19/09/2013 BBC Channel Islands News

The headlines: Guernsey's economy shrinks after two years of growth.

The government say islanders have nothing to worry about. It is to do

with the strength of our finance industry which is the key driver.

Also, politicians, fans and rival clubs wade into a row over where to

play an important FA cup match. And, signed, delivered and chomped

— find out what's being done to mark the 250th birthday of this

very special Jersey export. Something like this happened and

you take it on board slowly but it's fantastic. I'm thrilled to

bits. Guernsey's economy shrank last year

after two years of growth. The Treasury put it down to a

changeable global picture. In 2010, the island's Gross Domestic Product,

which is the market value of goods and services produced there, was

just under £2 billion — a growth of 0.1% on the year before.

It grew again in 2011 by 0.8%. But in 2012, that figure fell by 0.2%.

It is not surprising Philip —— really. We hat the euro crisis. For

the main, it was profits which were down a year on year. Well, the

percentages may seem small, but dipping back into negative growth

still represents millions of pounds wiped off Guernsey's value. Earlier,

I spoke to Guernsey's Treasury Minister, Gavin St Pier, who said

he wasn't worried. We expected a flat year for last

year and, indeed, for some growth this year. The revision for lusty

was a small revision downwards but it is within the margin of error. I

am not overly concerned, but it is to do with the strength of our

finance industry which is our key driver.

When will we see Guernsey returning to more sustained economic growth?

We hope there will be some growth this year and we are hoping for

improved conditions next year. The second half of this year seems to

be positive so that is what we are planning for 2014. You say global

factors are affecting it. Can you explain that? Our economy is very

open and we are dependent on trading with the outside world. We

are reliant on economic conditions of our major trading partners and

the UK is one of those. As long as they have difficulties, it has a

knock—on effect on us. Inflation is also expected to rise. How can you

protect islanders against that? The slight uptake of inflation is a

sign that economic conditions are improving, ironically. If it stays

within our target of around 3% it that —— should not be a cause for

concern. The final loaves of bread have been

baked by Warrys and CI Bakery, marking the end of mass bread

production in the Channel Islands. Cimandis, has closed down

operations — the last loaves they made were distributed on Friday.

The only bread to buy in the islands is now imported or from

local artisan shops. Sark has appointed its first

permanent, tax—funded civil servant. Chief Pleas voted in July to

appoint an administrator to support and monitor government work. The

successful candidate, Kath Jones, has worked in the public sector in

the UK at local and national level. She starts the job in October.

The row brewing over the FA Cup second round qualifying match

between Guernsey FC and Dover Athletic has taken another turn

today. Dover says Guernsey FC's comments on the matter are

"disingenuous and aggressive". It follows the news that the match

can't be played in Guernsey at Footes Lane because of a fixture

clash with the rugby club which shares the ground. Mike Wilkins

reports. Guernsey FC earning the right to

continue their FA Cup campaign. Fans were waiting for what was

going to be arguably one of the biggest matches in its short

history, and it was going to be played in Guernsey. But a fixture

clash with Guernsey Rugby Club, who also use this ground, means the

match will have to be played in the UK instead to comply with FA rules.

Dover Athletic is unwilling to play on another day as it claims it's

too short notice for its squad to travel. We have been opened two

options. It has been down to Guernsey to come up with a solution

to the programme being —— programming problem. It was

supposed to be the first time that FA club football was played here.

Some feel the facilities here should not be shared with the third

ball and rugby teams. The fixture has been in place for a

long time for the rugby club. But the more successful the football

club becomes it is more of the is they need their own ground.

Whatever gets sorted out, feelings on both sides of the Channel are

strong. In a statement released today, Dover Athletic said:

Both sides have had their say. It's now up to the two clubs and the FA

to sort out a new venue. Only then can the Battle of the Channel be

decided on the pitch. This row has been carried on on our

CI News Facebook page. Alan Cardwell says it's an "absolute

joke. It seems that Dover are just making excuses not to travel to the

fortress that is Footes Lane." And Chris Gnapp from Guernsey Rugby

Club got in touch to say, "It's a shame Dover won't play at 7.45pm

citing pitch issues which just will not be the case." And you can join

that conversation now over on our Facebook page.

Think big and think different — the message from a travel industry

expert tonight in order to boost tourism in Jersey. Catherine Leech

is one of the panellists at tonight's Institute of Directors

debate, which is due to be attended by some 500 business people to

discuss how to help the island's economy grow in the next decade.

