Gallery Jersey 206: Feb/Mar 2026 by factory

#206 CONTRIBUTORS

Words and pictures this issue courtesy of...

TOBY BALDERSON

Through a unique trinity of proximity, expert knowledge and nepotism, we’ve recruited Toby to comment on all things tech. He starts by going on an AI detox. Pg. 156

GLEN PEROTTE

Our resident 1o Minden Street photographer took time out from his creative projects to capture Will Howarth for this month’s music profile. Pg. 160

NYAH SCHIESSL

Nyah seeks out freshness in connections rather than reinvention as she considers the year ahead Pg. 36

Daisy interviewed local up-andcoming musician Will Howarth about his route into becoming a singersongwriter, his nightmare chords and diverse musical influences Pg. 160

DANNY EVANS

Danny managed to pack a cross section of shoot requirements into the last week before production (including a fashion shoot) ahead of shooting off to go wild in Japan. Pg. 94

LAURA MOREL

Laura overcame her book club apprehensions, attending her first one, just for us. She checked out the casual and approachable ‘Overbooked Society’ Pg. 32

JAMIE WILLOW

Our annual Bridal Bible gets a new set of illustations, courtesy of Jamie’s creativity. She also gives Toby’s Hivemind Detox a visual interpretation. Pg. 156

We commissioned the master of all things ‘Not the Jersey Police’ and some pretty lovely colouring books to create cartoons throughout this issue to lighten your mood (and a crossword!) Pg. 170

EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS

Maggie Bain

Toby Balderson

Flo Balderson

Emma Pallent

Nyah Schiessl

Daisy Taylor

Ryan Thomas

Laura Morel

PHOTOGRAPHY/ILLUSTRATION

Carl Gallie

Danny Evans

Jamie Willow

Kasia Guzak

Glen Perotte

Blake Watson

Zara Le Cornu

Ryan Thomas

Cameron Aird

CAN YOU CREATE? contribute@gallery.je

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FEATURE WE PROFILE ISLANDERS editorial@gallery.je

If you are an artist with work to exhibit, an entertainment organiser with an event coming up, a business with some exciting news or a new product to feature, get in touch. We’re keen to feature anything captivating that will be of interest to the good people of Jersey who flick through a Gallery each edition.

RYAN THOMAS

DAISY TAYLOR

EDITOR

EMMA PALLENT emma@factory.je

ADVERTISING & SALES

CERI BAKER ceri@factory.je

FLO BALDERSON flo@factory.je

PUBLISHER BEN DAVIES ben@factory.je

ENQUIRIES/SUBMISSION editorial@factory.je DISTRIBUTION distro@factory.je ACCOUNTS accounts@factory.je

PUBLISHER’S NOTE

Good things come to those who create.

In the past I’ve characterised the production of a magazine in this intro as being a little bit Groundhog Day. I’m definitely guilty of using weird film references to explain my point of view and, in the interests of making my point and being marginally more fresh, I’m tipping my hat for this issue to Edge of Tomorrow, or even Mickey 17.

Whether you exist in the Murray, Cruise or Pattinson universe, the circle of ‘Live, Die, Repeat’ is one familiar to any of us who find ourselves in a cyclic work process. Whilst our production timeframes are quite long, the deadlines come around quickly. Chasing people for content, chasing photographers for photos, chasing clients for artwork — right until this final hour — is always par for the course. But that’s what happens when you create something from scratch. It’s like the guys at The Market Juice Bar who make you fresh porridge in a little pan: if you want something truly fresh, you’ve got to labour a little.

I’ve added those em dashes above with my little human hands on purpose. It’s so tempting to think that we can use our AI friends to speed up processes and try and break the cycle, but is any content produced by ChatGPT, Gemini or any other LLM actually ‘fresh’? No, of course not — they’re all (for the moment) technically just quasi-quantum recycling machines. Every time I get an email with a set of bullet points with star graphics it makes me sigh. Where are we in the process when we’re using AI to advise us on how to advise people on AI? It’s about the opposite of fresh. It’s the opposite of human.

A fresh-themed issue should be progressive, but our content for this edition looks both forwards and back. We encourage you to look at the analogue images of Laura Dos Ramos’s No Place Like Home project and view the debate around living conditions in Jersey with fresh eyes (pg. 38) and, contrastingly, consider how we embrace AI in our work and try and escape the temptations of the hivemind (pg. 156). It’s important to stay progressive, but still take time to smell the flowers, as the wonderful florists in our feature on pg. 48 are able to do each day. Stay human. Try to do or create something fresh each day and remember not to delegate too much of your humanity to a prompt.

/ LIFE & STYLE IN JERSEY

Disclaimer. All rights reserved. Any form of reproduction of Gallery Magazine, in part or whole is strictly prohibited without the written consent of the publisher. Any views expressed by advertisers or contributors may not be those of the publisher. Unsolicited artwork, manuscripts and copy are accepted by Gallery Magazine, but the publisher cannot be held responsible for any loss or damage. All material, copy and artwork supplied is assumed to be copyright free unless otherwise advised. Contributions for Gallery should be emailed to editorial@gallery.je. Names have been changed to protect the innocent and no penguins were harmed in the manufacture of this magazine, although the new cover colour is called ’penguin white’. Tag us in your pictures at @gallerymagazine and Ben Davies will take you skiing. Recycle. Gallery recycles all its storage and packing materials, boxes and any old magazines that are returned. We don’t get that many fortunately. We love to know our readers hang on to previous copies but when you move or find that they’re taking up too much space, drop them down to your nearest recycling bin. If you want to find out more about recycling, call 01534 448586. We put this in a green font. It’s not made out of leaves, honest.

In The Wash 94

Maison Restorative

Studios

Hypnotic State

The Manor, Reborn 42

Will Howarth 160

Bridal Bible 61

Le Hocq Hamptons 116

Heather Barette travelled to Korea to go seriously big on pot-making as she learnt the ancient art of Onggi.

Encore!

With our amazing Opera House now allowing locals to tread the boards once more, we throw questions at new CEO Sebastian Warrack.

Flower Girls

A seasonal barrage of fresh coloured blooms pep up our pages as we profile a bunch of local florists.

Hypnotic State 56

Think your holidays are interesting? How about flying half way around the world to seek out and save killer snakes. And get some photos, of course.

Bridal Bible

Our annual A-Z(ish) of all things wedded bliss to help you find some things to make your big day even bigger.

Before and After

120

Some of the island’s interior designers talk us through their process in some creative examples of their positive inflluence.

Our business supplement shares stories of women who are pushing their chosen industry forward.

The Royal Yacht 21st November

The Jersey Estate Agent’s Ball only happens every two years and the 2025 event marked the 60th Anniversary of the organisation. As usual , the organising committee of Catherine Buckley and Shelagh Marrett did an impressive job of getting a range of prizes for the raffle that raised

funds for ABC Breast Cancer Support Jersey, and Friends of Jersey Oncology. The ball also gave away a sparkly prize to one lucky winner who found a diamond in their ringbox after dinner instead of a chocolate, sponsored by Rivoli Jewellers and Places Property Portal.

JEAA DIAMOND BALL

KNIGHT FRANK JERSEY LAUNCH PARTY

Wednesday, November 19, 2025

The Royal Yacht

Local estate agents Wilsons are now officially Knight Frank Jersey, with shiny new offices on Halkett Street. You may have seen them as you’ve been walking past the market? As part of their rebrand and relaunch, they invited friends and property industry professionals to a celebratory

shindig at The Royal Yacht to mark the occasion. Drinks flowed, canapes were plentiful. They even allowed us to steal more of their giveaway promotional Christmas baubles than we were technically allowed. Our office Christmas tree was significantly enhanced as a result.

MINIMAL WORKS BY CONNOR DALY - PRIVATE VIEW

15th January 2026

ArtHouse Jersey at Capital House

As ArtHouse’s first exhibition of the year, this great show brought together a series of photographic works by Connor. The simple, clean lines were a study of urban spacescompositions of colour, material and shape,

clarity during the darkest winter months. Many of the photographs were taken in Jersey, and for local audiences there is an added quiet intrigue, look closely and you may begin to recognise familiar sites, transformed beyond their everyday

38 million pounds paid for ‘The Grove’ in St Lawrence, setting the record for the most expensive home bought in Jersey. Estate agents at Fine & Country briefly ascended to Nirvana.

10.50

an hour is the wage that is making a career change into hairdressing ‘largely unviable’ for adults with mortgages and families. Salon owners warned that without reform, the industry will continue to lose potential recruits to finance firms, like every other noncorporate industry.

A&E doctor posed the question of whether Jersey wants to legalise recreational cannabis use, and risk becoming known as ‘Weed Island’. Comments underneath the JEP’s Facebook post read: ‘better than being called tax evasion island,’ ‘you have to be pretty stoned to live here,’ and ‘I think the tourism industry could use all the help it can get, tbh.’

Several ceramic gnomes were wedged between the railings of Millennium Park, with no explanation and no known owner. The government and parish were contacted in case this was official policy. Nobody, at time of writing, has claimed responsibility for the gnome migration.

counts of voyeurism landed a Cambridgeeducated doctor on the Sex Offenders Register after he filmed men at urinals while training at the hospital. His defence argued that the videos were not for sexual gratification, which the Royal Court did not find compelling. The gymgoer who spoke up was celebrated for his bravery.

children are currently being held at La Moye Prison, the Children’s Minister confirmed, which is reassuring in a sentence that shouldn’t exist. Part of the adult prison had previously been designated as a young offenders institution after a couple of rogues took it too far at Greenfields.

horses, alongside goats, chickens, ducks and a guinea pig, were seized from an equestrian centre over welfare concerns. Happy Hooves, unfortunately, was not living up to its name.

mis·cel·la·ny mi-sə-lā-nē

Illustration: Zara Le Cornu

Fresh Starts.

With February upon us, we’ve reached that time of year when most New Year’s resolutions have already imploded. In a desperate attempt to cling to your sense of self-worth, you’ve convinced yourself it’s not you, but your unattainable standards that are to blame. But let’s be honest: does it really take a mental guru to summon the motivation to run three times a week? Is it possible it’s not your ‘unattainable’ goals, but you?

If so, don’t fret. Many repeat the old truism that a leopard never changes its spots; but we are not leopards. Why not change who you are on a whim? If standard self-improvement methods aren’t cutting it, perhaps it’s time to try something more radical. Below is a curated selection of ways to go into 2027 as an entirely new person, and maybe, if you’re lucky, develop the mental determination you needed last month.

1Sell Your Organs on the Dark Web

Figuring out how much of your internal décor you can auction off while staying alive is arguably the ultimate side hustle. Just log onto a Tor browser, and suddenly you’ll realise that kidneys are the Bitcoin of the human body. This subculture of entrepreneurial selfharm thrives on questionable ethics and a willingness to declutter unnecessary baggage. It’s a radical reset, but one that’s sure to make you become, if not feel, incredibly lighter.

Invest in the Stock Market

There is no form of gambling more openly encouraged by polite society than this one. Entering the world of investing invites immediate unsolicited coaching from friends who probably haven’t read a book since GCSE English, yet are suddenly fluent in ‘acronym’. It’s capitalism’s version of rehab, where finfluencers yell “diversify your portfolio!” in your face at least six times a day, as you desperately stab in the dark at ‘the next biggest investment opportunity’. You’ll feel like the Wolf of Wall Street for about eight hours, until your favourite tech startup spontaneously crashes overnight, and you notice your big toe is still poking through a hole in your only clean pair of socks.

Go on a 10-Day Silent Retreat

This is a fresh start for those with everyday middle-class problems looking to experience psychosis. Weather-worn modern professionals pay extortionate fees to live like Victorian orphans for ten days, forbidden from speaking, reading, writing, or making eye contact with fellow inmates. Meals are beige. Rooms are beige. Emotions are beige. Mandatory silence amplifies your internal screaming (which is encouraged). By Day 7, you’ll probably find ‘clarity’ crying into a bowl of lentils, upon realisation that you subjected yourself to torture to get over minor inconveniences such as your partner’s loud chewing.

Become a Hippie

I have never met a dissatisfied hippie. Their inner landscapes appear permanently bathed in golden-hour sunlight. If you’re a cynical bastard who can’t imagine rewiring your entire brain, worry not: total transformation is as simple as one industrial-strength dose of ayahuasca, pummelling your neural pathways into spiritual mashed potato. Becoming a hippie is the fresh start for people who want inner peace and like the idea of going off-grid, but never followed through with actually deleting Instagram. After all, how else would they brag about their sizeable incense collection and newly awakened sense of self? All past trauma is swiftly cured via crystals mined by underpaid pre-teens in India, and as your food becomes more fermented, so your emotions become more valid. Now you think of it, every conversation begins and ends with how you feel, swaddled within the safety net of knowing there’s always an external factor you can blame for why you became the way you are.

Start Sea Swimming

The Spectator once described wild swimming as “being cold and wet for Guardian readers,” which is bold, as one would usually assume even their nemesis has the sense not to dress like a neoprene-wrapped suppository at sunrise. But if there’s any hobby likely to completely transform your personality, it’s this one. Serious neuroplasticity must be gained by flinging yourself into hypothermia every morning and not shutting up about it. With dopamine spikes apparently equivalent to a line of cocaine, the sea swimmer and the cokehead share similar levels of general elation, differences in circulation aside. Both parties can testify that their hobbies have turned their lives upside-down, and sea swimmers can brag that they spend more time worshipping the St Helier Tides webpage than Outlook, Duolingo, and social media combined.

Buy a Thermomix

The Thermomix is the middle-aged equivalent of using AI: why enjoy cooking when you can automate it like your child automates their homework? The hard part isn’t overcoming the loss of a human touch, it’s spending £1,200 on it and then convincing your offspring that the chicken curry you accidentally blended “tastes exactly the same”. Owners insist it’s an “investment”, as though their time is so astronomically valuable that half an hour at the stove must be repurposed into “more productive things”. These “things” typically include binging Netflix originals or trolling strangers on the ‘Good or Bad Jersey Businesses’ Facebook page.

Join a Pyramid Scheme

This is a fresh start for stay-at-home parents who regret quitting their careers, so decide to wrap their finances up in exquisite branding and watch it blow up in their face. All you need is unwavering delusion, 200 bottles of ambiguous collagen-acid hybrid substances, and a pitiful amount of dignity. Success isn’t measured in income but rather in how many acquaintances you’ve alienated through relentless Instagram reels, or how many people avoid making direct eye contact with you on King Street. Promotion is always right at your fingertips, provided you maintain regular manifestation and have a plethora of meek cousins to rope in if necessary.

Become a Digital Nomad

Becoming a digital nomad is a slightly less insufferable way of announcing an existential crisis than starting a podcast. Why confront your inner demons when you can pop on a pair of linen trousers and spend your meagre earnings in a country with a far lower GDP? Digital nomads thrive on pretending they’ve hacked the system, when in reality they spend 87% of their energy hunting cafes that won’t evict them for treating a single matcha purchase as monthly office rent. This money was better directed into their £400 backpack that can “fit their whole life,” provided they ignore the closet of unresolved issues they left at home.

Run a Marathon

This is the least original way to process a life crisis, which is probably why it’s so popular. It’s likely caused by the general lack of creativity remaining in the worn-out souls resorting to this drastic measure, where the best they could do was take ‘I need to run away from my problems’ literally. Since then, every flavour of existentialism - mundane mortgages, ‘what am I doing with my life’ vertigo, retiring early from a corporate job physically but not mentally - has been treated with the same prescription: a rigorous programme of kneedestroying physical activity. The real event, however, is not the 26.2 miles of exercise; it’s the mental challenge of spending four uninterrupted hours with the voices of your inner demons.

What’s on.

KEY EVENTS FROM OUR LEADING LOCAL TOURIST GUIDE

This selection of events is taken from What’s On, our sister Tourist Guide publication. Released quarterly, it’s the essential guide for visitors to the Island. If you have people coming to stay or you’re hosting AirBnBers, make sure you grab one from our transit hubs or Visit Jersey at the Liberty Bus station for them to keep as their companion during visits to Jersey. They’re packed with local information and fresh each season. Look out for the Autumn edition now.

IF YOU EVER WANT LISTINGS IN WHAT’S ON, REGISTER AND UPLOAD DETAILS TO VISIT JERSEY’S ‘MYLISTINGS’ PORTAL.

14 FEB

The Dreaming Trees

This February, Howard Davis Park will come alive as the trees are illuminated to create a magical wonderland, further enhanced with a unique soundscape. Explore the illuminated park, learn more about Jersey’s fantastic trees and expect something completely new and exciting for 2026...

Howard Davis Park 6 Saint Clement’s Road, St. Helier +44 (0) 1534 445509 dfi@gov.je

GOV.JE

21 FEB 19:30-22:00

Talon - The Best of Eagles

Revered by their peers and loved by their fans, this world class seven-piece band are a phenomenon. £32.00

Jersey Opera House Gloucester Street, St. Helier +44 (0) 1534 511115 boxoffice@jerseyoperahouse.co.uk JERSEYOPERAHOUSE.CO.UK

16 FEB 10:00-16:00

Pirates at The Maritime Museum

All hands on deck! During February Half Term, the Maritime Museum will be transformed into a pirate stronghold and you’re invited to join the crew. £10.25 Maritime Museum New North Quay, St. Helier +44 (0) 1534 633300 info@jerseyheritage.org JERSEYHERITAGE.ORG

19 FEB 19:00-21:15

Youtheatre: The Government Inspector

The mayor and local officials of a small provincial town in Russia have got it made: corruption is rife and they have all the power. Yet, when they learn that an undercover government inspector is about to make a visit, they face a mad dash to cover their tracks… £8.00

Jersey Arts Centre Phillips Street, St. Helier +44 (0) 1534 700444 enquiries@artscentre.je ARTSCENTRE.JE

6 MAR 19:30-21:30

JIMEOIN – Pandemonium!

A not-to-be-missed, hilarious evening with one of live comedy’s universally acclaimed true masters - we are absolutely delighted to welcome the stand-up legend that is Jimeoin to Jersey Opera House with his brilliantly funny new tour ‘Pandemonium’! £25.00

Jersey Opera House Gloucester Street, St. Helier +44 (0) 1534 511115

boxoffice@jerseyoperahouse.co.uk JERSEYOPERAHOUSE.CO.UK/

27 FEB 19:30

LIVE AT THE BARRACKS: Phoebe Willson

Phoebe Willson is a vocalist and creative leader with deep roots in Jersey’s music and education scenes. As Jersey Manager for the School of Popular Music (SoPM), Phoebe has mentored and developed emerging talent while fostering a community built on creativity and confidence.

Grève de Lecq Barracks Chemin du Catel, St. Mary +44 (0) 1534 617521 info@arts.je ARTHOUSEJERSEY.JE/

13 MAR 19:00-22:00

National Theatre Live: Hamlet

The Jersey Opera House will be screening the National Theatre Live Hamlet, by William Shakespeare and directed by Robert Hastie. £19.00

Jersey Opera House Gloucester Street, St. Helier +44 (0) 1534 511115

boxoffice@jerseyoperahouse.co.uk JERSEYOPERAHOUSE.CO.UK

4 MAR 19:00-21:00

Open Studio with Ballet D’Jèrri Ballet d’Jèrri’s Open Studios are informal evenings that invite you inside the creative process. Join us inside our studio at Jersey Opera House for an up-close look at new work in development — from early sketches to nearly finished pieces.

Jersey Opera House Gloucester Street, St. Helier

info@ballet.je EVENTBRITE.COM

15 MAR 09:30-13:00 Bark Run

Join us for a fun and inclusive 5k race raising vital funds for animals in need across the Island. Kindly sponsored by FocusedIT, this family friendly event is open to all ages and abilities. Whether you’re just starting out or you’re a seasoned runner chasing a new PB, the Bark Run is for you! Fancy dress is encouraged (but not essential). £10.00

Les Quennevais Sports Centre +44 (0) 1534 724331

fundraising@jspca.org.je JSPCA.ORG.JE/

17 MAR 19:30-22:00

The Makings of a Murderer

Join Peter Bleksley, a founding member of Scotland Yard’s undercover unit and former star of Channel 4’s Hunted, as he lifts the lid on the most dangerous and hidden aspects of murder investigations. £26.00

Jersey Opera House Gloucester Street, St. Helier +44 (0) 1534 511115

boxoffice@jerseyoperahouse.co.uk JERSEYOPERAHOUSE.CO.UK

26 MAR 19:30-21:30

Jazz en Jerri: Callum Gillies

Born and raised in Jersey, Callum is an exceptional singer who brings energy and charm to every stage he graces. Gillies has an ability to breathe new life to some of the greatest standards ever written. He brings a warm presence to the stage, engaging audiences with his charm and passion for the music he performs. £19.00

Jersey Arts Centre Phillips Street, St. Helier +44 (0) 1534 700444 enquiries@artscentre.je ARTSCENTRE.JE

19 MAR 12:00-23:00

Taste Jersey Jersey’s land and sea offer such an abundance of excellent produce, from seafood to dairy to Jersey Royal potatoes and more. Explore the flavours of Jersey during Taste Jersey - a food festival dedicated to showcasing local produce in creative menus, special dining events, and unique experiences. £25.00

Luxury Jersey Hotels (Various) , St. Helier

info@luxuryjerseyhotels.com TASTEJERSEY.CO.UK

28 MAR 19:30

LIVE AT THE BARRACKS: Annie Law

Annie Law is a Jersey-born singer-songwriter whose music weaves folk roots, acoustic warmth, and a soulful, bluesy vocal style into a sound that is as honest as it is captivating. A gifted guitarist and accomplished performer, Annie is a well-respected figure in Jersey’s music scene, known for her expressive voice and emotional depth. £15.00

Grève de Lecq Barracks Chemin du Catel, St. Mary +44 (0) 1534 617521 info@arts.je ARTHOUSEJERSEY.JE/

20 MAR 12:00-18:00

The Channel Islands Contemporary Art Show

This second edition of The Channel Islands Contemporary Art Show is inspired from the diverse voices, social realities, ecosystems and global connections of the present day Channel Islands.

ArtHouse Jersey at Capital House 8 Church Street, St. Helier +44 (0) 1534617521

info@arts.je ARTHOUSEJERSEY.JE/

28 MAR 17:00-23:30

White Collar Darts

Get set for an evening of darting drama and electric entertainment as we unleash WCD26. Expect dynamite on and off the stage as we launch twenty arrow armed amateurs into the spotlight for their chance at being crowned WCD champion. With many exciting changes planned for this year’s event, this is an experience not to be missed. £85.00

Royal Jersey Showground A8, Trinity +44 (0) 7797 826550 info@islandfever.je

CULTURE

VULTURE

Exhibitions + Workshops

Collins Pop Up Exhibition Series

Sat 21–Sun 22 Mar

ArtHouse Jersey HQ | 10:00–17:00 | Free

If you fancy a rugged country walk as spring begins settling in, the end of March is a great time to head to the West. Journey from Grosnez to Grève de Lecq on the coastal paths, finishing at the Barracks, where ArtHouse is showing three artists in a short-run pop-up.

Corey Chad Ceccarelli is a Canadian contemporary multi-disciplinary artist who now resides in Jersey. His art blends themes of energy, humanity, science, nature and sexuality, using mediums such as acrylics, found objects and recycled materials to create works that aim to resonate with emotion and curiosity.

Nina Zaech creates minimal and optical large-scale acrylic paintings and lino prints, and in this exhibition she will be presenting her drawings and upcycled bags. Corina Tuinea’s work will also be on display, having recently ventured into acrylics and clay from drawing buildings, mythology and faces in black ink. Her interests are uncanny landscapes, and she enjoys drawing her vivid dreams the most.

Colourful Interactions

6 Jan–2 Feb

Jersey Arts Centre (Berni Gallery) | Cafe JAC opening hours | Free

Still Loud: 50 Years of Punk

12 Jan–2 Feb

Jersey Arts Centre (Berni Gallery) | Cafe JAC opening hours | Free

The “You Are Never Too Old Club” (weekly social art meet) Every Tuesday (Feb–Mar )

The Harbour Gallery | 13:30–15:30 | Free (donations optional)

Two-Day Glass Mosaic Course (Vicky Ovenden)

Sat 7–Sun 8 Mar

The Harbour Gallery | 10:30–16:00 | Price on enquiry

Wet Felting (Bianca Padidar) Sat 14–Sun 15 Mar

The Harbour Gallery | 10:00–16:00 | Price on enquiry

Carol Ann Sutherland Exhibition 20 Mar–24 Apr

CCA Galleries | 12:00–18:00 (Mon–Fri) | Free

Family Fun

Pirates (Half-term takeover) 16–20 Feb

Maritime Museum | Usual entry fees

Over February half-term, there’s the unique opportunity to step into a world of daring deeds, roaring cannons and salty sea tales during five days of pirate-packed family fun at the Maritime Museum. Returning to Jersey after two years of sailing the high seas, the legendary pirates from Griffin Historical are dropping anchor once again, bringing serious pirate credentials with them. From staging events for Historic Royal Palaces and English Heritage to publishing books on piracy, working in film and television, and even appearing in Pirates of the Caribbean, these pirates have explored the world, to say the least. Climb aboard to hear thrilling tales, hunt for hidden knowledge, get creative and prepare yourself for a live-action showdown. This half-term adventure promises to be legendary.

Tongue Twisters (Hamptonne trail + puppet story)

Sun 1 Feb

Hamptonne | 13:00–15:00 (story 14:30) | £6 per child

Folklore for Families (fireside storytelling) Sun 8 Feb

Hamptonne | 13:00–15:00 | £6 per child

Dantastic’s Pirate Adventure 21–22 Feb

Jersey Opera House (Studio) | See showtimes | From £13

Nightlife

Galentines – Cabaret Night Fri 13 Feb

The Sundown | 20:00 | £15

Whilst there usually isn’t a cover charge at The Sundown, this night has one, and for good reason. If you’re searching for the perfect Galentines before Valentine’s, head to this cabaret night supported by the fabulous Annie Bonny, Elsie from Ruby Rouge and Jodie from Jersey Bounce. Joining Jenna for a fun night of singing and dancing to your favourite tunes, this night will be miles better than trying to shout over Spotify in a noisy bar.

The Reasons

Fri 6 Feb

The Sundown | 22:00 | Free

Brickhouse Sat 7 Feb

The Sundown | 22:00 | Free

Elsie and the Emeralds Thu 12 Feb

The Sundown | 20:30 | Free

An Evening of Burlesque Cabaret (18+) 13–14 Feb

Jersey Opera House | 19:30 | From £31

Jersey Bounce Sat 14 Feb

The Sundown | 22:00 | Free

Roodmood Fri 27 Feb

The Sundown | 22:00 | Free

Take This Sat 28 Feb

The Sundown | 20:30 | Free

Performances (Dance / Music / Theatre)

PwC Jersey Young Musician of the Year Sat 28 Feb

Jersey Opera House | 19:00–21:00 | From £8

If you want a night of listening to some outstanding local talent, head to this fiercely fought annual competition, organised by the Jersey Music Service and sponsored by PwC. Celebrating its 34th year of highlighting the best of Jersey’s young musicians, it’s a programme that promises an extraordinarily high standard of performance. It usually features a spread of instruments and repertoire, with the winner judged on musicality and technical accomplishment. This is ideal for anyone who likes live music in a calm setting, regardless of whether you’re there to support friends and family or if you just want a night that illustrates the wealth of musical talent that can be found in our island community.

Ballet d’Jèrri – Under_Score 6–8 Feb

Jersey Opera House | See showtimes | From £5

The Government Inspector 19–21 Feb

Jersey Arts Centre | 19:00 | £10

Live at the Barracks: Phoebe Willson Fri 27 Feb

ArtHouse Jersey HQ | 19:30–20:30 | Free

Table Top Shakespeare: Hamlet + Love’s Labour’s Lost Thu 5 Mar

Jersey Arts Centre | 19:30 | £18

Table Top Shakespeare: Comedy of Errors + King Lear Fri 6 Mar

Jersey Arts Centre | 19:30 | £18

Table Top Shakespeare: Julius Caesar + Romeo & Juliet Sat 7 Mar

Jersey Arts Centre | 19:30 | £18

Silhouette Studios presents When Ocean’s Dance 7–8 Mar

Jersey Opera House | See showtimes | From £21

The Vagina Monologues (JADC) 9–12 Mar

Jersey Arts Centre | 19:30 | £25

National Theatre Live: Hamlet (screening) Fri 13 Mar

Jersey Opera House | 19:00–22:00 | From £19

The Makings of a Murderer: The Undercover Detective Tue 17 Mar

Jersey Opera House | 19:30–21:50 | From £26

The Wake of Yer Man 17–18 Mar

Jersey Arts Centre | 19:30 | £25

The Rugby Pod Live Wed 18 Mar

Jersey Opera House | 19:15–21:00 | From £25

Eclipse & Friends: Pink Floyd in the ’70s Sat 21 Mar

Jersey Opera House | 19:30 | From £30

Held in the Tide (new opera) | 26–27 Mar

Jersey Opera House | See showtimes | From £15

Live at the Barracks: Annie Law Sat 28 Mar

ArtHouse Jersey HQ | 19:30–20:30 | From £15

Brighton ’84 Tue 31 Mar

Jersey Arts Centre | 19:30 | £18

Photography: Danny Evans

Borrowed

EARTH

Words: Emma Pallent

If you are, or have met, someone searching to hone their creativity, chances are they’ve encountered or are aware of The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron (or at least its most famous by-product: ‘Morning Pages’). The practice - writing three pages of unfiltered thought at the start of each day - is designed to bypass the adult, judgemental part of the brain that insists creative work must be immediately good, useful or finished. Cameron views it as a spiritual exercise where one allows themselves to channel creativity from a higher source; others see it as psychological. Nevertheless, regardless of interpretation the logic remains the same: quietening the critic allows you to get something down on the blank page.

The idea of creativity as something channelled, that moves through the body as much as the mind, is embedded in the practice of onggi. The craft is a traditional South Korean ceramics method, producing earthenware jars crucial for fermenting and storing foods like kimchi, soy sauce and soybean paste. Their porous, breathable clay has been used for centuries to aid natural air circulation and allow excess salt to migrate through the walls, crystallising on the exterior as the moisture evaporates. These affordable, earth-friendly “breathing pots” provide ideal humidity control and also serve as general household storage, and were engineered long before modern food science existed. Depictions appear as early as the fourth century on the walls of ancient Korean tombs, and the craft of onggi-making is recognised as a key aspect of Korean cultural heritage.

Despite this, onggi has historically been viewed within South Korea as a humble, utilitarian craft. Around the mid-20th century, onggi became associated with rural poverty, domestic labour and an older generation, coinciding with the country’s rapid industrialisation and urbanisation following the Korean War. Formal ceramics education moved towards more privileged forms of porcelain, studio pottery and decorative forms, with younger ceramicists uninspired by onggi’s essential, unglamorous nature. After the turn of the millennium, however, onggi re-emerged as a cultural marker of Korean history, identity and labour, particularly as Korea’s global cultural presence grew. This coincided with a renewed interest in fermentation culture, both in South Korea and across the world, where onggi’s breathability was reappraised, as well as a generational shift among artists and designers towards process, labour and slowness. These factors came together to reframe onggi not as primitive, but sophisticated, ecological and the product of generational collective knowledge. Onggi jars are now celebrated in galleries, museums and private collections, and their artistry is widespread across social media channels via viral content that makes the scale of the vessels hard to ignore.

It was on Instagram that Heather Barette first encountered the craft. She had already long admired South Korean pottery for its unique character and style, but onggi stood apart. She was enticed by the size, movement and tools involved in the process, and how different the techniques were from pottery-making in the Western world.

It was onggi master Kwak Kyung Tae who finally pulled her to the small Korean village of Icheon, naturally rich in the type of clay needed to produce onggi jars. Renowned as a master of the craft, she’d watched him build vast vessels for years, and when she realised he offered residencies, she decided to take the jump and delve deep into the craft at Toroo Studio. The studio is set within Ye’s Park, a purposebuilt pottery village completed in 2017 after the original site became too small. It sits inland from Seoul, surrounded by mountains and rivers that have supplied workable clay for centuries. Seeing photos of the area didn’t prepare her for how stunning the village is in person.

The early days of the residency were deliberately repetitive, and for the first two or three days, nobody made a pot. Instead, they made coils - long, rope-like rolls of clay used to build vessels slowly by hand - before re-wedging them, and making them again. “Our bodies hurt so much,” Heather

explained. “It was the same motion over and over again. I constantly had heat pads on my aching forearms.” In traditional onggi factories, each worker performs a single task all day, whether that be coil-making, base-making or paddling. The process begins with preparing the clay using the feet, rather than the hands. Large quantities are spiral-wedged on the floor, a technique that requires body weight and balance. “It looks easy, but it’s so physical,” Heather recalled. Only afterwards could coils be created, attached and thinned simultaneously to the base in layers, through a twisting, squeezing motion. The action requires the potter to coordinate pressure, rotation and posture at the same time. “It’s like patting your head and rubbing your belly at the same time, but on an extreme level,” Heather wrote, on Day 11 of her journal documenting the workshop. One wrong movement, an elbow drifting slightly from the two o’clock position, or small variations in pressure can create thin spots that later cause cracking or collapse.

Tools are specific and largely handmade: the su-rae (a slow, broad, rotating wheel) and do-ge (hand-building method) for shaping, paddles for compression and thick fabrics instead of sponges for finishing rims. The pots created are tall, with the large clay coil draped over the potter’s shoulder as it’s applied. Heather’s jars stood around three feet tall, and Kwak’s reached seven. One collaborative vessel built by the whole class was big enough for them each to fit inside, with each participant adding their own coil to the vessel.

In onggi culture, pots aren’t fired unless they are structurally flawless. Apprentices may spend years without firing a single piece. “One of the apprentices could only fire something in the kiln a year after he’d been throwing every day,” Heather explained. Any finished pieces that aren’t structurally perfect are routinely sliced in half to inspect wall thickness, then recycled. Attachment to imperfect pots is discouraged.

“It’s like patting your head and rubbing your belly at the same time, but on an extreme level,” Heather wrote, on Day 11 of her journal documenting the workshop.

By the end of the residency, Heather had completed multiple onggi forms and participated in a traditional wood firing - a forty-hour process requiring constant supervision. “You’re stoking the kiln at crazy hours in the morning and putting all your love and care into the firing,” she explained. Having previously done wood firing, she’d learned to avoid preconceived ideas of what the final pieces will look like. Compared with an electric kiln, this method makes it harder to predict how pieces will turn out, and previously she had hated all of her pieces at first. However, in her journal this time round she wrote, “right now, I love and hate my pieces, but I’m excited to set them aside for a month and come back to them… my main motivation for creating these pieces was to have a little souvenir of my time here - to look at them and remember this entire experience.”

This philosophy challenged Heather’s training. “In the West, everyone wants to keep things, they become so attached to what they make,” she reflected. In Korea, clay is treated as borrowed material. “You have to remember that clay is the earth, and we’re taking from the earth, so it’s better to reuse it and recycle it until we know we’re really happy with it,” she added.

By the end of the residency, the most significant shift was conceptual. Heather arrived thinking she might return home and teach onggi techniques, but left knowing that it would take years. “Even after 21 days, I felt like an absolute beginner,” she said. “To actually teach it well I’d need five, ten years at least. Anything less and I think it would be disrespectful to my teacher in Korea.” No doubt the techniques and inspirations will influence her work, but it will be years of discipline, patience and training before the student becomes the master.

Encore!

After five long years behind closed doors, the Jersey Opera House has thrown open its doors, and what a return it’s been. Reopening on 3 October 2025, marking its 125th anniversary, the island’s much-loved cultural landmark is once again alive with music, laughter, dance and applause. The comeback was fittingly theatrical, launched with Encore! Welcome Home, a joyful three-night gala featuring more than 100 local performers and a whole lot of emotion.

The £12.5 million refurbishment has given the Opera House a new lease of life while honouring its historic soul. Think carefully refreshed interiors, where vital structural repairs sit alongside new seating, renewed carpets and paintwork, all beneath that iconic chandelier we know and love. It’s been a careful balancing act between preservation and progress, shaping a venue that honours its past while looking ahead with ambition.

