Welcome to our little island of sunshine in the English Channel

What’s it like to live in Jersey?
Is that where everyone’s rich and speaks French?
Is that where Jersey cows come from?
Is anyone in Jersey famous?
What can you do in Jersey?

Let me answer these questions you might have.

Beach huts looking over St Aubin’s Bay - Tina Langdon

Yes, some of our residents are very wealthy, but the majority are not.

It’s not a tax haven per se, but, as with everywhere, there are clever accountants that find loopholes to reduce tax bills, especially the more wealthy of us. However, most residents pay around 20% income tax, plus 5% Goods & Services Tax (GST), plus freight charges on many imported goods (that often matches 20% VAT).

We have a diverse population of just over 100,000 people. Some of us speak French and a few of the older generation still speak our Jersey French, known as Jèrriais. Many of us speak Portuguese, Polish, Italian, Indian and Romanian.

New Jersey, USA, often referred to simply as ‘Jersey’, is actually named after our little Island, and searches for ‘Jersey’ (USA) often end up with people discovering our little gem. ‘In 1664 the Dutch lost New Netherlands when the British took control of the land and added it to their colonies. They divided the land in half and gave control to two proprietors: Sir George Carteret (who was in charge of the east side) and Lord John Berkley (who was in charge of the west side). The land was officially named New Jersey after the Isle of Jersey in the English Channel. Carteret had been governor of the Isle of Jersey.‘ Extract from the official NJ.gov website.

A clifftop view of Bouley Bay with a field of sunflowers in the foreground and the island of Sark on the horizon — Bouley Bay with Sark on the horizon

Once a Jersey Girl, always a Jersey Girl

I consider myself extremely lucky to have been born in such a beautiful part of the world. Jersey, aka The Rock, is a wonderful place to live.

It’s only 9x5 miles & sits closer to France (14 miles) than England (85 miles). It’s the biggest, and arguably the most well known, of the eight Channel Islands: Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, Herm, Brechou, Jethou and Lihou.

It’s not technically part of the United Kingdom or Great Britain, but is a Crown Dependency and forms part of the British Isles. There are twelve districts, known as parishes, with the main town located in the southern parish of St Helier.

The Island slopes gently southwards. From dramatic 300ft cliffs in the north, with views of the other islands and France, to large flat sandy beaches on the western, eastern and southern coasts.
The slopped, south-facing fields are called côtils (pronounced coaties) and are ideal for growing crops, especially Jersey Royals.

There are many beautiful beaches, St Ouen (pronounced won) being one of the most popular with locals. With Atlantic waves rolling in, it’s the best place for surfers. It gets very busy in the summer with many families and friends firing up the BBQs and watching the sun go down.

What and who is Jersey famous for?

Cows and potatoes

Jersey is renowned for its new potatoes, known as Jersey Royals, many of which are exported to UK supermarkets. Their shape and taste have changed since I was a child when they were grown in fields covered in a seaweed called vraic (pronounced vrak). They’ve lost their distinctive kidney shape and, in my opinion (I’ll probably be hung for treason), taste pretty much like most other potatoes, but that doesn’t stop me from boiling them with a good sprig of mint and serving them dripping in butter. Delicious.

Milk produced by our beautiful Jersey cows is some of the best in the world. It has the highest butterfat (5%) and protein (3.8%) content than any other dairy cow. Jersey Dairy exports it all over the world, from Canada to China. I’ve even seen Jersey herds in New Zealand.

Famous People and a Cat from Jersey

From A list actors to sports personalities, and TV celebrities to YouTubers and a Royal photographer, Jersey has its fair share of famous offspring.

Henry Cavill (aka Superman) - Actor
Graeme Le Saux - Footballer: England, Southampton & Chelsea
Matt Porteous - Royal photographer
Serena Guthrie - Netballer: England Commonwealth gold medallist
Simon Laurens - Equestrian: Paralympian gold medallist
Johnny Labey (aka Paul Coker, EastEnders) - Actor
Chris Dixon (aka ChrisMD) - YouTuber

And finally, my daughter’s cat, Smudge (aka Meownuel Neuer). He often appears in both her YouTube and TikTok videos. Smudge went viral in May 2020, when Chris filmed a video about how easy it is to be conned by fake internet videos and photos.

Black and white cat sitting comfortably in his cat tree bed looking straight at the camera. — Smudge aka Meownuel Neuer - as if butter wouldn’t melt - Tina Langdon

Sunrises and sunsets

A silhouette of Mont Orgueil Castle and Gorey Pier with the orange sun rising behind the pier — Mont Orgueil at sunrise - Tina Langdon

A silhouette of Corbiere Lighthouse and surrounding rocks at sunset with the sky and thin clouds coloured orange and purple — Corbiere Lighthouse at sunset -Tina Langdon

Jersey is the sunniest place in the British Isles averaging 2000 hours of sunshine per year. Guernsey contests this but official records show we win.

There’s been a friendly rivalry between the islands for a few hundred years, but we understand how hard it must be for them to be the understudy. Only joking! Guernsey is also a very beautiful island and I would definitely recommend a trip there.

The sea

As you might imagine, being an island, the sea plays a huge part in our everyday life, and is relied upon for freight and travel.