Amy Harris went along beforehand and started by asking the organiser,

Steven Hunt, what the current concerns are for industry leaders.

Finance and tourism sectors are facing challenges. The finance

sector is facing so much regulation. Lots of interesting debates and

there will be an number of panellists. Catherine, you headed

the tourist board for the Cayman Islands. There are some

similarities with Guernsey and Jersey. Can the tourism industry be

salvaged here? It can but it needs to put heart, passion and soul

behind it. Everyone needs to get behind tourism again. It was the

biggest industry here in the 70s but competition has stepped up.

Jersey now has to give a reason why somebody must jump on a plane and

come here again. Somebody who knows what might be going through

holidaymakers minds who co—founded the travel supermarket website.

What is the key advice for Jersey and Guernsey? Josie needs something

that is unique and is not available on the south coast of England so

maybe events giving tourism. It could be motor racing or concerts

or theatre. Something unique that you can't get in the UK. This year,

the pure Jersey cattle breed is 250 years old. Today —— to celebrate,

their faces appear on a new set of stamps.

Familiar faces, normally found on farms. Soon they will appear on our

post. Jersey cows are featuring on a new set of stamps designed by a

local artist. You sit at home painting quietly and something like

this happens and you take it on board slowly but it is fantastic.

She has painted a set of six different stamps which are being

launched to celebrate the 250 of the anniversary of the famous

jersey breed. They are loved the world over. Jersey post services

has many jurisdictions and very popular stamp—collecting in many

countries. It is the perfect opportunity to get the Jersey cow

icon out there. Stunts go on sale tomorrow but for these two, it will

be just another day on the farm. Now the weather forecast.

Good evening. Today has been cloudy and breezy and wet but it is an

improving picture. Tomorrow, fairly cloudy to start with the chance of

a few light showers but becoming brighter as the day progresses.

This a weather front is responsible for the cloud and rain today but

high pressure builds coming in off the Atlantic and by Saturday, it

will dominate our weather. It will be warmer throughout the weekend

and for much of next week. This evening, largely Clear skies and

the wind will ease. Temperatures will fall to quite a chilly night.

The wind will be lighter tomorrow morning. Cloudy and the risk of a

shower but this cloud will thin and break for the afternoon.

At sea, do when to —— the wind will be westerly or north—westerly.

Over on the radio in the morning, a major announcement from Guernsey's

Education Department about the island's primary schools.

For Sunday and Monday, a better chance of sunshine as temperatures

creep up to the low twenties and the wind will be lighter also.

On the radio in the morning, a major announcement from Guernsey's

education department. Natalie is with you next.

warming up for the weekend. This is where stage six of the Tour of

Britain will start from in the morning.

It is Sidmouth and we would be building up to the big occasion

later in the programme. We'll be talking to the leader of

the UKIP. Four months after his party won an unprecedented six seats

on Cornwall Council, one of its UKIP councillors was unable to tell the

BBC what the group are doing now they've been elected. Cllr Vivien

Lewis also told the BBC he thought people might have voted for him

because they thought he was a woman. I am new to politics and I had not

made any particular effort to get elected and so obviously that like

to be elected, I thought you had to put a lot into it, and just to be

told that they voted for you... You are in, it was quite a surprise.