Now fully operational, the Opera House is back doing what it does best: putting on a stellar programme. From comedy and family favourites to live music, dance and touring productions, the 2026 calendar is packed. There’s also a slick new website making it easier than ever to browse shows and book tickets. As a registered charity, the Opera House continues to fundraise as it looks ahead, with a clear focus on remaining a vibrant cultural hub at the heart of island life, alive with performance, community and creative energy. We met up with the new CEO, Sebastian Warrack, to find out more…

You’re stepping into the role just months after the Opera House’s long-awaited reopening, what was your very first thought when you walked through the doors?

My very first thoughts were what a stunning building and what a huge privilege and responsibility to be leading the theatre into its next exciting chapter. I felt immediately the history of the building and how the people of Jersey must take enormous pride in the theatre, especially after such a generous Capital upgrade. Jersey Opera House now deserves energy, care and ambition in equal measure.

You’ve led theatres and festivals across the UK, what was it about Jersey, and this role in particular, that made you say “yes”?

Jersey offers something rare and exciting: a strong sense of identity paired with an appetite for culture on an island, which is wholly new to me – in short, a huge adventure. To be given the opportunity to help develop a new chapter for a beautifully refurbished Victorian theatre, which sits at the heart of its community was a hugely attractive proposition. I, therefore, jumped at the chance when the board offered me the role.

If someone hasn’t been back since before the closure, what do you think will surprise them most about the ‘new’ Opera House?

It will still feel reassuringly familiar but the surprise will be that it is lighter, brighter, more accessible and more welcoming than before the Capital project. The improvements have focused on care, safety and comfort rather than reinvention, so it feels refreshed without losing its character. People will recognise it instantly, but it will feel ready to be inhabited again.

What kind of shows or experiences are you most excited to bring to Jersey audiences?

Variety is key. We certainly want to bring big-name touring productions such as The Mousetrap, but we also want to programme bold new work, comedy, music and family shows. We want to offer opportunities for local talent to perform on the Jersey Opera House stage. I’m particularly excited by work that emboldens and surprises audiences: performances that spark debate and unite different generations.

Variety is key. We certainly want to bring big-name touring productions such as The Mousetrap, but we also want to programme bold new work, comedy, music and family shows.

How do you want people to feel when they leave a night at the Opera House under your leadership?

So many different emotions. Uplifted. Joyous. Moved. Well lookedafter. Whether they’ve laughed, cried, thought deeply or simply escaped for a couple of hours, I want them to treasure their whole experience at the Opera House, from the high-level customer service to the quality of the show. In addition, as they leave, I want them to be planning their return visit.

The Opera House is clearly more than a performance venue, how important is its role as a community and cultural hub for the island?

It’s essential. A theatre only truly thrives when it belongs to its community. That means being open, accessible and relevant, a place where islanders feel represented, welcomed and inspired, whether they’re on stage, in the audience, or walking through the doors for the first time. Jersey Opera House is a public resource, funded by the people of Jersey, for the people of Jersey, so we take our role as a local cultural and community hub very seriously.

You’re joining at a moment of real momentum. What does success look like for you in your first year as CEO?

Success means stability, trust, profile and momentum. This means an artistic programme, which excites people, strong partnerships both across the island and with the UK theatre network, and a theatre run by a team which feels supported and proud of what they’re achieving. I would like to feel a year from now, that the industry and audiences within and outside Jersey are excited by what we are doing.

Every great theatre has its backstage moments, what’s the most memorable or unexpected experience you’ve had behind the scenes in your career so far?

I started out as an actor, and my last acting job was in a production of Chimes at Midnight starring Simon Callow at Chichester Festival Theatre. I was playing Prince John, but I was also understudying Prince Hal, the male lead. One night, during one of the key scenes, the stage manager brought the curtain down “for technical issues.” It turned out that the actor playing Prince Hal had fallen downstairs and broken his leg. Within 15 minutes I was back on stage but playing Prince Hal. It was the most terrifying but thrilling moment of my life as an actor.

Finally, when you’re not at the theatre, how do you like to unwind and what are you most looking forward to discovering about life in Jersey?

I love to cook and I really enjoy trying out new recipes. I made a delicious lemon soufflé on a shortbread base the other day. I am really looking forward to discovering all the beaches in Jersey. There are many alluring pictures of them at Jersey airport, but I can’t wait to experience them for myself.

Fresh leadership, a buzzing programme and a building that’s ready for its next act. The Jersey Opera House is well and truly back. Get yourself down to a show soon!

Colour, Community & Creative Freedom

In a world that increasingly values speed, screens and structure, Dawn Burrows has carved out something refreshingly human. As the founder of The Colour Rooms, she has created far more than an exhibition space, it’s a place where creativity is shared, voices are welcomed and art is allowed to simply be what it needs to be.

Rooted in inclusivity, wellbeing and community, The Colour Rooms was born from Dawn’s belief that art should be accessible, affordable and deeply personal. Drawing on a rich career spanning education, fine art and therapeutic practice, she has built a space where painters, photographers and makers of all backgrounds can connect, learn and thrive together. We sat down with Dawn to talk about creativity without hierarchy, the healing power of art, and why community matters now more than ever.

The Colour Rooms was born from a desire for a more inclusive exhibition space in Jersey, what did you feel was missing, and how does your space answer that need? Many galleries, both private and charitable, rely on high commissions, which can force artists to price their work out of reach. I wanted to create a space where art felt accessible and artists could genuinely thrive. One of the most rewarding parts of the past year has been selling my work regularly and seeing my paintings hanging in homes and workplaces in Jersey and beyond. For an artist, knowing your work is being lived with and enjoyed is incredibly fulfilling.

You describe The Colour Rooms as a creative community rather than simply a gallery. How important was it to create a space that brings artists, makers and photographers together?

I think in a highly digitalised world, community is now more important than ever. As well as the community of makers we also have the community in our classes which have brought people together from a range of socioeconomic backgrounds and ages ranging from 14 to 90!

Art transcends boundaries and borders and everyone is welcome. There is no hierarchy in creativity and we all support and learn from one another.

After leading three creative departments as Head of Art, Textiles and Photography, what lessons from education have stayed with you most in your own practice?

Unfortunately the arts have been squeezed out of the curriculum for years and have become a tick box of skills in order to quantify for data collection, rather than a forum for ideas and creativity. As Head of Art, Textiles and Photography I was always trying to encourage the individual. Positivity was always key. There is no right or wrong answer in creativity.

You were shortlisted for a DIFERA Award for Inspirational Person of the Year in 2023, what did that recognition mean to you personally?

My DIFERA nomination was for setting up Art in Focus, providing free arts and tuition to people affected by severe mental illness. The people I taught were the inspiration.

Therapeutic arts are a passion of yours. How do you see creative expression supporting individuals and communities in today’s fastpaced world?

All creativity is therapeutic. When you engage you achieve a sense of flow. You are totally present and absorbed in the process. Time passes and what feels like minutes of painting is often hours. The right side of the brain wakes up whilst the left side, the side that tells you all the chatter of the list of jobs and worries you need to think about, quietens down. It is a form of mediation and a form of escapism. It does not always have to be about the outcome, the process is the most important part.

Looking ahead, what’s next for The Colour Rooms, and how can people become part of the creative journey you’re building?

We are so excited to be entering our second year, with a full year of exhibitions planned, giving many artists opportunities to showcase their work. My own solo exhibition, Sanctuary, opens on 27th February. Sanctuary is very symbolic in my work - my ancestors found sanctuary in Jersey, I take sanctuary in our beautiful natural environment, walking and sea swimming and being immersed in nature. Living on this beautiful island is a sanctuary. I am very lucky to have the sanctuary of family and friends and my dog Bali! I hope The Colour Rooms continues to provide a mindful creative space for lots of people to find a bit of sanctuary from the pressures of daily life, for many years to come.

www.thecolourrooms.co.uk

JERSEY OPERA HOUSE

It’s an exciting start to 2026 at the Jersey Opera House, with a brilliant season of music, theatre and live performance lighting up our stage from January to May. Here’s a taste of just a few highlights from the months ahead.

Film lovers and musical theatre fans are in for a treat with Pulman & Stilgoe – Hooray for Hollywood on Friday 27 February. From The Wizard of Oz to La La Land, this joyous evening celebrates some of the most loved movie-musical songs of all time. With dazzling vocals, sumptuous harmonies and plenty of humour, Liza Pulman and Joe Stilgoe bring Hollywood magic to life – no big screen required.

For something darker and utterly gripping, The Makings of a Murderer – The Undercover Detective comes to the Opera House on Tuesday 17 March. Former Scotland Yard undercover detective Peter Bleksley delivers a chilling, first-hand account of infiltrating criminal gangs, solving murder cases and living under constant threat. A must-see for true crime fans.

Rounding off March is a truly special premiere. In partnership with ArtHouse Jersey, we present Held in the Tide on Thursday 26 and Friday 27 March – a powerful new opera made in and for Jersey. Blending classical folk and electronic music, and performed in everyday English with touches of Jèrriais, this bold new work explores home, identity and belonging through the voices of Jersey-born artists.

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Whether you’re a regular theatregoer or simply looking for an unforgettable night out, there’s never been a better time to visit Jersey Opera House. Join us – something extraordinary awaits. Book online now www.jerseyoperahouse.co.uk

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Plot Twist:

BOOKS ARE COOL

Despite my love of literature, I’ve never been to an actual book club. I’m a little precious about the genre and type of fiction I digest and was never sold on dissecting the scenes of ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ in a women’s circle, nor debating whether Blake Lively gave an accurate portrayal of Lily Bloom in Colleen Hoover’s ‘It Ends With Us’ (both horrendous literary works in my humble opinion). So when I came across the Overbooked Society’s newest iteration of the book club model where you could come, drink coffee and socialise, then sit in silence with your own choice of novel – I was sold.

The Overbooked Society is the brainchild of Finleigh Donald, creating communities through a shared love of stories, with a focus on inclusivity, curiosity and connection. Come alone, come with your bookish friends or come with your significant other, the meeting welcomes all walks of life with a warm attitude and of course, a fresh brew. More intellectual than a run club, and a way less risky way to meet people than any dating app, you have the flexibility to bury yourself in a book or to break into an inviting new social scene.

The series is currently held at the Yard and broken down into social time (during which you can also choose to read) with a silent hour for getting lost in your pages. The gentle hum of easy listening music serves as a backdrop against the odd page turn or tapping of teaspoon to mug and only adds to the overall ambience of literary-lounge-energy. It felt like the new soft jazz, or alternatively the B-side to the monotonous office grind.

Some attendees were fulfilling New Year’s Resolutions to read more; some were new to the island and keen to make new connections and others just wanted to take part because it was a cool vibe. Myself? I just wanted the motivation and a dedicated environment to dive into my book without the distractions that come with sitting at home.

Conversations were not exclusive to what book you brought for the evening, although that was the obvious ice breaker, with many swapping recommendations, but others just

there to get to know each other and connect in that old fashioned way before digital became part of our lives. What struck me most over the evening was how effortlessly cool it felt to be doing something so wonderfully analog. No one was posturing. No one was pretending they’d read something they hadn’t (we’ve all been there, nodding along to a cultural reference we secretly Googled later). Instead, there was a quiet confidence in simply showing up with your dog-eared paperback, straight from the office looking slightly weary. The only distraction was the constant question circling in my head, does reading now make us cool, or are the cool people suddenly reading?!

Perhaps it’s the recent crave for nostalgia that exploded across our screens over Christmas and is now displaying itself in fashion trends across the globe. The rise in sales of the simple Nokia phones. The growth of people journalling in paperback diaries once more. There’s a collective desire for a slower, simpler existence that we’ve only just begun to realise we’re missing.

Tickets to the Society are hot property, selling out often within an hour of going on sale – demonstrating just how eager we all are for activities that unite us off devices. With this immediate popularity, Finleigh has plans to expand the Society hosting her first Reading Retreat called ‘Booked with Love’, a natural evolution to the book club for those that want to go deeper down the rabbit hole (yes, I’m an unapologetic Carroll fan).

Most of us are craving connection, but on our own terms. We want culture without pretension, socialising without the fatigue, and community without the chaos of forced networking. It turns out, all it took was a good book and a decent cup of coffee to remind us how. Who knew book clubs would be the ones to make being social feel cool again?

Overbooked Top Tips

•Earlybirds will snag the cushioned seats, making for a more comfortable reading session.

•Pre-order your grazing platter or make room for tea and cake. No ones like to read on an empty stomach.

•Turn off your phone. Better still, leave it at home.

Words: Laura Morel

Laugh, Cry, Raise a Glass: The Wake of Yer Man Comes to Jersey

If you love your comedy with a side of heart (and a healthy dose of Irish charm), then this is for you. Jerseybased author and playwright Yvonne Heavey is bringing her latest stage production, The Wake of Yer Man, to the Jersey Arts Centre and it’s one not to miss.

Set on St Patrick’s Day and inspired by Yvonne’s memories of rural Ireland in the 1990s, this poignant comedy is full of warmth, wit and wonderfully human moments. Adapted from her award-winning short story collection (which scooped the 2023 Jersey Festival of Words prize), the play captures the chaos, connection and unexpected laughter that unfolds when people come together, especially at a wake.

Proudly sponsored by UBS Global Wealth Management in Jersey, the production celebrates local talent, with half the cast made up of Jersey performers.

The Wake of Yer Man

17–18 March

Jersey Arts Centre

Book tickets at artscentre.je

MICROPREDICTIONS

We all have our thoughts on what this coming year may bring us. Lottery winnings, a new promotion, or perhaps that chance run-in with Henry Cavill in the vegetable aisle of Waitrose you’ve been dreaming about for most of 2025. But how many of us can cram a whole year’s worth of hopes, dreams (and mild delusion) into just 26 words, basically emotional carry-on luggage?

We asked a range of professionals to give us their spin, guess or forecast for 2026 as a Post-it sized prophecy. Just remember, you read it here first…

EMMA STERRY

Coach / Padel Development Officer at Island Padel

“Island padel will flourish through quality coaching at a welcoming, purpose-built facility; community-led access and pathways expand, entry is easy and returning feels like belonging.”

LAURA MOREL

Account Director / Business Development at Orchard

“The world will see more extremist conversations fighting louder to be heard, prompting kindness, community and compassion to become currency and indicators of true business success.”

SCOTT WELSH

Founder at Levels

“Fitness will be about improving, not proving. Less comparison, more self-focus. Exercise built around quality, enjoyment and wellbeing, done consistently for longevity, not just for kudos”

CHARLIE VAN DE RUYTER

Owner at ChiChi Lifestyle

“ChiChi will continue discovering and sharing new brands, improving the online shopping experience, opening our curation to a wider global audience, and building sustainability over time.”

SOPHIE ANDERSON

Founder of Alma Sana

“In 2026, wellness becomes less rigid: nervous system regulation, metabolic care, community, and nature connection invite people to relax into wellbeing, embracing messier more ‘human' routines.”

JESSICA SLOAN

Founder of Jlp Management Ltd

“Cautious but measured optimism in the property market, where creative marketing unlocks new demand and delivers modest growth, driving confidence, sharper pricing and well-timed opportunities."

CAROL ANN SUTHERLAND

20th March - 17th April 2026

FRESH GROWTH from old roots

Words: Nyah Schiessl

When you hear the word ‘fresh’, the theme of this month’s Gallery edition, you may think of new beginnings. Clean slates. Reinventions. Freshness is often framed as something that comes when we discard the old. But what if freshness doesn’t only arrive with something new? What if there was a tried-and-tested blueprint for meaningful habits you could adopt, ones that would completely stop the desire to reinvent yourself every 365 days and instead allow you to feel truly at home in the life you have right now?

In a culture that is constantly urging us to upgrade, optimise, and iron out the imperfections in our lives, it can be a relief to realise that a fulfilling life already exists within us. Big profits for big companies drive so much of what we see online, in advertising, and on TV, meaning the next trendy product or routine to fuel our transformation might never really serve you at all.

“New year, new me” is a phrase so familiar it barely raises an eyebrow. A loaded statement, carrying a great deal of pressure, especially in the dead of winter. The new calendar year begins on the first of January, ever since the Gregorian calendar was created, yet our bodies and inner rhythms still mimic the natural world.

It is important humans do not expect growth and renewal at a time when very few trees bear leaves, creatures hibernate, and seeds lie dormant beneath the earth. Winter is for rest and stillness. New energy cannot be mustered up sustainably simply because the pressures of January 1st say so.

As a child, the moments that nourished me most were the simple ones. I’m sure many of you feel the same. Being outside with family, laughing with friends, being present, and feeling grounded in our days. Time moved slowly. The world felt closer. Lessons and inspiration could be found everywhere, and our evolution unfolded without comparison or self-judgement.

Growing into ourselves is a process where many of us spend years trying to build a life we think we should wantfollowing trends, experimenting with how we live, how we look, searching for that perfect version of ourselves that finally feels like we’ve “made it.” In that pursuit, we often overlook the gentle guidance held in our own pasts, communities, the lives of our ancestors, and the childhood comforts held in our hearts.

The things that will truly bring a sense of fulfilment are the simple rituals and habits that have sustained human life for thousands of years. They will never change, because they are the essence of human existence…. Real community, living in tune with nature, observing, not comparing, feeling inspired, supporting one another, growing food, shamelessly pursuing interests that are entirely your own, nourishing your body, laughing with loved ones, and being cosy and safe in places that remind you of yourself and your family.

The beauty of a Jersey life is not in fresh starts or constant reinvention, but in remembering, revisiting, and reconnecting with our natural surroundings and shared ways of living.

Our island is rich with history, lessons, and strong natural rhythms, from the tides that flow to the drastic seasonal changes. Living here offers constant reminders that life moves in cycles. Islanders are submerged in community spirit, even if many of us forget to acknowledge it. The beauty of a Jersey life is not in fresh starts or constant reinvention, but in remembering, revisiting, and reconnecting with our natural surroundings and shared ways of living.

Perhaps the freshness we hope for with every changing calendar year isn’t found in a completely new life or in chasing what’s next, but in connection. If we wish to feel a sense of achievement and belonging as time goes on, we should honour the roots that shaped us- the habits that have always fulfilled the human heart. The simple rituals and human connections that make us feel more alive, not under more pressure. The things we really desire in our hearts, not what we are told we need by the world.

Allowing new habits to be shaped by old rhythms doesn’t have to feel like going backwards- it might feel like coming home.

nnyyah

women and girls are gaining skills, confidence and qualifications at Highlands College. You can too! 1, 3 3 5

Explore what’s possible at www.highlands.ac.uk

No Place Like Home

No Place Like Home No Place Like Home

Photography: Laura Dos Ramos

In a world exhausted by digital, ‘analogue’ has become the most ‘authentic’ trend. Instagram grids have become filled with vintage, hazy photographs, deliberately edited to feel like they were from an age where images were printed and pasted into dated, stacked albums. Analogue has a feeling of tangibility that we instinctively miss when the majority of our information is handed to us through a handheld screen, regardless of whether we’d actually feel the same if we were carting heavy magazines and books slung over our shoulder. As with most things, the impracticalities of the past rarely bear weight when reminiscing nostalgically on a world that has come to pass.

Alongside this romanticisation of the old, and disillusionment with the new, more and more photographers have been stepping into film as their medium of choice. Despite modern digital imaging being capable of capturing each individual pore in a portrait, the rusty, grainy and discoloured frames produced by film have captured the attention of those who’ve tired of RGB. Even the method of taking these photos carries a sense of importance and consequence not shared with digital - a sentiment expressed by Laura Dos Ramos, a Jerseyborn photographer currently living in London. “Film photography has always been central to my practice,” she writes. “I admire it for its limited number of frames, encouraging a slower, more thoughtful approach. Each image feels intentional.”

The approach demanded by this medium was a perfect fit for her latest project, No Place Like Home, which captures the realities of living in staff housing in Jersey, inspired by her own experience growing up in these environments. Through long conversations and sensitive documentation, she created an expansive body of work that aimed to explore what brings a sense of ‘home’ in a place that can, at times, feel fundamentally liminal; whether that be between work and rest, or in the act of setting down roots in a borrowed space. Below she reflects on how the experience reshaped her understanding of her own upbringing, whilst sharing the stories of the people within each set of four walls.

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“No Place Like Home was a project that came together bit by bit. In my final year of university, we were handed the task of creating a long-term body of work based on an idea that could be explored, developed and expanded throughout the year, before eventually being showcased at a graduate exhibition in London. It prompted me to think about issues that felt both significant and unsolved. Although I was raised in staff housing, I didn’t actively question it for a long time because it seemed normal. I didn’t realise how much these places had influenced my perception of home, and how unique that upbringing might be, until I moved away from Jersey to attend university.

No Place Like Home was born out of that realisation. What started as an honest effort to better understand my own upbringing, shaped by my parents and the staff houses they lived in long before I was born, grew into conversations with current and former residents of other staff houses. Since then, the body of work has developed into an exploration of staff housing as a common, but mostly unseen, experience shaped by the lives that move through these places.

Growing up in staff housing gave me a complicated view of stability and belonging, which influenced how I observed home. A roof over my head, loving parents, and a feeling of family and community felt like security. Watching people move through these areas as a child shaped my perception of connection and the relationships that form in shared environments.

However, there was also an awareness that the space wasn’t fully ours. This felt normal to me as a child, but it gave me the impression that belonging might not always be guaranteed. Home was familiar and reassuring, but also fragile and fleeting, something valued even though one knew it might change.

As I photographed different staff houses, the biggest pattern that stood out was the lack of structure. Staff housing is rarely the same: you’re usually just given a room, and everything else is organised by management. Sometimes your room is your own, other times you’re sharing. It’s often split by gender, and in some cases, there can be several people in one room.

These places can be inside the workplace, in separate buildings, or nearby. They tend to be practical rather than personal, covering the basics but rarely feeling like somewhere you’d properly call home. Whether it feels like a liminal space between work and home depends on the building and the people living there. Some of the places I photographed used to be completely different things, like family-run restaurants or bed and breakfasts, and still hold onto that original feel. Others have been adapted specifically for staff accommodation. Either way, there’s often a sense of time passing, as if the past of the building is still present.

Living with coworkers also makes it harder to draw a clear line between work and personal life. The spaces feel livedin, but never permanent. Daily routines, privacy and social life are tied back to the job. There’s comfort and familiarity, but you’re always aware that it’s temporary; that ‘home’ can shift depending on work and could change suddenly.

Beyond the physical spaces, what stood out was the mix of people living there. Everyone has their own reason for being in staff accommodation, coming from different backgrounds, ages and cultures. For some, it’s a short-term solution while they earn money; for others, it’s a way to support family elsewhere. These places are communal, yet deeply personal at the same time.

When your job and accommodation are never fully separate, there are power dynamics at play. Where and how you live often depends on your role, your employer and how closely you’re expected to follow the rules. Everyone’s experience of staff housing is different, and conditions vary depending on the industry or how the place is managed. Even when it’s not obvious, these dynamics quietly shape everyday life within these spaces.

One of the most important parts of the project was access and consent. I always spoke to the residents first, explained what the project was about, and made sure they were comfortable being involved. Everyone had the option to say no or change their mind at any point.

I also set my own boundaries. Instead of photographing anything too personal or intrusive, I focused on the spaces themselves. The surroundings, everyday objects and overall atmosphere were the most important aspects of reflecting how people live there day to day. Because of these conversations and the care I took, the project became collaborative. The residents’ willingness to share their homes made it possible to capture both the spaces and the stories within them.

Despite being a crucial aspect of life for many employees, staff housing is often overlooked and rarely discussed. These spaces are practical and private, and the people living in them often remain invisible to the wider community. This project aims to make those spaces and lives more visible. Photographing staff accommodation highlights the range of people who live there, from different ages and backgrounds, and shows how the layouts, rules and working conditions shape everyday life. Ultimately, the project suggests that staff housing is more than just a place to sleep; it’s an environment that reflects both the demands of work and the experiences of those who share it, even temporarily.

This is an ongoing body of work, and so far, I am extremely grateful to everyone who has shared their experiences with me, allowing me to expand the concept. I want to continue pursuing this subject by speaking with more residents and documenting more places.

What began as my own perception of home grew through conversations with residents, revealing a range of experiences shaped by work, circumstance and temporary living conditions. The project intends to shed light on these stories and explore how ideas of home and belonging exist even in changing circumstances.

My objective is to acknowledge these experiences and make room for lives that are often overlooked, rather than to speak for others. As the project unfolds, I hope the photographs and words encourage people to take a closer look and consider what home might mean.”

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To the manor

REBORN

Around two months before Jersey’s long-awaited Liberation, one of the island’s grandest buildingswhich doubled as Giles Corbin’s family inheritance - was obliterated. On the morning of 7th March 1945, the Palace Hotel suffered a catastrophic explosion whilst still under German occupation. Requisitioned by the occupying forces, the hotel had become a sitting duck for the resistance due to its large, volatile storage of munitions.

When a fire broke out, the German commander in charge reportedly refused to allow the fire brigade to intervene, fearing that sensitive military documents inside, including plans for a fresh attack on Northern France, could fall into the hands of the Jersey resistance. What followed was an explosion so powerful it shook St Helier, smashing windows as far away as Bath Street. Nine German sentry guards were killed, and dozens more were injured. The hotel was never rebuilt following the occupation, and today the only part of it that remains is the first and last Olympic-size swimming pool our island has ever seen, currently filled with an abundance of brambles. It sits in the lower gardens of Palace Clos, named after the former hotel.

For Giles, the legacy of his entrepreneurial hotelier great-grandfather lingered in the family identity long after the Palace Hotel was destroyed. It cast a three-generation-long shadow that he couldn’t ignore. “I found it really hard to accept the loss for my family, and the needless destruction of my great grandfather’s life’s work,” he said. Restoring his lineage’s hotelier destiny was a dream that refused to dissipate, despite spending his adult life working as a partner in a local law firm. At the back of his mind remained a desire to bring back what was lost for his family in 1945.

“One of the great things that Mourant did for me was send me on a course at Ashridge College in the UK,” Giles recalled. There, they were instructed to get out a piece of paper and write down what they would like to have written on their headstone. He described this as a pivotal memory when later making the decision to become a hotelier. “I have enormous respect for my self-made ancestors who started with exceptionally little and worked tirelessly to achieve something meaningful,” he explained. “I didn’t want to drop the torch.”

It was another twenty years after this question was posed before Giles set out on this mission, ending the eighty-year gap in his family’s heritage of hospitality. The catalytic moment came after suffering a tragic jet ski accident, for which he was not to blame, that resulted in life-changing injuries. After spending eight years with a severe leg injury and facing the likelihood of sepsis and death, he made the decision to amputate. The accident marked a clear ‘before and after’ point in his life. “I knew if I didn’t do it now, I may never do it,” he said.

Later reflecting on this decision, Giles spoke about the way the renovation project helped him through one of the hardest moments of his life. “I’m saving the building, but I also knew it would save

Words: Emma Pallent

me, giving me something positive and creative to think about other than descending into too much introspection about my own losses,” he said. “One of the things I miss with my physical disability is frictionless freedom of movement, but why should that diminish the bravery and intrigue of wanderlust?” he questioned. It can become easy to feel like your world is contracting around you. “The idea of going out of the house, let alone on holiday can be really intimidating,” he said.

Taking the leap and travelling around France in search of the perfect château forced him to look outwards rather than inwards. It became clear that he wanted to be in the popular wine region of the Loire Valley because of its proximity to motor events, such as Le Mans 24 Heures, the greatest endurance motor race in the world. With 300,000 attendees, it’s bigger than any F1 race.

Giles was determined to make a project work further south of Normandy and Brittany, as he wanted something distinctly warmer and drier than Jersey, within a relatively short drive from St Malo and en route to ski resorts. Giles’ search, originally initiated in 2005, totalled thirty-five properties, and many were riddled with problems beneath the façade.

“I built up a little knowledge about what to look for in this time,” Giles reflected, despite having no prior experience as a surveyor. The red flags were major deal-breakers such as structural instability, “La Merule” woodworm capable of collapsing a building, and non-stainless steel roof-tile crochets, requiring roof-off repairs or full replacement to get the building watertight. If you’re looking at serious restoration, Giles explained that châteaux like these “can be overpriced if they’re one euro.”

The beautiful symmetry and Napoleonic, Belle Époque architecture of Château de Savonnières evoked an emotional reaction for Giles upon first glimpse. “We pulled up through the gates and I could see it through the trees, and I knew my overriding emotion was that I was already in love,” he recalled. Desperately wanting to find none of the major problems listed above, he tried to keep hopes low. However, almost universally every expectation was exceeded. He likens the tour of Château de Savonnières to a fairytale.

While it was a bare shell on the inside and had been uninhabited for around five years, the previous owner had clearly invested millions into securing the building beneath the surface. “I could see beautiful parquet flooring under the dust,” he recalled. “The rooms were beautifully moulded. There was a ceiling that someone had spent thousands of hours on their back hand-painting.”

The family crest was carved into a four-metre-high fireplace, and the French window handles bore the initials JS for Jordan de Savonnières. “It was stunning at a distance, but also stunning in detail,” Giles said.

After viewing thirty-five other châteaux, Giles had learned the small details to look for, and Château de Savonnières stood out as an uncut diamond among a catalogue of rubble. When it came to insuring the property, based on rebuild-cost, it was valued at six times what it cost to buy.

If the building’s bones were Giles’ first stroke of fortune, sourcing furniture was his second. “I got lucky,” he explained, describing how a friend connected him to a château sale only 83km away where an Italian buyer wanted none of the opulent French-style furniture. After five hours of walking around, agreeing prices and recording figures, Giles left with around one hundred pieces of luxury furniture at an exceptionally low price, considering the items were hand-selected by a discerning buyer from auction houses in Paris, and Mayfair in London. “It’s furniture beyond my wildest dreams,” he said. “I had to pinch myself to check it was actually there.”

Beyond the main building, Château de Savonnières revealed a succession of further “wow moments” that cemented Giles’ love for the estate. The chapel features vaulted ceilings and stained glass windows, perfect for high-end weddings. The garage was a further standout feature, resembling an aircraft hangar that spans around a thousand square metres. “If I squeezed cars from bumper to bumper, I could fit about seventy,” he laughed. “If I were more sensible, I could fit thirty with a championship-sized snooker table under hangar lights next to an honesty bar.”

Guests could watch Le Mans or head into the nearby town on a shuttle bus, secure in the knowledge that their vehicles were safely tucked away.

The stables form a bird’s-eye horseshoe shape, and lie 70m to the east of the château. They had already

After viewing thirty-five other châteaux, Giles had learned the small details to look for, and Château de Savonnières stood out as an uncut diamond among a catalogue of rubble. When it came to insuring the property, based on rebuildcost, it was valued at six times what it cost to buy.

been converted and fitted with double glazing, insulation, modern doors and disabled access. 150m to the west, Giles found an extensive sports infrastructure including a large gym complex, tennis courts, 400m running track and a skate park. “I realised this place had countryclub potential,” Giles remarked. “If I took you on a guided tour, it would take four hours to see everything.”

With 180 rooms and land stretching as far as the eye can see, he felt that the greater risk was not renovating and running the château, but failing to purchase it. It became clear that he could search for the rest of his life and wouldn’t find another property with this value.

The château’s distance from the sea gives it a seasonal theatre that Jersey does not experience, with warmer summers and snowfall in winter. He described his first winter there, “opening the big wooden shutters, four and a half metres high, looking out on this winter wonderland,” and feeling in total awe of the view: “everything I could see was part of the château’s property, dressed in white.” He feels far more connected to nature while there, and hopes Jersey travellers will find the experience both familiar and foreign. The guest experience aims to make people feel at home, and is evolving into something that feels easy and autonomous, with plans for nearcontactless systems allowing guests to check in at any hour through an app. “It’s my dream to reach a point where people can move through the main gate, grand château door and into their reserved bedroom using only their phone, almost like they own the place and have a house key in their pocket. A home away from home, merging tradition with tech.”

Completing renovations with limited mobility has been far from easy. Rather than the glamorous fantasy often associated with château ownership, Giles’ reality has included crutches, scooting along the floor on a skateboard, exhaustion and pain that makes everyday actions difficult. Left exhausted from a long day negotiating furniture prices, he slipped on his crutch during a short walk after dinner in Angers. His amputation had taken place just forty-three days earlier. “I had no left leg to stop myself so I went down like a sack of potatoes onto flagstone paving,” he said. “I fractured the neck of my femur on the freshly amputated leg.”

Lying in the rain with his stump involuntarily shaking, he relied on local students to help him reach his hotel. After an unsuccessful attempt to sleep, he got a taxi to the hospital the next morning.

The environment felt like a fever dream, lying hungry in a corridor bed with police-escorted prisoners shouting in close proximity to him. These conditions paled in comparison to his real fear, which was waking up in a foreign hospital with another piece of metal in his body, after years of infection-related suffering.

“I ended up discharging myself,” he said, despite stern warnings not to. After taking a taxi to his car, he discovered he had just fifteen kilometres of fuel left with one hundred kilometres still to travel. This forced a midnight stop at a petrol station, where he struggled to refuel while holding himself upright through spasms. He remembers his thoughts carrying him through, telling himself, “if I can get through this, I can get through anything. So I’m just going to keep going.”

Despite experiences such as these, Giles has overcome adversity and is now at the stage where he is welcoming guests to the hotel. Five chambres d’hôtes (bed-and-breakfast) rooms are complete and ready, with a full-scale hotel regulatory approval pending to use another ten, freshly prepared rooms. For now, rooms are priced at a much more affordable rate than those in neighbouring Relais & Châteaux style hotels. “I’ve purposefully started at 75 euros a night for single occupancy, 100 for a double and 150 for a triple,” he said. He has already hosted a wedding for fifty-five people in the chapel. “If you want to stay tomorrow night for 75 euros, come,” he offers.

Giles has further ambitions for the château. One particularly distinctive aim is to produce homegrown food on site. “Growing our own produce, that travels only seventy metres from ground to plate, really excites me,” he said. His groundsman is a vegetable grower by trade, and has collectively planted over thirty varieties of potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, cauliflower and cucumbers. “There’s nothing artificial involved and no preservatives because it’s coming straight out of the ground,” he explained. Whether it is tomato soup for late arrivals or a full three-course dinner, Giles hopes this homegrown produce becomes another reason to visit Château de Savonnières. On a more sentimental level, it mirrors the working of the Palace Hotel in Jersey, which had its own farm for homegrown produce.

With many ideas for the future, and much enthusiasm, Giles is opening the château to a new chapter of life. He is inviting volunteers to take part in hands-on work shaping the next phase of the transformation of various buildings, ranging from help with interior and exterior painting, fitting LED lighting, carpentry, gardening, groundwork and even cooking for fellow volunteers. Practical building skills are particularly valued, including creating new doorways in non-load-bearing partition walls. He is also keen to welcome artists, sculptors and musicians who want to create work inspired by the château, its grounds and Le Mans car culture.

Some of this work will directly support future facilities designed to improve accessibility for disabled guests, reinforcing the project’s wider ethos of sharing the space rather than hoarding it. Volunteers will receive free accommodation, plus breakfast, lunch and dinner during their stay, along with discounted visits afterwards as a thank you. “Hopefully it will be an interesting chapter in someone’s life and something they can reflect on as a unique, community-minded contribution,” he said. It is ideal for those seeking time out from work and a retreat-style experience in the countryside with like-minded people.

At the heart of Giles’ vision for Château de Savonnières is a refusal to treat the building as a private trophy. “It’s way too big for one person,” he said plainly, describing solo château living as hubris. It also makes little practical sense to him. “Things need to be used,” he explained. “Amongst the new sanitaryware fitted there are 18 showers, 21 toilets and 44 sinks. If you don’t turn on the taps, things seize up.”

He prefers functional generosity, noting that he would rather see everything used at a reasonable price rather than a quarter of it priced to match neighbouring luxury châteaux. His long-term vision is rooted in accessibility, shaped by his own experience of limitation and a desire to remove barriers for others. This, paired with his underlying intention to revive a long-lost family inheritance, has made Château de Savonnières feel like more of a legacy than an indulgence. In the future, Giles hopes that he’ll be able to provide low- or no-cost breaks for fellow amputees in Jersey, with the aim of opening up opportunities and helping travel feel less like an obstacle course. This ambition traces back to his core memory at Ashridge College twenty years ago, mulling over how he’d like to be remembered. “Doing something positive for others, despite personal adversity,” he said. “That’s an epigraph I’d like on my gravestone.”

Anyone interested in helping with the renovation of Château de Savonnières can contact Giles by emailing giles.corbin@gmail.com, using the subject line ‘Château Volunteering’, and outlining their contact details along with the skills or areas they would like to help with.

