We continue our series of articles in Jèrriais – Jersey’s own traditional native language.
The ‘frouque’ in question is a digging fork, rather than a table fork. An English translation follows. This contribution comes from Helen Romeril
Tchi matînnée întérêssante qué j’eus l’aut’ Dînmanche. Mes deux p’tites-fil’yes, Coco & Zephie et mé, j’allînmes au Conmice RJA&HS du S’tembre à La Trinn’té.
J’arrivînmes juste auprès onze heuthes et l’clios d’la parqu’thie ‘tait dêjà patchi. J’tais hardi contente dé vaie tant d’gens à ch’t êvénement traditionnel et d’touos les âges étout!
J’feûnmes saluées bein caudement par trais faches atout un souôrithe en entrant à l’entrée. Étant d’eune cèrtaine âge man titchet m’couôtit raique trais livres et les mousses étant si jannes fûtent admînses pouor rein. Dans ches jours-‘chîn dé chiétheté ch’tait un changement beinv’nu et hardi appréchi!
Mes p’tites-fil’yes voulaient c’menchi auve les ouaîsieaux – un beinv’nu d’èrtou auprès deux années pèrdues à cause des restrictions du flu ès ouaîsieaux. Aussitôt qu’ j’entrînmes dans l’appartément, j’arrivînmes fache à fache auve un ênorme picot. J’étions fascinnées par san long rouoge lîngnon pendant par-dessus san bé et sa si brillante margeole êcarlate tréfant dé d’souos san moton.
Et don, deux potelés pithots tchi faîsaient du haut caquetage. Et pis, les cannards tchitch’uns dé d’buts et briyants et tchitch’uns ahonmardés et trantchil’yes.
Mais mes favorites volailles du bel sont les poulets et les cotchets. Oui-dgia, j’ sais bein tch’i’ font un tas d’brit mais j’aime hardi les cotchets. I’ sont si majestueux, faîsant des pas comme des rouais d’un bort’ et d’l’aut’ sus lus solides gambes et lus forts èrgots, habilyis dans lus bouonne tchulotte du Dînmanche et lus câsaque d’eune couleu fliambe. Lé haut d’lus têtes auve eune crête (J’crai qu’ou dev’thait être nommée eune couronne) et bein seux lus longues plieunmes sus lus coue comme eune faûcil’ye à l’aut’ but.
Don, i’ y’avait eune rangie d’pigeons tchi ronnaient et cahuçaient lus têtes à eune chanson qu’pèrsonne né pouvaient ouïe et des pèrrotchets – un véthitabl’ye arc-en ciel dé hautes tuit’ties, dé sûffliethies & d’catchets. Touos chantaient ensembl’ye rasseûthant l’s uns et l’s autres qu’i’ ‘taitent sains et saufs.
Auprès qu’les mousses eûtent examinné touos les ouaîsieaux j’allînmes d’houors pouor èrgarder les géniches dé siêx à douze mais d’âge à êt’ jugies.
Zephie, la pus janne dé quatre ans d’âge mé dit qu’ san tchoeu battait comme ou ’tait si agîtée. Ou mé d’mandit si j’connaîssais tchitch’un tch’avait eune géniche d’êpaîngne car ou voudrait bein entrer l’année tchi veint. Oulle a cèrtainement eune profonde tendresse pouor touos l’s annimaux et oulle a dêjà décidé tch’oulle aim’thait être eune vétérinnaithe, mais la vie peut changi. Jé m’ramémouaithe qué j’ voulais être eune faîtée d’bouais mais j’ n’y rêussis janmais tout à fait.
Les géniches dé Jèrri sont cèrtainement hardi belles auve lus grands ièrs et lus longues paûpil’yes. Eune vraie vâriété d’ couleurs du nièr beurre au myi. Heûtheusement j’tions assises d’vant eune charmante femme d’eune fanmil’ye dé fèrmage et ou m’explyitchit chein qu’ lé juge ‘tait à r’garder.
Auprès qu’les rôsettes avaient ‘taient adjugies, j’décidînmes d’èrgarder les êtalées des frits et lédgeunmes. Bein seux, lé mâssif pompon tchi p’sait siêx chents vîngt-chîn livres ’tait nouotre favori. Les mousses étout aimitent l’ êtrange cârotte tchi gângnit l’ prix pouor la lédgeunme la pus laie. La pouôrre chose!
Et après touos ch’na y’avait acouo pus à r’garder – les belles flieurs, les galettes, les gâches à chucre et les potées dé g’lée et d’marmélade, riche en couleurs et un tas dé halles.
J’feûnmes là duthant pus d’ deux heuthes et jé n’ vînmes pon tout mais tchi jouaie à vaie la mèrveilleuse bieauté dé not’ divèrse natuthe.
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What an interesting morning I had the other Sunday. My two granddaughters, Coco and Zephie and I went to the RJA&HS Autumn Show in Trinity.
We arrived just after 11 and the car park was already packed. I was so pleased to see so many people at such a traditional event and all ages too!
We were greeted warmly by three big smiles at the entrance. Being over a certain age my ticket only cost £3 and the children, being so young. were free. In these days of high prices this was a welcome change and much appreciated!
The girls wanted to start with the birds – a welcome return after two years due to the avian flu restrictions. As soon as we entered the room we came face to face with a massive turkey. We were fascinated by his long red snood hanging over his beak and his bright scarlet wattle quivering below his chin.
Then two plump geese, which were honking loudly. On to the ducks, some standing and noisy, some settled and quiet.
My favourite farm birds are chickens and cockerels. Yes, I know they make a lot of noise but I love cockerels. They are so majestic strutting about back and forth on their strong spurred legs. Dressed in their Sunday best breeches and jackets, the colour of a blazing fire. Their heads topped with a comb (I really think it should be called a crown) and, of course, their long-curved sickle tail feathers at the other end.
Then there was a row of pigeons cooing and bobbing their heads to a song no one can hear – and the budgies – a veritable rainbow of loud chirps, whistles & chatter. All singing together reassuring each other they were safe and sound.
After the girls had carefully examined all the birds we went outside to watch the heifers aged 6 to 12 months being judged.
Zephie, the youngest, aged 4, told me her heart was pounding as she was so excited. She asked if I knew anyone who had a spare heifer as she would like to enter the show next year. She definitely has a deep love of animals and has already decided she would like to be a vet, but things change. I remember I wanted to be a tree elf but I never quite made it.
Jersey heifers are certainly beautiful with their big eyes & long eyelashes. Such a variety of colours from black butter to honey. Luckily we were sitting in front of a lovely woman from a farming family as she explained to me what the Judge was looking for.
After the rosettes had been awarded we decided to have a look at the fruit and vegetable displays. Of course, the huge pumpkin weighing 625 pounds was our favourite. The girls also liked the very strange carrot which had won the prize for the ugliest vegetable. Poor thing!
And after all that there was still more to see – beautiful flowers, biscuits, iced cakes and colourful jars of jam and marmalade and lots of stalls
We were there for over 2 hours and we didn’t see everything, but what joy to see the wonderful beauty of our diverse nature.
