- Its the Battle of Flowers today! The JEP concludes its series of behind-the-scenes stories from the event.
- Hotels experiencing a busy Battle week
- Craig Phillips is this year’s Mr Battle – do you know who the first was?
- My Battle – meet the parade’s head marshal
ISLAND hotels are busier and there is a greater ‘buzz’ around Battle week than in previous years, a leading figure in the Island’s hospitality sector says.
With the carnival getting under way today, Ian Barnes, president of the Jersey Hospitality Association, says that there are more holidaymakers in the Island and that hotels are at a higher capacity than in previous years.
‘As far as we are concerned, the hotels seem busier than they were last year and there seems to be more of a buzz as well, with far more people in town than we’ve seen in previous years,’ Mr Barnes said.
‘I don’t normally get hoteliers coming to me saying good things, they come when they are not doing so well, so if you don’t hear from them, it’s a sign that things are going well – and I haven’t heard from them.’
Mr Barnes, whose company, Barnes Publishing, produces Jersey’s What’s On Guides, said that demand was higher than he had seen previously.
‘We are extremely busy at the moment and we are being asked to print more and more guides on a daily basis,’ he added.
Earlier in the year, Mr Barnes said that due to a rise in UK residents taking holidays after the recession, a surge in advanced bookings and the successful service from easyJet, for the first time in more than a decade all the Island’s 11,000 beds could be full for the duration of the two core summer months. And following the success of the Island Games, it is something Mr Barnes believes is still a distinct possibility.
‘I haven’t seen any of the statistics, but I think we are in a good position,’ he said.
‘For the past ten years we have been at about 70 per cent capacity, and with a strong Battle it could see us rise to 100 per cent.
‘That would be absolutely fantastic for the industry,’
Earlier this week Miss Battle, Chantelle Mundy, visited several St Helier hotels to sell programmes.
Part of the proceeds from sales will go towards the British Red Cross. Miss Mundy, who was accompanied by chaperone Kirsty Le Monnier, said that many of the guests were excited about the Battle.
‘I went around when most people were having dinner and most said they were really looking forward to going to the Battle,’ she said.
‘One family got me to sign their programme, which was really nice, and when I went into one of the hotels everyone cheered and clapped. I was quite taken aback by it all.’
Last weekend Miss Mundy was joined by Miss Junior Battle, Rachel Jones, and the Battle Bee to give a floral welcome at the Airport to tourists arriving in the Island for Battle week.
CRAIG Phillips is the latest in a long line of celebrities to take on the Mr Battle title.
But did you know that the first three celebrity slots at the parade were not filled by men?
It was in 1951 that it was decided to introduce a guest celebrity into the parade, a role that was filled by singer Petula Clark.
And in the following two years, women again filled the celebrity roles – Yolande Donlan in 1952 and Muriel Pavlow joining the first ever Miss Battle, Treena van Dorne, in 1953.
In the years that followed it became an almost exclusively male affair – with the exception of 1956 when the position was filled by actress Anna Neagle – and by the early 1960s it
became established that Miss Battle should be accompanied by a celebrity Mr Battle.
Over the years, stars of stage and screen came to the Island to take on the title, as did sportsmen and musicians.
Famous faces included racing driver Stirling Moss, pop singers Frankie Vaughan and Sacha Distel, dancer and TV personality Lionel Blair, Bergerac actor John Nettles and Coronation Street star William Roache (Ken Barlow) – not forgetting one of the most popular Mr Battles ever, the late Roy Castle (pictured) in 1988.
The role was scrapped following the 1997 parade, however it was reintroduced a decade later, in 2007, when Island rugby star turned Dancing On Ice champion Kyran Bracken took on the role.
In the years that have followed, Mr Battles have included entertainer Christopher Biggins and pop star Gareth Gates.
Steve Gaston (40) has an important role to play in overseeing a team of more than 100 marshals on Battle day
When was your first Battle and how were you involved?
My first actual Battle was as a spectator when I was 11 when I came with my family on holiday to see the parade. I remember sitting in one of the grandstands watching the parade go up and down the arena.
How have you been involved since?
Seventeen years ago, Lyndon Farnham asked me to assist his wife with the crowd marshals and I am still involved all these years later.
I have continued to be involved with the crowd marshals and spent the majority of the years looking after the West Park end of the arena.
More recently I have taken on the overall responsibility for the marshalling and ensuring that not only the public, but my marshals, have a safe and enjoyable Battle.
What are you doing this year?
Well, Battle day for me starts around 6.30 am! As you can imagine there is a huge amount of organising and setting up of certain parts of the arena before the marshals and concessions turn up later in the morning. When you have up to 100 marshals turning up to check in at the same time, I need to be organised. If previous years are anything to go by, I will be spending my time running up and down the arena. This could involve me being down towards Paris Lane and then required at West Park – it doesn’t seem that far when you’re driving but trust me, it’s seems quite a distance when you’ve done it three or four times.
What’s the best float or performance you’ve ever seen in the Battle?
Each float, whether it’s the smaller junior entrants or the largest floats, have put in a tremendous amount of effort and fundraising. I wouldn’t like to single any one of them out – each and every one of them makes the Battle the success it is today.
Why do you love being involved with the Battle?
Personally for me it’s my way of putting something back into the community. The stresses and strains of the organisation are worth it when everything comes together for both parades.