@chateaudesavonnieres / chateaudesavonnieres.com

Photography: Danny Evans

I hope that through the design they feel the love that went into making them and the love that came from the person that ordered them. If they enjoy them as intended, and the memory of those flowers stays with them, my job is done.

FLOWERGIRLS

Ffion Giulitti-Holley

Bella Fiori

Bella Fiori in St. Helier has become synonymous with joyous bouquets and bespoke designs. Owner and florist Ffion Giulitti-Holley comes from a lifetime’s love for the craft that she traces back to humble beginnings at a young age.

“I started early as a Saturday girl at 12 years old back in North Wales,” she recounts. “I had always liked flowers, but hadn’t thought about it as a job until my mum happened to be in the local florist where they needed a Saturday girl.” After taking her first shift, she stayed with the floristry for around six years before going to college to train, moving to a local floristry closer to her studies whilst completing her qualifications.

She found her way to Jersey in 2002 and has been here ever since, boasting 32 years in the industry — or “31 Valentines and Mother’s Days,” as she quantifies it. She described her style as “bold and a bit quirky,” but feels comfortable adapting to any style her clients request.

Her true speciality lies in personal curations, particularly bespoke funeral pieces. “I would say that’s my speciality,” she said. “These can be specific favoured items of the deceased, and I am always honoured to be asked to create these pieces for loved ones.” A Cornsnake she made recently is her current favourite project, and she delights in the creative freedom and significance that these commissions bring.

Flowers for Life’s Moments

Birthdays: Sunflowers

Apologising: White Roses

New Beginnings: Cherry Blossom

“Thinking of You”: Mixed Tulips

A flower you’d give yourself: Genista bellafiori.je

Her approach to flowers is rooted in understanding each client’s emotions. When asked what she hopes people feel when they receive one of her bouquets, Ffi simply said, “I hope that through the design they feel the love that went into making them and the love that came from the person that ordered them. If they enjoy them as intended, and the memory of those flowers stays with them, my job is done.”

She doesn’t have a single favourite flower, but rather prefers any that arrive in an “amazing colour,” or “unusual shape or scent.” However, she notes that foxglove holds a special place in her heart, as her own name translates to foxglove in Welsh. When building bouquets she most often reaches for wax flower, lisianthus or gerbera. She also loves quirky blooms that provide a talking point, such as Asclepias ‘Moby Dick’.

In Jersey, she finds her customers are drawn to local favourites like the Jersey lily or hare’s tails, echoing the island’s floral traditions, and she champions locally grown agapanthus and peonies when they are in season.

Photography: Danny Evans

FLOWERGIRLS

Clara Barthorp

Wilde Thyme

For over a decade, Wilde Thyme has been one of Jersey’s most evocative floral voices, blending wild beauty and intentional design into its own art form. Founder Clara Barthorp describes the start of her creative career as unconventional. “At the start, I did everything the wrong way round,” she reflected. “I created the business, then did a three-week 1-1 training course, and committed to doing floristry for events before I barely knew a stock from an astilbe.”

Nevertheless, Clara has always had a lifelong affinity for flowers and colour. She leveraged her background in interior design to embrace flowers with instinctive creativity, evolving the business from her kitchen table, to her shed, to town shops, and then finally back to her creative hub in her garden, where she could spend quality time with her four-legged companion, Fennel.

Wilde Thyme’s style is romantic and wildly lovely, using English garden-inspired blooms and reflecting Clara’s ethos. “The curated chaos feels very much like me, and suits my Type B personality,” she explained, emphasising that “although there are no rules when I work, everything is actually very intentional,” from design to ordering, to how and why each stem sits beside another.

Specialising in weddings and events, Wilde Thyme knows how to deliver when given a design challenge or large-scale installation. Sustainability is also a key factor for Clara, and she proudly noted that she has avoided the toxic green floral sponge OASIS since 2019, opting instead for chicken wire and composting green waste. Any unwanted leftover flowers from events find a new life in children’s craft projects at Les Petits Écoles.

Flowers for Life’s Moments

Clara, finding joy in seasonal change, confesses that she never limits herself to one go-to flower, preferring to “keep it fresh and interesting.” She notes that whilst peonies are “the divas of the flower world”, their beauty still inspires her creative vision, in spite of being a tricky flower to work with.

On the island, peony season always sparks excitement, while early daffodils arrive to hint at warmer days on the horizon. Though Clara finds native wildflowers beautiful, she won’t pick them, but loves supporting locally grown flowers when possible. She believes that Jersey’s flower lovers are much like those anywhere else, drawn to blooms they connect with and to florists whose style resonates with theirs.

At the end of the day, Clara hopes that every arrangement brings as much joy to its recipient as she experienced creating it. “If my flowers can create happy memories that live on long after the day is over, I feel I have succeeded,” she asserted.

Mother’s Day Flowers: Ranunculus. Wedding Flowers: Sweetpeas, cosmos, ammi, garden roses and peonies. Funerals: Personal ones, from a family garden.

Apologies: Our “Secret Garden” basket: replantable spring bulbs, moss, pussy willow and branches.

A flower you’d give yourself: David Austin Roses to grow.

wildethyme.com

Photography: Danny Evans

Liz Bellee Sarah Greenwood & FLOWERGIRLS

Woodside Flowers

Woodside Flowers boast an entire team in Trinity, and their floral artistry is a collective craft combining decades of experience. It is little wonder how their bouquets and arrangements emulate such skill and creativity. Liz Bellee, one of their seasoned florists, has 39 years of experience in the field, having started straight out of college to follow in her mother’s footsteps. Luisa Robalo has lent her natural creative talent and design flair to Woodside for over 20 years, while Sarah Greenwood transitioned from a 20-year nursing career to take over the family floristry and farm shop for what is now over a decade.

Woodside’s style is versatile, tailored “to meet the preference of our customers from classic, vintage, modern, bright, hand-tied bouquets, arrangements and many others.” They truly offer something for everyone, with their approach ensuring customers find the perfect floral expression for any occasion.

Their favourite flowers are varied. Whilst Liz’s favourite is the peony for its outstanding beauty and scent, Sarah leans towards daffodils for the joy and hope they bring with spring. Luisa, on the other hand, cherishes all flowers.

When creating bouquets, the team at Woodside typically reach for roses, as admirers of their versatility. “They can be formal, or casually chic,” Sarah commented, noting that she also champions underrated blooms like ranunculus, lauded for their pastel beauty but acknowledged as tricky due to their delicate nature.

Locally, their customers show a fondness for Jersey’s seasonal classics, such as iris, anemones and daffodils, though many also favour more elegant, vintage-chic bouquets in pastel or white-and-green palettes. While native meadow flowers are treasured for simple vase arrangements, certain natives are less suited for larger bouquets, and the team at Woodside recognise that each flower has its perfect moment and purpose.

Ultimately, Woodside hopes their flowers make people feel “joy, uplifted, loved, thought of and comforted,” a sentiment they aim to echo in every arrangement.

Their favourite flowers are varied. Whilst Liz’s favourite is the peony for its outstanding beauty and scent, Sarah leans towards daffodils for the joy and hope they bring with spring.

Flowers for Life’s Moments

Valentine’s Day: Roses

Birthday: Delphiniums

Wedding: Peonies

Funeral: Lilies

“Thinking of you”: Lissianthus woodsideflowers.je

Her personal favourite bloom, however, is a ‘Westminster Abbey’ Rose. “They have the most perfect petal formation in a gorgeous latte tone. It’s not your average rose, and not always available, but when it is I will always add some to my order.”

FLOWERGIRLS

Claire Evans

Eden by Claire

Claire Evans, of Eden by Claire, has over thirty years of experience in floristry and traces her love of flowers back to childhood visits to her local flower shop. “The lady who owned the shop, who I later worked for when I was 15, used to give me some of the snapped flower heads off the floor for my bedroom,” she recalled. That early fascination became a commitment when she was 12, going to night school to do flower arranging classes before getting her first Saturday job at 13. “I worked for six months without pay to gain experience,” she said. “I was paid in flowers so that I could practice arrangements, before securing a top wage of £1.50 per hour!”

Claire’s formal training took her to Northop College in Wales. Whilst studying there, part of her work experience was to work for a florist for six months. “I was lucky to work for the best in Jersey... even though I did nearly poison him once while making coffee!” she said. “He definitely shaped the way I work.”

Her favourite bouquets are relaxed and organic blooms that resemble the style of an English garden, with lots of mixed foliages. Her personal favourite bloom, however, is a ‘Westminster Abbey’ Rose. “They have the most perfect petal formation in a gorgeous latte tone. It’s not your average rose, and not always available, but when it is I will always add some to my order.” When it comes to foliage and greenery, she loves incorporating all varieties of eucalyptus and is firm on avoiding anything unnatural, such as dyed or rainbow roses.

In Jersey, Claire finds customers gravitate towards a certain aesthetic rather than a particular flower. “We sell a lot of neutral tones with lots of select foliages,” she said. These flowers are sourced from Holland to ensure quality and freshness, with suppliers who can always meet the demands and quantities she needs. “I have three amazing Dutch

Flowers for Life’s Moments

Valentine’s Day: Their favourite flowers/roses. Birthday: Seasonal.

Funeral: Anything white or pastel, tending to avoid lilies. New beginnings/spring cleaning: White or lemon tulips. “Thinking of you”: Spring-style relaxed flowers. edenbyclaire.com

suppliers that look after me,” she explained. “I can secure the best prices from the Dutch auction to pass onto my customers.” She usually receives around three to four fresh deliveries per week.

Her clientele is broad, ranging from those wanting a simple grab-and-go bouquet or bunch of eucalyptus each week to clients wanting multiple vases of flowers throughout the home. Throughout her years of experience, she notes that seasonal freshness has been the most important factor overall for her customers.

Like many florists, she hopes the flowers are about the experience as much as the arrangement itself.

“Hopefully it's not just about putting the flowers in a vase,” she said, “it’s about the surprise of receiving them, taking them home, then watching them open, bloom and change each day and enjoying that process, maybe even saving a few stems and preserving them after as a memory. Sending flowers can mean and say so much to someone.”

Words:Emma Pallent Photography: Danny Evans

HYPN OTIC S T A T E HYPN OTIC S T A T E

Ethan Maguire and Rhys Barrot were walking along a rough dock road in Borneo beside brackish water, where salt and freshwater mixed and the jungle pressed in. It was a quiet place and, turning to their right, they saw what looked at first like just another water snake. It was a quick find on a long list of finds, and nothing they hadn’t handled already. Rhys, under the impression that he’d spotted another harmless puff-faced water snake, reached down into the water and picked it up. It seemed like a throwaway moment, a quick photo opportunity and dopamine hit before getting back to looking for other, more dangerous species.

Yogi, their friend and local guide, was better versed, and wary of mistaking an escalating emergency for harmless fun. His eyes darted immediately to the tail of the snake, which tapered at the end to form a paddle. He was the first to realise that this wasn’t a water snake, but a sea snake.

On the outside, sea snakes don’t appear an immediate threat. It can be easy to mistake them for their freshwater counterparts, which are generally non-venomous and, aside from the bite itself, harmless to humans. In comparison, sea snakes are highly venomous, possessing potent neurotoxins to paralyse fish. Some species’ venom is more toxic than most land snakes, and between four to eight times more than that of a cobra. The average sea snake is generally docile but dangerous if threatened, and does not like being handled. But the species Rhys had spotted was a beaked sea snake, which sounds elegant but is far from it. This species is often described as “cantankerous”, prone to biting and extremely venomous. They are responsible for around 90% of sea snake fatalities.

of living on a relatively safe island that they wanted to escape. They’d previously been away together and experienced the thrill of living in the present, finding purpose in hunting wildlife and gaining satisfaction from surviving danger and living to tell the tale. In spaces like these, it was easier for them to simplify life by adopting a survivalist mindset and interacting with species that thrive in foreign climates.

“WE WENT TO THE PUB FOR A RANDOM DRINK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK AND JUST THOUGHT, ‘WHAT’S STOPPING US FROM GOING INTO THE JUNGLE AGAIN?’”

Unaware of the danger at the time, Rhys examined the snake and, in the split second that it recoiled to bite him, threw it back in the water. The fangs missed him by about two centimetres. If his reflexes hadn’t kicked in, he almost certainly would have died. “I don’t know what we would have done if he was bitten,” Ethan reflected, now outside of the situation. Whilst countries such as Australia have species-specific antivenom for sea snakes, it’s generally not available within Indonesia’s healthcare system. Imported antivenom for specialised bites like sea snakes often requires sourcing it from Australia or Thailand, which can cost thousands. But with symptoms from a bite beginning within five minutes, and fatalities possible in under thirty, this wouldn’t have been much use as a back-up.

This narrow miss is the type of story you expect to hear from outback Australians or hosts of wildlife documentary series, not sitting outside CafeJAC over an Americano on a Tuesday afternoon. For Ethan and Rhys, it was the everyday predictability

The way the trip began was the opposite of meticulous planning. “Honestly, we planned it so spontaneously,” Ethan laughed. “We went to the pub for a random drink in the middle of the week and just thought, ‘what’s stopping us from going into the jungle again?’” Life in Jersey was nice, the boys agreed, but comfort had started to feel like a slow leak, and they missed the exhilaration of being in wildlife and feeling alive. Indonesia was the most practical option. It’s cheap to live in and one of the best places to see a variety of wildlife. They set a date to leave and, aside from booking flights, began planning the day prior to leaving. Even then, the “plan” was to book one night in a hostel in Sulawesi and roll with where the road took them. The lack of planning became integral to the story’s shape, later allowing them to venture into Borneo.

On arrival in Sulawesi, the boys were intent on tracking down a species of snake they knew lived in the area. Tangkoko National Park, located in the north of the region, is a 9000-hectare biodiversity hotspot famed for hosting unique, endangered wildlife. Amongst observing these rare species, their main goal was to find and hold a reticulated python. These snakes, whilst not endangered, make their home in the rainforests of Tangkoko and are expert camouflagers in leaf litter. They are the longest species of snake in the world, regularly exceeding six metres in length, with historical records of individuals reaching over nine. While nonvenomous, they are constrictors that kill through suffocation, and their size and sharp, backward-curved teeth make them dangerous to humans, which they have been known to swallow whole. Their only predators are crocodiles, king cobras and humans.

Ethan spoke about these snakes with the casual air of someone narrating current affairs at the dinner table, adding that “in the news each year you see at least one or two people in Sulawesi who have been eaten by a reticulated python.” Heru, one of their friends, once went viral for diving into waters infested with saltwater crocodiles to emerge pulling out a five metre reticulated python from the river with his bare hands. He became known as the eagle eyes of the group and is not averse to danger. When he found an injured baby saltwater crocodile in local waters, he rescued it and brought it home as a pet. These crocodiles are feared in Indonesia, killing approximately 85 to 100 people annually, the highest rate globally. In comparison, reticulated pythons are child’s play.

But these snakes can be hard to find. In addition to their camouflage skills, they often hide beneath the water and can hold their breath for thirty minutes at a time. They coil around tree branches out of reach and only venture onto land during the dark hours. It was at this time that Ethan and Rhys found a young member of the species. Whilst not the six to seven metre variety that wrought stories amongst villagers, this freshly hatched reticulated python was beautiful, already patterned, and brought a fresh sense of positivity to the night. Rhys held it loosely while Ethan documented it. “It was good news,” explained Ethan, “because it meant that a mother must also have been nearby, having laid her eggs not too long ago. A lot of people think if you pick up a snake the first thing they’re going to do is bite you, but as long as you’re handling them correctly, it’s generally okay.” They let the baby go and, after an unsuccessful search for the mother, accepted that they were going to be unlucky in Tangkoko. They hadn’t found their monster yet.

After leaving Sulawesi, they flew from Manado down to Jakarta and then up to Pangkalan Bun in Borneo. It arrived with mud, heat and a fresh set of animals. There, they met up with a group of friends they’d met online earlier in the trip, who operated an informal wildlife network through the fire station, receiving calls about rogue snakes, rescuing them and returning them to the wild. The fire service acted as a catch-all emergency unit for community safety and animal rescue. “The fire service does everything over there,” he explained. “Some of the team are trained in rescuing snakes.”

IN THE NEWS EACH YEAR YOU SEE AT LEAST ONE OR TWO PEOPLE IN SULAWESI WHO HAVE BEEN EATEN BY A RETICULATED PYTHON.

One day, they went with them, starting with smaller rescues such as rat and vine snakes. The former, whilst not venomous, were prone to biting and left marks on the pair. The latter are delicate and surreal-looking, with thin, pointy mouths and venom that Ethan dismissed as “about the same as a bee sting.” In the end, this snake was not returned to the wild; Heru gave it to his kids, to keep as a pet.

Despite not yet finding the reticulated python they were searching for, Ethan and Rhys came face to face with one of its only predators, the king cobra. The fire station received a call that one had ended up in someone’s house and had gone out to rescue it, bringing it back to the station. It was Ethan and Rhys’ task to release it.

Ethan reflected on the absurdity of it all and how strange it sounds to say out loud back in Jersey. King cobras are animals we associate with documentaries and warnings, and suddenly Rhys is on the back of a moped with one inside a tied bag resting on his lap. Ethan is also on the back of a moped, balancing a box of other snakes. Their friends Yogi and Hengky, who are driving, act like nothing is outside the norm. This is especially weighted, because Heru is with them, and his story is cast with the shadow of grief due to one of these snakes.

“They lost their… one of their best friends,” Ethan explained. “It was Heru’s best mate. A king cobra bit him a few months ago, and he passed away.”

“We got this feeling that there was a different energy in the air when we opened up this bag, with these boys,” he added. “For Heru, when it comes to king cobras, he’s always really careful around them. Because one bite, and that’s probably it.”

It was after this moment of rescue and release, with the cobra back in the wild, that the night brought the boys the other thing they had been chasing. For Ethan especially, this was all that he’d been waiting for. Walking at night along the riverbed, they stumbled across a reticulated python. In the video he documented, he secures the snake with a firm grip behind the head, showing a close up view of its backward-curved teeth, two rows on the upper and lower jaws and another row lining the middle of the mouth. These fangs have the power to rip through arteries when a person instinctively pulls away after being bitten. Coiled around his arm, the weight made him out of breath. “If you don’t grab the python right behind its head, it’s going to wrap around and bite your hand, then you’re screwed,” he explained. This part of the body is particularly vulnerable, due to the concentration of major blood vessels in the area. The python went for Ethan’s leg and, in a last minute manoeuvre, he managed to control it before it connected. He emerged unscathed with a feeling of euphoria. “I was so stoked to find one,” he exclaimed. “Even if it was only about two or three metres.”

The rest of their trip repeated with the same motions. They spent nights herping for reptiles or walking through tall grass searching for species such as Malayan pit vipers. These are small brown snakes that even Ethan

admitted “you really don’t want to get bitten by.” The logic of survival is to carry a torch and hope you don’t step on one. When handling them, it’s best to use a metal hook, as heat-sensing pit vipers are likely to attack your hand thinking it’s food.

Then there were the mangroves, both the habitat and the snakes that share its name, and the mild insanity of moving through crocodile water like it’s a normal step in the process. “You never really see them,” Ethan said reassuringly, adopting an out of sight, out of mind mindset. In the daytime, the black-and-yellow mangrove snake sleeps in trees and, after spotting one, Ethan climbed up to get it. The snake spooked, fell into the saltwater crocodile infested water, and Heru jumped in to fish it out. The first time, they lost it, but after committing a second time, they retrieved it. Ethan instinctively jumped into the water with Heru, and the pair emerged holding either end of the snake. “I don’t really know what I was thinking in that moment,” Ethan laughed. “But if we didn’t jump in we wouldn’t have found it.”

The trip kept looping through euphoria, danger and relief, and by the end it came back towards the animal even the boys didn’t want to mess with. In the final days, Diaz had another king cobra rescued from a nearby village. It had a scar on its face from being attacked and Diaz was nursing it back to health before releasing it.

“This was my first time interacting with the king cobra myself,” Ethan explained. His aim was to get close, observing how it worked and figuring out its personality. “When you get close to the king cobra, it’s very beautiful. They’re really colourful.”

This king cobra wasn’t shy and made its aggressive personality clear. Ethan wanted to experience the challenge of trying to kiss it on the back of the head. This was a deliberate experiment to test the cobra’s attention prior to releasing it back into the wild. King cobras get into a hypnotic state when they are looking at the person in front of them because they are completely sight orientated. In this case, it didn’t even have to be a person. “Diaz was taking a video, and my phone became a sort of target for the king cobra,” he explained. “We saw it going into a hypnotic state.”

“My heart was pumping,” he recalled. “I remember thinking it was a bit crazy.” Testing the boundaries, he touched the back of its head and the cobra’s attention remained focused on the phone. As he leaned closer, the

orchestration nearly collapsed. “It just snapped out of it,” Ethan said. “That’s the first time my heart has dropped. If it’s lost focus, that means it’s felt my presence. If it sees my hand, now my hand becomes a target. If I move my hand backwards, he’ll still identify it as a target and launch.”

“WHEN YOU GET CLOSE TO THE KING COBRA, IT’S VERY BEAUTIFUL. THEY’RE REALLY COLOURFUL.”

Trying not to create the one thing the cobra would react to, Ethan held still. “I tried to calm myself down, not make any sudden movements. If things went wrong in half an hour I could just be dead,” he said.

At this point, everything rested on whether Diaz could recatch its gaze. Ethan noticed the exact moment the king cobra locked back in, leaned down the rest of the way and kissed it.

“I got a cool photo of me doing it,” Ethan said. Then he returned to the facts that sit beneath his fascination. “Apparently, it can kill twenty adult humans,” he asserted. “Or otherwise, a fully grown African elephant.”

Of all animals to fall in love with, snakes are one of the more rogue species. Ethan admits he doesn’t understand the obsession himself. “People always ask me why I like snakes and reptiles so much, and I have to tell them I honestly have no idea,” he said. “My best explanation is that I was born in South Africa and my cousin Luke loved snakes, so we’d always go out looking for them together.” He moved away young, at only six years old, and admitted that his memories of Johannesburg are blurry. But the more clear-cut fragments of his early childhood tend to be characterised by the presence of animals. Mostly scaly ones, with a good set of fangs.

A Field Guide to Soulful Shopping

There are two types of people: those who shop with purpose, and those who wait for the purpose to find them. Some know they need thermals from Sports Direct and a backpack from Blacks, and will just go to Sports Direct and Blacks to retrieve those things and leave. Going to town with them is like a military operation: report for duty at 1600, stand down by 1615.

Others really know how to make a day of it. They go in with the vague idea that they might want a jumper from somewhere, and then visit almost every shop in sight, leaving with an embroidered cushion, a set of dip-dyed taper candles and an antique piece of silverware that felt as though it had been waiting its entire life to be placed on a specific nook on their bookshelf. The military shopper calls this a waste of time and money. The soulful shopper calls it an investment of resources through a process of discovery. They concede that they leave financially poorer, but in exchange they have become experientially richer.

If you are a military shopper in the unfortunate position of having to amble around town with one of these soulful operatives, it is of the utmost importance that you do not let them near Iris Galerie. It is the final boss of window shopping. Any customer with a curious itch will immediately become putty in the hands of Ivo and Dan.

Not only is the experience free (with the option to purchase a digital or physical photo at the end), but it is guaranteed to be something your partner has never done before. Worse still, dozens of eyes stare directly out from the display windows, making uncompromising eye contact with passers-by. The effect is unsettlingly intimate. Iris Galerie stands at the top of Halkett Street like the Tower of Sauron, drawing all soulful shoppers in with a dominating force. Best to avoid all areas within direct eye-shot.

Should your companion spot the target, fret not. The magnified mirror outside the shop will buy you time. While your partner gazes into their enlarged iris in childlike glee and insists you check yours too, they are momentarily distracted. This gives you approximately forty seconds to think of an alternative location you both urgently must attend. Unfortunately, this location must be more attention-grabbing than twenty giant eyeballs staring into your soul, which is where most soldiers fall. At this point, for the sake of peace, it is often wiser to surrender to fate and accept your circumstances.

The good news is that once you have entered the shop, you have already reached the final stage of grief: acceptance. You can now stand there with the detached calm of a passive observer as your partner experiences the full Iris Galerie ritual. You watch their face cycle through a range of emotions: pensiveness over which eye looks more “interesting,” mild trepidation as they rest their chin on a frame reminiscent of a dentist’s X-ray machine, fleeting insecurity about whether they are doing it correctly, and then sheer determination to keep their eye open while the flash goes off.

In this moment, you have a rare opportunity to ponder human nature, micro-expressions, and whether this is, in fact, the closest you will ever come to witnessing someone confront their own existence via extreme close-up. Rumour has it that some military shoppers have achieved a state of near-Nirvana in the ten minutes it takes Ivo and Dan to photograph and process an eye.

wander Halkett Street while he prepares the final image. You may now conduct a controlled, time-limited sweep of St Helier’s most picturesque window displays under the safety net of a ten-minute deadline. Alternatively, you can remain in the shop and flick through Francis Giobetti’s Vision, which is far more compelling than the average coffee-table book.

If your shopping partner is someone with whom you wish to increase intimacy, purchasing this book is a surprisingly effective manoeuvre. It convinces them they have successfully converted you to soulful shopping, fostering a renewed sense of connection. It is, frankly, cheaper and more efficient than covering their half of the dinner bill.

When the Rest and Recuperation window ends, Dan presents the finished iris image, which is almost always met with genuine delight. Ivo will then point out the idiosyncrasies within the iris: crypts, flecks of melanin, the occasional nevi. Against your will, you may find this fascinating.

Now comes the final test: the offer to purchase the image. This is where the operation either concludes successfully, or you silently seethe that after all that effort your partner is about to walk out of the shop empty-handed. Deployment ends either in badly-masked anguish or with a satisfying sense of completion. If the former seems likely, I recommend pre-emptively buying the digital copy for them. In return, you may negotiate immediate extraction to a respectable public house, with strict instructions not to pass through the market.

/ GALLERY’S A-Z WEDDING ZINE

WeddingExperts

As a family run jewellers, our experienced team understands the importance of relationships and has been helping couples find or design wedding rings for over 30 years.

As a Winner of Bridal Jewellery Retailer of The Year in the UK Jewellery Awards, we will help you, advise you and listen until you both find the wedding rings that are perfect for you.

Join our award winning team for a wedding ring consultation in our store on King St.

Email us today at shop@rivolijewellers.co.uk, book your engagement, wedding ring or bespoke design consultation online or call in store.

ILLUSTRATIONS

JAMIE WILLOW

ADVERTISING & SALES

CERI BAKER

ceri@factory.je

Cover Image 2026 PUBLISHED BY

FACTORY

So you’re getting married! Congratulations and good luck.

Gallery’s Bridal Bible is here to inspire you with new ideas and help with the practicalities of planning a wedding in Jersey. The next twenty pages are a creatively alphabetised selection of advice, top tips and a whole plethora of prettiness that you can incorporate in your big day. From beauty basics to setting the scene, we’ve tracked down the best people to help guide you through this fantastic time.

Our handy A-Z format means that everything is laid out as easy-to-absorb bite-size information. We’ve tried to make this guide useful for all ages - whether you’re being swept off your feet at 16, or have only just met Mr Right at 81, there should still be something in here for you.

Make sure you check out the wonderful weddings from lovely locals who tied the knot in the last year. We’ve included the work of a few talented videographers, because you can’t beat the brilliance of looking back at a video that’s captured all of the fun, laughter and magical moments of your big day. Our wedding checklist is one of the best in the business, so, as long as you’ve ticked off all those boxes, then you are ready to tie the knot.

Enjoy your planning and try and refrain from being too much of a bridezilla, although this is your moment, so milk it!

The wedding of Ben & Tania Richards

Photographer

Blake Watson

A

We hear from two beautiful, local brides who have one thing in common; the oh-so-talented Anna Trigg and her brilliant bridal wear. Here’s what they had to say about their experience. is for Anna

beautiful back buttons, to a separate overskirt, all carefully created so I could remove each element and reveal three different looks throughout the day. She made me feel so beautiful, and nothing was ever too much, even with a fully beaded dress. Every request was met with honesty and professionalism. I’m so proud to have been one of her brides.”

Photos by Ollie Jones

“I absolutely loved the entire experience with Anna. Trying on so many dresses and finally finding my dream one was such a joy. She made me feel completely relaxed and couldn’t have done more for me. As my ‘something old’, Anna sewed a piece of my mum’s wedding dress into mine, which made it incredibly special. I’m sad that my dress fittings are over - I’ll really miss seeing Anna.”

Photos by Becky Lee

Cake. Something Blu.

Boasting enviable views over the sun-kissed Elizabeth Marina, Elizabeth Castle and St Aubin’s Bay, coupled with their Yes I Can service, the Radisson Blu Waterfront Hotel, Jersey has something for you.

Whether you wish to hold your entire ceremony at the fully wedding licensed hotel or simply a stunning reception, the sparkling marina provides the idyllic backdrop. Exceeding expectations, the venue, views and staff combine to make your day as special as it should be. The exquisite Le Hocq Suite, residing on the top floor of the hotel, offers the wow factor with panoramic views over Elizabeth Castle. The perfect romantic setting for intimate ceremonies and receptions for up to 80 guests, Le Hocq is flanked by two luxury bedroom suites which can accommodate the bride and groom and other VIP guests.

In addition to this, the hotel’s south-facing Waterfront Terrace is ideal for chilled welcome drinks and a beautiful setting for stunning photos. Adjoining the restaurant, the modern glass-fronted Elizabeth Room accommodates up to 80 guests for private dining and benefits from a private terrace area with uninterrupted views of the marina. For larger ceremonies and receptions the Rocco Suite can cater for up to 250 friends and family who wish to celebrate the big day. Their Executive Chef delivers a medley of indulgent menus in their suggested wedding packages. For couples with their own proposals the chef can offer creative suggestions to suit your theme or tradition. With 195 luxuriously-appointed bedrooms and suites, a state of the art health suite, a first class restaurant and cocktail bar, guests can take advantage of the views, service and amenities on your big day. For civil ceremonies and intimate dinners, chic receptions and sparkling parties, their sole aim is making the perfect day for you.

All you have to do is arrive on time. Let them be your Something Blu. Call 01534 671172 to speak to their wedding coordinator.

Beyond the Trend: Designing a Cake That Is Unmistakably Yours

Words: Samantha Boon, Owner of Samantha Boon Wedding Cake Design

Vintage piping is everywhere right now, and it’s easy to understand why. But when a trend becomes universal, something is lost; what was once special starts to feel expected.

Trends are a beautiful starting point. They provide inspiration, mood, and momentum, but the most memorable cakes don't simply follow what’s popular. They take the essence of a trend and reinterpret it through the couple themselves. That’s where true design begins.

A considered design draws from the colour palette, the season, and the overall tone of the day. It looks to the bride’s gown, the softness or sharpness of its details and the light, style, and atmosphere of the venue. When all these elements align, you don’t just have a beautiful wedding cake; you have a design that makes sense. It feels grounded in the space and unmistakably part of the celebration.

Embrace the trends and be inspired by them, but allow them to evolve into something designed specifically for you, something that reflects your story, your setting, and your style. The most beautiful wedding cakes aren’t the ones that everyone recognises; they’re the ones that couldn’t belong to anyone else.

“Filipa came to me with a clear vision for her cake, centred around classic piping and baroque detailing, and when she showed me the brooch detail on her wedding dress, the entire design came together beautifully. I love these photos of her amazing wedding to Jack at Chateau La Chaire.”

Photos by Darren Huelin.

Dining in style.

Having catered for countless weddings, Harpers have all the know-how for what makes the perfect day. From a three course sit down meal with canapés to a bbq, paella or even a mouth watering middle eastern feast! We provide a team of smart, efficient, smiling staff to serve and clean up, and the hire of linens, crockery, cutlery and glassware. Their cost per head includes all the above and essentials, including set up - so there are no hidden extras. By choosing Harpers Catering, you can be assured of absolute personal attention from the time you book to the end of your day. This will ensure your wedding will run smoothly allowing you to enjoy a memorable and stress free day.

“Thank you so much for your hard work, we had the most incredible day and could not have been happier with how everything went using Harpers. The guests commented on how amazing the food was. You were so helpful throughout the planning and we could not be more grateful." Sam.

Wedding Profile

Lucy and Anthony

When and where…

We were married on 1st August 2025, and were lucky enough to have the most perfect summer weather, which made the day feel even more magical. Our ceremony took place at St Saviour’s Church. We fell in love with its history and timeless beauty, and it felt incredibly meaningful to be married in such a gorgeous setting. Reverend Martin was wonderful and made the ceremony feel so personal and heartfelt.

The reception…

We had a marquee wedding in my parents’ garden, which made the day feel incredibly personal and relaxed. Marquee Solutions were absolutely incredible and we couldn’t recommend them enough. We chose a sunset colour scheme, and the team listened so attentively to every idea, bringing my vision to life beautifully. The whole process was such a fun experience, and Annelise from the Marquee Solutions team, in particular, was amazing from start to finish. They also offer a wedding planning service for the organisational running of the day, and we had Molly supporting us. She was brilliant and meant I didn’t have to worry about the logistics at all.

Pics…

Our photographers were Sophie Darwin and her husband Dean, and they were absolutely fantastic. They made us feel completely at ease throughout the day, which was so important to us. We chose them on the recommendation of my brother, Will Robinson, who is also a Jersey videographer, and we trusted his judgement entirely. We also worked with Slingshot Videographers, who were equally brilliant and captured the day beautifully - we couldn’t have asked for a better team.

The dress…

I had my dress custom made at Caroline Castigliano in London, and the experience was incredibly personal. Every detail felt thoughtfully considered and completely unique to what I wanted, with an amazing level of craftsmanship and attention to detail throughout.

The flowers…

Our flowers were done by Emma Walker, and I honestly couldn’t recommend her enough. She worked so beautifully alongside the team at Marquee Solutions and truly went above and beyond. Emma is incredibly creative and took the time to really understand my vision, bringing it to life in the most stunning way.

Personal touches…

The attention to detail throughout the entire day was so special. Everything felt completely cohesive around the sunset theme, from the colours to the styling. I also loved the giant flowers we rented from Muse, which added such a fun statement and real wow factor. One of the most meaningful touches was leaving the ceremony in my husband’s family car - a beautiful old Morgan that his parents also drove away in on their wedding day. Driving off with the roof down, waving as people beeped and smiled when they realised it was a wedding car, was such a joyful and unforgettable moment.

Best bits…

One of my favourite moments was actually before the ceremony. I was ready slightly early, so I had a little time just me and my dad in the car before we drove to the church. I was feeling nervous, and having that quiet moment and a lovely chat with him was incredibly special and calming. Then, what I thought I’d dread ended up being my favourite part of the day: our first dance. Neither of us are dancers, but we made up a silly routine to Junk of the Heart by The Kooks, and it turned into such fun.

Tips & Hints…

Don’t be afraid to fully lean into your vision. Jersey has so many incredibly talented creatives who truly care about bringing your ideas to life. Try not to stress about perfection, because the unplanned moments often become the best memories. And one honest tip: don’t bother with a bag. Everyone will carry your things for you anyway, and it just looks a bit odd with a wedding dress.

Event Planners

Designing a Wedding Through the Five Senses By Molly Harper, CEO of the luxury wedding and event planning company MHEVENTS

In 2026 and 2027, the most memorable weddings won’t simply be seen, they will be felt. Luxury couples are increasingly embracing a five-sense approach to wedding design, where sight, sound, scent, taste, and touch are curated with intention to create an immersive, refined experience.

Visual storytelling remains essential, elevated through bespoke installations, layered textures, and architectural lighting that enhances Jersey’s most prestigious venues.

Sound is designed as carefully as décor, from flawless ceremony acoustics to expertly timed musical transitions that shape the emotional flow of the day.

Scent, often understated yet powerful, becomes a signature. Whether through abundant florals, custom candles, or the elegance of bespoke fragrances for your day.

Taste is elevated with artful, locally inspired menus featuring oysters, seasonal farm produce, and personalised cocktails.

From elegant linens to handcrafted stationery, touch completes the experience.

A luxury five-sense wedding is never about excess; it’s about effortless sophistication and lasting impression. Visit mhevents.je to see how Molly can make your day more magical and memorable. Photos are from recent wonderful weddings that Molly has worked on.

