The Société Jersiaise lunchtime talks continue this month providing insights into the (not so) Common eel in Jersey; the history of the Island’s metal detecting society; and the surprising Jersey connection with the ‘Queen of Crime’, Agatha Christie.
The 40-minute talks take place every Wednesday in the Société Jersiaise members’ room on Pier Road, starting at 1:10pm. Tea and coffee will be served.
16 November
The Story of the Jersey Metal Detecting Society, with Reg Mead
The Jersey Metal Detecting Society will be sharing the full story of how the society came to be – the history of the club, its achievements and finds, and the interesting and funny episodes that some of its characters have been involved in. Reg, co-finder of the Le Câtillon II coin hoard, also has a range of newspaper cuttings and photos to show.
23 November
The not so Common Eel, with Bob Thompkins
It will surprise many Islanders to know that hiding in many of the ponds, reservoirs and streams is an eel that even today there is so little known about. It is called the Common Eel because it used to be found in vast numbers in every water system across Europe and the UK.
Today its numbers have been reduced by an estimated 96%, so it now carries full species protection across those zones – although not so here in Jersey. Come and hear the story of this amazing eel and all its transformations in its 30-odd-year lifetime, from the Sargasso sea to Jersey, and back again, to mate and die.
30 November
The Queen of Crime, with John Taylor
During her long life, Agatha Christie wrote several books, poems and plays based on her experiences as a nurse and pharmacy technician. But it was her 66 murder mysteries which gained her the title ‘Queen of Crime’.
Her works have sold over three billion copies and have been translated into over a hundred languages. Despite her worldwide fame, she remained a shy, retiring person. This talk will provide enthusiasts with details of her life with which many are not familiar, her personal tragedies, and her surprising Jersey connection.
7 December
Pierre Le Sueur – a reforming Constable, with Roy Le Herissier
Pierre Le Sueur was Constable of St Helier for many years in the mid-nineteenth century. He was a great reformer fighting many battles, some of which resonate today! He was also a highly competent Advocate, winning landmark cases.
His political enthusiasm led him to head up the Rose Party: this period was marked by the presence of another formidable Advocate, Godfray, who headed up the Laurel Party. They were both deeply involved in local politics and clashed often in Court. Their differing personalities dominated political and judicial affairs over a long period.
14 December
André Gide and friends in Jersey, Summer 1907, with Diane Moore
In the summer of 1907 French writer and future Nobel Prize-winner André Gide (1869-1951) came to Jersey with a group of French and Belgian literary and artistic friends. During the course of this richly illustrated talk, Diane will look at how Gide and his equally talented companions viewed the Island, what they did in Jersey, and how Jersey directly inspired their works and lives.
For more information, visit www.societe.je/news-events