As mentioned, our Political Editor Martyn Oates spoke to the UKIP

Leader Nigel Farage ahead of the party conference tomorrow. He asked

him about Councillor Vivian Lewis's comments. One year ago, you are

explaining about how UKIP had become more serious. We have spoken to one

of your new councils in Cornwall who said that he was surprised to be

acted, he didn't strive hard to get elected and he thinks that people

may have voted for him because he is a woman, he's called Vivian. None of

that sum serious, does it? And you go around the others,

that sum serious, does it? And you party memberships everywhere, you

will realise that is not unusual. When we talked last year, I said

that I believe that UKIP could succeed, not just in European

elections, but could make a real dent in domestic politics and on

made a second, we did that. I tend to find that most politicians and I

speak to a lot of them are engaged with politics, they are into

politics. We also asked the council what his UKIP group on Cornwall

County Councils doing to influence things and he said, this is where I

would like to have my behind me to front for me, because politics have

—— has never be one of my strong points. You can pick on one person

if you want, that is fine. But UKIP has stunned everybody by getting 22%

of the national vote in the county election is. It is a big step

forward. One or two candidates who did not get elected and get

elected, that does not make us unique. What I am driving at is that

you know a lot of people said UKIP is Nigel Farage and the reality is

over you make a good stab at it, you cannot be everywhere, you have to

have a machine of engaged politicians behind you. Let's hope

we don't have a party machine of engaged politicians, what a ghastly

thought. What we want our men and women who represent a broad

cross—section of society who have had jobs, have worked in the real

world, understand what it is like the small businessmen, who have

knowledge of what has happened in the fishing community as a result of

pupils from the the fishing community as a result of

people who don't quite fit the profile, better that than to do what

the other parties do and go for cardboard cutouts. The point is, if

you decide to like Ed Miliband or David Cameron, that is reasonable

because there is a good chance they will be running the country and

making influential decisions. Saying I will vote UKIP because I

like Nigel Farage and getting someone locally who is making

important decisions locally and is maybe not engaged, it is not the

same thing. why have people in the West Country been voting Liberal

since the First World War? Knowing since the First World War, there is

no prospect of the Liberals forming a Government, in fact, until

recently, no way of them getting... Weighted voting for Paddy Ashdown? I

don't know that. UKIP has become a party, we showed it in the county

elections, whose main party —— whose main policies are in ascendancy. If

we are able in the next election to produce a really earth—shattering

result in those elections, we will have the momentum to be a serious

challenge in 2015. Why didn't you bet do better in the south—west? ——

do better? We didn't do as well in the

south—west as we did in the other regions, you are quite right. I

suspect the reason is that the south—west has not felt quite as

acutely what open—door immigration has done to the south—east. Is a

doubt, but this counsellor said he thought immigration was not such a

big issue in Cornwall because you don't see as many coloured people.

It seemed an odd thing to say, because the simple fact of whether

they are black or white gives no indication of whether they are here

for generations. He was right for the wrong reasons. Actually, he's

just mirroring what I said. You are talking about Eastern European

immigration vote. Ya mac very much. But having said that, I was in pesto

and there seem to be a lot of Polish people there, but nothing like the

extent of social change in the rest of the country.

That was Nigel Farage talking to our political editor.

At the end of the 19th century, hundreds of miners left Cornwall for

Mexico. And they took with them a taste of home, the pasty. Well,

pasties are still eaten in Mexico, they even celebrate them with a

festival. And next month, a group of Cornish bakers will be travelling to

Real del Monte in Mexico to perform a special task. Eleanor Parkinson

has been finding out more. Traditional Cornish pasties made

from beef steak and vegetables, but future hold 5000 miles away, you

would find Cornish pasties there. But they would be called pastes and

the fillings can be a little spicier. The Cornish pasty arrived

in Mexico in the 19th century when hundreds of Cornish miners emigrated

to work in the gold and silver mines. Real del Monte is a little

corner of Cornwall, Cornish miners married local girls and people still

have Cornish certain —— surnames and they even have a pasta —— pasty

festival. This woman will be unveiling a plaque in the town's

cemetery where more than 800 miners are buried. It is almost your

skin... I can feel the hairs on my arm. On the headstones, it says

Evans, all sorts of different names, Williams... This man will be going

on the trip. David, this is a picture of your uncle, I believe.

When was this taken? In the 1920s. These are all the plates of silver

and I believe they were rolled in plates, slightly bevelled for the

possibility of the rolling of coinage. As well as the celebration

of the lives of the miners, they'll be celebrating the pasty. The

ingredients are different because they cannot get all of the

ingredients, can they? That is the problem. They cannot get sweet or

turnip, for example, so they have to find a substitute, we will go down

the markets and we will see what we can find.

The delegation travels to Mexico next month, they say that where ever

you find a mine, you will find a Cornishman and most probably a

Cornish pasty. They look lovely. My stomach is

rumbling. The Tour of Britain arrives in Devon tomorrow. Thousands

are expected to line the route. The race starts tomorrow morning in

Sidmouth and Dave Gibbons is there live for us tonight. Dave.

Thanks, Natalie. It is very chilly here. As the sun goes down over my

shoulder, just down the road, we have some criterion racing taking

place. We will find out exactly what that is soon, but it is also the

start of the Tour of Britain stage six tomorrow, so Bradley Wiggins is

the leader by 37 seconds and will be here in the morning. Joining me now

is Mike from the Sid Valley cycling club. It is very cold. Let's hope

the weather improves tomorrow morning. What can we expect here?

