Emma Baker: Saying goodbye to Jersey
Blog post by ITV Channel reporter and presenter, Emma Baker.
“Oooh, how about a year in the Channel Islands honey? How fabulous would that be?!”.
It was Summer 2018, I was nearing the end of maternity leave. Having spent several years living hundreds of miles from family, my husband and I both felt we were ready to put down roots and settle in one place.
Yet, after nine months of nursing a baby, I suddenly realised I wasn’t quite ready for that - there was one more adventure left in us. And a year in Jersey sounded perfect.
So on the 1 October 2018, the three of us drove onto a busy Condor ferry to begin that adventure. And what an adventure it’s been.
We were greeted by glorious sunshine, idyllic beaches and the restaurants…oh the restaurants! OK, the move admin was slightly heftier than I’d hoped (importing a car from the UK is surely only slightly quicker than building it from scratch?!) but you can’t win ‘em all.
Professionally, I have loved immersing myself in such a beautiful and varied patch. I have loved the challenge of getting to grips with not one, but two political systems. And I have loved all the delightful idiosyncrasies that go with it. The more established of the ITV Channel team were there to help with my daily questions. What exactly is a Clameur de Haro?! Remind me how branchage works again? The tax office say they won’t talk with me, without my husband’s permission – that’s surely a mistake, right?!
Jersey quickly became my home. I invested in wetsuits, devoured the milk (as a dairy farmer’s daughter, I have high standards – and can confirm that the Jersey variety is indeed divine), and within just a few weeks, began to regard a trip to St Ouen’s as quite the trek.
We took advantage of the first summer months, to indulge in as much island-hopping as was practical with a toddler. We fell in love with Guernsey children’s library (the most magical library I’ve had the pleasure of visiting), delighted in Sark’s dark skies and promised ourselves that our next trip to Herm would be more than just a few hours. Le Petit Bistro became our favourite pre-ferry restaurant, Blue Bottle Gin our tipple of choice…
We extended our stay until Easter 2020 to give us just a smidgen more time and booked our ferry for an April return. Little did we know, that four weeks before our departure, the world around us would change forever.
The arrival of the pandemic was a blur. Events were fast-moving in both Bailiwicks. Naturally, it was our job to keep across the developments as they happened and make sense of it for our viewers – where ever they lived. And that meant there was little time to consider what it all meant for our own plans.
It wasn’t until the end of March, that it became obvious that all plans, for each and every one of us, were to be put on hold. And we were no exception. Our time in Jersey was extended in dramatic style. The world entered lockdown, the island’s borders closed and we became grateful to have the beauty of Jersey to distract us from the cruelty of Covid. When at work, we drove around with a certificate from our Head of News to prove that we had good reason to be out and about. These were extraordinary times. Yet outside of work, the joys of Jersey’s coastline and lush green spaces kept us going.
As the summer unfolded, and restrictions eased, our gratitude has increased. OK, our plans to return to friends and family have been on pause, and we have missed them desperately – we’re no different to many others. Yet could there be any better place to spend a pandemic? Whenever I came up for air, Jersey was twinkling at me in the sunshine. Reminding me that it’s an extraordinary island, that never fails to surprise.
My daughter remembers nothing of arriving in Jersey. She’s now spent two thirds of her life here, and as far as she’s concerned this island is her world. The much-loved landmarks of Fort Regent, the Steam Clock and Mont Orgueil Castle are part of her everyday life. Not to mention the beach…
While the pandemic is still far from over, our time in Jersey has come to an end. Yet we shall leave a piece of our hearts behind, along with many lovely friends. So thank you Jersey and the Channel Islands. It’s been a privilege. You’ll be in my thoughts in the coming weeks. And I will be back in different times – to lunch at Green Island and enjoy those goodbye hugs – that are on hold for now.
À bétôt et à la préchaine x