Images by Matt Porteous and The Unbridled.

Off the Beaten Track Catering - The New Era of Kismet Cabana

Kismet Cabana has always been about more than food - it’s about atmosphere, creativity, and that unmistakable Jersey-meets-global vibe. After nearly a decade of beachside magic at Ouaisné Bay, they’ve stepped into an exciting new chapter: full-suite private catering, now operating from their new base at La Haule Farm. Delivering bigger, bolder, and more tailored feasts than ever. From weddings and formal events to beach BBQs, open-pan cook-ups (paella/curry/chilli), stonebaked pizzas, sharing platters and evening munchies, they build experiences that feel personal, relaxed, and brilliantly executed. Want something lower-admin but still legendary? Their Drop & Go options include Party Pots, Noodle Bars, Platters and Buffets - perfect for relaxed “day two” wedding gatherings. And yes, they’re fully licensed, with drinks curated alongside local partners (plus extras like silent disco and faux plant hire if you want to really lift the roof). If you’re planning a celebration and want food that feels like a headline act - choose Kismet Cabana. See www.kismetcabana.com

I do

Words by Sara Garwood of Sara’s

Fabulous Weddings

Food fit for a feasting family Hampers

the perfect touch

When it comes to wedding gifting, it’s the thoughtful touches that make all the difference and Match Hampers does them beautifully. Creating bespoke wedding gifts and keepsakes, all designed and personalised right here in Jersey, they take the stress out of finding something truly special.

From “Will you be my bridesmaid?” proposal boxes and stylish groomsmen hampers, to thankyou gifts and adorable flower-girl keepsakes, every hamper is curated with care. Choose from their most-loved personalised pieces, including scented candles, dress hangers, monogrammed wash bags, aprons and beach towels, perfect for hen parties and beyond. Each detail can be tailored to your wedding colours and style, making every gift feel completely you.

Think of Match Hampers as your very own Gift Concierge, handling everything from selection and personalisation to wrapping and delivery. Discover more at matchhampers.com and follow @matchhampers for endless wedding-gifting inspiration.

Your wedding day is all about celebrating your love, a moment where your hearts and souls come together in a way that’s totally and uniquely yours. As your wedding celebrant, I’m here to make sure your ceremony is every bit as special as the love you share. I absolutely adore what I do because every couple has an incredible story, and I love helping to bring those stories to life. From the moment we meet, I’ll take the time to get to know you both—what makes you laugh, what you love about each other, and what dreams you have for the future. It’s these little details that let me create a ceremony that feels like you. Choosing a celebrant gives you the freedom to create a ceremony that’s completely personal and meaningful. Unlike traditional options, there are no rigid rules, you get to decide how your love story is told.

Whether you want a heartfelt, emotional ceremony or one filled with laughter and fun (or maybe a bit of both!), I’ll work with you to bring your vision to life. When you choose me, you’re choosing someone who’s all in. I’m not just here to say the words, I’m here to make your ceremony the highlight of your day. Your “Fabulous Wedding” . Together, we’ll create a ceremony filled with smiles, happy tears, and moments your guests will still be talking about years later. Get in touch and let’s chat and start planning your fabulous ceremony.

Groom

Dressed to Impress: Why the Right Suit Matters on the Big Day

Weddings may centre around the bride, but when it comes to style, the groom and his supporting cast deserve just as much attention. After all, the photos last forever and there’s nothing quite like a perfectly cut suit to elevate the entire look and feel of the day.

That’s where Berties Suits comes in. Reinventing the wheel of formal fashion and hire wear, Bertie’s is your local destination for bespoke and hired suits, expert fittings and genuinely personal service. Whether you’re the groom, a groomsman or a guest, looking sharp has never been easier.

For grooms, the suit sets the tone. It’s about confidence, comfort and feeling like the best version of yourself as you take centre stage. Bertie’s expert tailoring ensures every suit fits impeccably, no awkward shoulders, no too-long hems, just clean lines and effortless polish. From classic black tie to modern cuts and softer palettes, the team guide you through every detail so your suit complements the day perfectly.

Groomsmen benefit too. Hiring from Bertie’s keeps the look cohesive without the hassle, offering beautifully tailored suits that feel considered rather than cookie-cutter. And for guests? A great suit is the ultimate power move, refined, versatile and always appropriate.

Choosing to hire from Bertie’s is also a smart, sustainable option. You get premium quality, expert tailoring and a flawless finish, without the commitment of buying. And for those wanting something extra special, Bertie’s also offers bespoke suits and handcrafted custom shoes, designed to match your personal style.

Weddings, events or everyday refinement, Berties Suits has you covered. Because when you look good, you feel good, and on the big day, that makes all the difference.

J

Jersey Heritage

Venues as unique as you

There is so much to consider when you’re planning a wedding but it all becomes easier once the big decisions are made. One of these decisions is where to hold your ceremony and celebration, and Jersey Heritage has a host of beautiful locations available.

By choosing a Jersey Heritage location for your wedding, you’ll also be giving something back to the Island; Jersey Heritage is a registered charity and all income generated from weddings goes directly towards protecting the Island’s rich history.

The variety of historic sites means there is something for every budget. All bookings come with a wedding coordinator, who will show you around, advise on plans and be on-site to ensure everything runs smoothly.

Whether you’re planning a simple, intimate ceremony or a lavish celebration, your wedding will be made even more memorable set against the backdrop of a historic site.

Mont Orgueil Castle

Mont Orgueil is one of the best-preserved castles in Britain and one of the most striking and attractive sites in the Island. With spectacular views of the Island’s east coast and across the sea to France, it creates a breathtaking backdrop for a wedding ceremony or reception.

Elizabeth Castle

The Castle sits within the bay of St Aubin, surrounded by the sea twice a day. You and your guests will be transported from the shore in one of our Castle Ferries - a truly unique experience!

La Hougue Bie

The rural, peaceful grounds include a grassed hill topped by the picturesque 12th century chapel of Notre Dame de la Clarté, where small religious ceremonies can take place.

Hamptonne

Hamptonne is a collection of fine, traditional Jersey farmhouses dating back to the 15th century that have been restored to their original beauty. Located in the heart of the Island’s countryside, it is an idyllic site for a wedding ceremony or reception.

Jersey Museum & Victorian House

The Victorian House adjoins Jersey Museum and is one of the finest examples of a 19th century townhouse in Jersey. The house has been fully restored so that it appears exactly as it would have done in 1861 when it was home to a prosperous family in Victorian St Helier.

Howard Davis Hall

This small hall, formerly a billiard room, is the only part of the original building that remains. Available for both a ceremony and small reception, the hall is a wonderful, intimate venue set in a beautiful public park.

Heritage Lets

You can get married at one of our unique Heritage Lets, and then stay the night! Our range of lovingly restored properties are set in some of the most stunning locations in Jersey, providing a truly memorable backdrop for your wedding celebration.

Jersey Tipi specialises in creating unforgettable outdoor weddings and events with stunning, lightfilled tipis that transform any space.

Perfect for everything from relaxed garden celebrations to show-stopping receptions, their beautifully styled structures come fully installed with flooring, lighting and optional extras like bars, furniture and dancefloors. Effortlessly elegant, Jersey Tipi brings serious wow-factor to your big day.

07829 909 868 info@jerseytipi.com

jerseytipi.com

Your wedding, Your way...

From the elegant rooms at the Somerville to the sunset-soaked terrace at Hotel Cristina, here at Dolan Hotels every setting is designed to host unforgettable celebrations, rain or shine. With four-star luxury throughout, our packages are flexible and designed to suit a range of preferences, whether you are planning an intimate gathering of 12 or a larger celebration of 120.

Both venues are licensed for civil ceremonies and receptions, giving you flexibility to celebrate all or part of your wedding at either location.

Book your Champagne show around with our team >

Email: enquiries@dolanhotels.com 01534 491900 | dolanhotels.com

Kayleigh’s got it covered

Wedding Hair by Kayleigh Dwyer

1. The bride, Jennah, shares her vision: “I wanted a relaxed, romantic look with an undone feel. The high, curly bun with soft, loose strands kept everything effortless and natural, and it paired perfectly with my lace dress from Sydney. Kayleigh absolutely nailed it, I was so thrilled with the result. She also made all of my bridesmaids look and feel incredible, which meant so much to me.” Kayleigh on creating the look: “Jennah had a really clear vision for her wedding day, which made the whole process such a pleasure. We spent time chatting through styles, textures and how the bridesmaids’ looks would work together, and she was completely calm and confident throughout. She wanted everything to feel relaxed, simple, classic and stylish. It was such a fun atmosphere, with a strong sense of friendship and positivity throughout the bridal party. Each bridesmaid chose a slightly different style, creating a beautifully effortless overall look." Photography: Blake Watson

2. Kayleigh puts the finishing touches on model Merelita, showcasing a stunning retro-inspired updo. This bold yet elegant style would make a beautiful statement look for brides seeking something timeless with a fun twist. Photography: Kasia Guzik Photography

Marquee

La Mare Wine Estate

For couples seeking a wedding that feels effortlessly stylish yet deeply romantic, La Mare Wine Estate delivers. Set among vineyards, orchards and wildflower meadows, with Jersey’s dramatic North Coast just a five-minute stroll away, the estate offers a setting that feels both curated and wonderfully wild. Ceremonies unfold on manicured lawns, beneath a floating marquee or within the intimate Garden Room, each space designed to let the landscape shine.

Receptions are equally versatile: the sleek Winery with state-of-the-art lighting and sound, the oak-framed Vineyard Orangery overlooking the vines, or the immersive La Mare Marquee, hosting up to 150 guests. With exclusiveuse options, an in-house chef, seamless service and a dedicated wedding planner included, La Mare blends refined luxury with a relaxed, sustainable ethos. It’s a place where modern love stories are celebrated beautifully and without compromise.

Photography: Catherine Hill Photography.

At Marquee Solutions, they know just how important your wedding is to you and the team ensure that they go above and beyond to help you build your dream day. From the first initial meeting to the day itself, they will be with you every step of the way and together with their experience and vision, your ideas can be turned into reality!

Whether you would like them to create your bespoke reception marquee at one of their many beautiful and exclusive

island wide venues or you are simply looking for a scenic ceremony location, the Marquee Solutions team are there to ensure that every client is dealt with in a professional and enthusiastic manner at every point. They genuinely care about making your special day as memorable as possible! In addition to their new stretch tents, they also hire out a wide variety of different props, furniture, lighting, dancefloors and décor which can be found on their website.

DATE FOR THE DIARY!

The brilliant BIG Marquee Solutions Wedding and Event Fayre each January is one not to be missed! Check on the Marquee Solutions website, Instagram and Facebook for details of their fab wedding events.

Whether you’re looking for a couple of calls to assist you throughout the process as a helping hand or full management, I am here every step of the way for you. While all of my packages are bespoke, the services below offer a glimpse into how we can work together to create a refined, seamless wedding experience, expertly managing timelines, suppliers, and every meaningful detail.

FULL WEDDING PLANNING

STYLING AND COORDINATION BEST FREIND GUIDENCE FULL WEDDING PLANNING ABROAD SERVICES:

PARTIAL WEDDING PLANNING ON THE DAY COORDINATION

Wedding Profile

Ben and Tania Richards

How did you meet...

We met through friends!

What did you love about each other...

We shared our dream micro-wedding with just 26 guests on the beautiful green at St Brelade’s Bay Hotel, overlooking our favourite beach (and engagement spot!)

We loved how effortless it felt talking to each other and keeping in touch, we both felt we could be our silly selves right from the get go.

How long did it take for the proposal to then happen...

We got engaged just under year and a half after we met, we set up for a camping coffee date (on what felt like the first sunny morning of the year) on the headlands overlooking Ouaisné and that was where it happened! It was where we had gone for one of our first dates so it’s a really special place to us now.

When and where did you get married?

We got married on the 2nd of August 2025, blue skies and sunshine. We knew for a long time that we wanted to get married in St Brelade’s. We both grew up there and have the most wonderful memories of endless summers spent on the beach.

The reception…

We hosted our stripped-back, unplugged reception nestled in the beautiful gardens of St Brelade’s Bay Hotel, where the drinks and canapés were thoroughly enjoyed by all.

Spotify playlists, our 90s camcorder, film cameras and Polaroids were all passed around as we sat back and basked in our newly-wedded bliss. Caitlyn and the wonderfully attentive team couldn’t do enough for us, from the initial planning stages right through to last-minute setup. They truly brought our vision to life. It was everything we could have hoped for.

The snaps…

We used the one and only Blake Watson, a complete no-brainer for us! Blake’s wedding photography has probably been on everyone’s radar these last few years (certainly on ours!). We love the way he captures life in motion and the most beautiful, honest moments. We’re very much “behind the scenes” rather than “front and centre,” and Blake made it so

easy for us to just be ourselves. It honestly felt like having a really good friend there with us, and for that alone we couldn’t recommend him highly enough.

The dress…

The dress was from an Australian brand called Meshki. It was one of two ordered online, and altered to perfection at Manolga. We like to keep things low-maintenance!

The blooms…

We chose Svitlana at Muse, and words will never be enough to thank her for the beautiful installation she created. From the arch decor to the table styling to the bouquets, she brought our whimsical meadow vision to life, even better than on the Pinterest board!

Wedding style in three words?

Low key, intentional and unpolished.

Personal touches…

There were so many! We tried to be as involved as we could in the little details, from our wooden arch, lovingly built by Ben in our back garden, to all the stationery and signage, all hand drawn, handwritten by Tania and printed locally at Collins. We even designed and printed temporary tattoos for our guests to enjoy! DIY seems to be our love language.

Also the motorbike in our photos is Ben’s 2008 Triumph Thruxton 900 which he has customised to his taste. We hired a Triumph Bonneville 900 on our first trip away together and fell in love with it, so including our very own on our wedding day felt like a full circle moment!

The Groom…

Ben wore a double breasted suit in a fine dog tooth print with tortoise shell buttons. Paired with a cream shirt and the only smart shoe he owns! A lot of Ben’s wardrobe has been thrifted from trips to Porto and Barcelona, so a more tailored, high waisted trouser with a looser blazer just felt like it aligned.

Stand out moments…

Without a doubt, the dance floor was a stand out moment for us both. We stayed true to ourselves and hosted the most epic, endless, honestly unbeatable mosh pit thanks to the fabulous DJ Mel! She absolutely nailed the brief and kept the dance floor FULL all night.

Tips & hints… Honestly, don’t sweat the small stuff. Focus on the details that you deem to be important, don’t feel obliged to include details and traditions you’re not so fussed about. Also try and take moments with your partner throughout the day to pause and just take it all in - it goes by so fast.

kNickers

If ever there was a time to treat yourself to beautiful lingerie, your wedding is it. Whether it’s worn under your dress, saved for the wedding night, or simply chosen because it makes you feel incredible, the right knickers are all about confidence and a little quiet luxury.

You don’t have to spend a fortune either. This pretty set from the M&S Arianna range proves that bridal lingerie can be affordable and lovely, Embroidery Suspenders £18, Wired Balcony Bra £28 and Mesh Miami knickers £14.

However if you’re in the mood to splurge, For Love & Lemons delivers full-on bridal fantasy. The Winter Rose Top (£145), Shorts (£115) and Knickers (£50) are pure romance, while the Audrey Mini Slip Dress (£170) is, quite simply, a dream.

Optics

Book the videographer!

Your wedding day deserves to be more than a memory, it deserves a film that allows you to relive how it felt. Slingshot Weddings specialise in creating timeless, cinematic wedding films that capture the emotion, atmosphere and story of your day. With a calm, unobtrusive approach, their experienced team blends seamlessly into the celebrations, documenting moments as they naturally unfold. From the quiet anticipation of the morning preparations to the energy of the dance floor, every detail is thoughtfully considered and beautifully captured.

‘We are both absolutely over the moon with the videos! You have given us a living memory of our day that we can always look back on’ - S&R 01534 888492 slingshotweddings.co.uk

Paul Wright Photography

“I’ve always had a passion for photography and consider myself lucky to have a career doing what I love. Weddings are wonderful, especially as you are celebrating your love with all the closest, most special people around you.

The day whizzes by like a whirlwind of beautiful, heartwarming and funny moments. The photographs are always there to cherish forever and remind you of your fabulous day. From the moment we first meet up I can dedicate whatever time is needed to make the process perfect. On the day I like to be as unobtrusive as possible, a ‘Fly on the wall’, so to speak, to capture candid and natural images reflecting the true feelings and emotions of your wedding from start to finish.” Here is a selection of our favourite photos from some of Paul’s recent weddings:

Press

For couples seeking wedding stationery with soul, Luddite Press offers something truly special. Rooted in the art of traditional printmaking, their work celebrates craftsmanship, texture and timeless design. Specialising in letterpress, they carefully print each piece using a tactile, hands-on process that brings depth and character to paper goods. Collaboration sits at the heart of everything they do, working closely with clients to honour original ideas while creating meaningful, beautifully considered designs. The result is wedding stationery that feels personal, sustainable and memorable, keepsakes as thoughtful and enduring as the day they celebrate.

Quintessential

St Brelade’s Bay Hotel, Health Club & Spa overlooks one of the Island's most stunning beaches, offering an unrivalled backdrop for your Jersey wedding. Behind the colonial-style façade and five acres of landscaped gardens, you find a blend of relaxed coastal chic and thoughtfully designed spaces.

The hotel can host civil ceremonies for up to 96 guests, including a romantic beachfront ceremony. The Rosiere Suite offers panoramic bay views and accommodates up to 96 guests for a seated wedding and 120 guests for a cocktail-party setup. Say ‘I do’ in one of Jersey’s most iconic venues.

www.stbreladesbayhotel.com

Photo: Britta Marie Photography

Photo: Parker Evans Photography

Photo: Paul Wright Photography

Rings

2026 brides here we come… Daisy Taylor, Rivoli Jewellers

Think classy. Think elegant. Think timeless. You’ve reached the milestone of having an engagement ring on your finger, now it’s time to build the stack with 1 more ring. Let’s talk trends for 2026 wedding rings.

2025 was all about yellow gold engagement rings, impressive 3ct lab grown elongated diamonds: from ovals and emerald cuts, to radiants, and elongated cushions. We also saw the rise of more and more bespoke engagement rings, with customers bringing their own design ideas to the table. This made for an interesting scope of shaped shanks with horizontal oval and pear cut diamonds, toi et moi designs, and the rise of coloured stones. So, with all the inspiring engagement rings from 2025, it’s time to think about matching your beautifully unique rings to a wedding ring.

For those of you that have a classic solitaire or hidden halo ring with an elongated diamond and plain shoulders, it’s all about a slightly chunkier french pave diamond set band, to complement and illuminate the rock on your engagement ring. Whereas, if you have the joy of already having diamonds along the shoulders of your engagement ring, you might opt for something more traditional, yet still chunkier than the shoulders of your engagement ring, perhaps a 2.5 or 3mm traditional court plain wedding ring.

If you’ve got something a little more bespoke for your engagement ring, lucky for you shaped wedding rings are trending for 2026, even for rings that are wed-friendly! Soak in the beauty of having a oneof-a-kind engagement ring, with an equally as distinctive wedding ring to accompany it. If you’ve got a twisted shank on your engage-

ment ring, or a toi et moi, consider the possibility of having a bespoke wax made around your ring; this allows for a glove fit between your rings, whether you need a wishbone or francesca shape, expect no gaps here.

So in short, what’s on the cards for wedding rings in 2026? We're expecting plenty of yellow gold wedding rings to pair with the gold girlies of 2025, chunky/statement wedding bands (both plain and french pave diamond set), as well as shaped to fit/bespoke pieces.

And, finally, a nod to the girls that are waiting on that first ring, here’s a moment for your 2026 engagement ring trends. Expect all things bold: maximalist designs with show-stopper stones, bold bezel sets, ornate engraved shanks, large pear, marquise, and oval lab grown diamonds, coloured lab diamonds (think pastel pinks, champagne yellows & minty greens), and more bespoke designs than ever before. 2026 is your year.

Find Daisy and the team at Rivoli Jewellers, 41/43 King Street, St Helier.

Smile

The Big Day Glow-Up: Start with your Smile

Your wedding photos will live on forever, in albums, frames, and those all-important social feeds. Whether you’re the bride, groom, or part of the wider wedding party, a natural, bright smile will look great on you. According to a recent Oral-B study, a brighter smile really does make a difference. When shown two photos of the same model, one with stained teeth and one with a beautifully white smile, people guessed the model with the brighter smile was, on average, 13 years younger.

Between the dress, the flowers and the glow, it’s no surprise that teeth whitening has become a popular pre-wedding confidence boost. After all, everyday favourites like coffee, tea and red wine naturally dull our smile over time. A simple whitening treatment can refresh your look, helping you feel confident, radiant and camera-ready, whether it’s for your big day or simply for you. We met up Dr Stuart Burgher, from The Parade Dental Practice to find out more…

How do I go about whitening my teeth?

The first part of the process is a full clinical examination and X-rays. This is necessary as you should not whiten decayed teeth or teeth that are affected by gum disease. This can lead to pain and could potentially lead to the loss of teeth. We will also advise if you need your teeth cleaned before whitening, there is no point in trying to whiten dirty teeth. The dentist will discuss with you the different types of whitening, what would be best for you, and what sort of bleach you should use.

What are the different types of tooth whitening?

Professional at home whitening

We will take impressions of your teeth to make up customised closefitting trays. There is then a second appointment to fit the trays and explain, in detail, how to use them. The trays are usually worn at night with a carbamide peroxide gel, either 16% or 10%, which has been specifically prescribed for you. You can also do whitening during the day with a 6% hydrogen peroxide gel.

You will see a difference within a week, but most people take about two weeks to get the result they want. The great advantage of home whitening is you can simply take it as far as you want and end up with a very natural result.

Professional in-surgery whitening

This is always done in conjunction with the home whitening for the best, longest lasting result. You have a one-and-a-half-hour appointment where your teeth are treated with a hydrogen peroxide gel which is light activated to whiten your teeth. This is a great way to kick start the whitening process, but you still need to use the trays at home to get a longer lasting effect.

How long will my teeth stay white?

That really depends on your diet and those pesky coloured foods, more chicken tikka masala means darker teeth. The great advantage of the tray system is that if you feel your teeth are getting darker you can do a top up for a couple of nights until you get your sparkle back.

Will whitening damage my teeth?

Properly prescribed, dentist-led tooth whitening will not damage your teeth or gums. Tooth whitening can lead to an increase in sensitivity from your teeth; however, you have the best method of treating sensitivity available to you. All you need to do is put sensitive toothpaste in the trays instead of the bleach and that will deal with any sensitivity issues.

How long ahead do I need to do whitening if I am getting married in the Summer?

We would advise that people start whitening their teeth six months before their wedding. You have enough things to do just before a wedding without doing tooth whitening.

If you want more information visit paradedentalpractice.co.uk or simply call the practice on 725520

Aurelie & Marcus Verrell

From a Tinder swipe to a dancefloor takeover, Aurelie and Marcus’s wedding was a celebration of love, music and unapologetic personality.

Their story began the modern way - with a swipe - but it didn’t take long for something real to grow. What sealed it early on? Driving along together, belting out their favourite songs into imaginary microphones, completely unbothered by the outside world. Three years later, Marcus proposed at Beauport Beach, their favourite spot and a place already rich with memories.

They married at St Brelade’s Church, a nostalgic choice close to Aurelie’s heart, before heading into an intimate, joy-filled reception that felt more like the best party ever thrown. Pizza and salads from Slice & Hungry Gal kept things relaxed, while Jersey Liquor Company HQ became the ultimate dancefloor playground. With friends deep in the entertainment world, surprise performances came thick and fazst; from

Elsie May’s vocals and Nic Dinnie’s acoustic serenade, to DJ sets by Steve Wottonski and Iain Alexander, a saxophone moment from Sam Sax, and even a groom cameo (Bongoboi, naturally).

Aurelie’s second-hand satin slip dress from Grace Loves Lace nailed her effortless bridal look, while Marcus turned heads in a tailored velvet orange suit by Bertie’s, bold, joyful and completely him. Eden by Claire delivered bright orange and pink florals to match their maximalist vision, and photographer Blake Watson, a close family friend, captured the retro magic flawlessly, he is such a talent!

Their first dance to Iris by the Goo Goo Dolls was a standout moment, surrounded by love, music and those who mattered most. The vibe? Retro, bright, maximalist.

The advice? Enjoy every moment - it’s about the two of you.

Terrific Tipis

Of all the ways to say “this feels special” on your wedding day, few do it quite like a tipi. Jersey Tipi, bringing a relaxed, romantic and seriously stylish alternative to traditional wedding venues. Perfect for couples dreaming of an outdoor celebration with personality, their beautiful canvas tipis create an atmosphere that’s equal parts boho, elegant and unforgettable.

Whether you’re planning an intimate gathering or a full-scale celebration with dancing into the night, Jersey Tipi offers flexible layouts to suit your guest list, with space for long banquet tables, a dancefloor, a bar and all the twinkling lights your Pinterest board could wish for. The natural canvas, warm lighting and open structure strike the perfect balance between laid-back and luxe. Best of all, the expert team takes care of everything, from setup to takedown, so you can focus on the fun, the vows and the after-party. For couples wanting a wedding that feels personal, joyful and a little bit magical, Jersey Tipi is the dream setting.

Unique transport

There’s something truly magical about that moment when you arrive on your wedding day, hearts racing, cameras flashing, and all eyes on you. Curwoods knows that the journey is just as important as the destination, which is why their luxury wedding cars are ideal to make every arrival unforgettable.

Whether you’re dreaming of timeless elegance or a touch of modern glamour, Curwoods ensures you step out in serious style. Their beautifully presented wedding limousines add an extra layer of excitement to the day, creating picture-perfect moments before you even say “I do”.

Every detail is thoughtfully considered, from pristine interiors to personalised finishing touches. Ribbons and bows can be added in colours of your choice, perfectly coordinated with your wedding theme, while their professional, friendly chauffeurs ensure a smooth, stress-free ride from start to finish.

With a range of tailored wedding packages available, Curwoods makes luxury transport feel effortless, so all you have to do is sit back, sip the bubbles and enjoy the moment.

Because when it comes to your wedding day, arriving in style isn’t just an extra… it’s part of the magic.

Beaming bride Hannah arriving in her Curwoods

Austin Princess car. Photo: Becky Lee Brun

Wake up with beer fear and a ring on that finger! If you’re up for it, so are we.

Non religious ceremonies from Jersey’s most progressive celebrants. We’ll marry you any time, any place, anywhere.

Marrying

You can never predict what happens when Cousins marry! www.marryingcousins.com

Catering with rhythm, supporting local.

Vibert Marquees

With experience of countless weddings over the last 30+ years Vibert’s can offer marquee styles and wonderful locations for weddings, from small, intimate ceremonies at home to large weddings catering for over 200 guests.

Visit vibertmarquees.com to find out more.

Yes to the dream wedding venue

When it comes to unforgettable Jersey weddings, the Dolan Hotels collection offers two truly exceptional settings, each with its own distinctive charm, yet united by outstanding service, breathtaking views and decades of expertise. Both venues are licensed for civil ceremonies and receptions, giving couples the flexibility to celebrate all or part of their wedding at either location.

With panoramic sea views stretching across Millbrook Park and St Aubin’s Bay, the St Aubin Suite at Hotel Cristina is one of the island’s most loved wedding venues and it’s easy to see why. Picture golden sunsets, uninterrupted ocean vistas and a beautifully private space designed for celebrating with the people who matter most. Backed by an experienced on-site wedding team, every detail is carefully taken care of, from timings and table plans to introductions to trusted local suppliers. The Cristina can accommodate an 80-person wedding, with up to 120 for an evening reception. Even better, there’s no room-hire fee, just a minimum spend on food and drink, meaning one venue, one expert team and zero stress.

For pre-wedding celebrations, intimate receptions or post-wedding dining, the Somerville Hotel offers an equally magical experience. Perched above St Aubin’s harbour within a beautifully restored Victorian country house dating back to 1881, this atmospheric restaurant combines historic grandeur with exquisite harbour-view dining. Its stunningly appointed interiors and scenic outdoor terraces make it an exceptional venue for intimate celebrations, refined private dining and weddings up to 80 people. They specialise in tailored experiences that feel timeless, luxurious and deeply personal.

There are also some added bonuses, couples celebrating their weddings with Dolan Hotels receive a 10% discount on any hotel bedrooms for wedding guests, and any all-day weddings at the Hotel Cristina receive 1 free night for the bride and groom. You can also earn back up to 20% of every pound spent on food and drink through the group’s loyalty scheme, perfect for honeymoon dining, future staycations or romantic returns to relive the magic.

Together, these venues promise unforgettable scenery, exceptional hospitality and moments you’ll treasure for a lifetime.

1. Plan for the Whole Weekend, Not Just One Meal

Weddings are rarely just one moment. There’s often a family gathering the night before, drinks after the ceremony, the main meal, and something more relaxed the following day

Thinking about the full picture early on helps you spread the budget sensibly. You might choose something really vibrant and welcoming for pre-wedding drinks, classic, easy-going wines for the tables, and lighter styles for the day after. Planning it all together usually leads to better value and far fewer last-minute decisions.

2. Choose Wines People Will Actually Drink

This sounds obvious, but it’s one of the most common pitfalls. Your wedding wine doesn’t need to be bold, unusual or challenging. It needs to be enjoyable. Wines that are fresh, balanced and easy to drink tend to please the widest range of guests, whether they’re casual drinkers or enthusiastic wine lovers.

If you’re ever unsure, tasting a short, well-chosen selection with someone who understands weddings can quickly steer you in the right direction.

Wine

Top 5 Things to Consider When Choosing Wedding Wine By Love Wine

For many couples, choosing the wine for their wedding feels like one of those things that should be simple… until it suddenly isn’t. How much do you need? What will people actually enjoy drinking? And how do you make it feel special without overspending?

The good news is that wedding wine doesn’t need to be complicated. A bit of forward planning and some honest advice can take all the stress out of it. Here are five things we always suggest couples think about when planning their wedding wine.

3. Be Smart With the Budget

A wedding budget goes a long way when it’s spent in the right places

Rather than stretching yourself across every bottle, it often makes sense to invest a little more in the moments that stand out – welcome drinks, a toast or a special bottle for the top table – and keep the table wine great quality but sensible.

Good wedding wine is about balance, not excess.

4. Get the Quantities Right

Ordering wine shouldn’t feel like guesswork. How much you need depends on timing, the season, whether there’s a bar, and how long the celebrations last. Ordering too much can feel wasteful; ordering too little can be stressful on the day. Having someone talk this through properly with you removes the uncertainty and usually saves money in the process.

5. Work With Someone Who Makes It Easy

Perhaps the most important thing is choosing a supplier who understands weddings and makes the process feel relaxed. From helping you narrow down styles, to organising tastings, to delivering everything at the right time and in the right quantities, good advice turns wedding wine into something enjoyable rather than another item on the to-do list.

As a Jersey-based independent wine specialist, Love Wine works with couples across the island to make choosing wedding wine simple, enjoyable and stressfree. Get in touch to have a relaxed chat about your plans.

Wedding Profile Jonny & Georgia Le Quesne

The Reception…

We held our reception at the stunning La Moye Manor, a truly enchanting hidden gem on the island. Marquee Solutions regularly work with the venue, and the moment we visited, we knew it was the one. From start to finish, we worked closely with Michele from Marquee Solutions, whose calm, organised approach and ability to make things happen brought our vision to life. We are incredibly grateful for the time, care and dedication she poured into every detail, it simply wouldn’t have been the same without her.

Reception drinks were served in the pool garden, which felt wonderfully tropical in the glorious sunshine, before guests enjoyed a delicious feast by Fireside, showcasing the very best of Jersey’s seasonal produce. We worked closely with the brilliant Chris from The Private Barman, he took exceptional care of every drinks detail, from welcome cocktails to the evening bar, and our show stopping tower of shots! We danced late into the night with the incredible Jessica Lloyd Band, who brought the celebration to life.

The all important pics…

We chose Andy Le Gresley, he was simply wonderful to work with. We knew we wanted him to photograph our wedding because we were looking for someone who could capture the essence of the day from an outside perspective, telling the story naturally. From his portfolio, it was clear that his style perfectly matched what we envisioned, and working with him truly felt like having a talented storyteller by our side.

Saturday 23rd August 2025 - St Brelade’s Church then on to La Moye Manor.

The dress…

My dress is from Ellis Bridal, it was a lovely Pronovias gown. Wedding dress shopping was something I felt such a mix of nerves and indecision about, but searching for a dress was so much fun! Hannah at Ellis was an absolute joy to work with; she made me feel like a real princess. I will genuinely miss those wonderful days of trying on wedding dresses and dreaming about the big day!

The blooms…

Wilde Thyme did our flowers, it was wonderful working with Clara, she listened and cared and brought our vision to life with her amazing creativity - she is very talented. We absolutely loved the stunning glitter balls above the bar, encircled by delicate gypsophilia, creating a magical atmosphere. We also opted for vibrant, colourful flowers to create the warm, lively atmosphere of a summer garden party.

Personal touches…

My Dad crafted a beautiful bespoke bar for the pool garden, where we enjoyed our arrival drinks. My lovely bridesmaids created welcome signs, table plans, cocktail signs, and menus, adding meaningful touches that made the day truly special.

Tips and hints…

Tips - try not to sweat the small stuff. It really doesn’t matter whether you have pink or blue ribbon on your menus, or any tiny detail. Also try to be as organised as you can, so you can fully enjoy the entire week leading up to the big day.

ZWedding en

Your wedding time line checklist

12 months+ before your wedding

Plan your engagement party.

Discuss your budget with your parents or look up tips on saving for a wedding. Think about themes and colours for your wedding. Start your guest list. Choose wedding rings.

Meet with and book your wedding officiant or clergyman. Select a date and reserve your ceremony and reception site. Check availability of places to stay for guests.

Hire a wedding consultant if you’re using one. Choose bridesmaids, groomsmen and ushers.

Meet photographers, florists, caterers and entertainment.

10 months to go

Order your wedding dress and accessories. Get a Pinterest account and search for lots of inspiration.

Plan your honeymoon (book any jabs you need and check passport dates!) Arrange wedding transport.

If you’re planning on making anything start doing it now. Order your invitations and plan your order of service.

Buy bridesmaid dresses.

Book wedding night hotel.

Arrange venue decor.

6 months to go

Organise a hen party / stag do.

Finalise all details with your photographers, florists, caterers and entertainment. Send out your invites.

Purchase any presents for your parents and attendees. Select groom’s tuxedo and book your hire or buy attire for groomsmen.

Write your vows.

Order wedding favours for your guests.

Choose outfits for Mother of the Bride and Mother of the Groom. Check marriage licence requirements.

Start thinking about your favourite music for the party. Purchase wedding lingerie.

1 month to go

Plan a surprise, present or note for your partner for when they are getting ready without you on the morning of your wedding.

Meet with your hairdresser and make up artist for a consultation. Book manicure, pedicure and spa treatment to relax. Break in your shoes.

Buy a guest book.

1 week to go

Give final guest count to reception venue and caterer. Start packing for your honeymoon. Make sure everything fits!

Send you wedding announcement to the JEP. Write any cheques required for the wedding day. Arrange for wedding gifts to be transported to your home.

1 day to go

As Frankie says... RELAX.

Have fun with your friends and family who have come over early. Start getting snap happy.

Ensure your overnight bag is packed and delivered to your hotel. Speak to your attendants - check everyone knows what they need to do and when.

After the wedding

Make a gift list and send out your thank you notes. Make sure everything is sorted out for your name change. Send wedding cake to anyone who couldn’t make the wedding.

DJ Mel

DJ Mel is an award-winning wedding and event DJ with over two decades of experience, known for creating unforgettable celebrations. Whether it’s a wedding, corporate event, or private party, DJ Mel combines professionalism with a fun, vibrant energy to keep dance floors packed. Offering tailored DJ sets, expert wedding coordination, and even live music elements with her Fusion package, she ensures every event is unique. For a party with sparkle and style, choose DJ Mel!

www.djmeljersey.com

Email - Mel@DJMel.je

Socials - @DJMelJersey

Sara’s Fabulous Weddings

Hello everyone, welcome to Sara’s Fabulous Weddings. I am a fully qualified civil celebrant, I am the legal part of your fabulous wedding! I will arrange the paperwork, wedding certificates, the legal stuff and of course I do the wedding itself – I will declare you to be married - the best bit! I have loads of experience in dealing with all sorts of weddings and events and I only do Fabulous Weddings! Sara x

sarasfabulousweddings.co.uk

info@sarasfabulousweddings.co.uk 07797715999

Samantha Boon Wedding Cake Design

My work is about more than creating beautiful wedding cakes, it’s about telling a couple’s story through design, texture and flavour. Featured in Tatler and a U.K. Wedding Cake Designer of the year finalist, I specialise in bespoke wedding cakes for modern couples who value craftsmanship, quality and individuality. Each design is carefully considered, blending refined artistry with exceptional taste and creating an unforgettable centrepiece.

