch Out Scrappy – Adrian & Friends Juniors
3 Sweet Dreams – Friends of Galaad
4 Oz – St Martin
5 Cuban Cocktail – St Peter
6 Minion Madness – St Peter Juniors
7 SS Vega Steamship Saviour – St Helier
8 Hot Off The Press – St Saviour
9 Yabba Dabba Doo! – St Saviour Juniors
10 Tequila – Trinity
11 Scorpion – Day of the Dead Parade – Trinity Juniors
12 The Eye Of The Tiger – The Optimists Club
13 The Jolly Roger – The Optimists Club Juniors
14 Veni Vidi Vici – Ollivro Family & Friends
15 Cirque – St Clement
16 Bee Do Bee Do – St Clement Juniors
17 Chitty Chitty Bang Bang – Bidan & Friends
18 Thunderbid 4 – Bidan & Friends Juniors
19 Scat Cat Alley – Grouville
20 Reduce, Reuse, Recycle – Grouville Juniors
21 Dragonara – St Brelade
22 Hooray for Hollywood – St Lawrence
23 Bugsy Malone – St Lawrence Juniors
24 Hakuna Matata – Whiteside Family & Friends
25 The Lion Prince – Whiteside Family & Friends Juniors
The Entertainers
TO add to the carnival feel of the Battle there will be all sorts of acts and musical entertainment to add colour, noise and drama to the parade.
Once again the marching brass band of the Band of the Island of Jersey will be performing at the Battle, as it has done every year since the early 1950s.
- Tickets for the parade are available from the Battle Kiosk at Liberty Wharf or online at battleofflowers.com
- Battle Kiosk opening hours: 8.30 am to 6 pm
And returning this year is another band, the Herne Bay Sea Cadet Band, which has performed at the Battle for the last four years. The band has also invited cadets from Folkestone, Whitstable and New Romney to join them in the parade.
Three other UK bands with rather different musical offerings are also taking part. The Chesterfield Musketeers Showband have performed all over the UK as well as Europe and during their 62 years have won over 250 major awards in Spain, Germany, France and the UK including World Champion Showband three times.
Bloco Fogo is a community samba band, which plays Brazilian, Cuban and African rhythms where the drummers create an energetic and lively visual performance in a riot of colour, movement and infectious rhythms.
The Dolphin Marching Band is a Poole-based youth band formed in 1996 and takes part in a variety of carnival and fetes. The band is returning to Jersey this year by popular request and at the invitation of the Jersey Battle of Flowers Association.
Local folk band Run For Cover will be returning for their 17th Battle, while once again, the Jersey Rockettes Cheerleading
Squad, made up of local youngsters aged between six and 17, will also be bringing their pom poms to the Battle arena.
And French dance troupe ExoticaDance combine professional musicians and dancers with a Brazilian influence who promise to bring a touch of carnival to this year’s parades with glamour, fashion, elegance and exoticism.
New this year are the stilt walking troupe, Tamasha Watu!, which is Swahili for ‘festival people,’ who with their special stilts will be able to run, bounce and perform tricks. Their costumes will reflect their name and will have a tribal theme, with the vibrant colours of Africa and with a hint of the animals of the Savanna.
Also look out for the terrible Parker Sisters, Fanny and Flo, who will be running riot on Victoria Avenue and making sure that nobody dare violate the parking regulations. Battle-goers better beware as they may find themselves served with a parking fine or wrapped up in hazard tape.
If the Parker Sisters don’t get you, watch out for Stormtrooper Jersey, the commander of the Star Wars Jersey – Offshore Garrison. The commander, along with his fellow Star Wars characters will be on patrol and for those who go to the Moonlight Parade, don’t forget your light sabres, the troopers will be looking for them.
And not least of all there’s Battle Bee who will have a very busy time as he is appearing in the day parade and also the Moonlight Parade.
MISS Battle of Flowers this year is St Brelade resident Chantelle Mundy.
The 19-year-old film student and video journalist has always dreamed of one day being crowned Miss Battle of Flowers and her wish has finally come true.
A keen photographer who also has a passion for baking, Chantelle beat competition from a number of other girls at the annual Miss Battle competition – now in its 62nd year – in April.
Someone who has had less time to get used to their role is Miss Junior Battle Rachel Jones – the JCG pupil was only chosen last weekend at a competition at the Battle funfair.
The 11-year-old says she simply loves every moment of Battle, having being involved with St Martin’s entries in past parades.
Joining the local Battle queens at this year’s parade will be visiting carnival princesses Miss Alderney, Ruby Walker and her consort Shauna Jenkins and Miss Le Havre, Bérengère Leclerre and Dauphine Le Havre, Margot Colin.
REALITY TV star-turned-presenter Craig Phillips will be this year’s Mr Battle.
The 43-year-old, who found fame 15 years ago after winning the first series of Big Brother, will accompany Miss Battle Chantelle Mundy on Thursday’s parade and on Friday’s Moonlight Parade.
Mr Phillips, a builder, went on to appear as a DIY expert on a number of shows. He also hosted ITV’s home improvement show Sixty-minute Makeover.
He is also a patron of the Down’s Syndrome Association and was in Jersey earlier this year to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Les Amis, which supports Islanders with learning disabilities.
The Funfair
Jersey has once again been enjoying the annual Battle of Flowers funfair, which has returned to the People’s Park.
The Funtasia Travelling Theme Park features a wide variety of rides and traditional stalls and is open daily until next Sunday.
Miss Battle, Chantelle Mundy, officially opened the Battle of Flowers funfair at the end of July when a large crowd watched as the 19-year-old, accompanied by her chaperone Kirsty Le Monnier, open the attraction, signalling the start of Battle fortnight.
Funfair opening times:
Fri 14 Aug: 2 pm to 11 pm
Sat 8 & 15 Aug: 2 pm to 10.30 pm
All other days: 2 pm to 10 pm
Spectators at Thursday’s parade are being encouraged to vote for their favourite float to win the Spectators Award.
Battle-goers can text a number which will be announced in the Battle arena, or the number, which will be printed in the festival programme, at any time between 2 pm and 9 pm on Thursday, stating the number of their favourite float. Texts will be charged at your standard rate and votes cast after 9 pm won’t be counted but you may still be charged.
Miss Battle’s Float is excluded from the vote.
The Awards
This year only the top award, the Prix d’Honneur will be announced over the loudspeakers in the Battle arena on Thursday.
All the other awards will be revealed after the parade in a ceremony at Millbrook Park where the prizes will be presented.
A full list of results will be published in the JEP’s special Battle of Flowers souvenir supplement on Friday.
The highly coveted top award is the Prix d’Honneur, which was last year won for a 13th time by The Optimists Club with their stunning Year of the Dragon-themed float, Fire Cracker.
The exhibitor with the second highest score receives the Prix d’Excellence, which last year went to St Clement for their beautiful entry of The Snow Queen.
Other major awards include the Grand Prix des Fleurs, the Grand Prix des Paroisses, the Prix de Mérite and the Prix Décor.
Awards will also be presented after Friday’s Moonlight Parade, including prizes for both small and large exhibits in the Best Illuminated Float and Moonlight Carnival Atmosphere categories.
