On this day in 1801

Frédéric Bérat composed and wrote the lyrics to Ma Normandie, Jersey’s national anthem. He was born in Rouen on 11 March 1801.

The anthem actually relates to Normandy in France, rather than Jersey itself, although it has some relevance in so far as the Channel Islands were part of Normandy prior to William the Conqueror’s invasion of Britain and might have been returned to France had they not chosen to side with Britain in 1204.

However, the States of Jersey responded to suggestions that the island should find its own, more appropriate anthem in 2007 by running a competition to find an alternative. On 1 May the following year, Island Home by Gerald le Feuvre was selected as the winner. However, it needed to be ratified in the States, which turned out to be a hurdle as it possibly wasn’t as popular as the competition result suggested and there were calls for Beautiful Jersey, one of the other finalists, to be adopted in its place.

 

...and on this day in 1923

Terence Alexander played Charlie Hungerford in the BBC’s long-running Jersey-set detective series, Bergerac. His character was the father of Deborah, Jim’s ex-wife, and he and Jim had an amicable, although occasionally slightly irritable, friendship.

Although Alexander was born in London, he grew up in Yorkshire, as was obvious from his accent, which was referred to now and then in the series. He was portrayed as an incomer who had moved to the island, bringing many of his business interests with him. Not all of these interests were legitimate. As a result, Hungerford was frequently a useful source for Jim Bergerac – particularly when the latter needed information about those occupying the “upper” echelons of Jersey society. What Hungerford got in return was never entirely clear.

Not just Bergerac

Although he may be best remembered for playing Charlie Hungerford, Alexander had a long and successful career both before and beyond Bergerac. Alongside stage work, he appeared as an occasional character in many of television’s biggest series of the 1960s, 70s and 80s, including The Avengers, The Persuaders, Doctor Who, Dempsey and Makepeace, The New Statesman, and character-led sitcom Terry and June.

He was blind in one eye by the time he’d landed his role in Bergerac, and retired from the profession altogether a few years after it came to an end. He died in London on 28 May 2009.