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Giles Robson, Musician: Five things I would change about Jersey

Giles Robson, Musician: Five things I would change about Jersey

Friday 19 October 2018

Giles Robson, Musician: Five things I would change about Jersey

Friday 19 October 2018


Blues star Giles Robson has taken Europe by storm with the help of his harmonica skills and band - but on the day he plays back in his home island, he spoke to Express about what changes he would like to see.

Being signed to the same label as household names such as Mumford & Sons and Adele and playing to thousands across the continent, the Jerseyman has a few things that give him 'the blues' about his home.

Before hitting the stage tonight in his first Jersey performance in years, the local musician shared his suggestions to bring harmony to his home isle...

1. Put some thought into the Fort

Fort Regent, the building and the rampart gardens, are unique and incredible by anyone's standards and give an amazing amount of space to work with.

fort regent

Pictured: Sort the Fort

I would love to see something extraordinary and inspirational done with the place that would draw wonderment from the rest of the world. 

2. Planning with care

Jersey is wonderfully beautiful, but it is incredibly small and its beauty is very finite. I'm not the only one to believe that there have been some planning disasters that have created some eyesores that will haunt us forever.

planningproperty.jpg

Pictured: The states should pay more attention to the island's natural beauty when they consider planning applications, Giles says.

The powers that be shouldn't be afraid to be tough and demand developers be sensitive to the landscape in terms of developing their building designs.

3. Creativity is a career choice

I would like to see more sustained and informed advice and help to the who display high levels of creativity at secondary school. Yes, Jersey's main industry is finance industry, and yes, if you rise through the ranks there is the potential for tremendous earning power and financial security. However, there are also major opportunities throughout the rest of the world to make lucrative careers in the creative industries - film, advertising, theatre, and fashion, to name but a few.

artscreativity.jpg

Pictured: Creatives aren't all 'struggling artists' - there is, in fact, money to be made for top young talents.

Career advisors should make students aware of these viable career paths as early on as possible. Not just the roles themselves but the amount of money that that can be potentially earned from them and that they can be taken equally as seriously as a career in finance.

4. Promote local talent on a global level

On that note... Jersey produces a lot of incredibly talented artistic young people, a lot of whom want to return to the island after graduation as it's their home. Being an island, although there are several outlets for creative talent, these can only go so far in terms of sustaining a lengthy, profitable and rewarding career.

aircraft-jet-landing-cloud-airplane-travel

Pictured: Giles wants to see Jersey's stars go global.

I think there should be a government supported initiative to push local young talent worldwide with sponsorship for travel and exhibitions and also business expertise to teach creative graduates how they can make Jersey their base but extend their profile and reach worldwide.

5. Slow down! Wait, actually...

It's painful enough to drive at a sustained speed of 30mph, so I think the island should drop the speed limit to 10mph, which would make it even more painful, but at the same time more of a challenge and thus so much more rewarding if achieved on a continual basis.

speeding.jpg

Pictured: Speed limits need a rethink - it definitely doesn't feel like they're at 40mph, Giles thinks.

I am, of course, joking, but I do find 30mph incredibly hard to keep to. So, actually, I wish it was changed back to 40mph, all over the island, like the good old days!

The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and not of Bailiwick Express.

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