07797723910 | hello@samanthaboon.com

Instagram @samanthaboonweddingcakedesign www.samanthaboon.com

Bridal Bible Directory

Oasis Hair Salon

We are a boutique salon where clients can enjoy a one to one service in a unique and relaxing atmosphere. Specialist in wedding hair, colouring, cutting and the brilliant Great Lengths hair extensions. Every bride on her wedding day shows a true reflection of herself through her hair. Contact Kayleigh at Oasis Hair Salon to arrange your consultation and start preparing for your special day.

kayholl@gmail.com

01534 728 200

L.J.Events

L.J.Events can create a truly special and individual day for you, we offer entertainment sourcing and management - local and UK - plus creative lighting solutions to enhance the venue and grounds; full sound-systems for speeches, bands and DJs; we have a stock of dance floors, bars, LED cubes, props, plus an LED video-wall. We will guide you through all aspects of your wedding and tailor it to suit your budget.

Martin: 07700 808448

Office: 01534 880825 info@ljevents-services.co.uk

Classic Hire

Why not add a vintage dimension to your wedding with a VW camper van or a fine classic car. Enhance the memories and photographs of your special day with our unique transport. The groom and best man can arrive at the ceremony, top down, in a classic 1960s Triumph sports, or why not arrive with all your brides’ maids in a Split screen camper van. All our cars are self-drive so you can use them as you wish to fulfil your vision for that special day.

01534 864118

Enquiries@leriche.com www.jerseyclassichire.com

Bella Fiori

A boutique florist shop at the top of town, with over 32 years’ experience within the industry. We cater to all areas of floristry including orders for everyday occasions, plants, gifts, events, funerals, and weddings. If you require any assistance with any of these, please get in touch, we will be too happy to help you. Shop 5 Colomberie Parade , La Colomberie, St Helier, Jersey, JE2 4QA

01534 280080

www.bellafiori.je FB: bellafiorijsy IG: bellafiori_jsy

Blake Watson Storytelling is at the core of Blake’s wedding photography. He captures your day candidly as it unfolds, combining an editorial feel with an honest documentary approach. Relaxed yet intentional, Blake offers prompts and gentle guidance, allowing moments to flow naturally. He focuses on what truly matters, the laughter shared between you and the people you love. The result is a collection of timeless, personal and wholesome memories, honouring how it felt, not just how it looked.

Email: studio@blakewatson.co

Website: www.blakewatson.co

Instagram: @blakewatson.co

Ceremonies with Lynsey

I’m a qualified and experienced Civil Celebrant (NOCN Level 3 Dip) and an Authorised Civil Celebrant creating and delivering personalised ceremonies for legal weddings and non-legal wedding, civil partnership, commitment and vow renewal celebrations. Personal promises, readings/ poems and symbolic acts (i.e. handfasting, sand pouring etc) can all feature alongside a bespoke script. If you’re looking for something alternative, I also offer outdoor nature-based spiritual ceremonies and I’m happy to travel for non legal ceremonies.

ceremonieswithlynsey.com

ceremonieswithlynsey@gmail.com 07797 779190

Relationship and intimacy specialist Maggie Bain - also known as the Bare Naked Coach - has moved to the Jersey and joined our Gallery ranks to help local couples repair their relationships. She will be answering questions which she has received from you, hoping to help those with similar problems by drawing on a decade of experience in the field.

Words: Maggie Bain Photography: Oliver Doran

QDear Maggie...

My partner shuts down whenever we argue. I feel like I’m the only one trying to fix things.

AFor many, this may sound like a simple problem with an easy solution. However, from experience, I know there are probably many layers to peel back to reveal the underlying issues.

At the beginning of a new relationship, it is not uncommon to view everything with a soft hue of optimism—the rosecoloured glasses effect. Our brain chemistry is running high with a rise in ‘feel-good’ hormones, and there’s a sense of floating on cloud nine. Not surprisingly, we develop tunnel vision for our new love interest, and obvious or potential red flags are often overlooked.

Cynics would have us believe these feelings of euphoria are merely infatuation, and not real. However, we know it is an evolutionary method to bring couples together. We understand the initial high is not sustainable and will naturally settle, replaced by the bonding hormones needed for lasting connection.

Interestingly, some people manage to live within this honeymoon period for longer—perhaps several years— predominantly due to their personality and temperament. Natural optimism and an ability to resolve problems are instrumental in establishing relationship ground rules, allowing them to sustain that positive energy.

But no two couples are alike, and each has their own style of addressing issues, from small misunderstandings to major conflict. Learning how to navigate this tricky terrain can test even the most patient people. Notably, individuals often forget to emotionally regulate themselves according to the degree of discord. Meaning: not everything needs to be an argument or a full-blown explosion. A discussion or a deep conversation can resolve many disagreements. Once couples learn that not everything needs to be—or should be—50/50, compromise comes more easily.

It is often at this junction in a relationship that flaws start to reveal themselves, and a mutual interest in progressing further will determine its future.

Without knowing the details of your relationship history, I wonder: has it always been like this, or has there been a change in your dynamic?

When I guide clients with similar issues, we carefully peel back the layers of unspoken thoughts and truths. We often discover shifts in their relational patterns so subtle that neither party can pinpoint how or when things changed. However, some rapid changes catch everyone off guard— unemployment, a promotion, or a significant shift in finances. A person’s ability to pivot, and to stand consistently beside their partner through celebration or loss, is a revealing quality. It asks: have they got what it takes?

Perhaps in your situation, it is none of the above scenarios, but rather a learned behaviour. I often hear phrases like: “I give up… What’s the point? They always win. It’s all about them.” This sense of defeat leads to shutting down.

I appreciate my reply may be hard to read, as it might touch on some tender spots. As frustrating as it is to meet resistance when trying to resolve problems, I would recommend seeking professional help as soon as possible. Don’t carry old problems or unhealthy habits into the New Year. Start as you mean to go on!

If you’ve got an anonymous relationship question you’d like to ask, scan here to send it to us for a future edition >

For Private Consultation at The Mind & Body Rooms, Charing Cross, St. Helier, or Zoom, message Maggie at maggie@barenakedcoach.com or visit barenakedcoach.com

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Maison Restorative is Jersey’s new home for restorative beauty, longevity and evidencebased wellness, created for those who want to invest intelligently in themselves, not just their appearance. It brings Harley Street–level expertise to the island, blending surgical precision, regenerative aesthetics and microbiome-led health in a setting that feels as considered as it is clinical.

A Restoration Story

FaceRestoration, the awardwinning London clinic founded by Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeons Dr Rachna Murthy and Professor Jonathan Roos, has long been recognised for redefining eye surgery and facial aesthetics through innovation, safety and natural results. Maison Restorative is the evolution of that vision in Jersey: a sanctuary where skin health, eye health and wholeperson wellbeing are addressed together, using the same rigorous, science-led approach.

At Maison Restorative, every treatment sits within a bigger story: preserving health span, protecting future you and cutting through beauty-industry noise with real medicine. From advanced lasers and injectables to intelligent skincare and tailored supplements, plans are curated around your lifestyle, biology and long-term goals, not trends.

The clinic offers a full spectrum of services, from preventative skin cancer strategies and eyelid surgery to regenerative nonsurgical rejuvenation and a dedicated dry eye spa. Technologies such as UltraClear laser for resurfacing and collagen renewal, and OptiLight IPL for dry eye and pigmentation, are selected for their clinical evidence and ability to deliver powerful results with minimal downtime. These are complemented by sleep and brain health optimisation with sleep expert Dr Oliver Bernath, reflecting the clinic’s belief that radiant skin and clear eyes begin with a wellregulated nervous system and restorative sleep.

Maison Restorative’s product philosophy is equally rigorous. Its Microbial Mantle™-focused skincare and protocols are designed to protect and strengthen the skin’s microbiome, the living “ecosystem” that underpins barrier function, glow and resilience. Medical-grade topicals are paired with pharmaceutically developed nutraceuticals to support the gut-skin-eye-brain axes, ensuring interventions are as biocompatible and targeted as they are luxurious. For patients, this means access to formulations and protocols that are evidence-backed, curated and free from the hidden irritants that quietly undermine long-term health.

“Maison Restorative was born from a desire to bring world-class restorative medicine and advanced aesthetics to Jersey in a way that feels deeply personal and truly preventative,” says Dr Rachna Murthy, BSc (Hons) MB BS FRCOphth. “So many of our patients are time-poor, discerning and overwhelmed by conflicting wellness advice. Our role is to simplify, to guide and to deliver results that honour both their biology and their ambition, helping them look, feel and live better, now and in the years ahead.”

Maison Restorative stands apart through the fusion of medical precision, luxury experience and innovation. Unlike conventional aesthetic clinics, it combines award-winning surgical expertise with next-generation non-invasive treatments, a microbiomeled skincare and nutraceutical philosophy, and a robust focus on preventative eye and skin health. The multidisciplinary team, including a consultant neurologist and sleep expert, a leading plastic surgeon and a renowned facialist to celebrities, work in concert to ensure every patient receives truly holistic, individualised care.

The clinic welcomes those who see their skin, eyes and health as assets to be protected, from those seeking subtle, undetectable rejuvenation that aligns with demanding careers, to individuals with complex aesthetic or ocular needs requiring the highest level of sub-specialist care. Whether the goal is prevention, correction or quiet

transformation, each journey is anchored in discretion, evidence and a shared commitment to long-term wellbeing.

“Maison Restorative is more than a clinic,” Dr Murthy reflects. “It is a sanctuary for those who refuse to choose between medical excellence and a deeply human, beautifully held experience.”

Service Offering

Surgical & Non-Surgical Offerings

Eyelid Surgery and Cosmetic Eyelid Surgery

FaceRestoration offers a full spectrum of eyelid surgeries designed to rejuvenate the delicate eye area – often the first to reveal signs of ageing. Whether medically necessary or purely cosmetic, their surgical techniques aim for natural, refreshed results that restore confidence without compromising function.

The delicate eye area is often the first to show signs of ageing – whether concerns are around hollowing, dark circles, or fatigue in the upper and lower eyelids, this unique surgical duo meticulously addresses each with precision and care.

Advanced Non-Surgical Aesthetics

Bespoke non-surgical treatments include:

-Whole Face Treatment strategies that assess and enhance facial harmony and balance

-Innovative age prevention applications like Baby Botox® for subtle rejuvenation of under-eye wrinkles and jowls

-Lifters, also known as dermal fillers and thread lifts, to restore volume and lift, promoting youthful contours

-State-of-the-art skin rejuvenation techniques tailored to individual needs

This blend of scientific expertise and artistic skill allows the clinic’s Consultants to craft truly personalised treatment plans that enhance natural beauty and support long-term skin health, leading to being awarded Best Specialist Eye & Eyelid Clinic 2025 and Most Innovative Aesthetic Clinic 2025 this year by GHP and Sheerluxe.

Services include:

UltraClear Laser: Next-generation laser technology for skin resurfacing, rejuvenation, and scar reduction.

OptiLight IPL: The latest in Intense Pulsed Light therapy for dry eye, pigmentation, and complexion enhancement.

Award-winning eyelid surgery: Performed by leading specialists for both functional and cosmetic results.

Dry Eye Spa: A dedicated space for advanced dry eye therapies and ocular surface health.

Microbial Mantle Skincare: Innovative products designed to protect and restore the skin’s natural microbiome for preventative health and longevity.

Sleep Optimisation: Consultations with a sleep expert to support skin and overall health from within.

Introducing the founders

Dr Rachna Murthy

BSc (Hons) MB BS FRCOphth Consultant Ophthalmologist, Oculoplastic & Reconstructive Surgeon | Medical Aesthetic Practitioner

Dr Rachna Murthy is a multi award-winning eye surgeon and aesthetic doctor based between London, Cambridge and Jersey, known for delivering exquisitely natural results at the intersection of functional restoration and advanced aesthetics. Educated at Imperial College London with post-residency fellowships at Moorfields Eye Hospital, the Craniofacial Unit at Chelsea & Westminster Hospital and the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital in Melbourne, she brings deep subspecialist expertise to every case. Her decade of consultant experience includes leading the Cambridge University Hospitals Thyroid Eye Disease Service, providing quaternary oculoplastic and autoimmune care for the East of England.

As a Spears 500 and Tatler-listed female founder, Dr Murthy is recognised as one of the UK’s leading aesthetic and oculoplastic surgeons, and has been honoured as UK Aesthetic Doctor of the Year 2024 and UK Consultant Surgeon of the Year at the Aesthetics Awards. Her work is characterised by an unwavering commitment to safety, subtlety and empowerment, helping women and men alike feel restored rather than “done”.

A passionate educator and researcher, she holds faculty roles at international meetings and at the Allergan Medical Institute, and has helped to set benchmarks in filler safety, cosmetic ingredient science and advanced oculoplastic techniques. Her TEDx talk, “Biohacking health span through the gut, skin and eyes”, explores how bioharmonising the microbiome across the gut-skin-eye axes can unlock new possibilities in preventative health and longevity. In it, she advocates for cutting through consumer confusion with medicalgrade topicals and pharmaceutically developed nutraceuticals that are rigorously tested, evidence-backed and kind to the microbiome.

Dr Murthy is a member of the British Oculoplastic Surgical Society and among a small number of surgeons invited to join both the American and European Societies of Oculoplastic and Reconstructive Surgeons. She sits on the Royal Society of Medicine’s Ophthalmology Council and advises an LVMH-backed skincare and nutraceutical line, a global health-tech company and The Tear Film & Ocular Surface Society, roles that allow her to influence the future of safe, intelligent beauty from clinic to lab to consumer.

Her focus now is increasingly on skin cancer prevention, healthy ageing and microbiome-led strategies that allow patients to protect their vision, their skin and their confidence for the long term. Patients describe her care as exacting yet deeply human, rooted in listening, in understanding the life behind the face and in delivering outcomes that feel like a more rested, harmonious version of themselves.

Prof Jonathan Roos

MB BChir MA PhD (Cantab) FRCOphth FEBO Consultant Ophthalmologist, Oculoplastic & Reconstructive Surgeon | Medical Aesthetic Practitioner

Professor Jonathan Roos is an internationally recognised eyelid and oculoplastic surgeon, educated at the University of Cambridge and Harvard and trained at Moorfields Eye Hospital. His practice spans Harley Street, The Lanserhof and leading private hospitals, and he is known for precision-led cosmetic eyelid surgery, periocular cancer reconstruction and regenerative aesthetic techniques that prioritise longevity and authenticity over short-lived fixes.

Together, Dr Murthy and Professor Roos are the only UK consultant eye surgery duo to operate jointly on every case, both in clinic and in theatre, cross-checking each decision for optimal safety and outcome. They are co-creators of Purifeyes™, a periocular antimicrobial cleanser developed to protect the delicate eyelid skin and ocular surface, now widely used and recommended by eye care professionals. Their shared values of safety, transparency and patient-first ethics have earned their clinics multiple national awards and a reputation as among the most trusted destinations for eye and facial rejuvenation in the UK.

For Jersey’s discerning, time-poor professionals, Maison Restorative offers something rare: a place where every intervention, from a “baby Botox” tweak to complex eyelid surgery, is held to the same uncompromising standard of medical excellence and long-term thinking. Here, beauty is not a quick fix, but a considered, collaborative investment in your future self.

Together, their person-centred approach to aesthetic treatments and core values of safety, care and excellence have led to their non surgical aesthetic services and techniques being amongst the most sought after in the UK.

Dr Paul Banwell

BSC(HONS) FRCS(ENG) FRCS(PLAST)

Dr Paul Banwell stands at the intersection of surgical excellence, innovation and refined aesthetic sensibility. A UK-based Plastic & Cosmetic Surgeon and Director of Pantheons Clinic, he has built an international reputation for delivering discreet, natural-looking results through highly personalised care. From his practices across the South East of England, including East Grinstead, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Haywards Heath and Brighton, to his luxury consulting rooms on Harley Street, London, Dr Banwell offers a rare blend of clinical mastery and bespoke patient experience.

Renowned for his contemporary approach to aesthetic medicine, Dr Banwell provides exclusive, tailored solutions across breast, body and facial surgery. His practice is particularly celebrated for state-of-the-art tissuepreservation breast techniques, including Preservé and Mia Femtech, alongside refined mummy makeovers and advanced liposuction. Complementing surgical expertise is a deep commitment to regenerative aesthetics, longevity medicine and advanced skin health, disciplines designed not to transform, but to enhance and empower natural beauty at every stage of life.

With over a decade of experience and a philosophy rooted in honesty, warmth and precision, Dr Banwell believes luxury lies in subtlety and trust. His results are intentionally elegant, prioritising proportion, longevity and individual anatomy. This ethos aligns seamlessly with the Maison Restorative vision of delivering care at the very highest level, where science, artistry and wellbeing converge.

Dr Banwell’s credentials reflect his standing at the forefront of global medicine. A Visiting Professor of Plastic Surgery at Harvard Medical School, he lectures internationally and has published extensively on cosmetic surgery, regenerative medicine, scarring and skin health. His early career included mentorship under a Nobel Prize nominee, shaping a lifelong commitment to innovation and evidence-based practice.

Educated in Tunbridge Wells and trained at St Mary’s Hospital Medical School, London (Imperial College), Dr Banwell completed elite surgical training across London, Oxford and beyond, earning Fellowships of the Royal College of Surgeons in both general and plastic surgery. He has held senior fellowship roles at the Royal Marsden Hospital, specialising in complex reconstruction following cancer, and is a recognised authority in skin cancer, having founded and led one of the UK’s largest skin cancer units for nearly a decade.

Dr Oliver Bernath

MD, AASM, ESRS, DGSM Consultant Neurologist and Sleep Disorders

Specialist

Dr Oliver Bernath MD is an internationally experienced, awardwinning Consultant Neurologist and Sleep Physician. He leads the Sleep Disorders Centre at Queen Victoria Hosptial in Sussex, the largest comprehensive sleep clinic in the Southeast of England.

In Sleep Medicine, his expertise covers the entire spectrum from neurological sleep disorders (e.g., central hypersomnias like narcolepsy, idiopathic hypersomnia, Kleine-Levin Syndrome, Restless Legs Syndrome and Periodic Limb Movements, REM Sleep Behaviour Disorder, Non-REM Parasomnias, incl. sleepwalking, sleep eating, sexsomnia, myoclonic jerks in sleep), respiratory disorders in sleep (esp Obstructive Sleep Apnoea and snoring), as well as the full range of Insomnia Disorders. He interprets the full range of sleep diagnostic tests.

In Neurology, Dr Bernath focuses mainly on disorders of the central nervous system (incl. epilepsy, Parkinson's Disease and tremor disorders, degenerative neurological disorders, dizziness, episodes of loss of awareness, Migraine, headaches and chronic pain, incl. trigeminal neuralgia) as well as peripheral neuropathy and muscle disorders.

He received his medical degree from the University of Ulm (Germany) with a doctorate in muscle physiology. He trained in neurology at the University of Chicago where he served as Chief Resident. This was followed by fellowships in clinical neurophysiology, epilepsy and intraoperative monitoring at the University of California San Francisco, and finally in Sleep Medicine at the UCSF/Stanford Medical Centre. He had the opportunity to receive his training from the pioneers in the field.

His research focused on high-resolution EEG and Magnetencephalography in the localisation of epileptic foci, as well as on innovative approaches in data analysis of sleep recordings. Most recently, he developed a deeper interest in dreams and dreaming within the science of consciousness. Further, he holds clinics in Brain Health and neurological longevity.

He achieved Board certifications from the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology in Neurology and in Clinical Neurophysiology, the American Board of Clinical Neurophysiology, and the American Board of Sleep Medicine (now American Academy of Sleep Medicine). He is also certified by the European Sleep Reseach Society and the German Sleep Society. He is a member of the British Sleep Society, the Association of British Neurologist, the London Sleep Society, and the British Medical Association.

He is a frequent invited speaker at Podcasts and clinical conferences. He advised governments at national and regional level on healthcare policy, systems design in Integrated Care, as well as operational efficiency and quality of providers.

The Mum Edit

Mother’s Day is the perfect excuse to pause, say thank you, and spoil the women who do it all. Whether she loves five minutes of quiet skincare or a full beauty ritual, the right products can feel like the most meaningful moment just for her. She’s everyone’s everything, organiser, cheerleader, problem-solver and comfort blanket. This Mother’s Day, swap the flowers for something that lasts a little longer, with beauty treats designed to help her unwind, recharge and feel truly looked after…

Hero Facial Oil, By Sarah London, £36, bysarahlondon.com

Meet the facial oil that does everything, without ever making a fuss about it. How apt, just like all the amazing mums out there. By Sarah London’s much-loved Hero Oil is fragrance-free, feather-light and seriously soothing, making it a dream for sensitive or reactive skin. Packed with antioxidants, it helps strengthen the skin barrier, lock in moisture and keep collagen working at its best, all while delivering that coveted cashmere-soft glow.

Energizing Eye Masks, Grace & Stella, £17.50, Superdrug

If your under-eyes need a wake-up call, Grace & Stella’s Energizing Eye Masks are here to clock in early. These cooling little heroes instantly de-puff, hydrate and brighten, delivering that fresh-faced, eight-hours-of-sleep illusion in minutes, ideal for any mums that are currently in the new baby trenches. Powered by hyaluronic acid, glycerin and sea moss, they flood tired skin with moisture while feeling deliciously cold (top tip: keep them in the fridge). Leaves you bright eyed, and busy tailed.

Bleach London, Reincarnation Mask, £10, Superdrug

For mums whose hair has been through everything (school runs, sleepless nights, heat styling on the fly), the Reincarnation Mask is a total comeback in a tub. This 20-minute wonder repairs stressed strands, rebuilds bonds and brings dry, frazzled hair back to life, fast. Packed with hydrolysed wheat and vegetable proteins plus antioxidant-rich sunflower seed extract, it strengthens, hydrates and seriously boosts shine. It’s ammonia-free, vegan, PETA-approved and kind to coloured or bleached hair. Tick, tick, tick.

Phyto-Teint Primer Glow, Sisley, £80 approx, Voisins

Glow-getters, meet your new secret weapon. Phyto-Teint Primer Glow is that onestep wonder that fakes eight hours’ sleep and a facial in under a minute. Featherlight, silky and totally non-sticky, it glides on effortlessly, blurring imperfections and smoothing skin while serving up a soft-focus, lit-from-within glow. The subtle peach tint melts invisibly into skin, catching and diffusing light for all-day radiance (no disco shimmer here). Where make up meets skin care, it improves skin over time, too. Wear it solo for fresh-faced luminosity or under foundation to boost everything.

Phyto-Teint Poudre Libre, Sisley, £85 approx, Voisins Say goodbye to that very annoying, Botox-y shine and hello to perfectly polished skin. Phyto-Teint Poudre Libre is an ultra-light, silky setting powder that melts into skin, locking makeup in place while blurring pores, fine lines and imperfections, without killing your glow. Choose Shimmer for soft radiance that smooths and perfects, or choose Translucent, Rosy or Deep to mattify and banish unwanted shine. Thanks to Sisley’s clever micro-emulsion tech, it even hydrates as it sets, leaving skin plump, refined and luminous over time. Flawless, fresh and never flat. Just how skin should look, or rather how we wish it to look. Worth every penny.

EVE STUDIOS

Beneath the formal air of the United Club, Eve Studios has birthed a collective of women dedicated to female health in what was the Old Registry Office. Their mission is to help women feel stronger and more confident, with founder Trudi Roscouet bringing together women in a range of therapeutic professions. Trainers, therapists, skin specialists, tattoo artists, reflexologists and lymphatic therapists work as a team in rooms that, fittingly, have always been used to record life’s milestones. We caught up with them to learn more about the variety of practices they offer to clients carrying stress or health problems, whether that be boxing classes, brows, massage or yoga.

Trudi Roscouet

Founder of Eve Studios

Trudi Roscouet, also known as “Mrs Menopause,” holds the (not-so-secret) strength of training women back into the mindset of believing in themselves again. Always the trailblazer, she was the first female white-collar boxer for LH Fitness and spent years training. Whilst these days she teaches boxing in a more “female-friendly” setting, occasionally, slipping on the gloves summons her feisty alter-ego.

Despite being long-acclimatised to Eve Studio’s location, she still finds it funny walking upstairs into the United Club in leggings, to suited and booted gentlemen who look up and say “oh, you must be Trudi!” Her home ground sits beneath the old-world energy, in granite rooms seeped in historyso much so, that Trudi is convinced the walls host a hidden presence. To this day, she’s not certain if they are male or female, but if the former is true, she’s willing to make concessions for the dead.

Carrie Ramsay & Colette McGirl

Co-Founders of The Contour Clinic

Carrie and Colette bring a multitude of talents to Eve Studios, including secret ones, such as being practising midwives (note: this is not a service Eve Studios offers, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Trudi decided to go with the flow should the need arise). They specialise in advanced, non-surgical aesthetic treatments designed to improve skin quality while ensuring natural-looking results. Anti-wrinkle treatments to soften expression lines, dermal fillers to restore structure, skin boosters to improve hydration, texture and luminosity, as well as microneedling to stimulate collagen and help with acne scarring are all part of the menu of services that they offer.

The biggest misconception they want to debunk about their service is that aesthetics automatically equate to “overfilled” or “fake”. These false premises are quelled during a complimentary consultation prior to

treatment, and fulfilled with a personalised plan based on facial anatomy, movement and what you actually want. If their practice had a soundtrack, it would be Nina Simone’s Feeling Good, because at the end of the day, the final goal is confidence. They hope their clients feel more like people than patients, and know that any divulged stories stay locked up safe within their walls.

Stacey Adams

Founder of Beauty & Glow

Stacey has been in the beauty industry for fifteen years and can honestly say she’s “loved every minute”. Having worked across salons, spas and mobile beauty, owning her own salon was always the goal. Before moving to Jersey, she ran a salon in Scotland for seven years, refining her treatments and shaping her company into what it is now.

Her ethos is simply to enhance natural beauty. She claims this is why her lash lift and brow combo is one of her most loved treatments, with clients frequently surprised

Left to Right, Top to Bottom: Charlene, Elizma, Carrie, Trudi, Colette, Stacey, Lucy, Caroline, Clare, Janicke, Kat.

Photography: Danny Evans

by small treatments that have a big impact. Brows are her thing, and her famed Brow Rehab process is long-term and collaborative, working with clients over time to naturally build what they want. Working from Eve is a “total vibe,” she says; a space full of supportive women, laughter, inspiration and great energy. “Beauty should feel good,” she explains, “and here, it truly does!”

Lucy Collin

Manager of Eve Studios

Lucy thrives on making exercise feel less like penance and more like fun. She’s a personal trainer and class instructor with a degree in Dance and Choreography, and her passion is making movement feel enjoyable for women of all ages and abilities, whilst still pushing people to test their limits.

One of her proudest wins this year was helping a client hit a new personal best time for a half marathon, by focusing on strength training and postural correction. Outside the studio, she can usually be found in the sea, but inside, she’s fond of the building’s quirks: granite archways and fireplaces that make Eve feel like a modern wellness studio existing in a unique space.

Kat Keelan

Founder of FAB

Kat’s work is a balance of practical and restorative wellness, offering holistic wellbeing treatments for women. Her signature is YOmm, a yoga and massage combination that she’s been developing for fifteen years. Starting with specific exercises to pinpoint areas of pain, followed by targeted massage to ease it, the technique increases blood flow and encourages recovery. She also adapts the practice for the neck, shoulders and head, perfectly suited for those struggling with stress, anxiety or low mood. Her main goal is to teach clients exercises that they can take away with them for when they need it.

Clients come to her for “restoration of peace” in mind, body and soul, and regulars love her tailor-made combinations of reflexology and organic facials. Kat’s also practical about pricing, believing wellness should be an essential, not a luxury, and accessible to all women. She finds being under the old United Club hilarious, with Eve like “queen bees” downstairs “while old men in suits sit upstairs having a whiskey with a stiff upper lip - teehee”.

Janicke Michel

Founder

of Atma Reflexology & Massage

Janicke specialises in nurturing, restorative reflexology and massage, with a holistic approach that’s tailored to each person. She’d describe her overall approach to wellness as creating calm, grounding treatments that support the body, mind and emotions. The number one thing her clients come to her for

is deep relaxation, to release tension, reset their nervous system and reconnect with themselves.

When she’s not at Eve, she’s outside, “stomping along the beach, wandering through woods, sand dunes and cliff paths, or tucked up with good food and a glass of red wine, sharing time with family and friends.” Her happy place is being under big skies with her favourite people, whether it gives golden sunshine or wild, windy weather. She sees Eve as a calm community space for women to gather and connect, and being beneath the historically all-men’s United Club feels like restoring balance to the building. “These rooms also once held the registrar’s office,” she said, “where marriages, births and deaths were recorded, so it’s full of history, love and life - a special place to be.”

Elizma Lawrence

Founder of Santé et Beauté Face & Body Elizma is a skin specialist with over 25 years experience in the spa and aesthetic industry, and her niche is anything to do with skin. Whether it’s rosacea, acne, benign lesions or scar revision, she’s got your future healthy glow covered. Clients rave about her facials, and she has “all sorts of wands” to personalise the treatment journey.

The misconception she’s keenest to break about her industry is that you need to get lots of treatments all the time. Her approach is measured, instead focusing on getting the skin working at its optimum, and then supporting it through seasonal and hormonal changes. In her opinion, a good facial once every three months is often enough. She also disdains the social-media skincare noise, which leads far too many down harmful rabbit holes. “Skincare doesn’t have to be complicated,” she asserted, “it just has to be correct.” Her key recommendation for daily care is SPF - protecting against UV whilst protecting collagen. Her favourite quirk of Eve is the granite arches and the old-to-new revival, which is fitting, given she’s in the business of helping skin do the same.

Clare Yates

Founder of CY Lymphatic Drainage

Clare Yates brings twenty years of experience and expertise to Eve as a registered nurse. She works as an Advanced Practitioner, helping people improve and manage their lymphatic system. Her treatments, and the advice that comes with them, supports clients with lymphoedema and lipoedema, and she notes that lymphatic drainage is especially important following surgery, especially cosmetic, because it promotes healing and helps reduce swelling and bruising.

She describes her practice as “powerful but gentle,” with people leaving feeling lighter, less bloated and less puffy through reduced

inflammation. Her focus is bespoke, safe care that is underscored by experience and knowledge of anatomy. Nevertheless, her favourite part of the service is working with people, helping them make small daily habits that help them to feel their best.

Caroline Edis

Personal Trainer at Eve Studios

Caroline specialises in strength training and yoga/mobility for women, a combination that helps people feel stronger and more capable again. Her approach is holistic, personalised and balanced, and she’s keen to push back on the misconception that personal training is primarily about looks. Instead, she believes it’s more important that clients feel healthy and happy wit the lifestyle they’re building, keeping a keen eye on their mental health. She sees improvement in body composition and shape as an added bonus, rather than the ‘be all and end all’.

Her secret talent is speaking Spanish, she avoids veganism as a wellness trend, and if she’s not at Eve you would probably find her listening to house music somewhere in London. In her opinion, the aspect of modern wellness that she thinks would most shock the ghosts of the United Club are the post-natal classes and PT sessions where babies are present, as well as women of all ages lifting weights downstairs.

Charlene Hickey

Founder of CH Tattoo

Charlene’s studio is a haven of cosy, calm energy, tattooing in a nurturing, holistic way that is far from the tattoo-parlour stereotype. She specialises in delicate cover-ups, revamps and scar-covers, and sees her space as more of a "healing room” than a “tattoo parlour.” Due to the amount of energy she puts into each appointment, she only sees one client a day, which frees up space to make time for writing and artwork.

Clients love her for her completely nonjudgemental space, where secrets can be shared in confidence and good energy can be maintained throughout the tattooing process. Her one-sentence approach to wellness is that “if a woman can be her truest self, she is unstoppable.” Her pre-session ritual lays the foundation for the tone of her sessions, with music and dancing that range from meditation music, “banging house tunes” and 90s RnB (complimented by wax melts and fairy lights). Outside wellness, her secret talent is that she writes books about female freedom, having previously published the memoir No Fear of Depths, which is being sequelled by No Pain, No Stain (a title that feels particularly on brand).

eve.je / @evestudiosje

Get Aligned

Align Health Agency is a multidisciplinary health and wellness clinic in Jersey with a simple belief: health isn’t one-size-fits-all, and neither is care.

We take a 360-degree approach that recognises you as a whole person, not a collection of symptoms. That means supporting all pillars of health: physical, chemical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. Because in real life, back pain isn’t always “just” a back problem. Tension isn’t always “just” tight muscles. And fatigue isn’t solved by a single supplement or a quick fix. Modern health is complex and staying well requires a wider lens.

At Align, you’ll find trusted practitioners working under one roof, including chiropractic and musculoskeletal care, sports and deep tissue massage, Thai massage, dry needling and cupping, reflexology, Ayurvedic therapies, health coaching, and complementary treatments. Every session is tailored, whether you’re recovering from injury, managing ongoing aches and stress, improving mobility and performance, or simply wanting to feel better in your body day to day.

We’re passionate about education because the real gold in health is learning to respond when your body whispers, long before it starts to scream. When you understand your patterns, you can act early, stay ahead of flare-ups, and make small, consistent changes that protect your long-term wellbeing.

To make this proactive approach accessible, we created three monthly memberships: Balance, Flow, and Elevate. These packages give clients significantly reduced rates across treatments and support, making it easier to stay on top of health consistently rather than waiting until something breaks down. Elevate is also available as a shared option for two people, ideal for couples or friends who want to prioritise their wellbeing together.

As part of our 360-degree model, Align also offers functional blood chemistry analysis, looking at markers through the lens of optimal function, not simply whether results fall inside broad “normal” ranges. This can help uncover early clues as to why you’re not feeling your best, and guide a more personalised plan.

Ultimately, Align exists to help people move better, feel better, and thrive, now and in the future while putting the power back in your hands. Proactive healthcare is the way forward.

@alignjersey

Support a Healthy Pregnancy with Chiropractic.

Words: Ruth Beresford, DC Human Health

The journey from conception to parenthood is one of life’s most transformative chapters. With the preconception period naturally offering an opportunity for both parents to focus on their overall health and wellbeing. During this time, chiropractic care can support people who wish to optimise the body’s natural processes with a personalised and holistic approach.

Before pregnancy, chiropractic care promotes nervous system regulation, helping to ease stress and encourage a sense of balance and groundedness. Many women find this time of care allows them to feel more connected to their bodies as they navigate busy and emotionally rich times leading into conception and pregnancy.

Throughout pregnancy, the body undergoes rapid and remarkable change. It has an innate ability to organise, regulate, and adapt to both internal and external stressors. The nervous system plays a central role in how these changes are processed and responded to. Consistent chiropractic adjustments encourage a regulated nervous system through gentle cranial balancing, spinal, and pelvic alignment, helping the body communicate and function with greater ease. As physical and neurological tension are reduced, the body is better able to adapt to the demands placed upon it.

Many women seek support during this period to ease common pregnancy discomforts, such as lower back pain, hip tension, or pelvic pressure, which often increase as the body adjusts to postural changes while the baby grows. Gentle, pregnancy specific chiropractic techniques help promote easier movement, improved rest, and better overall function, not only throughout pregnancy but also in preparation for delivery.

Chiropractic care from preconception through pregnancy and into the post-partum period is centered on honouring the body’s natural wisdom, restoring balance, and supporting optimal healing throughout this life-changing journey, helping you to be as comfortable and prepared as possible for the arrival of your little one.

WinterGlow Skincare

Floragy (Flourish Serum)

I’ve spent most of my life battling sensitive, dry, eczema-prone skin, so I’ve always been cautious with new products. I usually stick to gentle, natural formulas and avoid anything overly acidic, retinal-based, or heavily chemical. When I came across Floragy, I was immediately intrigued by their RetinArt technology which is a natural, retinal alternative that gives you all the results minus the side effects.