Jersey has one of the largest tidal movements in the world. During the spring tides, it can recede up to two miles with a range between 0.3ft/0.1m to 40ft/12m.
Like many others, my Dad, brother and I go low water fishing at least once every year on a large autumn spring tide. The seascapes are stunning with many sandbanks and rocks uncovered. There’s something special about foraging for fresh seafood, then cooking it on the boat and eating it with a fresh baguette whilst waiting for the tide to rise.

You have to keep your wits about you though, as the tide comes in remarkably quick and many people, especially tourists, get caught out by it every year.

A view at the low water mark looking back towards the south coast of Jersey — Low water fishing on the south coast - Tina Langdon

Checking the fishing pot for crabs or lobsters — Dad checking the fishing pot for crabs or lobsters - Tina Langdon

What can you do in Jersey?

For a small island, it certainly packs a punch.

There’s a lot to see and experience from days at the beach, eating out and visiting Jersey Zoo. A full coastal circuit drive only takes around two hours, but it’s hard not to stop at pretty harbours or superb vantage points along the way.

A view of boats in St Aubin’s harbour at high tide with quaint harbour buildings in the background — St Aubin’s harbour - Tina Langdon

Eating out

It’s a favourite pastime of Islanders, be it breakfast, lunch or dinner.

From the highly popular Rozel harbour kiosk The Hungry Man and gastro pubs to the Michelin star restaurant, Bohemia, there are a huge number of high quality and varied eateries all over the island.

We take relaxation seriously

Jersey has a great selection of spas dotted around the Island.

My personal favourite is Spa Sirene at the Royal Yacht Hotel, St Helier - there’s an immediate sense of calm and tranquillity as soon as you walk in. The facilities are excellent and include a swimming pool, large jacuzzi, steam rooms and relaxation areas. The treatments and products are fabulous.

Other spas can be found at The Grand Hotel and Hotel De France, both in St Helier, and Hotel L’Horizon, St Brelade.

Jersey Zoo

A bronze statue of Gerald Durrell with a lemur and lizard at the entrance to the zoo — Bronze statue of Gerald Durrell at the entrance to the zoo - Tina Langdon

Whether a local or tourist, Jersey Zoo (aka Durrell Wildlife Conservation), set up by Gerald Durrell, is a must-see. Conservation is key and the staff work closely with many countries around the world to safeguard the wildlife. From butterflies and ring-tailed lemurs to brightly coloured flamingos and tiny frogs, there are many species of animal, birds and flora on the complex.

Probably the most famous animal to have lived at here was Jambo, the Gorilla.
In August 1986, my then boyfriend and I were visiting the zoo when we were surprised to see an ambulance driving past us and wondered why it had stopped near the gorilla enclosure. Then we saw the crowd of people around the enclosure and a little boy lying next to the wall at the bottom of the pit! The rest is history, as the story about the ‘Gentle Giant’ went around the world.

The grounds are beautifully maintained and I like to go there simply to wander around for a couple of hours, or grab a bite to eat in the Cafe Firefly.

I highly recommend a stay at the 5* glamping site.

My first stay was in 2013 with a friend and my youngest daughter, and most recently in September 2021 for my daughter’s 30th birthday celebration. The main pod sleeps 4 people on comfortable beds with a wood fire for the cooler nights. I can’t stress enough how cold it can get in the shoulder month nights so strongly recommend taking/requesting multiple blankets. There are separate tents for the kitchen dining area, and a flushing toilet and impressive power shower. You can sunbathe on the deck or sip a cheeky glass of wine once the kids are in bed.

Café Firefly serves a fabulous breakfast to start your day. We had a fantastic time on both occasions.

Air Display

And, if all that isn’t enough, in early September we host the Jersey International Air Display, which is watched by thousands of Islanders and visitors alike. St Aubin’s Bay is a perfect setting for the aerial display.

The Red Arrows have visited us almost every year of the display. I was thrilled in 2021 when the then Team Leader shared one of my photos on his Instagram account RAFRED1 (not the one below).

The Red Arrows certainly know how to make an entrance. — The Red Arrows certainly know how to make an entrance - Tina Langdon

Our Island’s heritage is extremely important

We’ve been loyal to the English Crown for over 800 years, but have been forced to defend our freedom during that time. In 1781, the French tried to invade which resulted in the Battle of Jersey.

More famously, Jersey and the other islands were occupied by German forces for 5 years during World War II. On 28 June 1940, the Luftwaffe bombed Jersey and three days later (my Dad’s 1st birthday), the Island’s government was forced to surrender. The 2018 film, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, highlights the hardship, starvation and difficult choices many Channel Islanders faced during those years.

Many coastal fortifications built by POWs are still visible today. A trip to the Jersey War Tunnels is an excellent, if somewhat emotional, way of learning about our Island’s history during that time.

Every year, on 9th May we celebrate our Liberation by the British Army.

The Jersey flag. A red saltire on a white background with a 'crowned' badge of Jersey in the top section. — The Jersey flag

For more information on our lovely Island, I recommend going to the Jersey website. And, I recently wrote a guest post for KaliTravel.net which is full of more details.

Have you ever visited Jersey? If not, we’d love you to come and see it for yourself.

Life Update: I’ve now left my beautiful home island to live in the UK. It was a big decision but made easier by events over the past five years. BUT! Once a Jersey girl, always a Jersey girl.

Living on an Island