Battle of Flowers
'In Flanders Fields' by The Optimists Club – Winners of 2018 Jersey Battle of Flowers Prix d'Honneur, Spectators' Award and Owen Wiscombe Design Award
Date(s)Second Friday & Saturday of August each Year
Location(s)Jersey
Years active121
Inaugurated9 August 1902 (1902-08-09)
Attendance14,000
Websitewww.battleofflowers.com

The Jersey Battle of Flowers is an annual carnival held in the Channel Island of Jersey on the second Friday and Saturday of August. The festival consists of music, funfairs, dancers, majorettes and a parade of flower floats alongside various street entertainers. It was inaugurated in 1902 to celebrate the coronation of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra. The largest attendance to date is thought to be that of 1969 when 60,000 people were present.[1] Current spectator numbers are around 20,000.

The major floats are usually produced by the parishes of Jersey.

The 'Battle' itself originally consisted of dismantling the floats to provide floral ammunition for a literal battle of flowers between participants and spectators, but this aspect has long been abandoned. Since 1989, a nighttime Moonlight Parade with the floats festooned in lights has been introduced. The Moonlight Parade ends with a fireworks display. Recent years have seen higher turnouts to the moonlight parade, which attracts locals as well as tourists possibly due to its party atmosphere.

History

The first Battle of Flowers was held on 9 August 1902 on Victoria Avenue, Saint Helier. The First World War interrupted the tradition and it was not until 1928 that the Battle was revived at Springfield where it was held until 1938. The threat of war meant the 1939 event was abandoned and it was not until 1951 that the event was revived back on Victoria Avenue, where it was held for many years on the last Thursday in July (since moved to its current date).[2]

In 1964 the event was attended by around 50,000 people.[3]

The ongoing outbreak of coronavirus in 2020 and 2021 caused the very first cancellation of the Battle since its revival in 1951.[4]

Prizes

Prizes are awarded in numerous categories, with their names in French, for floats of different sizes and types. Listed here are the main prizes with the Prix d’Honneur being the overall winner.

2022

Top Prize Winners of 2022 Jersey Battle of Flowers

Battle of Flowers did not take place in 2020 or 2021 due to Covid

2019

Winners of 2019 Jersey Battle of Flowers[6]

2018

'In Flanders Fields' by The Optimists Club – Winners of 2018 Jersey Battle of Flowers Prix d'Honneur, Spectactors' Award and Owen Wiscombe Design Award

Winners at the 2018 Battle of Flowers included:[7]

2016

Winners at the 2016 Battle of Flowers included:[8]

2015

Winners at the 2015 Battle of Flowers included:

2014

Winners at the 2014 Battle of Flowers included:[9]

2013

Winners at the 2013 Battle included:[11]

Optimists Club 2013 Prix d'Honneur Winning Entry 'Beyond the Barricade' at Moonlight Parade - Best Illuminated Float over 25ft

2012

Winners at the 2012 Battle included:[12]

2011

Winners at the 2011 Battle included:[14]

. Spectators Award : Parish of St.Clement – Wonderland

2010

Winners at the 2010 Battle included:[15]

2009

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (April 2012)
Battle of Flowers parade, 13 December 2009, Saint Helier, Jersey

Winners at the 2009 Battle included:[16]

2008

Winners at the 2008 Battle included:[17]

2007

Teddy's Toytime by St Martin, 2007

Winners at the 2007 Battle included:[18]

2006

A Gnome sits fishing from his toadstool on the Grouville Too Float, 2006

Winners at the 2006 Battle included:[1]

2005

Winners at the 2005 Battle included:

Miss Battle of Flowers and Mr Battle

As of 2018 the role of Miss Battle has been replaced with 'Jersey Battle of Flowers Ambassador' open to both genders, this was to avoid the stereotyping of a beauty pageant. The Ambassador role is open to any young person between the ages of 17 and 25 years who have been ordinarily resident in Jersey for at least two years.

A competition to select a Miss Battle was held, each year, in the months preceding the Battle. The competition involves a set of contests held in each of the parishes. A winner is selected in each parish, and these ladies are entered into the final competition to select the year's Miss Battle of Flowers.

Miss Battle of Flowers, the overall winner of the Miss Parish contests, rides on her own specially made float. There was also formerly a Maid of Honour who rode with the Miss Battle but this has now been replaced with the Jersey Battle of Flowers Consort. The tradition of having a Mr Battle to escort Miss Battle was in abeyance for a number of years, but Kyran Bracken revived the role in 2007.

The table below lists some years, but is not a complete list.