After the first use, I immediately felt that glow I’d been missing. My makeup sat beautifully on top, and there was a subtle plumpness and healthy colour back in my cheeks. The formula blends that well needed, brightening Vitamin C with hydrating Olive Squalane, and Lactobacillus Ferment (a probiotic that strengthens the skin barrier). Together, they created a noticeable, healthy shift in my complexion. I can absolutely see myself repurchasing this product.

The Jing Method comes to Jersey

Natural Therapies is now offering The Jing Method of Advanced Clinical and sports massage therapy. An advanced Clinical Sports and massage therapy, it is a fusion of techniques to enhance your physical and mental wellbeing. Currently Les Stanton is the only fully qualified practising Jing practitioner in Jersey and works with clients in chronic Musculoskeletal pain and injury.

So, What Is the Jing Method?

Evolve (Trilogy of glow)

I was immediately drawn to the promise of an overnight mask, there’s something undeniably satisfying about a product that works while you sleep, with the hope of waking up to visibly refreshed, glowing skin.

Sadly, this is rarely the case. Heatless curls turn into a frizz ball, masks end up stuck to the bedsheets, or you wake up with half the product smeared across your pillow. At least, that’s been my experience. The Evolve mask, however, did none of the above. Soft and creamy, it absorbed like a moisturiser rather than sitting on the skin, making it genuinely comfortable to wear overnight. Powered by the resurrection plant molecule which is known for its ability to retain moisture even in extreme dehydration, it delivers long-lasting hydration without heaviness.

I woke up pleasantly surprised, my skin looking healthy, radiant, and genuinely refreshed. I had the opportunity to try the mask alongside Evolve’s Bio-Retinol Serum and Hydrating Mist, and together they noticeably amplified the glow. The all-natural, plantbased ingredients made me feel even better about these products.

*all evolve products can be found at 100% Health in St Helier

The Jing Method of Advanced Clinical and Sports Massage is a ground-breaking approach to treating chronic pain — designed and developed by Jing Institute founders Rachel Fairweather and Meghan Mari. At its heart, the method is a unique fusion of the most effective soft tissue techniques from both East and West, including myofascial release, trigger point therapy, acupressure and advanced stretching. This outcome-based system is designed to help clients find real, lasting relief from a wide range of chronic musculoskeletal issues – from back pain and sciatica to frozen shoulder, migraines, and systemic conditions like fibromyalgia and rheumatoid arthritis.

More than just massage, the Jing Method is a collaborative journey between therapist and client. Working together over a structured six-session plan, the aim is always the same: reduce pain, restore movement, and empower people to take control of their health. Blending cutting-edge neuroscience with a heart-centred, biopsychosocial approach, the Jing Method is transforming lives — and reshaping the future of massage therapy in the UK. And as a bonus as Therapists we learn to work smarter with our own body mechanics when giving treatments – saving wear and tear on your own body.

What to expect from a Jing Method Treatment?

When you book a session with a therapist trained in The Jing Method™, you’re entering into a supportive, heart-centred partnership focused on helping you move out of pain and into possibility.

You can expect:

• A warm, compassionate massage therapist who listens to your story and works with you to achieve real results

• A full pre-treatment consultation, often via phone or video call

• A personalised treatment plan focused on reducing your pain in six sessions or fewer

• A 45-minute hands-on treatment using advanced techniques such as fascial work, trigger point therapy, acupressure and stretching

• Reassessment after treatment to track your progress and adjust your plan as needed

• Tailored aftercare including stretches, strengthening exercises and mindfulness practices to support your healing

• Whether you’re dealing with chronic back pain, migraines, fibromyalgia, whiplash, or long-term injury, the Jing Method™ offers an integrated, empowering approach to recovery – one that recognises both your physical and emotional needs.

To experience the Jing method, contact Natural Therapies, St Ouen on 01534 605005

EVOLVE BEAUTY Now in stock

Le Hocq Hamptons

Le Hocq in St Clement isn’t too bad a place to set up your forever home. With a beach well suited to sunrise swimming and paddle boarding, a popular traditional pub that happens to be the most southerly in the British Isles, and the iconic Le Hocq Tower, printed on Jersey currency, it offers a coastal scene without requiring you to relocate to the sticks to get it.

Less than a fifteen-minute drive to St Helier, or a twenty-five-minute cycle if you’re feeling optimistic, it allows for a commute short enough that you can still make the most of the evening light after work, even in winter. It’s a part of the island that feels like a holiday location, but one that is lived-in and everyday rather than seasonal, peaceful when you want it to be and sociable when you don’t.

Every house in Jersey could, with varying degrees of optimism, be described by estate agents as “right by the sea”, but Oxenways in St Clement takes this to a more literal level.

Sitting directly opposite St Clement’s Bay, with Le Hocq Tower marking the horizon, this is a house that genuinely lives within a sea breeze.

At over £7 million and spanning an impressive 6,921 sq ft, the property sits comfortably within Jersey’s upper tier of coastal homes.

The Hamptons-inspired exterior sets a tone of luxury beach living for the privileged few, but the way the house is arranged feels luxurious without shouting about it. There is a calmness to the white façade and the generous indoor and outdoor spaces; grand but approachable gestures that suit the practical requirements of a family home designed to be lived in.

Inside, the ground floor is arranged around a kitchen that acts as the natural centre of the house. With Gaggenau appliances, a gas hob, walk-in pantry and expansive prep area, this is a space designed to look impressive without sacrificing its ability to feed a lot of hungry

Oxenways is, ultimately, a confident modern interpretation of coastal living, where space, light and practicality are prioritised just as highly as the views. For buyers seeking a substantial seafront home that works as comfortably in winter as it does in summer, it strikes the balance remarkably well.

mouths. Floor-to-ceiling glazing runs along the rear elevation, opening directly onto the garden and pool terrace so that, in warmer months, the house extends naturally outdoors.

The surrounding living and dining spaces are open, bright and sociable without feeling cavernous. There is enough open plan to create a sense of communal living, but sufficient separation to allow different parts of the household to operate independently. A dedicated study on this level functions as a proper work-fromhome room, ideal for easing back into the working week on a Monday morning.

Upstairs, multiple double bedrooms are configured as full suites with en-suites and, in several cases, dressing rooms. It is the sort of arrangement that allows guests or older children a degree of independence in the mornings, without being thrust straight into the household bustle as soon as the alarm goes off.

The entire top floor is reserved for the principal suite, which takes full advantage of the views across Le Hocq Bay. A walk-in wardrobe, large en-suite with bath and wet-style shower, and an adjoining morning room create a private retreat that feels distinctly separate from the rest of the home. A notable construction detail here is the use of concrete flooring between levels, improving both solidity and acoustic performance, a small but meaningful feature.

Outside, a heated swimming pool sits at the heart of the garden, surrounded by a broad terrace designed for leisurely living. The pool house provides its own lounge and kitchen area with bifold doors opening onto the terrace, operating as a secondary entertaining space ideally suited to Jersey’s changeable weather.

A one-bedroom annex sits to one side of the property, offering valuable flexibility for guests or multi-generational living. It is a practical addition that could function in a number of ways, from guest accommodation to a creative studio.

Behind the scenes, Oxenways is equally well considered, with underfloor heating, Lutron lighting, fibre connectivity, a boreholefed irrigation system, leak detection and a security system linked to PPS, making everyday living feel seamless.

Oxenways, St Clement

£7,250,000

Freehold

6 bedrooms,

7 bathrooms, extensive parking

Viewing: Contact Gaudin & Co on 01534 888855

BEFORE & AFTER

Having an eye for design means being able to look at a space with fresh eyes and create something that is unique to that particular environment. Sometimes walls come down, or neglected corners become the most used area of the house. Working around awkward pillars and areas most people just pass through is a refined skill honed by interior specialists, so for this transformation feature we

caught up with some locals with a knack for the craft. Over the coming pages, we share ‘before-and-after’ projects that totally transformed the mood of a room. Enclosed kitchens were opened, multifunctional living spaces created, and penthouse showpieces as well as cinematic retreats were brought to life, resulting in spaces that feel purposeful, personal, and above all, homely.

Ash Interiors

For Emilia at Ash Interiors, this transformation was a personal one. Her client was family, and the room needed an entire overhaul.

The brief was for it to be a multi-use room where they could sit by the fire, watch TV, play the piano and host friends and family for meals (there is a dining table and upright piano out of shot). “It’s a large room, and with only two rooms on the ground floor of this house, it needed a lot of work,” Emilia explained. “One of the major problems with it was the lack of any heating, and a draft through the gaps in the floorboards.”

Reworking the layout came first, arranging the furniture and centring the sofa and armchairs around the fireplace. “This created a little corridor behind the sofa and divided the room into different zones,” she explained. “Previously, the furniture had seemed rather lost in a large space, and the room felt under-utilised.”

Adding vibrancy was the next step. “I was desperate to change the colour on every surface of the room, which I would describe as a dirty beige,” she explained, relaying that old fashioned tights sprung to her mind when she viewed the room. “To my eye, the yellow curtains, which we had inherited with the house, clashed horribly with it…”

Knowing that the heating was one of the main problems, Emilia ordered a huge jute rug that covered almost the entire floor, and installed a slightly unusual system of electric underfloor heating that sat over the floorboards, but under a ply board, with the rug over the top. This allowed the room to be maintained at a sensible temperature, before personality could be layered in through pattern, lamps and pieces found over time.

“To me, this is a key thing about successful interiors,” she noted. “They need to evolve over time. Sometimes the ‘not quite right thing’ actually makes the room work.”

ashinteriors.com / @ashinteriors.jersey

Before

After

Photography: Rachael Smith

&

TLC Home

Working on the penthouse of one of the Horizon apartments at the Waterfront, TLC Home knew that this project needed to be special.

“The brief from JDC was to give wow factor as well as a practical way to demonstrate how to use and dress this high-end penthouse apartment,” they said. “It had some more difficult features to work with, including a wide pillar disrupting the open plan space, one side of which has double height ceilings.”

Rather than fight these features, they decided to embrace them, softening the partition pillar with a curved edge, and installing an architectural shelving unit to make it feel intentional rather than jarring, while connecting the open plan spaces.

“We kept the colours and textures smooth and focused on reflecting the light,” they noted. A mirrored TV piece, neutral velvet sofa and glass coffee table did most of the work. To balance this with richness and softness, they added walnut shelving and luxe rugs with flowing voiles. A statement piece is the gloss lacquered dining table in apple green.

Working with this space, it was integral to design around the sea view, and ensure it was a focal point in the room. “We were keen to avoid turning our back to the sea view, so instead we brought the view into the room,” they explained. “An oversized mirror, cleverly concealing the television, reflects the expansive view and light back into the space, giving the illusion of width to balance the height of this space.”

tlchome.co / @tlchome.co

Before

Beaumont Home Centre

For the owners of this home, they were tired of a kitchen that felt closed in, dishevelled and an impractical use of the space. The challenge was to knock down a wall dividing the two spaces, creating an open plan hub that felt both practical and stylish, and a space they enjoyed using.

“We knew we wanted warm, neutral and earthy tones included in different textures,” said the team at Beaumont Home Centre. “The previous kitchen was very enclosed and lacked space, so we wanted to create something contemporary with practical storage solutions.” They enlisted the help of Atlas Construction, who was the main contractor they worked with.

Once the internal wall was knocked down, the team got to work building up the new space. A sink was positioned under the window near the dishwasher, and a bank of tall units was installed to include an integrated fridge/freezer and larder on either side. “This created a floating effect for the combination oven, single oven and warming drawer with mirrored wall panelling,” they explained. The vented hob was positioned on the island to take full advantage of the sea views, and a feature with pocket doors allowed the

wine storage and cocktail making area to be hidden when not in use. “The aim was to make it very sociable whilst cooking, looking towards the family dining and living area,” they noted. “We also added tinted black glazed units to add contrast and create a more subtle, relaxed mood through lighting.”

The aesthetic they went with was driven by the client’s preferences, who was looking for something sleek and modern. However, the team explained that they have offered more classic or farmhouse styles in the past.When creating a scheme and ensuring the dynamic remains consistent throughout a room, the team at Beaumont Home Centre pay close attention to materials and finishes that anchor the scheme, with texture playing a central role. They paired Hacker German rigid, handleless kitchen units with bronze handles, with a shiny bronze mirror and copper sink, complete with a rose copper Quooker tap. Siemens appliances, including a vented hob, and a Dunavox wine storage unit ensured the best amenities were included. The biggest challenge came with installing the Dekton Entzo worktops with waterfall edging, using a crane to reach the apartment on the 8th floor.

beaumonthomecentre.com / @beaumonthc

For this full house renovation, one room had been left untouched because the owners were at a loss as to what to do with it. The property already boasted a large eat-in kitchen with an entertaining area, as well as a snug for watching television.

Although the room benefitted from south-facing, full-height windows that flooded it with light and provided garden access, the indooroutdoor connection had already been made through the kitchen. “I wanted to create something dramatic that would set the room apart and clearly define its purpose,” explained Manon.

This purpose became a library and cinema room, but to make the desired changes, structural work had to be done before the aesthetics could follow. “The volume lacked the theatrical impact required to make the room a true destination,” she explained. “The low ceiling was removed to reveal the full height of the room, and the 1970s brick fireplace was replaced with a stove, creating a generous gap for a large television screen. As with all my projects, the layout was resolved before applying any finishes.”

The resulting mood was guided by the rest of the house. “A blank canvas can be difficult to tackle, as there are no visual cues to follow,” Manon explained. “As the rest of the property had an organic feel, I favoured natural materials to ensure cohesion. The resulting style is both classic and modern, with a timeless quality, an approach I strive for in all my projects.”

Landes Interiors

Recognising that texture and acoustics are as important as colour, Manon chose a natural oak herringbone parquet and a seagrass rug to contrast with the dark wall covering. “I love mixing wood grains and tones to replicate nature, so darker wood furniture was added as well as textured linen armchairs, to complement the scheme,” she said. The television blends seamlessly into the dark wallpaper, while the opposite wall is lined with oak shelving. “The books themselves create an excellent acoustic backdrop,” she added. The final result was a cosy space that changes

character comfortably in both day and night environments. It is now used at weekends as a retreat for reading or binge-watching a box set.

“With its distinct atmosphere, the space allows the clients to feel as though they are travelling to a new destination within their own home,” Manon said.

Bring the outside

in.

When making home renovations, the garden can frequently become overlooked. It’s the ‘when I get around to it’ part of the business, but once the wallpaper has been fixed, furniture has been moved around a hundred times and you’ve finally figured out which walls to put your favourite prints on, the thought of attempting to make something of the outdoor space becomes a ‘later’ job. This is especially true of people renovating their homes in Spring, the most popular time to get interiors ready for summer parties (which, most of the time, edge into the garden).

Designing an outdoor space can be overwhelming, especially if you don’t have a specific vision for what you want to create. Even if you do, we all know too well the hubris of biting off more than you can chew, realising there is a large chasm between the ability to think creatively, and that of skilfully executing a vision. This creative gap is best bridged by professionals who’ve done it a thousand times before, and understand how details such as glass sliding doors can let you enjoy that outdoor feeling even throughout winter. Whilst you’re fixing up the inside, they can take on the outside as their labour of love.

If any of the above has resonated with you, CP Interiors is a great place to explore. They work with you on your garden from start to finish, keeping to your design plans and ensuring that you’re fully integrated in the design process (should you desire to be). For those who find themselves staring at a patch of overgrown lawn with no idea what to make of it, CP Interiors offers a visualisation package with accurate 3D images to help you understand not only what would work best in your space, but how it would look as a finished product. “Often our clients are surprised at how accurate the final install is to the original visual,” they revealed, adding that after even a short period of time, they can’t imagine what life was like before it.

For the team at CP Interiors, the most important thing to do before starting the process is to have a long conversation over a cup of tea. This is where clients can discuss and discover what they want, by communicating what they hope to achieve from the installation and how they’d like to enjoy their space. Following this conversation, the team suggests designs that feel well thought out and in keeping with the original property, avoiding that jarring feeling you can experience when walking out into a garden that feels like a bolted-on addition, out of touch with the tone of the home. They often achieve this through colours, softer edges, accessories, and by working with the best external contractors and landscapers when needed to perfect the final look. Perfect for the summer soiree, CP Interiors are adept at ensuring gardens are designed for evening use as well as daytime, with a broad array of heating and lighting options available. These range from everyday spotlights to fun and colourful mood lighting. We’re a particular fan of their external heaters, which offer the perfect space to relax or party with friends and family should an evening chill settle after sundown.

When we asked about common mistakes homeowners make with their outdoor areas before coming to CP Interiors, their response was surprising, and very much shaped by the time we find ourselves in. “AI-generated images are now so advanced, some people really struggle to tell what’s real and what’s not,” they revealed. “Lots of the image inspiration we’re being given has often been altered, creating false spaces that either, in reality, won’t work or aren’t practical. This, combined with information from inexperienced providers, can really set people off on the back foot, and this is the reason we always try to be fully transparent with our clients about what’s possible from start to finish.”

CP Interiors recognise the unique nature of every home in Jersey, and that many projects often require bespoke, custom designs. “Small spaces are particularly challenging,” they noted. “You want to make the most of extending your space, but need to be mindful that you don’t overcrowd it.” It’s one to keep in mind when deciding whether you have the skills to renovate your own garden, or if you could benefit from some professional help. It could also be useful to get advice on the thorn in the side of every property developer: regulatory approval. “Whilst planning permission isn’t required for the majority of projects, every now and again one of Jersey’s unique planning restrictions gets thrown in,” they revealed. “This alone can be a challenge in itself.” On the rare occasions when this is required, CP Interiors are there to help.

cpinteriors.je / @cpinteriorsjersey

WILL HOLLAND

I’m Will Holland, the Executive Chef at The Atlantic Hotel and Ocean Restaurant. You’ll find me mainly in the kitchen, overseeing all aspects of our culinary offering. We offer everything from beautifully cooked breakfasts to refined à la carte dining, my role covers everything from creating relaxed terrace barbecues to bespoke menus designed for truly memorable celebrations.

Tell us about your Genuine Jersey Products

While we make sure to use as much seasonal local produce on our menus we are Members for our sourdough which is served to all of our guests to start their meal. We use spelt soaked in Liberation Brewery IPA and serve it with handmade butter, which we made using Jersey cream, Jersey sea salt and seaweed foraged from St Ouen’s Bay, just minutes from our kitchen. It is a true labour of love, baked daily regardless of the weather. Perfecting the recipe took several years, and it remains one of my proudest creations. The depth of flavour comes from patience, precision and a strong connection to the island’s produce. Guests love it too, with many requesting it toasted for breakfast and others asking to take loaves home to enjoy later. It has become a signature element of the dining experience at the hotel, celebrating Jersey’s land, sea and craft producers in every bite.

What’s new/what’s coming up?

It’s safe to say that our team at The Atlantic never stands still, and this year is no exception. We’ve got a fantastic calendar of gastronomic events planned for this year, from collaborations with some of Jersey’s favourite producers to live cookery demonstrations, intimate oneto-one masterclasses and group workshops. Our much-loved Bank Holiday barbecues also return with an added twist, featuring a DJ and live saxophonist. We work hard to provide all of our guests with a shared experience with exceptional food, great produce and a relaxed yet refined sense of occasion.

@willholland79

LA ROBELINE

We are The Cider Maker (Richard Matlock) and his wife (Sarah Matlock) and we make cider (obviously!), distill apple spirits and cook over a wood fire! We use local apples and nothing else to make our Cidre de Jerri and apple spirits and Genuine Jersey produce in our outside catering offerings and at La Cidrerie Barn Restaurant.

Tell us about your Genuine Jersey Products

We take local apples, press them on a 120+ year old Normandy press and mature the juice for up to eight months to produce our Cidre de Jerri, some of which we distill on our mobile Parisienne column Still, built in 1950. The resultant clear liquid is syphoned into oak barrels and left to mature into an amber spirit encompassing the essence of autumn. Our oldest calva has been in barrels for 18 years and is smooth, rich and dark making it the perfect digestif. We serve our Cidre de Jerri at public and private events across the Island and in our seasonal barn restaurant. Because it is made from the juice of local apples and nothing else, it has a very apple-y, clean flavour and in the bottle, a slight effervescence as we allow it to complete a secondary fermentation. An excellent accompaniment to many dishes or enjoy as an aperitif.

What’s new/what’s coming up?

We continue to make our cider and spirits in St Ouen but are constantly evolving our menus for both our outside catering operations and our restaurant, incorporating our own cider, spirits and cider vinegar into our cookery. However, some things never change such as the recipe for our own homemade pure pork saucisses! As ever we will be attending various public events over the course of this year - keep in touch through our social media pages and our newsletter (subscribe through the website). La Cidrerie Barn Restaurant will be opening on 3rd April, Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings. Details on our website or why not sign up to our newsletter!

@thecidermakerswife

In each edition we feature some of Jersey’s creators and let them share their creative visions and handmade goods with you lot, our island consumers. If you like what you see, check out genuinejersey.com and hunt them down to support our local industries!

Photography: Danny Evans

Beyond

the brief A Values-Led Law Practice

Alexandra Cohen is quietly redefining what family law can feel like. After years of working within traditional legal structures, she made the bold decision to step out on her own, launching a practice built on clarity, compassion and balance. For Alexandra, family law is not about rigid processes or intimidating jargon, but about guiding people through some of life’s most challenging moments with empathy, honesty and strength.

By creating a firm rooted in values and realism, she has shaped a way of working that puts clients first, helping them feel supported, understood and empowered to move forward with confidence. Just as importantly, starting her own practice has allowed Alexandra to build a career that works alongside real life, not at the expense of it. We sat down with Alexandra to talk about the leap into entrepreneurship, practising law with heart, and why a more human approach matters now more than ever.

Family law can be incredibly complex and emotionally charged. How do you balance compassion for your clients with the strategic thinking needed to achieve the best outcomes?

Compassion and strategy aren’t opposites - they work best together. Taking the time to truly understand a client’s situation, priorities and pressures allows me to give advice that is both empathetic and effective. When clients feel heard and grounded, they make better decisions. That clarity is what enables strong strategy and better long-term outcomes.

How do you ensure your clients feel heard, protected, and supported during some of the most stressful times in their lives?

It starts with listening - properly. I make sure clients understand that this is their process, not just a legal one. Going through a family breakdown involves decisions for the rest of a client’s life, and the client needs to feel as though it is their process, rather than just being another “case”.

Clear communication, realistic advice and transparency are key. I also focus on removing unnecessary conflict and unnecessary noise wherever possible, so clients feel protected not just legally, but emotionally too.

Outside the courtroom, what helps you recharge or stay inspired in such a demanding career?

Spending time with family, staying active, and creating structure outside work all help me reset. I also find inspiration in building the business itself, shaping something that reflects how I believe law should be practised. Having interests and routines outside of work keeps me grounded and brings perspective back into the day-to-day.

I also spend a lot of time house training (or trying to) and walking my puppy, Mabel. Having Mabel to look after forces me to step away from the intensity of work when I need to. Although, she has become a very popular office dog!

What advice would you give to other young women considering starting their own business or taking leadership roles in law?

Trust your instincts and don’t wait for permission. You don’t need to fit a traditional mould to be credible or successful. Build something that aligns with your values, back yourself, and remember that confidence grows through action - not perfection. It is all about taking risks when you feel ready to.

Many people only think about family law when things go wrong. How do you encourage clients to take a more proactive approach to planning and protecting their family and relationships?

I focus on education and normalising those conversations. Planning ahead isn’t pessimistic - it’s realistic and practical. Family breakdown is part of our society and day to day life, and it can happen to anyone (expected or out of the blue).

Planning ahead isn’t pessimisticit’s realistic and practical. Family breakdown is part of our society and day to day life,

and it can happen to anyone (expected or out of the blue).

I always think it is better to have a proper understanding of the financial arrangements, your future intentions and your legal options. Proactive advice gives people clarity and control, rather than leaving them vulnerable in a crisis and desperate for a quick resolution.

Your style is described as approachable and down-toearth, how do you make complex legal issues feel clear, relatable, and human for your clients?

By stripping things back. I avoid unnecessary jargon and explain the law in plain language, using realworld examples (where helpful). Clients don’t want to feel spoken down to or overwhelmed, they want to understand what’s happening and why. When the law is explained clearly and it feels accessible, it becomes empowering rather than intimidating.

Independence, Purpose and Balance

Kristie Potts is a Director at Appleby Global Services Jersey and the Chief Strategy Officer for Appleby (Jersey) LLP. She also sits on the boards of Family Nursing and Home Care (FNHC) and Jersey Sport, both charities that Appleby colleagues have chosen to support through fundraising and volunteering.

Your career spans senior leadership and significant board responsibility. What has been the driving force behind the path you’ve chosen?

My driving force has always been about building a career that fulfils me and fits the life I want to share with my family. I’ve chosen a career path that works for us. My younger self made deliberate, practical, simple and stable choices. I became an accountant because I knew it would always provide work. I’m focused and fairly risk-averse. I wanted financial security, a home, independence, and to be able to afford that life myself rather than relying on anyone else to create those opportunities. As I grew older, relationships changed, I started a family and new opportunities evolved. I took each role as far as it could naturally go and then stayed open to change. That’s how I moved from accounting into treasury, then project management, compliance, and ultimately into what I do now.

What drives me is independence, purpose and balance. The ability to build a meaningful career while creating the life I want for myself and my family is what makes Appleby the perfect fit. I add value for clients, support our team and continue to develop professionally, while enjoying flexibility alongside new challenges that make me proud every day.

What skills translate most powerfully between the boardroom and the charity sector?

I have young children and the charities I support are ones that have entered my life through my family. I’ve seen first-hand the impact these organisations have on islanders and want to help them continue that work while raising awareness across Jersey. I don’t claim expertise in

healthcare or sport delivery, but I bring strong practical skills and a deep understanding of how organisations operate. My background includes compliance and risk, which allows me to bring governance and structure into environments where that expertise is often limited. I treat charities as I do businesses, with clarity, accountability and sustainability. I offer a business lens, and in return, those working in the sector patiently teach me what I don’t know.

How do you use your position to open doors for others, particularly women?

I’ve been fortunate to work with people in influential roles and I’m able to make introductions where appropriate. Leadership, to me, is about creating access, strengthening organisations and quietly making space for others, especially women, to succeed. I’m conscious that being female has played a role in my opportunities, but rather than feeling disadvantaged, I’ve often experienced the opposite. Most of my team is female, and I hope I show everyone, not just women, that they can aim for whatever they want if they’re prepared to work for it.

My definition of success is that the next generation I influence, including my children, aspire to be better than me.

Women in senior roles are often expected to do it all. How do you define success, and what legacy do you hope to leave? My greatest legacy will be my children. They define my success. My boys understand what it means to work, to study and to sacrifice, whether that’s time or giving up football with friends to do homework. Everyone in my world understands that you have to work hard for what you earn, and that you really can do anything if you set your mind to it. There should be no ceiling on you, whether because you’re female, male, or not the smartest person in the room. I’m where I am today not because I’m the smartest or the most connected, but because I am, and always will be, the hardest working. My definition of success is that the next generation I influence, including my children, aspire to be better than me. Maybe they take a bit of me and a lot of themselves, and ultimately become the very best they can be.

Photography: Danny Evans

Intelligent and insightful offshore legal advice and services. Delivered with perspective.

HOW CAN WE HELP SUPPORT YOUR BUSINESS?

OVERVIEW

Appleby Jersey has more than 80 employees, including 12 partners. Our lawyers have been active in Jersey’s finance sector since its inception, helping shape and develop the Island’s financial services laws and regulations. Our clients include leading law firms, ‘blue chip’ financial institutions, international FTSE 250/Fortune 500 and local Jersey companies and high-net-worth individuals.

The leading legal directories have long recognised our excellent reputation in the areas of Corporate, Dispute Resolution, Property, and Private Clients and Trusts. Chambers Global and Legal 500 have consistently ranked us in the top and leading tiers for our work.

Our clients have described us as being “without a shadow of a doubt one of the best in Jersey”, where our lawyers are “always on top of what needs to be done” and “execute strategy well and don’t waste clients’ money.”

Our international legal services operate as multi-jurisdictional practice groups covering:

• Corporate

• Dispute Resolution

• Private Client & Trusts

• Local Property & Local Business

• Regulatory

With lawyers who have been trained around the globe and in our offshore locations, we bring a wealth of international experience and offer world class expertise in the offshore arena.

Appleby Jersey

+44 (0)1534 888777

jersey@applebyglobal.com

Funds,andFocusthe Future

PICTURED LEFT TO RIGHT; Emma Syvret, Julie Gallon and Gail Atamosa

Photography: Danny Evans

In Jersey’s thriving funds industry, excellence is often defined by technical capability, regulatory precision, and operational discipline. Yet at HIGHVERN, now operating across a broader international footprint following its combination with Permian, excellence is equally about people: how they collaborate, lead, grow, and support clients with integrity.

We sat down with three of Highvern’s leading women in the funds business - Julie Gallon, Gail Atamosa, and Emma Syvret, all Directors - to explore what exceptional service looks like, how leadership evolves, and what habits keep them grounded in a fast moving, highly demanding environment. Their perspectives reveal not only the depth of expertise within the team but also the culture that underpins HIGHVERN’s approach as the business continues to expand globally.

Leadership Lessons

Across all three directors, one theme consistently emerges: leadership is shaped over time by people, experiences, and values. For Julie, confidence, resilience and persistence have been defining forces. “But staying grounded and keeping a sense of humour is just as important,” she adds. Emma’s leadership style is rooted in her upbringing. Raised in a family of strong women - including an aunt who became editor of a major UK regional newspaper - she grew up seeing ambition modelled with integrity. “The women around me helped me define not only where I want to go, but the kind of leader I want to be.”

Her advice to aspiring leaders is simple but powerful: “Back yourself and know your worth.” With responsibility for HIGHVERN’s Fund Administration onboarding function, known internally as the Seed Team, Emma plays a key role in setting up new fund structures for longterm success. Her days span a diverse client base across venture capital, private equity and litigation finance - each with its own complexities, timelines and stakeholders.

Reflecting on her own journey, Gail credits mentorship as a defining influence - from early professors to seniors and peers who championed excellence. Alongside hard work, she highlights adaptability, relationship building and continuous learning as essential to longterm success in the industry.

Creating Balance

Leadership brings inevitable pressure - but each director manages it in her own way. For Gail, the humble “todo list” is her nonnegotiable. “It sounds simple, but it helps me step back, prioritise, and maintain balance across work and life.” Julie finds perspective in time spent with family, friends,

and her new puppy. “Downtime is so important. Highvern gives me the work life balance to fully switch off, especially when I’m on holiday. That reset lets me return energised for clients.” Emma also finds balance on the water. As an avid coastal rower, she often trains at dawn. “It sets me up for the day,” she says. And when she’s not rowing? “I’m usually reading - it’s my way to switch off and escape.”

Exceptional Service

For Gail, exceptional service begins long before a client signs an engagement letter. It starts with deep understanding and a commitment to designing a thoughtful, clientcentric approach. “In practice, exceptional service means investing time in planning and creating open, transparent relationships,” she explains. “This allows us to discuss challenging areas early and resolve conflicting priorities effectively.”

In practice, exceptional service means investing time in planning and creating open, transparent relationships,” she explains. “This allows us to discuss challenging areas early and resolve conflicting priorities effectively.”

But even the best plan depends on the strength of the team. Training and talent development at Highvern, she notes, are not optional extras - they are central pillars of the delivery model. “Having been here for three years, I continue to be impressed by how collaborative the environment is,” Gail says. “It’s easy to consult with peers and experts across the group. The culture sets people up to deliver their best work.” This focus on talent, culture and cross-team connectivity becomes even more important as Highvern integrates with Permian, expanding capability and geographical reach.

A New Chapter: The Highvern–Permian Combination

Julie, who has led client teams in Jersey for years, sees the combination with Permian as a natural and exciting evolution. “Permian has an excellent reputation in the Nordic market, and the cultural alignment is striking,” she says. “Meeting their teams, it was immediately clear that they share our mindset and ethos.”

For her, the greatest opportunity lies in learning not just individually, but as a combined group. “Having new jurisdictions full of people whose experiences we can learn from is invaluable. We can bounce ideas off each other, innovate together, and elevate the client experience even further. I’m genuinely excited about what we can achieve.” This expansion reinforces what clients already value about HIGHVERN: global expertise delivered with a personal, partnership driven approach.

Photography: Danny Evans

Business is an

Louisa Humphrey has always been drawn to beautiful things. Her creative journey began in fashion, studying at Loughborough College of Art and Design before working as a fashion designer in Leicester, where colour, form and craftsmanship shaped her early career. But it was a spontaneous seasonal job in Méribel that unexpectedly changed the course of her life, leading her to Jersey in 1991 — a place that would quietly become home, both personally and creatively.

After working in retail, Louisa discovered what she describes as her dream role: decorative artist. Hand-painting the walls of some of Jersey’s most magnificent private homes and churches, she developed a deep appreciation for surface, detail and storytelling through design. “It was here that my eye for detail really flourished,” she reflects, a foundation that would later influence everything she does at Artizen.

In 2006, Louisa and her husband Mick decided to bring their complementary skills together, founding Artizen. What started as a small, two-person operation soon grew into one of Jersey’s most respected bespoke interiors studios. Clients — and talented craftspeople — were naturally drawn to their thoughtful, collaborative way of working and their shared respect for craftsmanship.

Artizen’s uniqueness lies in its deep understanding of materials and traditional techniques. “Mick’s background in antique restoration, alongside cabinet making, has given us a real appreciation of furniture construction,” Louisa explains. “We favour unique veneers, bamboo and other sustainable materials, while still using many traditional manufacturing methods.” Every piece is

made locally, and collaboration with fellow Jersey artisans is central to the business. “It’s been a fascinating learning curve for me over the last 20 years,” she adds.

While Louisa no longer paints walls herself, her artistic background continues to shape every Artizen project. Kitchens, cabinetry and commercial spaces are all designed with a strong sense of narrative and soul. Inspiration, she says, always starts with the client. “Our designs are completely bespoke, from concept to completion, and very client-led in those initial meetings.” As keen cooks themselves, Louisa and Mick often design kitchens together. “We bounce ideas back and forth,” she says. “We take time to really understand a client’s lifestyle so we can recommend appliances and layouts that truly suit their needs. Getting to know the client is crucial to getting it just right.”

What started as a small, two-person operation soon grew into one of Jersey’s most respected bespoke interiors studios

That collaborative mindset extends beyond clients to the wider team of trades and designers Artizen works with. “Reliability and top-quality workmanship are essential,” Louisa explains. “Over the years, we’ve built a trusted group of tradespeople who share the same ethos. Attention to detail and striving for perfection can never be underestimated — every element is carefully considered.”

For Louisa, the most rewarding moments often come long after a project is complete. “Walking back into a finished home and hearing glowing feedback is incredibly rewarding,” she says. “Being invited back years later — sometimes even to a party — and standing amongst our work still gives me a real buzz.” Hearing clients say, “We still absolutely love our kitchen,” she adds, “never gets old.”

Her role at Artizen is varied and ever-evolving. “I definitely wear many hats,” she laughs. “I love clicking with a client and instantly understanding their vision.” She also enjoys attending courses and events through Artizen’s dealership brands, including BORA, Gaggenau and SubZero Wolf. “They really value their dealers and create inspiring experiences in places like London and Germany.” Challenges inevitably arise, particularly when working within Jersey’s characterful architecture. “The biggest challenge is ticking every box on a client’s wish list,” Louisa says, “especially with Jersey’s wonderfully quirky houses, which often demand some very clever design solutions.”

Looking back, there are several moments that stand out. “One of my proudest was attending the opening ceremony of St Thomas’ Church and seeing my decorative and gilding work admired by hundreds of people,” she says. She’s also deeply proud of Mick, “an exceptional cabinet maker whose craft was inspired by his woodwork teacher back in the late 1970s — who recently came to visit us.”

And perhaps the achievement she values most? “That, as a married couple, we still love spending 24 hours a day together.”

At its heart, Artizen is a business built on creativity, collaboration and care — where craftsmanship comes first, and every space tells a story.

