The fact that I’ve mentioned this is going to get me into some serious mickey taking from the thinkers and drinkers down at the pub this evening, along with semi-serious accusations of name dropping, but, as at least a couple of them will argue somewhat sarcastically, that’s the price you pay for having influential acquaintances.
Lord Matthews had come here to live and, business being business, had bought Le Brun’s Bakery from Brian Le Marquand and, with apparent reluctance, had that week announced the closure of the Sunshine Bakery’s very popular bakery and eating place (as I recall it was a bit more than cakes and snacks) at Snow Hill.
I was probably in head above the parapet mode at the time but I opened the conversation on this subject with something along the lines of ‘yet another asset stripper’ has moved here – a somewhat unfair observation, as it turned out, but thankfully Lord Matthews was perhaps more patient with me than I deserved.
No, he said, somewhat forcibly, it was greedy landlords who will eventually ruin every main street in the British
Isles and, as far as Jersey is concerned, drive shoppers out of town because the place will be full of junk jewellery
shops and very little else – certainly no food outlets of any description.
I only met him on that occasion but each time I’ve seen yet another what you’d call ‘High Street retailer’ close its doors – sadly, with the inevitable human tragedy for staff and suppliers that comes with businesses closing – I think of his words.
As with so many other things which have happened to us over the years, it seems the adage that you never bite the hand that feeds you is something which often tends to be forgotten, and particularly so when it appears that greed takes a hold.
I have no problem at all with the decision by St Lawrence Constable Deidre Mezbourian to ask for proof of identity when issuing ballot papers for a vote at her forthcoming parish assembly to discuss the controversial alterations to that parish’s Anglican church, and indeed would not be opposed to all parishes adopting the same principle, given the fact that the Island’s changing population makes informal identification by parish officials all but impossible.
But, and it’s a massive ‘but’, I very much fear that her decision to refuse entry to the media – something unprecedented in my recollection of Island and parochial politics unless, as in the case of a few Big House debates, the law specifically allows for it – is as big an error of judgment as it was possible for her to make.
I would imagine that not only the Constable but also both sides in this particularly contentious little spat, would support the general principle – as used in courts of law for centuries – that not only must justice be done but it must also be seen to be done and that has been the principal function of the media in a democracy for an age.
Something not far removed from this situation happened a generation or so ago when one particular parish Constable objected to a certain journalist covering assemblies on his patch. He made it known that if that reporter turned up for the next meeting then the Honorary Police would refuse him entry. As I recall, the Constable was reminded in a call from one of the Law Officers of the Crown that barring journalists was unwise, and particularly so because the ensuing story would be bigger than the original issue and it would also expose the parish to ridicule.
Common sense eventually prevailed and I would hope that the same will happen in this particular case. The issue has caused enough ill feeling as it is.
And finally… They take enough stick in this column so this week a bouquet to Ports of Jersey for having the bottle to get on with the job and cull the feral geese in the Airport vicinity before they caused a catastrophic accident.