This would be packed, won't it? Hopefully, most of the schools have

the morning off and hopefully a lot of businesses would open as early as

normal. What does it mean to Sidmouth and East Devon? I think it

means a huge amount, cycling is something we can justifiably argue

that we are a world leader at. To have the calibre of rider as we have

at the moment racing on Sidmouth seafront is fantastic for the town,

for the county and the cycling in general. You live up the road from

here, what steamy think it means economic? —— what do There are so

many cafes and businesses, hopefully lots of people will turn up

tomorrow. Hopefully, it would be economically good. We have the

members of your Valley club who are organising tonight's prelude.

What exactly is criterion racing? It is generally on a close run circuit,

it is generally any town centre, the fans get very close to the riders,

there are lots of tight turns, tomorrow has been good, hopefully it

will be. Thank you for joining us. We will find out exactly what the

weather is like in a second and this is going to be absolutely heaving

tomorrow. Mark Cavendish will be here and Bradley Wiggins will be

too. BBC Radio Devon will be live. The

threat to bus services in parts of the region has prompted a number of

e—mails. Jenni in Zennor says "for a rural community like ours to thrive

in the 21st century, it needs decent broadband and a decent bus service.

We've never had the first and now seem set to lose the second." Ian in

Falmouth says: "This seems to be the actions of a council that has no

understanding of the community it is there to serve and support."

Liz in Zennor says: " I don't know how the elderly residents of the

village will manage. It will leave them isolated and I fear for their

well being." And on Facebook, Sharon writes: "Why do the council have to

keep cutting the bus services? How do they expect people to get to the

supermarkets or into towns to pay their bills including the council

tax? " let's see what the weather has in store.

After the conditions we had, things have improved, we are going to get

some cloudy conditions, but improving as the day progresses. It

is largely dry, some sunny spells by the afternoon. We have seen an

improving picture for today after the cloudy, damp start. We sent out

Keith to port wrinkle to see —— take some pictures. We don't have them, I

am afraid, but we did have an improving picture. Tomorrow, we are

looking at a day of variable cloud, there will be some bright spells in

the afternoon and the winds will be lighter. We have had a lot of

cloud. This cold front is responsible for that cloud. It is

clearing away and towards France and dry conditions tonight, clearest

bells and as we look towards tomorrow, we see high pressure

coming from the Atlantic. This weather front will cause some

trouble, forecasting the cloud conditions for tomorrow and

Saturday. By Saturday afternoon, high pressure will dominate the

weather and we are looking at improved conditions for must of the

weekend. The cloud, we are... On Saturday, we have seen some sunny

spells, we will continue to see clear skies, especially from eastern

parts into the evening and overnight. Further towards the west,

more coming in and it feels quite cool, especially under the clear

skies, temperatures dipping to seven Celsius in Taunton. A cloudy day for

many, but that cloud will thin and break to allow some sunny spells by

the afternoon. Temperatures will be reaching around 16 Celsius. The

Isles of Scilly, quite cloudy, and may be thick enough to wring some

drizzle, it will improve into the afternoon and the winds will be

light. The high water times, 6:36am and 1855 in the evening. For

Plymouth, 7:03am and then 19:19pm. We have had breezy conditions today,

making the surf quite messy, but tomorrow we are looking at clean

conditions, especially on the northern coast, about three to foot

of clean conditions. The winds are West, acting southeasterly three to

four. We could see patchy fog in places, generally good visibility,

becoming moderate or pool. Cloudy conditions and the Saturday some

uncertainty about the amount of cloud, but we will have some sunny

spells. The winds will be liked. The best chance of sunshine is on Sunday

and Monday as temperatures creep up to 20 Celsius and it does look like

the conditions will last for much of next week, as well, as high pressure

stays with us. Have a grey night. They chose not to remind you of

something. —— a chance to remind you. Do you

know someone who voluntarily gives up their time to encourage others to

participate in sport? If you do, now is the time to nominate them for the

BBC Sports Unsung Hero Award which is in its tenth year. There are two

ways of nominating — you can either go to our website,

bbc.co.uk/unsunghero, or you can call 0845 308 8000 to ask for a

nomination form to be posted to you. Calls cost up to 5p/min from most

landlines and calls from mobiles may cost considerably more. Full terms

and conditions for the awards are on the website.