Experience, expertise and a new era

Financial planning is about trust, continuity and relationships built over time, and that ethos sits at the heart of Titan Wealth’s newest offering in Jersey. Titan Wealth’s name is now a familiar one in the island and its acquisition of Advisa Wealth, a firm with deep roots and a long-established local presence, adds financial planning to its suite of wealth management services.

The Jersey team is now based in the newly named Titan House in Liberation Square, and so while there is a new name above the door, the people, expertise and commitment to clients remain firmly in place. Here, three women at the forefront of Titan Wealth’s financial planning team - Operations Manager Kasia Evans, Wealth Consultant Clair Molton and Director Jing Jing Shi - share how local heritage and the strength of the wider Titan Wealth group are shaping a new chapter for clients, without losing the personal service they value most.

PICTURED LEFT TO RIGHT; Clair Molton, Kasia Evans and Jing Jing Shi

Photography: Danny Evans

Clair Molton Wealth Consultant

Financial planning is such a people-focused role. What do you think really builds trust with clients over time?

For me, it really starts with rapport, getting to know the client and building a genuine connection. From there, trust develops naturally as the relationship grows. Some of my client relationships go back more than 20 years, and over time those relationships naturally become friendships built on trust. When people hand over money they are saving for their children’s education or a lifetime of savings, they’re not just trusting your competence - they’re trusting your character. They’re saying, “I’m vulnerable here, and I believe you’ll protect what matters most to me.” That’s an enormous responsibility, and it deserves to be taken seriously.

Titan Wealth is a new name in Jersey, but with familiar faces behind it. What feels most exciting about this next chapter for you personally?

I’ve spent 18 years with one of the businesses Titan acquired, and I’ve known several of my new colleagues for longer than that. Being able to bring those long-standing relationships together makes this next chapter particularly rewarding.

What’s one thing you know now that you wish you’d known earlier in your career?

I wish I’d appreciated just how important a pension is! In my late twenties, I once spent seven years’ worth of pension savings on a Caribbean holiday - if only I’d had a financial adviser at 30!

Kasia Evans Operations Manager

Local knowledge really matters in Jersey. How does working on-island shape the advice and relationships you build?

Working on island makes a real difference because Jersey is a closeknit community where relationships genuinely matter. Having worked in finance here since 2013, I’ve seen how personal connections, family ties and long-term plans are often deeply rooted in the island. Starting my career in an administration support role gave me a strong foundation and an appreciation for the detail behind every client relationship. As I’ve progressed into an advice role, that local understanding has stayed with me. Clients know I’m accessible, invested and part of the community myself, which helps build trust and encourages open, meaningful conversations. Ultimately, it allows advice to feel personal, relevant and aligned with real lives rather than generic solutions.

Being part of a larger group brings extra expertise behind the scenes. How does that benefit clients in simple, everyday terms?

In simple terms, it means clients get the best of both worlds. They have a familiar, local point of contact who understands them personally, supported by the wider expertise of a larger group. As someone who has worked across different areas of the business and progressed through various roles, I’ve seen how valuable that behind the scenes support really is. There are specialist teams continuously reviewing markets, regulations and investment strategies, which strengthens the advice clients receive. For clients, it means reassurance; knowing their financial plans are not based on one person’s view alone, but are backed by collective experience, research and robust processes.

Outside of work, what helps you switch off and recharge?

Staying active really helps me switch off. I enjoy going to the gym and getting out for walks with my dog, which clears my head and helps me reset after a busy day. I also value spending quality time with family and friends and making the most of life on such a beautiful island. Maintaining that balance has been important throughout my career, especially as I’ve taken on more responsibility over the years. It helps me stay focused, energised and able to bring my best self to work for clients.

Jing Jing Shi Director

What inspired you to get into finance, and realise this was the career for you?

Growing up in Shanghai and moving to the UK for university, I was fascinated by how global financial markets connected economies and influenced people's daily lives. My Finance and Economics studies at the London School of Economics gave me the theoretical foundation, but it was working at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, which immersed me in the fast-paced world of markets, that I realised my true passion lay in helping individuals navigate their financial futures. Transitioning to private banking and then to Titan Wealth allowed me to combine my technical expertise, from my CFA qualification to systematic trading experience, with building meaningful, long-term relationships with clients. Leading our Financial Planning business now feels like the culmination of 18 years of learning: using analytical skills to deliver practical solutions that genuinely improve people's lives.

How is technology changing financial planning and what benefits does this have for clients?

AI is transforming our industry by automating routine portfolio monitoring, providing predictive analytics on market trends and assisting to generate highly personalised recommendations based on each client's unique circumstances and goals. I've seen how algorithms can process vast amounts of data to identify opportunities that humans might miss, and I'm passionate about bringing that same rigour to investment management and financial planning through AI. At Titan Wealth, we're exploring how machine learning can enhance our investment recommendation and review processes as well as scenario planning to give clients more accurate forecasts of their financial futures. AI doesn't replace our human advisers; instead, it amplifies our capabilities, freeing us from repetitive tasks so we can focus on what truly matters: understanding our clients' values, providing judgment during volatile markets and building the trust that underpins every successful financial relationship.

Have you noticed any positive changes for women working in the finance industry since you started out?

When I started my career in 2006, I was one of the few women on the trading floor and it was rare to see women in senior leadership positions back then. Nearly two decades later, the representation of women in financial services C-suite positions has grown, which reflects progress even if we're not yet at parity. Throughout my journey from Analyst to Director, I've witnessed firms actively investing in diversity initiatives, mentorship programmes and flexible working arrangements that recognise the realities of balancing career and family and these changes benefit everyone, not just women. At Titan Wealth, I'm proud to be part of a leadership team that values diverse perspectives and I'm committed to mentoring the next generation of women in finance.

at the Centre of Compliance The Calm

In a world where regulation is constantly shifting and the stakes are high, Charlotte Beddoe operates at the quiet centre of it all. With more than 26 years of experience spanning compliance roles across industries and jurisdictions, she brings depth, perspective and calm authority to one of Butterfield Bank’s most senior regulatory positions.

Now Head of Compliance for the Channel Islands and UK, Charlotte’s role is anything but predictable. Her days move fluidly between boardroom conversations on emerging risk, detailed regulatory interpretation with front-line teams, and close engagement with regulators. What underpins it all is a belief that strong compliance isn’t about box-ticking, but about collaboration, clarity and good judgment. For Charlotte, the real reward lies in bringing people together across functions and jurisdictions to find balanced, practical solutions, ensuring not only that regulatory obligations are met, but that clients’ trust is earned and upheld.

You’ve spent 25 years in finance, what’s changed the most in compliance over that time, and what’s actually stayed the same?

Compliance has evolved significantly, particularly in terms of the volume and pace of regulation. Areas such as anti-money laundering, sanctions, and data protection have become far more complex. Technology now also plays a much bigger role in supporting compliance teams and it’s exciting to see how that develops. What hasn’t changed is the underlying purpose of compliance. It’s still about acting with integrity, exercising good judgement, and maintaining strong relationships with stakeholders. The focus on doing the right thing for clients and protecting Jersey’s reputation remains the same.

You’re part of Butterfield’s Jersey Management Committee. How does compliance fit into big-picture decision-making, and why is it so important to be involved early?

Being part of the committee ensures that compliance is embedded in big-picture decision-making rather than considered as an afterthought. Early involvement allows us to identify potential risks, regulatory considerations, and unintended consequences upfront, and to help shape solutions that support the bank’s strategic objectives in a practical way.

Your career has taken you across law, compliance, trust management and you even studied Islamic finance. How does having such a varied background shape the way you think and lead day to day?

It gives me a wide perspective. It helps me see things from different stakeholder perspectives both internal and external. This includes understanding our intermediaries and the challenges and client pressures they face, so I can make practical, balanced and timely decisions while keeping the bank safe.

Compliance can be perceived as complex or restrictive. How do you foster a culture where regulation is seen as an enabler of trust rather than a barrier?

Compliance can indeed be complex, and one of the most rewarding aspects of the role is finding practical, effective solutions. When compliance is seen as a partner in decisionmaking rather than a barrier, it becomes easier to embed a strong culture and sustainable practices across the bank. My team maintains an open-door approach, encouraging discussion and collaboration. There is no better feeling than us being able to say yes.

As a woman in a highly regulated, traditionally male-dominated sector, what lessons have you learned along the way?

Compliance teams, particularly in Jersey, have changed a lot over the years, and today women are increasingly visible in leadership roles. Our leadership team has equal representation of women and men. What I’ve learned is that building credibility comes from combining expertise with collaboration, knowing your subject, being confident in your judgement, and fostering strong relationships.

Outside of the office, what helps you switch off and reset and how do you maintain balance in such a high-responsibility role?

I’ll admit, I don’t always completely switch off, there’s always something new to learn or study, but I make sure to balance that with activities that recharge me. Going to the gym, travelling, reading and spending time with friends and family all help me reset and gain perspective.

Be er together.

Leading with CLARITY

With a career spanning more than two decades in trust and fiduciary services, Jodie Gray has built a reputation for clarity, consistency and clientfirst leadership. Beginning her professional life in banking, she was quickly drawn to the intellectual challenge and variety of private client work, completing her STEP qualifications early and rising through the ranks to Associate Director at an established provider. After a brief transition into the corporate sector,

Jodie realised where her true passion lay, returning to private clients and the relationships at the heart of the work. Now a Client Director at Fairway, she brings deep experience, thoughtful decision-making and a refreshingly personal approach to an independent, owner-managed firm that puts families firmly first.

Fairway is proudly independent and owner-managed, how does that shape the way you lead and make decisions for clients?

Fairway’s independent ownership and management model was a key factor in my decision to join the firm. It allows us to act nimbly and efficiently in response to our clients’ needs, without being constrained by bureaucracy or a one-size-fits-all approach. Every client and family is different, and this structure enables us to deliver genuine, bespoke solutions. From a leadership perspective, it allows me to make clear, timely decisions that are always aligned with our clients’ best interests. When a decision needs to be made or a tailored strategy developed, we can collaborate quickly and decisively, ensuring considered outcomes.

As a director in a fiduciary business built on trust and long-term thinking, what values guide you most in your role?

Honesty and integrity have been central to my career, as they are in any relationship. I’ve always taken a direct and transparent approach with clients, believing there is little value in telling someone what they want to hear if it isn’t achievable, realistic, or in their best interests.

What leadership lessons have you learned that you wish you’d known earlier in your career?

I wish I’d known earlier to enjoy and embrace challenges rather than be daunted by them. Taking a moment to pause, listen, and genuinely consider different opinions is invaluable. We learn most from diverse perspectives and experiences. Being prepared and staying focused on the matter at hand also makes a significant difference to effective leadership.

Outside of your day to day role, what keeps you grounded and gives you perspective?

I’m a huge animal lover and share my life with four rescue dogs and four cats. Spending time outdoors, particularly walking my dogs along the beach, never fails to bring perspective and clarity after a challenging day. I’m also a cold sea swimmer and can’t advocate enough for its benefits to mental health and overall wellbeing.

What does success look like for you now, both professionally and personally?

Success, to me, is ending the day knowing I’ve done the right thing and being surrounded by good people. Professionally, seeing others develop, grow, and progress in their careers is a real measure of success and a source of great pride.

Looking ahead, what excites you most about the future of Fairway and the role women will play in shaping the next generation of fiduciary leadership?

In the three years I’ve been with Fairway, it’s been remarkable to see how far the business has come and the opportunities that have been created. We’ve expanded globally, with strong women leading our offerings in Singapore, Madeira, and Dubai - a clear testament to Fairway’s commitment to supporting and developing female leadership. What excites me most is seeing the next generation of leaders, particularly women, step into senior roles with confidence, visibility, and genuine support as the firm continues to grow.

Photography: Danny Evans

Be inspired

Putting People First in a Tech-driven World

Geraldine Evans has built a career at the intersection of people, technology and possibility. As Chief Operating Officer and co-founder of Prosperity 24/7, she has spent nearly three decades helping organisations and individuals embrace change, build confidence and unlock their potential in an increasingly digital world.

Her path into learning and development wasn’t conventional. With a degree in English Literature and Italian, Geraldine began her career on an IT helpdesk for a bank, a role that quickly revealed a much bigger opportunity. She noticed that most technical problems weren’t about broken systems, but about people lacking the knowledge or confidence to use them. Instead of fixing tickets, she started fixing the root cause, developing and delivering training that empowered people to work smarter and with greater ease. That people-first mindset became the foundation of Prosperity 24/7, which Geraldine co-founded in 2011, and remains central to her work today. In an era shaped by rapid technological change and AI, her belief in communication, support and “the art of the possible” feels more relevant than ever. We met with Geraldine to talk about leadership, learning, and why putting people at the heart of technology has always been her greatest strength.

How would you describe Prosperity 24/7 in a sentence to someone who doesn’t know it?

Prosperity 24/7 is a technology consultancy business headquartered in Jersey. Our aim is to help clients integrate and use technology to solve their business problems and meet their business aspirations.

What does being a woman in business mean to you today, compared to earlier in your career?

Earlier in my career, it was certainly challenging at times to progress in my role and also meet the demands of being a mother. It meant working hard to be taken seriously in environments where women were underrepresented, especially in the technology sector. I felt a strong pressure to prove myself and to navigate spaces where there were very few women to look up to or learn from. At times, it felt like success depended on adapting to an environment that wasn’t designed with women in mind. For both my children, parental leave was only 6 weeks in duration, with very few flexible working provisions. I also did not have any family support on island. Today, it means something entirely different to me. Being a woman in business now feels like an opportunity to shape the environment, rather than fit into it. I focus on using my position to support others and help create pathways that make it easier for the next generation of women coming through.

I also now have the confidence to lead authentically. I no longer feel I need to mirror traditional leadership styles to be effective. Instead, I focus on empathy, collaboration, continuous learning, and empowering others, qualities that I believe are essential to modern day leadership.

What do you enjoy most about your role as COO and co-founder?

What I enjoy most about my role is the ability to shape a company where people can genuinely thrive. As COO and co-founder, I’ve had the privilege of helping to build Prosperity 24/7 from the ground up, designing not only how we deliver our services, but the culture, values and environment embedded within them. Seeing colleagues grow in confidence, develop new skills, and progrss in their careers is one of the most rewarding parts of my work. I also love being at the intersection of people, strategy and innovation. Helping our clients overcome their fear of change and embrace new ways of working, particularly through AI and digital transformation, is something I find hugely energising. Prosperity was built on a belief in making a positive difference: to clients, to colleagues, and to the wider community. Being able to champion learning, support women in technology, mentor students, and help shape the future skills of the Channel Islands feels like a privilege.

Who are the women who have inspired or influenced you along the way?

Over the years I’ve been fortunate to work alongside women who have had a hugely positive influence on me. Their strength, empathy and conviction which created space for others, especially in sectors where women are underrepresented, influenced me and my approach to leadership. I am also very fortunate to be surrounded every day by our hugely talented female colleagues at Prosperity who model collaboration and innovation. They inspire me every day to be authentic, consistent, and committed to supporting others.

From a global perspective, Malala Yousafzai who has been fighting for girls’ rights to education since 11 years old is utterly inspiring for her bravery and courage. I also find Sheryl Sandberg, previous COO of Facebook and advocate for women’s empowerment in the workplace, interesting to follow.

What skill do you think is most underestimated in today’s workplace?

In my opinion the most underestimated skill today is the ability to have a curious mind and to continue to learn and adapt. With technology moving faster than ever, technical skills alone are no longer enough and what really makes someone stand out is being open to explore, be curious and adapt to change. As the Chair of the Institute of Directors Student Committee, I am privileged to work with students through the Future Leaders Scheme, and I see firsthand just how much of a difference a curious mindset can make. These students participate in a week-long shadowing experience with a director, during which they engage through questioning and observation to gain insights into the professional environment. The value of lifelong curiosity and learning is often underrated, and I feel unless we continue to learn and evolve, we are limiting our personal and professional growth.

What’s a career lesson you wish you’d learned sooner?

I wish I’d learned earlier that you don’t need to have all the answers to lead effectively. Leadership is about creating an environment for others to thrive, not being the expert in every scenario. Once I realised that empowering people, rather than trying to carry everything yourself, is a key ingredient to successful leadership, then my work became more meaningful and enjoyable.

Away from your professional roles, what helps you switch off and stay energised?

Spending time with my family is the quickest way for me to reset. I’m a mother to two teenagers and have two dogs so life is busy, but in the best possible way. I also travel back to Ireland regularly to see my family there which keeps me grounded and connected to home. And, of course, music, film and the gym, anything that gives me an excuse to switch off fully.

Leadership is about creating an environment for others to thrive, not being the expert in every scenario. Once I realised that empowering people, rather than trying to carry everything yourself, is a key ingredient to successful leadership, then my work became more meaningful and enjoyable.

What moment in your career made you realise the real impact your work was having on individuals or organisations?

For me, it wasn’t one single moment, it was a pattern I started to notice very early on. Every time I delivered a training session, a presentation, or even a one-to-one conversation, there would be that lightbulb moment when something clicked for someone. You can see it instantly, the shift in confidence and the realisation that technology isn’t something to fear, or the excitement when someone understands how a new tool could genuinely make their work easier.

Those moments made me realise the true impact of what I do. Upskilling people isn’t just about teaching them a system or process, it’s about unlocking potential, removing barriers, and helping clients see what’s possible. Over the years, those lightbulb moments have scaled from individuals in a classroom to whole organisations transforming how they work. But at the heart of it, the impact is the same, which is giving people the skills and confidence to embrace change.

Looking ahead, what excites you most about the future of learning and development in the Channel Islands, and Prosperity 24/7’s role in shaping it?

We’re at the start of a generational shift in how people learn and work. AI is making knowledge more accessible than ever, and companies have a real opportunity to leap forward if they invest in building the right skills and culture around it. What excites me most is the potential to create genuinely inclusive learning environments where everyone, regardless of role or background, can benefit from technology. At Prosperity 24/7, we’re helping our clients move from “training as an event” to learning that is embedded into daily work, supported by tools like Microsoft Copilot. Our ability to combine technical expertise with our people first change approach I feel puts us in a strong position to help shape the future of skills, confidence and digital capability across the island.

Brains, grit

and a bit of essential stubbornness

“My career started at a parents’ evening when I was 12,” Maria laughs. “My maths teacher made a flippant comment to my parents about how I would never be any good at maths.” What could have been a confidence knock became fuel. “Luckily for me, they passed on the message when they got home and being stubborn as a mule, I made it my life’s ambition to prove him wrong.” Fast forward through two maths A-levels, a maths degree and the offer of a fully funded Master’s scholarship, and Maria had done exactly that. Along the way, she discovered something she hadn’t expected at all. “I actually loved it. I loved the process of working through a solution and finding an answer, and I wanted to carry that clarity into my career.”

That clarity took her from analyst roles in Scotland to a chance holiday in Jersey and a dragon boat race with the founders of a hedge fund. “They were looking for a mathematician, and I’d fallen in love with this island where you could finish work and walk home along the beach. It looked like bliss. When they offered me a role, I snapped their hands off!”

Photography: Danny Evans

Working in hedge funds and investment management, Maria found herself drawn as much to people as to numbers. “I loved acting as a translator, explaining the ‘black box’ to clients and helping them really understand what was going on.” After several roles, including seven years at ARC, a meeting with Tim Childe, CEO of Quilter Cheviot International, sealed the next chapter. “We shared the same ethos around client service, and I knew immediately it was the right fit.”

We chatted to Maria about proving people wrong, trusting your instincts, and why a little stubbornness can sometimes be your greatest strength.

Was there a defining moment when you realised finance was where you could truly lead and influence outcomes?

Growing up in a less affluent area of Leeds, money always felt like something that controlled you. When I started working in finance, I saw the opposite: the ability to help people take control of their future. That sense of responsibility, and the trust clients place in us, made me realise this was more than numbers. It was about shaping lives. That’s when I knew I could lead and make a difference.

Investment leadership often demands conviction under pressure, how have you learned to trust your judgment when the stakes are high?

For me, conviction comes from preparation and perspective. As a long-distance runner, I’ve learned the hard way that resilience isn’t built in the race, it’s built in the training. In markets, that means doing the work: research, stress-testing, and listening to diverse views. When volatility hits, I remind myself that fear is loud, but fundamentals matter. Trusting your judgment isn’t about being fearless, it’s about knowing you’ve earned the right to be confident.

Finance remains a male-dominated industry, what realities have you had to navigate that aren’t always visible from the outside?

One reality is the subtle pressure to ‘fit in’ – to adopt the language, the style, even the confidence of the room. Early in my career, as someone who grew up painfully shy and a people-pleaser, that was exhausting. Over time, I realised authenticity is a strength, not a liability. The other reality is representation: when you don’t see many people like you in leadership, you question whether you belong. That’s why visibility matters.

What role has female mentorship played in your career?and how do you now pay that forward?

Female mentorship has been invaluable. I’ve been lucky to learn from women who lead with both strength and empathy – who showed me that you don’t have to choose between being decisive and being human. Today, I pay that forward by mentoring younger women, sharing the lessons I wish I’d known earlier: that confidence isn’t a personality trait, it’s a skill you build. And that your voice matters, even when it shakes, and mine shakes more than most!

Do you think women bring a different perspective to investment decision-making, or is that an oversimplification?

I think diversity, gender and otherwise, brings different perspectives, and that’s what matters. Women often approach risk and collaboration differently, but it’s not about stereotypes; it’s about balance. The best decisions come from diverse teams that challenge each other’s blind spots. Diversity isn’t a nice-to-have – it’s a performance driver.

In volatile markets, what separates successful investment leaders from the rest?

Discipline and empathy. Discipline to stick to fundamentals when noise is deafening, and empathy to understand the human side of volatility –clients aren’t just numbers, they’re people with fears and dreams. The leaders who combine technical skill with emotional intelligence are the ones who stand out.

What’s a commonly held belief in the investment world that you quietly disagree with?

I quietly disagree with the belief that investing is only for the wealthy. In reality, investing isn’t about having millions – it’s about building habits, understanding risk, and starting small. At Quilter Cheviot we believe that “money needs a plan” and it really does, no matter the size of the pot.

What has failure taught you that success never could?

I learnt about failure early on, when my maths teacher told me I’d never be good at maths. It was a great lesson for me as a people pleaser, it taught me that no matter how hard you try, you can’t please everyone and that’s okay. Success feels great, but it rarely changes you. Failure does – it humbles you, forces you to dig deep, and gives you a strength you didn’t know you had. It makes every win feel earned, and every setback a stepping stone rather than a wall.

How do you maintain clarity and composure when markets, and expectations, are turbulent?

Uncertainty is part of life – you can’t control everything and everyone, but you can control how you respond. In turbulent markets, I focus on fundamentals and long-term objectives rather than getting swept up in noise. Emotions drive markets, but discipline drives results. Staying calm isn’t about ignoring risk; it’s about making decisions rooted in data, not fear.

What personal habits or non-negotiables help you operate at the top of your game?

Running is my reset button. Long-distance running has taught me patience, resilience, and the power of incremental progress, all qualities that translate to leadership. I also protect thinking time: in a world of constant noise, clarity comes from space. And I never compromise on preparation – confidence under pressure is built long before the pressure arrives.

What advice would you give to ambitious women entering finance today that goes beyond the usual soundbites?

Don’t wait to feel ready – start before you do. Confidence grows through action, not perfection. And build your network early; relationships are as critical as technical skills. Finally, don’t lose yourself trying to fit in. The industry needs your perspective, not a carbon copy of what’s already there.

What’s one lesson you wish you’d learned earlier in your career?

That failure isn’t fatal – it’s feedback. As someone who grew up shy and desperate to please, I feared mistakes. But the truth is, failure teaches you more than success ever will. It humbles you and makes every win feel earned. Without weathering a storm, you will never fully appreciate the feeling of the sun on your back.

Finally, what excites you most about the future, for the industry and for the next generation of women leaders?

I’m raising two incredible daughters, now 10 and 13, and they are already far more confident than I ever was. We’re no longer raising girls to be seen and not heard – we’re raising them to be fierce, to go after what they want, and to believe they can be anything they choose. I’m incredibly excited to see what this generation brings to the industry, and especially to leadership. They have an extraordinary blend of empathy and strength, and when combined with the power of AI and their ability to harness technological advances, I believe the next generation won’t just enter finance, they will shape it. And they’ll do it on their own terms.

WHERE EXPERTISE MEETS IMPACT

With a career spanning more than a decade at Saltgate, Hannah Stevely is a powerful example of what longterm investment in people can achieve. Having joined the firm 12 years ago as a Senior Administrator, Hannah’s journey has taken her through fund accounting, leadership, and strategic management, evolving alongside the business itself. Now an Associate Director within the Client Services team, she oversees around 40 people and sits at the intersection of technical excellence and human connection.

For Hannah, great leadership isn’t just about ticking boxes or meeting deadlines, it’s about being present, adding value, and empowering others to grow. Known for her thoughtful approach and calm authority, she believes exceptional client service comes from simplifying complexity, anticipating challenges, and building relationships that feel like an extension of the client’s own team. In this interview, Hannah reflects on her leadership journey, the importance of continuous learning, balancing a demanding career with motherhood, and why impact, integrity and balance define success for her today.

You’re an Associate Director within Saltgate’s Client Services team, what does a great day at work look like for you?

If I get to the end of the day and I’ve ticked off more things from my to-do list than I’ve put on, that’s a win! But generally, a great day is being in the office and supporting my team; I have oversight of around 40 people and I love being present to support them. It’s rewarding when the team come to me for guidance; I leave knowing I’ve passed on some knowledge. If I create something where I know I’ve added value, I feel it’s a job well done. It’s a balance between strategic thinking and human connection.

Fund administration can be complex. What do you think really sets exceptional client service apart in this space? Exceptional client service, in my view, comes from conscientious staff. Technical excellence is a given, but what really sets the bar for exceptional service is the ability to simplify complexity and to foresee issues before they arise. The goal is for the client to view us as an extension of their own team.

Saltgate invests heavily in people, development and technology. How has that focus supported your own growth and leadership journey?

I’ve had the opportunity to qualify as a Chartered Accountant, and develop my leadership skills alongside my technical expertise, with genuine encouragement to think strategically. Saltgate also has a fantastic and longstanding leadership team – which has helped hugely in my own journey to leadership. We have a lot of inspirational women within our business!

What’s the best piece of career advice you’ve ever been given and do you actually follow it?

“Remember every day is a school day” – never be afraid to ask questions and humble yourself if there’s something you don’t know. I’ll always hold up my hands if I don’t know the answer.

Looking ahead, what excites you most about the futurefor your career, for Saltgate, and for you personally?

I’m really excited to continue to add value to the Senior Management Team, it’s a very rewarding role and gives you fascinating insight into how the business operates. I am particularly interested to see how the industry landscape develops over the next 5 years with the increasing adoption of AI and tech, and to see how I can utilise this in my own life; both professionally and personally.

What do you get up to outside of work?

I spend most of my time with my daughters; we love to go for hot chocolate at the WaterSplash and watch Gilmore Girls together. When I’m not living my best mum life, then exercise and spending as much time outdoors are my greatest sanity savers. I took up surfing recently, and I love road cycling, running, and lifting weights.

As both a parent and a successful professional at Saltgate, how do you navigate the balance between your personal and professional responsibilities, and are there any tools or strategies that particularly support you?

The balance is never static. I’m always very intentional about planning my time and being fully present, whichever role I’m in. Saltgate are a fantastically supportive company with a lot of flexible initiatives, having an employer that genuinely understands that high performance and parenthood can coexist makes an enormous difference.

What does success look like to you right now and has that definition changed over time?

Success for me looks like impact, balance, and integrity. It’s showing up with my best self, being a role model and a good mum to my daughters, and pursuing my own passions where I can. Before parenthood I was heavily driven by career progression, now I’m a mum to two future potential little business women, it’s about striking the balance.

Strength, Clarity and Compassion

With extensive experience in family law, Clare Woodhouse has built a reputation for combining rigorous legal expertise with deep empathy. As a Managing Associate in Viberts’ Family Law team, she supports clients at moments of profound change — when emotions run high, certainty feels distant, and clear guidance matters most.

For Clare, family law is not simply about legal outcomes, but about people. It’s about listening carefully, offering calm and practical advice, and helping clients find their footing during what can be one of the most challenging periods of their lives. She speaks with honesty about the emotional complexity of the work, the responsibility that comes with guiding families through separation, and the privilege of witnessing clients emerge stronger, more confident and ready to move forward. Clare talked to us about resilience, empathy, and why fairness, dignity and long-term wellbeing must always sit at the heart of family law.

With more than twenty years in family law, what continues to motivate you in a practice area that is often emotionally complex and deeply personal?

I have always been - and remain - motivated by my clients. It is not uncommon for the client who attends our first meeting to be very different from the person who emerges at the end of their family law journey. I am continually inspired by the resilience people show and their capacity to adapt, even in the face of changes they never expected or wanted.

I have great respect for how difficult it is to confront deeply personal challenges, particularly when circumstances feel out of one’s control. Being able to support and guide clients through such a significant life transition is a genuine privilege and one that motivates me every day. One of the most rewarding aspects of my work is seeing former clients, months or years later and witnessing the strength, growth, and stability they have achieved after a very difficult period in their lives.

Your work requires both rigorous legal analysis and a high degree of empathy. How do you balance those two skills when supporting clients through some of the most difficult moments of their lives?

After more than 22 years practising in family law, I have learned that rigorous legal analysis and empathy are not competing skills - they are complementary. Clients come to us at one of the most vulnerable and emotionally overwhelming periods of their lives. The first and most important step is to truly listen and to acknowledge the impact the situation is having on them as people, not just as legal clients. Feeling heard and understood allows clients to begin to regain a sense of stability and trust in the process.

At the same time, my role is to provide clear, objective, and practical legal advice. Emotions can understandably cloud decision-making, so I focus on breaking complex legal issues into manageable steps and explaining the likely outcomes in a calm and realistic way. This helps clients move from a place of distress to one of informed decision-making.

Empathy guides how I communicate and support my clients, while logic and legal experience guide the advice I give. By combining compassion with clear analysis and a focus on practical solutions, I am able to help clients navigate their immediate challenges while keeping sight of their long-term wellbeing and, where relevant, the best interests of their children.

As an experienced lawyer, what advice would you give to young women joining the profession?

I would encourage young women entering the profession not to shy away from difficult conversations - whether with clients or with other practitioners. It is often within those challenging discussions that real progress is made. In family law particularly, what is in a client’s best interests is not always what they want to hear. You must be prepared to provide clear, practical, and sometimes unwelcome advice when emotions and hurt are clouding judgment. Clients value honesty, transparency, and guidance they can trust.

Within the profession, I also believe women have a responsibility to support and champion those coming behind them. This includes making time to listen to younger women’s career aspirations, offering guidance on best practice, and providing both constructive feedback and genuine encouragement where it is deserved.

Finally, I would say to anyone considering a career in family law that it is more than just a job - it is a vocation. It requires a careful balance of empathy and pragmatism. Family law is not about “battling it out” for the sake of conflict. A focus on fairness, practical solutions, and what is truly best for your clients - and their children - must always remain at the centre of your work.

Looking ahead, what do you see as the most important role family lawyers can play in shaping fairer outcomes for families and children?

I believe the most important role family lawyers can play is helping families find outcomes that are fair, sustainable, and focused on the wellbeing of the family as a whole, while still carefully protecting our client’s best interests. A conciliatory and solution-focused approach - rather than adversarial litigation - gives families the best opportunity to move forward and redefine themselves as a new family unit, even when living separately.

While no one emerges from separation unscathed, family lawyers can help parents navigate this transition with dignity and respect. Our role is to assist families in finding a path forward that minimises long-term harm, preserves important relationships, and supports healthy co-parenting. The hope is that, in time, parents can stand together at significant milestones - such as a child’s graduation or milestone birthday - without their child feeling caught between them. That outcome, whenever possible, should always remain at the heart of what we do.

Providing legal support on family matters.

Recognised as the leading Family Law team in Jersey, we are committed to handling issues in an expert way that minimises conflict and stress.

With the right support and advice, you can create a future that’s right for you and your family.

Viberts, with you every step of the way.

Empowering women in business: How Santander’s Women Business Leaders’ Mentoring Programme is shaping the next generation of entrepreneurs

For women building businesses in Jersey, the Santander Women Business Leaders’ Mentoring Programme (WBL) is more than a professional development scheme – it’s a confidence boost, a support network, and for some, a turning point in their entrepreneurial journey.

Since its launch in 2019, Santander’s Women Business Leaders’ Mentoring Programme has supported nearly 1,200 female entrepreneurs across the UK and Crown Dependencies, helping them develop leadership skills at every stage of business growth.

The Programme is in partnership with Moving Ahead, a specialist award-winning mentoring and development organisation which connect mentees to experienced business owners, or leaders with corporate experience, for 1:1 sessions alongside virtual masterclasses from inspirational role models and speakers.

Kirsty Lamond, Head of Retail Banking, Santander International, said: “This is the eighth year of the Santander Women Business Leaders’ Mentoring Programme. Last year we joined forces with Maria O’Regan and our colleagues in the UK to promote the programme locally, and this year we are looking to attract 100 new mentees from across the UK, Jersey, and the Isle of Man. These include female founders, business owners, or majority shareholders, who have been trading for a minimum 18 months. The mentoring sessions take place remotely, so mentors and mentees are matched by need and experience rather than location, which tends to offer some great pairings.”

For Rosie Whooley, Founder and Director of Renova Agency an influencer marketing and management agency, these pairings were a game changer. Joining the Programme gave her access to inspiring female leaders beyond Jersey and a mentor who helped her turn ambition into action.

“My mentor, Carole, was incredibly supportive and inspiring. She was there to help guide me the entire year and, later, provided me with the encouragement and support I needed to launch my own agency. Without her, the journey to starting my business would have been much longer and nowhere near as professional. It has been great to know Carole is always there to provide advice and chat things through, no matter what the scenario.

“During the Programme I learnt how resilient I can be, and my self-belief greatly improved. My confidence, specifically with skills in pitching and networking, has improved the most, to a point now where I’m confident to go out to gain new business, something that I wasn’t before. With my mentor’s help, I am now also very active on LinkedIn and use it frequently for networking and building connections.

“Thanks to WBL I developed the belief, skills and knowledge to set up my own business, which just a year before would not have been possible. My business started very successfully, gaining three clients within the first few weeks.”

Santander also provides ‘Beyond Mentoring’ support which includes virtual sessions addressing challenges businesses face including finance, marketing, digital, and sustainability. Participants join an established peer-to-peer network, building a community to collaborate and exchange ideas, and get free access to the Santander Open Academy Platform, a global learning initiative, providing hundreds of courses on everything from AI to leadership to sustainability.

Kirsty added: “Our priority is to our customer base, but the Programme is also open to businesses willing to be a customer, subject to meeting WBL criteria. We are also inviting experienced business owners or leaders with corporate experience as mentors to apply. Male or female applicants are welcome, but they must have knowledge of small to medium size businesses.”

The Programme’s impact doesn’t stop with mentees. Many women return as mentors, creating a powerful cycle of support and shared learning. Ceri Tinley, Co-founder and Managing Director of Consensio Chalets, a luxury chalet operator in the French Alps, has experienced WBL from both sides.

“I feel that this programme is valuable for both mentees and mentors. It is very well structured, and the value received from the training throughout is exceptional. Two of my three mentees massively restructured and streamlined their businesses over the nine months; they managed to really focus on their ‘why’ and adjust their offering to be specific and aligned with their core values which allowed them to push their businesses forward.”

The WBL Programme 2026 is open for applications from Monday 2 February to 9th March. To apply see Santander X or scan the QR code for details.

Photography: Glen Perotte

PICTUREDLEFTTORIGHT;CeriTinley,RosieWhooleyandKirstyLamond.

On a rain-lashed January evening, when winter can feel at its heaviest, something quietly powerful unfolded behind the doors of Lockes. Forty-two women gathered, filling the space to capacity, for an Evening of Wellness & Conversation, an event that offered warmth, depth and genuine human connection at a time of year often defined by pressure and self-criticism.

Hosted by Jersey-based health coach Nicola Eastwood alongside New York Times bestselling author Sophie Cousens, the evening was generously supported by Rathbones Investment Management International, whose involvement reflected a growing recognition that true wellbeing, much like long-term financial health, is built through thoughtful, sustainable choices rather than quick fixes.

