BROLLIES could have become parasols in Liberation Square on Saturday morning – with a rather grim forecast which included a 70% chance of rain thankfully holding off, at least for the first and most important part of the day.
Instead, the thousands of people who gathered in and around Liberation Square for the 81st anniversary of Liberation Day could not only stay dry but also bask in some rather glorious and unexpected sunshine.
And the gentle northeasterly breeze not only kept the temperature moderate but meant the many Union flags and Jersey saltires around the town and up at Fort Regent could billow proudly, matching the pride, gratitude and patriotism of the gathered ensemble beneath.
As Occupation survivors become fewer and first-hand accounts fade, there is a natural desire to make Jersey’s national day relevant to future generations. Judging by the diversity of the crowd – perhaps not in the square itself but certainly in its surrounds – that wish is being fulfilled.
It was a point that the Bailiff, Robert MacRae, made in his first Liberation Day speech, when he reflected on a recent visit to D’Auvergne School, where he chatting to some of its pupils over a Jersey Wonder at a Liberation tea party.
He said: “D’Auvergne is a school where the pupils speak a total of 20 languages when they are at home and in the words of the Headteacher: ‘Through their lessons and assemblies, the children are taught that peaceful co-existence, mutual respect and treating one another with fairness are reflections of the liberties we enjoy as a result of the sacrifices of those who have gone before us.’.”
The Bailiff added: “Other schools have marked our national day in different ways and Liberation Day and its significance is alive and well in the schools of Jersey.
“So, I think that we can face the future with optimism. As the first-hand recollections of Liberation pass into history, the stories of those who lived and struggled during those years will not, and the joy of watching the re-enactment that we are about to witness will never fade.”
That re-enactment will be familiar to many. For several decades now, naval personnel and others have retraced the footsteps of key personnel 81 years ago but it is still warmly received – and people who have never seen it always remark how unusual and enjoyable it is.
Another staple of Liberation Day is a rendition of the Island’s official anthem, Beautiful Jersey; however, this year’s soloist 17-year-old Savanna Vogt – making her debut performance in the square – sang with such beauty and poise, both in Jèrriais and English, that there were more than a few glistening eyes in the crowd.
Last year’s PwC Young Musician of the Year really did hit the right note.
After the States sitting, service and re-enactment, the subsequent marchpast by uniformed organisations and motorcade was flanked by pavement-deep spectators, many of whom then went to the Weighbridge to dance, eat and bask in the enduring sunshine.
Far from fading from memory, Liberation Day appears to be being embraced by the next generation of Islanders as well as modern, multicultural Jersey in all its forms – helped, as always, by an unexpected dose of sunshine.