From the moment guests arrived, the atmosphere felt intentional and calm. Soft lighting, a beautifully prepared sharing table and a bespoke warming dawa created by the team at Lockes set the tone, inviting conversation rather than performance. The evening unfolded in an open, interview-style discussion, exploring themes that resonated deeply with those present: midlife, burnout, balance, resilience and the often-unspoken realities of modern life.

Importantly, this was not an event about “fixing” oneself. Instead, it reflected a broader cultural shift away from the noise of Blue Monday narratives and punishing New Year’s resolutions, towards a gentler January, one rooted in reflection, nourishment and connection. It was an approach that felt entirely aligned with Rathbones’ long-standing philosophy of taking a long-term, considered view, whether in wealth management or in life.

Leah Lovell, Investment Manager at Rathbones, captured this alignment perfectly: “The evening created a genuine sense of connection and thoughtful conversation. It was a pleasure to support an event that brought together such an engaged community of women in Jersey.”

Throughout the evening, conversation flowed easily, sometimes thoughtful, sometimes humorous, always honest. Sophie Cousens spoke warmly about the evolving meaning of wellness, noting that it extends far beyond diet and exercise. “It might be less screen time, more reading, deeper friendships or even starting something new,” she shared. “With busy lives, finding balance is something we all wrestle with.”

Guests echoed this sentiment, describing the event as “a warm, refreshing environment with amazing women”. One attendee reflected, “It wasn’t about pressure or productivity. It was about connection, conversation and taking a breath.”

As guests lingered long after the discussion ended, the sense of community was unmistakable. Thoughtfully curated goodie bags featuring a mix of national brands and local Jersey businesses reinforced the evening’s community-focused ethos. For Nicola Eastwood, whose work focuses on supporting women through midlife transitions, the response reaffirmed the power of shared space. “Midlife and burnout are very real experiences for many women,” she said. “Creating an environment that feels supportive rather than pressured can be incredibly impactful.”

In a world increasingly dominated by speed and noise, this January evening stood as a reminder of the value of slowing down and of the organisations, like Rathbones, that recognise the importance of investing not only in financial futures, but in people and community too.

PICTUREDLEFTTORIGHT;LeahLovell,SophieCousensandNicolaEastwood

Move your way, feel your best

Women today carry an extraordinary amount - work, family, caring responsibilities, friendships, expectations. Among all the roles they play, it’s easy for their own wellbeing to slip to the bottom of the list. Yet one of the most transformative acts of selfcare is also the simplest: finding time to move.

At Active, we believe that every woman, at every age, ability, and stage of life deserves to feel the strength, confidence, and joy that comes from staying active. Importantly, we recognise that “being active” looks different for everyone. For some, it’s the rhythm of a morning swim, for others, it’s the uplifting buzz of a group class or the quiet therapy of a solo gym session. What matters is showing up, not perfection.

This mindset echoes the spirit of Sport England’s renowned “This Girl Can” movement: celebrating real women, real bodies, and real stories. It reminds us that you don’t need to look a certain way, have the newest kit, or be at peak fitness to belong. You just need to start and keep going.

WHY STAYING ACTIVE MATTERS FOR WOMEN

The benefits go far beyond fitness. Research continues to highlight how regular physical activity can be lifechanging for women:

Mental wellbeing

Exercise reduces stress, boosts mood, and builds resilience. It’s one of the most effective natural tools for supporting mental health. Whether you’re juggling work deadlines or navigating major life transitions, movement offers a moment of clarity.

Confidence and empowerment

Setting and achieving fitness goals, big or small, creates a powerful ripple effect. Many women say their confidence grows not just in the gym, but in everyday life.

Lifelong physical health

From improving bone density and heart health to supporting hormonal balance and healthy ageing, activity is key at every stage of life, from teens to new mums to post-menopause and beyond.

Community and connection

Group classes, swimming lanes, fitness clubs - moving alongside other’s creates friendships, encouragement, and a sense of belonging.

PROGRAMMES DESIGNED FOR EVERY WOMAN

Active Fitness Classes

From beginner-friendly strength classes, dance, yoga, Pilates and more, our timetable supports women at every fitness level. Whether you’re rebuilding confidence or chasing new goals, with more than 120 classes on the timetable there’s a class for you.

Active Swim School

Swimming isn’t just for children. Adult lessons are increasingly popular among women who want to build confidence in the water, improve technique, or simply enjoy a new skill that delivers incredible physical and mental benefits.

Gym Support

Our instructors understand the unique needs women may have at different life stages and they’re here to help you feel comfortable, informed, and empowered in the gym. Seek out our Gym confidence sessions where an instructor will be available to answer your questions and provide exercise advice.

A Supportive Community

Across our facilities, you’ll find welcoming staff and a community who show up not to be perfect, but to be present. The atmosphere is encouraging, inclusive, and built on the belief that movement is for everyone.

A SPACE FOR EVERY WOMAN

Our facilities are welcoming, supportive environments where women can move at their own pace, in their own way. Our instructors champion inclusivity and encouragement, no judgement, no pressure.

Whether you’re taking your first step toward fitness or rediscovering it after years away, now is the perfect time to invest in yourself. Not for anyone else, not for a goal weight or a milestone birthday, but because staying active helps you feel good, live well, and stay strong in every season of life.

www.active.je | Call 01534 449888

Quilter Cheviot is part of Quilter plc.

How to rest, reset and cook a curry

Words&Photography:

These colder months call for comfort and warmth. Winter, for me, is a season of slowing down and rediscovering what rest truly feels like. I like to challenge the ‘new year’ whirlwind of grind culture, restriction, and perfectionism. Summer is the time to soak up solar energy and lean into busyness; winter invites us to follow the rhythm of the natural world and hibernate a little. To stay connected to the earth, we should be gentle with ourselves.

Flo Balderson

The post–New Year “reformation period” often comes at the worst possible time. Grand resolutions like “eat healthy” or “exercise daily” are rarely sustainable, and we rarely wake up transformed overnight. Change is a journey, it is a slow, gradual process of learning, listening to our bodies, and understanding ourselves more deeply. I encourage setting intentions rather than rigid resolutions: small, kind steps that honor the diﬃculty of the cold, dark months rather than adding punishment to the season.

In the kitchen, this is the season for simmering pots of curries, stews, and pies. My winter Sundays are reserved for slow cooking dishes with a deep, lingering depth of flavour. Paired with a full-bodied red wine, it becomes the perfect rest day ritual. Cooking feels almost ceremonial when you use ingredients that connect you to the land. Here in Jersey, that means local produce like squashes, potatoes, seafood and of course Jersey dairy.

As someone who loves exploring global flavors each week, I love challenging myself to use what I already have in the cupboard to elevate local produce like adding a kick to a humble Jersey Royal. For me, this almost always leads back to the culinary world of India. I grew up as my dad’s sous chef, chopping the holy trinity of garlic, ginger, and onion since I was young. When I left for university, the only gift I wanted was a spice kit and curry lessons. Although Anglo-Indian cuisine often reflects the northern regions, my grandma, who was born and raised in Goa, passed her joy of cooking to my dad and he passed it on to me. As a result, our family’s curries blend both northern and Goan influences and something I am excited to share with you today.

So, turn up the music, recruit a willing sous chef for the tedious chopping, and let the rich, spicy aroma fill your home. You can leave this sauce to simmer for a few hours if you need as the longer, the better. This recipe can easily be adapted with meat if you prefer a heartier version, but I’m sticking to my seasonal cooking challenge for now.

Winter Squash and Spinach Curry Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 medium winter squash (approx. 1–1.5kg)

• 1 onion, finely chopped

• A thumb-sized piece of ginger, minced

• 4 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 fresh chilli, finely chopped (seeds in for extra heat)

• 1 tin chopped tomatoes

• 1–2 tbsp tomato purée

• 1 heaped tsp turmeric

• 1 medium winter squash (approx.

• 1 heaped tsp ground coriander

Method

1. Roast the squash

• Preheat the oven to 200°C.

• Peel, deseed and chop the squash into bite-sized pieces.

• Toss with a little oil, 1 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp cumin, salt and pepper.

• Spread on a baking tray and roast for around 40 minutes, or until soft and golden at the edges.

2. Make the sauce

• Heat a tbsp of coconut oil/butter in a large pan.

• Add the cumin seeds and cook until fragrant.

• Add the the chopped onion with a pinch of salt. Cook gently until softened.

• Stir in the garlic, ginger and chilli and fry for 2–3 minutes.

• Add the turmeric, ground coriander and ground cumin (and curry paste if using).

• Stir in the tomato purée and cook

Wine Pairing with Dunell’s

• 1 heaped tsp ground cumin

• 1 tsp cumin seeds

• 300ml vegetable stock

• A knob of butter or coconut oil (for a vegan alternative)

• 1 bag of spinach

• 1 tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed

• 1 heaped tsp garam masala

• 1 tsp sugar

• ½ lemon squeezed

• 1 tbsp curry paste (optional, for extra depth)

• Oil, salt and pepper

for a minute to deepen the flavour.

• Pour in a little stock to deglaze the pan, then add the chopped tomatoes.

• Bring to a simmer, cover, add the remaining stock and cook for at least 40 minutes to develop richness.

3. Finish the curry

• Once the sauce has thickened, stir in the chickpeas and warm through for 5 minutes so they absorb the aromatics without breaking down.

• Add the spinach, sugar, garam masala and a squeeze of lemon. Let the spinach wilt.

• Fold in the roasted squash gently so it keeps its shape.

To Serve

Scatter with chopped fresh coriander and serve with fluﬀy basmati rice or a warm naan.

As a lover of both food and wine, I reached out to the experts at Dunell’s to help me find the perfect pairing. I was looking for something red, rich and delicious, a wine that would complement rather than clash with the spicy aromatics of my curry. Together, we explored tasting notes and landed on a beautiful South African Grenache by Catherine Marshall. The aim was to choose a lively, fruit-forward grape, and this certainly delivered. Gently spiced and floral, it held its own with impressive smoothness and balance. On the palate, it quietly soothed the heat, cooling and cleansing, ready to refresh for the next bite. Dunell’s recommended chilling the wine for 30 minutes prior to serving, a simple touch which heightened the contrast and made the pairing even more enjoyable!

I recently binged Vince Gilligan’s Pluribus. Once I put the post-binge shame of consuming 8 hours of content in a worryingly short window behind me, I was struck by the parallels from the story to the AI armageddon that we are told to worry about.

Spoiler alert

Carol, the main character, rails against the hivemind virus that has infected humanity. She despises the collective consciousness, eventually driving the entire human race to tears and causing millions of deaths just to break free. But when the hivemind finally leaves her, the silence is deafening. Carol realises how alone she is without them. It’s the absence of them that puts into sharp focus what they’ve added to her life.

It sparked a thought - what would my working day look like if I couldn’t use AI? Would I notice it? How much more work would I have to do?

Last month, OpenAI published The State of Enterprise AI, claiming that workers are now saving between 40 and 60 minutes per day. On paper, that sounds like the world-changing shift tech CEOs have been promising for the last few years. But looking at my own schedule, I wondered: is that time actually saved, or have I just swapped ‘real work’ for an hour of prompting and editing?”

In my case, I’m a bit of an AI evangelist. Three years ago, when ChatGPT first hit the mainstream, I was so persuaded by it, that I quit my job and set up a design & web agency (now operating out of Gallery HQ).

Since then, AI has become the silent partner in nearly every business process I have. Going cold turkey is likely to be a painful detox, but I’m keen to find out the truth: without the hivemind, will I crash and burn? Will I feel liberated? Or, like Carol, will I simply feel worryingly alone?

Words: Toby Balderson Illustration: Jamie Willow

MORNING - THE GREAT SILENCE

My rules for this experiment are simple:

No Large Language Models (LLMs)

No Image Generation

No “Smart” Coding Assistants

No AI Writing / Editing

However, in my naivety, I realised this was harder to enforce than I first thought when I came to draft my first email for the day and Gmail had already automatically drafted my response: “Hi Jim, I’ll sort that now”. A truly groundbreaking, timesaving activity to kick the day off. Viva La Revolution.

Following my email from Jim, I now tackle his problem. After 30 minutes of scrambling around in AI generated comments in the code and a frustrating search through StackOverflow, I fixed Jim’s issue. My initial pride at the fix is quickly dulled by realisation that I, (or Gemini), could have fixed the issue in minutes.

Next, coffee break, after all that heavy lifting. Is this how people used to work?

New Email from my Daughter’s nursery. Request for less milk, more nappies and more wipes next time she comes in. Usually at this point, I’d revert to the third parent in my marriage, an LLM, (Christ, how sad) for answers to the big questions like “What’s a normal amount of milk for a 12 month old to drink?” or “Does my baby sh*t too much?” or “Respond politely to this email”.

But no, three Googles later and I’ve come to the conclusion that Mumsnet thinks my baby drinks way too much milk and Reddit thinks that normal nappy usage runs in the dozens per day. No nearer to a good response, I file this email under “Respond later with wine”.

Is it lunch yet? I suppose I better shuffle some shapes around in Figma. This is actually one of the few things that I’ve left untouched in my processes. Maybe I’m clinging on to the metaphorical vinyl crackle of design. But I do think that good design remains a distinctly human activity. You can feel when something is designed by AI.

Great, now it’s lunch. Sandwich and soup secured. For detailed sandwich reviews, please see Gallery Edition #205 for my debut article. The tried and tested pathway for all tech columnists to begin their writing careers. The path of yeast resistance if you will.

AFTERNOON - ALONE, SO ALONE

Most of my afternoon is carved out to write a proposal. My approach for this is usually to blend a decent proposal I’ve written before and my meeting notes from the prospective client into an LLM. Then edit and adjust from there.

After persevering with writer’s block for an hour or two, what I came out with was rough, but it was real, and dare I say, considered. It’s not that the words that are AI generated and then edited aren’t considered. But there’s a difference when you’re taking the time over the placement and flow of every word. There’s a temptation with blocks of AI content that look generically good to just drop it in with minimal edits. But I find that it ends up all sounding a bit beige.

A quick scroll through the news leaves me feeling existential thanks to a certain Trumpian fascination with arctic regions. Through previous existential crises, I usually send an LLM off to perform some deep research into the best places to live in the event of nuclear armageddon. This comes back with a nice report about where and when my family should relocate.

Given Jersey’s mundane and conservative geopolitical position, you might wonder why I’m worried about nuclear war. If you must know, I’m concerned Jersey’s proximity to the jet stream leaves us over exposed to nuclear radiation. It might be time to uninstall Twitter from my phone.

Thankfully, today’s existential crisis is reassured by Ben and Emma’s new Gallery nuclear war protocol. Which involves us buying (or stealing) copious amounts of tape and water and then hiding in the disabled loos. I’m assuming the tape is for gaps in the doors, but I didn’t ask.

EVENING - PARENTING AND HUSBANDING

Work over. Home now. Into the full flow of non-tech, no-AI, human stuff.

Nappy changes, bath time, more milk?

My wife is a teacher, so I’m regularly faced with complex issues in the education system. Usually, I can offer considered, well-researched, and comprehensive advice thanks to my team of AI bots. No such luck tonight.

Following what feels like hours of manual lesson planning, crafting polite email responses, and calculating grade boundaries—my day is done.*

Reflecting on my day of “AI sobriety,” I accomplished far less than I usually would. But I discovered real joy in the labour of creating, designing, writing, and fixing. I think we always assumed machines would take over the tasks we didn’t want to do.

But with this latest technical shift, they’re starting to take the stuff we actually like doing.

*That was a legitimate use of the em dash that was not AIgenerated. #bringbacktheEM

YOUR WINTER ESCAPE AWAITS AT THE

SOMERVILLE HOTEL…

As the winter chill sweeps across the Channel Islands, escape the ordinary and surrender to cosy nights with soul-warming food and stunning sea views over St Aubin’s harbour. The Somerville Hotel has just unveiled its irresistible Winter Staycation package — a cosy coastal getaway from just £145 per night, running 31st January to 31st March 2026. Perfect for couples craving romance, friends seeking solace, or solo souls plotting their next adventure, this offer wraps you in luxury without the longhaul hassle.

Picture this: you arrive, and a complimentary flute of crisp Crémant greets you with a sparkling welcome. Step into your room where sea-view upgrades are available Sunday-Thursday (first-come, firstserved!) to watch the harbour’s bobbing yachts at high tide. Sunrises here? Pure magic, painting the sky in blush pinks and golds over sand that stretches for miles.

Dining at the Somerville is where its refined charm takes centre stage. Indulge in a sumptuous three-course feast from the “Taste at Tides” menu at Tides Restaurant, starring Jersey scallops that melt like butter, succulent sirloins grilled to perfection, and a show-stopping soufflé finale. Top-quality, traceable, seasonal ingredients paired with new and old world wines and that unbeatable harbour backdrop. Rise refreshed and help yourself to a full breakfast, including both fully cooked & continental options, to start your days adventures. But the indulgence doesn’t end there. Revel in a free late checkout Sunday-Thursday (up to 1pm and subject to availability), giving you extra time to relax and recharge. It’s Jersey staycation perfection: no airports, no jetlag, just pure, unadulterated recharge.

Why the Somerville? This four-star gem blends refined coastal elegance with a warm Jersey heart, offering a classic country house experience through elegant interiors and staff who welcome you like family. Overlooking St. Aubin’s harbour, it’s steps away from boutique shops and the island’s wild south coast trails.

In a world rushing headlong into 2026, the Somerville’s Winter Staycation is your pause button. Book this offer today and find out why tourists and locals keep coming back. Who knows? This winter escape might just redefine your year.

Staycation package includes:

Bubbles on arrival

Three-course Dinner from ‘Taste at Tides’ menu

Overnight stay

Full Breakfast, both fully cooked & continental

Free Upgrades & Late Checkouts Sun-Thur*

Just £145 per couple

Book direct with promo code STAYCAY

scan the QR code to visit somervillejersey.com/jersey-hotelsspecial-offers/winter-breaks-2026/ or call 01534 491906. Ts&Cs apply.

*subject to availability

UNEARTHING FRESHNESS: MEET WILL HOWARTH

Words: Daisy Taylor Photography: Glen Perotte

The word fresh draws a few things to mind: new, not stale, original. That’s precisely the thing we are craving most in the art and music world, particularly here on Island. There’s nothing more thrilling than discovering the undiscovered, hearing the unknown, and supporting the up and coming. Lucky for us the island is ripe with freshness, it’s just about unearthing the talent.

So meet Will Howarth, Jersey’s very own local treasure. “Born and bred in Jersey”, and at 20 years Will Howarth is breaking into the music world, funding and fuelling his passion working in the everflourishing finance sector. Only just out of his teen years, Will seems to brace everything with subtle self-assurance, eagerness to learn, and blissful optimism. As a singer-songwriter, Will Howarth is locally appreciated for his emotionally evocative acoustic songwriting, blending heartfelt lyrics with stripped-back arrangements. With his songwriting placing him more akin to a storyteller, as he weaves fictional and inspired narratives with a seemingly natural ease.

Now in his final year of his degree apprenticeship with Lloyds Bank, whilst Will is keen to retain his position, he’s amping up to shift his focal point in a more balanced way to accommodate immersing himself in his music career; as he exclaims “it is the biggest passion of my life”.

Coming from a particularly musically minded family, Will has been immersed in music from an early age– whether that be playing piano from the age of eight or becoming enchanted by old CDs on long car rides. Having called it quits with the piano at the age of fifteen, Will wisely made the choice to pick up the guitar as his next creative outlet. Beginning his guitar tutoring at Chordz Music School, Will continued his lessons with his tutor Ben, studying at both The School of Popular Music and now the Red House Yamaha Music School. Coyly Will discusses his introduction to singing: “I used to be a town church chorister back in the day, when I was nine or something like that”. Yet, he admits “that didn’t really spark” his love for singing, it was in fact in his secondary school years that Will truly acknowledged his intrigue into vocal work. “I always sang at home, but never to an audience…it’s just too embarrassing when you’re a young person”. Lucky for us, at the age of eighteen, Will took the plunge and finally sang in front of an audience for the first time: “and from then on I was just hooked with singing in front of people”.

Beneath a youthful freshness, Will carries an older head on his shoulders, making for an eclectic and interesting range of musical influences. Will draws inspiration from the classics on his day-to-day playlists, citing artists such as the Bee Gees and Marvin Gaye alongside more contemporary voices like Olivia Dean and Tom Misch.

For Will, the creative process takes on a life of its own; while he may begin by listening to a track and drawing inspiration from an artist, the end result often evolves into something entirely unrecognisable. “When I’m writing a song, I’ll always go into it with: okay, I want it to sound like

this song, and then I’ll just noodle around on the guitar until I find a nice chord pattern, and then a melody… and then it will sound so opposite to what I expected it to sound like, but it sounds in my head like what I wanted… so it works”.

Songwriting unintentionally and abruptly became a part of Will’s life back in 2023, as he recalls the tale of his first songwriting experience. While staying in St Ouen’s with his family at the Barge Aground, Will recalls how his family were all suffering with Covid, therefore he bought his guitar along in an effort to occupy his time, or as he puts it: “I can’t be stuck in this cabin, bored out of mind with covid, so I bought my guitar along with the intent of just playing it… not writing a song”. Alas, that’s not what panned out, “it’s so strange. One night I was asleep, had this crazy nightmare, and then woke up with all these chords in my head… so I picked up my guitar and then kind of just worked around the chords”. These phantom nightmare chords were not immediately transparent to Will, he couldn’t envision the finger positioning on the fret board, instead he conceived what they were through playing around with different progressions and ultimately matching the sound to what he relayed in his mind. As for lyrics, Will credits them as family effort, “we just all sat around the dinner table one night… just kind of firing off some really terrible lyrics at each other. And then some things would be really good”. For Will, this three day stay at the Barge Aground in St Ouen’s was a groundbreaking catalyst for his songwriting journey. The song in question is titled ‘Wasted Bit of Luxury’, and whilst it’s not out on streaming platforms as of yet, you can catch a snippet of it on Will’s socials.

Will draws inspiration from the classics on his day-to-day playlists, citing artists such as the Bee Gees and Marvin Gaye alongside more contemporary voices like Olivia Dean and Tom Misch.

If you missed Will’s most recent Art House gig at The Barracks, in which he treated his audience to tasty renditions of his original tracks, you can be sure to catch Will at some of his favourite local venues in 2026; with honourable mentions of his local pub, The Royal, and The Sundown. Although Will’s time is occupied at this present time with being in the final year of his degree apprenticeship, he gives the impression that if gigs come his way, he’ll be picking them up at the drop of a hat. Currently on Will’s creative schedule for the year are several weddings, including the honour of performing at his own guitar teacher’s—an honour that speaks volumes about his talent. From his perspective, while there is an unmistakable pleasantry to earning money for playing live gigs, he humbly expresses “I would do it for free. And I know it sounds stupid and ridiculous, and cheap, but it’s true”; exemplifying Will’s immense passion for performance. As for the future, whilst he refers to Jersey as a “paradise on Earth”, he counteracts himself by saying that it is “a tiny tiny island”: after all it is only appropriate that those with creative minds spread their wings if only to spur more creative flow and inspiration. Will reflects on the possibility of travelling—perhaps hiking through Sweden and Iceland—with the idea of one day moving to the UK. Still, his connection to home remains clear, as he admits: “I want to come back to Jersey eventually”.

In a scene that craves youthful, refreshing originality, Will Howarth stands as an ever-evolving personification of creative freshness. With a future rich in musical exploration and rooted in instinctive storytelling, he marks himself as one of Jersey’s most compelling emerging voices—an artist to be discovered now, and followed closely in the years to come.

EVENT ORGANISERS.

If you have events coming up, keep us informed and we’ll get someone down to capture your crowd and show everyone what a great time people had in the following edition. Email paparazzi@gallery.je

PHOTOS

KIM LE BRUN ADVANCED SKIN & BEAUTY

Give your skin back its snap at Kim Le Brun Advanced Skin & Beauty. Experience unrivalled results for youngerlooking, radiant skin with our advanced facial offerings, Excelight IPL machine, and professional skincare ranges. Relax in a calm environment whilst our professional treatments are tailored just for you. Unwind, refresh and recharge – it’s all about you and your skin’s best self!

KIM LE BRUN 07797 719700. kimlebrun.je kim@kimlebrun.je @ Kimlebrun.skin

TEETH WHITENING TREATMENT £149*

We all want nice white teeth and professional home whitening is a great way to improve your smile in a safe and quick way. Your home whitening kit will consist of custommade bleaching trays and 2 syringes of professional whitening gel. Book your appointment online. *Terms and conditions apply, visit our website for more information www.paradedentalpractice.co.uk

THE PARADE DENTAL PRACTICE

24 The Parade, St. Helier 01534 725520 admin@paradedentalpractice.co.uk

Step into Nautilus, a brilliant boutique where timeless elegance meets modern flair. From effortlessly chic staples to head-turning statement pieces, every item is thoughtfully curated with love and a keen eye for style. Expect impeccable tailoring, distinctive design, and luxurious fabrics; all chosen to flatter and inspire. Nautilus is brimming with unique finds to elevate your wardrobe.

NAUTLILUS

01534 617976

BONITA

Experience the brilliance of Bonita Hair & Beauty Salon, where style meets elegance. Our expert stylists and beauty professionals deliver exceptional haircuts, colour, facials, and more, tailored to enhance your natural beauty. Relax in our luxurious, welcoming space and leave feeling radiant, confident, and refreshed. Bonita is your go-to destination for flawless beauty and personalised haircare.

BONITA

Hotel De France, St Saviours Road 01534 720081 bonitahairandbeauty.com

THE MATRIX

THE LASER CENTRE

Julie Naidu RGN LNP BACN BMLA.

Julie has been specialising in facial aesthetics for 28 years which has been a lifelong interest in the positive enhancement of physical and mental well-being. We only use the best market leading products to treat frowns, wrinkles, face, neck and hand rejuvenation and so much more. So if you need a little freshening up after summer, then please get in touch and trust in experience.

THE LASER CENTRE

Lido Medical Centre (2.4 B) 01534 888272

info@thelasercentrejersey.co.uk www.thelasercentrejersey.co.uk

MORE THAN A HAIRCUT...

Lads’n’Dads Barbers isn’t just a haircut, it’s your new favourite hangout. Whether it’s your little man’s first trim or you’re after a fresh fade, our friendly barbers have you covered. From modern cuts to timeless classics, sit back, have a laugh, and leave looking sharp. Great cuts, great vibes, and a place where everyone’s welcome. And guess what? We’re growing! If you’ve got the skills, the banter, and the passion for great hair, we’d love you to join our team. See you in the chair – or maybe behind it!

LADS’N’DADS 1 Wharf Street, St Helier ladsndads.co.uk

THE GOOSEBERRY BUSH

The Gooseberry Bush is a unique Family-fun business of 36+ years! We enjoy stocking lagenlook, fun & comfortable clothing for all shapes & sizes, in bright bold designs for Summer & Winter. Jewellery, scarves & footwear is blended with the fashion per season. The Interiors area boasts a wide selection of affordable linen & cotton cushions, throws & rugs to compliment any home and scents to match. Any Furniture can be collected & taken straightaway in the back of a car! Service with a Smile!

THE GOOSEBERRY BUSH

Rue de Haut de l’Orme, Trinity (just behind Rondels Farm Shop) 01534 726224

Pedicures, Massage and Reflexology.

BEAUTY HOUSE 4 Roc Annick, La Rue es Bouefs, St Mary 01534 789000 www.thebeautyhouse.je

NAUTILUS

THE MATRIX

THE COLOUR ROOMS

Come and explore The Colour Rooms Art Gallery and Studios... A welcoming and vibrant creative hub in the heart of Beaumont at the roundabout. Discover monthly inspiring exhibitions, sign up for art classes led by experts in their field, connect with others and develop your creativity in our relaxing and beautiful gallery. Find the perfect piece of art for your home or workspace to add individuality and focus. At The Colour Rooms, colour is not just a theme, it is at the heart of everything we do. Come and be inspired.

THE COLOUR ROOMS

La Route de la Haule, Beaumont 07829 908090 thecolourrooms.art@gmail.com www.thecolourrooms.co.uk

MADHATTER

Dive into the weird, wild, and wonderful world of Madhatter, Jersey’s original surf and skate shop since 2013. From street to sea, we’ve got everything you need to ride with style. Based in St Helier and St Brelade, we’re all about keeping it genuine, original, and fun - for a life lived well. We stock the world’s best brands for boards, threads, and vibes – welcome to Madhatter. www.thecolourrooms.co.uk

RUN - HIKE - EXPLORE

Get moving with Rock’n’Road, your ultimate destination for all things running, hiking and exploring. We’ve got the gear to fuel your passion. For all runners from beginners to marathon and beyond we have top-tier running shoes, apparel and gear that go the distance. Hikers can find the best kit, from waterproofs to camping stoves. Expert advice, unbeatable selection, and performance-driven products make Rock’n’Road your go-to shop for all your adventures.

ROCK N ROAD RUN CO

Unit 7, Liberty Wharf, St Helier 01534 608056 info@rocknroad.je rocknroad.je

MAGIC TOUCH

Number one in Jersey for specialised high-quality embroidery and printing, turning your logo or design into stylish apparel that stands out. Whether for business or personal use, Magic Touch adds a professional, customised flair to every piece. Elevate your brand today with unique, expertly crafted clothing and merchandise from Magic Touch. Minimum order of one item for most orders.

MAGIC TOUCH

87 St Clement’s Rd 01534 766845 sales@magictouchjersey.com

MADHATTER.JE

41 Halkett Street, St. Helier 01534 733388

La Route des Genets, St. Brelade 01534 510616

WINDMADNESS

Windmadness is your ultimate online destination for adventure sports. Discover quality brands for Kitesurfing, Wakeboarding, Wingfoiling, Paddle Boarding and more. Whether you’re chasing waves, harnessing with the wind, or exploring calm waters, we’ve got all the equipment you need. Trusted brands, expert advice, friendly and passionate team, everything to fuel your passion for the ocean.

HEAD TO THE VALLEY

Valley Adventures, nestled in a stunning secluded valley, offers thrilling activities for kids’ parties, hens, stags, and corporate days all year round. With a huge range of brilliant activities from zip lines and climbing challenges to paintballing and coasteering, our experienced team delivers fun, safe, and unforgettable experiences for all ages. Perfect for celebrations or team bonding in nature’s most beautiful playground. Book now!

VALLEY ADVENTURE CENTRE

Mont a la Brune 01534 638888 valleyadventure.je @valleyadventure info@valleyadventure.je

IT MIGHT GET LOUD

It Might Get Loud at Island Music, and that’s exactly how we like it! From awesome guitars and punchy bass to soaring brass, smooth keys, booming drums, and elegant orchestral gems, we’ve got all the gear to make your sound unforgettable. Come play, jam, and find your sound with us.

ISLAND MUSIC

72 Bath Street St Helier 01534 870053 @islandmusicjsy

WINDMADNESS

486074 / 07700324294

windmadness.com info@windmadness.com

THE PANTRY

Now Open! - “The Pantry - by Kismet Cabana” is your new go-to for flavour-packed frozen meals and fresh local produce. Stocked with love, grown in Jersey, and made for real life. Pop in for premium convenience food with global soul, rooted in our island home. Based at La Haule - sign up for the scoop at ThePantry.je

THE PANTRY - BY KISMET CABANA La Haule Farm, Le Mont au Roux, St. Brelade 07700809863 www.thepantry.je

SUITS YOU

Looking fab is easy with Bertie’s Suits & Co. Whether you’re after a bespoke suit, formal rental, or gearing up for a wedding or black tie event, they’ve got you covered. Their expert tailoring ensures a perfect fit, so if you’re dressing for a special event like Ascot or just want to look sharp at the office head to Bertie’s. COMING SOON - Complete your look with handcrafted custom shoes, designed to match your style. Experience timeless sophistication and personalised service at Bertie’s.

BERTIE’S SUITS

13 Burrard St, St Helier 01534 742 007 hello@bertiessuits.com bertiessuits.com

THE MATRIX

THE HIDDEN GARDEN CO.

The Hidden Garden Co. brings expertise and elegance to your outdoor space. From lush hedging and privacy screening to mature trees, shrubs, and small plants, we’ve got your greenery covered. We also specialise in all aspects of fencing, gates, decking, sheds, chalets, and garagescombining craftsmanship and quality. Whether you’re growing a garden or building a backyard escape, we deliver beauty and know-how in every detail.

THE HIDDEN GARDEN CO. La Rue de la Scelletterie, St Lawrence 01534 865615 thehiddengardenjersey@gmail.com www.thehiddengarden.je

IAN PALLOT ARCHITECT

RIBA Chartered Architect committed to delivering high quality CREATIVE DESIGN SOLUTIONS that are practical, environmentally efficient and value for money. I can assist you at every stage of your project, from initial concept sketches to on site supervision, and always with enthusiasm and a willingness to do that little bit extra. If you have a project that you would like to discuss with me, please call or e-mail to arrange a free consultation and see how I can help.

ALL PETS

A proudly independent veterinary practice in the heart of St Peter’s. Run by a passionate, female-led team, they offer twenty minute appointments, same-day bookings, home visits, and a ‘Fear Free’ approach to care. From your first visit to lifelong support, All Pets is trusted by pets, chosen by their owners.

ALL PETS Manor Farm Barn, La Route Du Manoir, St.Peter 01534 745999 info@allpets.je

COMPLETE FACILITIES

Complete Facilities is the company that cares, about our clients, our people, and the planet. From sparkling floors to perfectly working fire alarms, we keep Jersey running smoothly. Proudly local and eco-minded, we clean, fix, maintain, and brighten spaces, all while making life easier and keeping our island community at the heart of everything we do.

COMPLETE FACILITIES

One Trafford House, L’Avenue Le Bas 01534 871100

completefacilitiesjersey.com info@cfl.je

IAN PALLOT ARCHITECT 01434 485320 or 07797 814 723 studio@ianpallotarchitect.com www.ianpallotarchitect.com

THINK SOLAR

SunWorks, established in 2013, is Jersey’s leading provider of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, battery storage, and electric vehicle (EV) charging solutions. We also offer top-tier roofing and re-roofing services. With over 600 local installations, SunWorks empowers homeowners and businesses to reduce energy costs, achieve energy security, and enjoy a strong return on investment—driving Jersey’s transition to a renewable energy future.

SUNWORKS 01534 498822 info@sunworks.je www.sunworks.je

TREE MATTERS

Tree Matters have been caring for Jersey’s trees for over 20 years. From emergency storm call-outs and safe tree removals to pruning, surveys, planting and hedge care, the experienced team puts preservation first wherever possible. Trusted by homeowners, businesses and local authorities, Tree Matters is known for safe, responsible work and rapid response when nature strikes, all delivered with passion, professionalism and respect for Jersey’s landscape.

TREE MATTERS

St Lawrence. 07797 827298 treematters.je

FURNITURE YOU’LL LOVE

You’ll find sustainable indoor and outdoor furniture, handpicked interior accessories, free styling tips and a warm welcome. Shop top brands such as Ligne Roset, Vincent Sheppard and Ethnicraft in an approachable and relaxed atmosphere. We are looking forward to welcoming you soon to rejig your home, so you fall in love with it again.

LANDES INTERIORS

Rue de la Croix au Maître

St Martin, JE3 6DJ 01534 854634 landesinteriors.com

GET CREATIVE WITH YOUR WINDOWS

At Creative Windows, we bring over 30 years of experience to every project; designing and installing elegant timber, PVC and aluminium windows, doors, bespoke conservatories, lightweight tiled roofs, and home extensions. We don’t just upgrade homes, we enhance lifestyles with lasting quality and tailored design. Enjoy interest-free credit, keep your money working for you, while we work on your home. Book your free design consultation today.

THE CREATIVE WINDOW AND CONSERVATORY CO. 07797 863779 contact@creativewindows.co.uk creativewindows.co.uk

G WOOD JOINERY

G Wood Joinery specialises in designing and creating furniture, windows, doors, staircases, fence, decorative panels and kitchens.Also we do 3D kitchen projects. Our team is made up of long-serving highly versatile craftsmen, whose knowledge and enthusiasm help turn your ideas into reality. Our workshop is equipped to deal with projects of varying levels of complexity. We can work with you to match existing mould details, help with architectural renovations or heritage works and deliver custom-designed projects.

G WOOD JOINERY

Shop 1, Hansford Close, La Route de St. Aubin, 07829811184 www.gwoodjoinery.com