Miss Battle winners by year
Winner Mr Battle Notes
2015 Chantelle Mundy[19] Craig Philips
2014 Holly Perchard[20] Ray Quinn
2013 Taye Le Monnier[21] Mikey North
2012 Rebecca Houze[22] Matthew Wolfenden[23]
2011 Alice Cubbage[24] Gareth Gates[25]
2010 Sarah Watson[26] Danny Young[27]
2009 Lucy O'Sullivan[28] Marco Pierre White[29]
2008 Holly Fraser Christopher Biggins[30]
2007 Victoria Trèhorel[31] Kyran Bracken[32]
2006 Sinead Brennan[33] Andy Abraham and Jodie Marsh were hired as guests for the event.[34]
2005 Victoria Keen[35]
2004 Sophie Chaopradith[36]
2003 Hannah Tully[37]
2002 Maria Da Silva Jimmy Savile[38]
1995 Jenny Hill Lionel Blair[39]
1994 Sandra Neves Ian Botham
1992 Louise Coleman Stefan Dennis
1991 Kirsty Le Blond Matthew Kelly
1990 Emma Clarke[40] Jonathon Morris[41]
1988 Anna O'Shea Roy Castle[42]
1987 Catherine Inman Mike Read[43]
1986 Julie Haywood Keith Chegwin
1985 Kristina Fanaken David Hamilton[44]
1984 Sally Vibert Francis Wilson
1983 Collette Le Riche[45] Gareth Hunt[45]
1982 Julie Haywood[46] Keith Chegwin
1981 Susan Harris
1980 Karen Poole[47] William Roache
1979 Tracy Quinn Leslie Crowther[48]
1978 June Wilson[49] Sacha Distel
1977 Diana Le Bot Des O Connor[50]
1976 Susan Hughes Richard O'Sullivan[51]
1974 Susan de Gruchy Hughie Green[52]
1973 Shan Coralie Ellison Henry Cooper[53]
1972 Jimmy Savile[54]
1970 Bernard Breslaw[47]
1969 Jimmy Savile[54]
1968 Sheila Renault John Gregson
1967 Shirley Knowles Lonnie Donnegan
1966 Jean Godel Stratford Johns[55]
1965 Mary Hill Leslie Crowther[56]
1963 Pete Murray[47]
1960 Carol Geary Stirling Moss[57]
1959 Maureen Whittingham Frankie Vaughan[58]
1958 Peggy Poole James Robertson Justice[47]
1957 Jean Oeillet Jack Hawkins[59]
1951 Petula Clark[60] Battle's first lady of flowers, rather than Miss Battle.

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Battle of Flowers.
  1. ^ a b "Battle of Flowers". Battle of Flowers. 11 August 2011. Retrieved 9 December 2011.
  2. ^ Lemprière, Raoul (1976). Customs, Ceremonies and Traditions of the Channel Islands. London: Robert Hale. ISBN 0709158424.
  3. ^ "Jersey Evening Post: View Picture: 01219359.jpg". Jerseyeveningpost.newsprints.co.uk. 19 May 2011. Retrieved 4 October 2012.
  4. ^ "The History of Battle". Jersey Battle of Flowers. 1 July 2020. Retrieved 24 January 2022.
  5. ^ "Full List of Battle Day Parade Winners". Channel 103. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
  6. ^ "Battle 2019 Results". 9 August 2019.
  7. ^ "Award Results 2018".
  8. ^ "Jersey Battle of Flowers Parade".
  9. ^ "Parade Winners 2014". battleofflowers.com.
  10. ^ a b "Battle of Flowers – The Optimists Club, Jersey, Channel Islands". Optimistsclubjersey.com. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
  11. ^ "Exhibitors". battleofflowers.com. Archived from the original on 14 July 2013.
  12. ^ "Battle winners announced – Jersey News from ITV Channel Television". channelonline.tv. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
  13. ^ "Flying high after one of the most successful Battles « This Is Jersey". Thisisjersey.com. 10 August 2012. Archived from the original on 4 February 2013. Retrieved 2 October 2012.((cite web)): CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  14. ^ "BBC News – St Clement wins top Battle of Flowers prize". BBC. 11 August 2011. Retrieved 2 October 2012.
  15. ^ "News, Weather & Information for the Channel Islands – Battle of Flowers 2010". channelonline.tv. Retrieved 2 October 2012.
  16. ^ Battle of Flowers 2009 awards (14 August 2009). "Jersey – Entertainment – Battle of Flowers 2009 awards". BBC. Retrieved 4 August 2013.((cite web)): CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  17. ^ "Optimists take top prize in 2008". BBC. 18 August 2008. Retrieved 9 December 2011.
  18. ^ Jersey Evening Post 10 August 2007
  19. ^ "Chantelle crowned Miss Battle". channelonline.tv. 27 April 2015.
  20. ^ "Holly is crowned Miss Battle |". channelonline.tv. 6 April 2014.
  21. ^ "Miss Junior Battle 2013". Battleofflowers.com. Retrieved 4 August 2013.
  22. ^ "Rebecca Houze is crowned Miss Jersey Battle of Flowers". BBC News. 2 April 2012.
  23. ^ "Matthew Wolfenden is Mr Jersey Battle of Flowers 2012". BBC. 25 June 2012. Retrieved 4 October 2012.
  24. ^ "Grouville student crowned Miss Battle of Flowers 2011". BBC News. 27 March 2011.
  25. ^ "Gareth Gates is Mr Battle at Jersey's Battle of Flowers". BBC News. 11 July 2011.
  26. ^ "Getting ready for Battle 2010". BBC News. 23 July 2010.
  27. ^ "Danny Young named Mr Battle 2010". BBC News. 29 June 2010.
  28. ^ "Miss Battle of Flowers 2009 « This Is Jersey". Thisisjersey.com. 26 May 2009. Archived from the original on 19 September 2012. Retrieved 2 October 2012.((cite web)): CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  29. ^ "Marco Pierre White IS Mr Battle – Jersey News from ITV Channel Television". channelonline.tv. Retrieved 2 October 2012.
  30. ^ "Battle Features". BBC. 14 August 2008. Retrieved 4 October 2012.
  31. ^ Ready for BattleBy Ryan Morrison (8 August 2007). "Day Parade". BBC. Retrieved 4 October 2012.
  32. ^ "Battle of Flowers party continues". BBC News. 10 August 2007. Retrieved 4 October 2012.
  33. ^ "Sinead takes the crown". Thisisjersey.com. 12 June 2006. Archived from the original on 4 February 2013. Retrieved 4 October 2012.((cite web)): CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  34. ^ "Jodie and Andy are our Battle celebrities". Thisisjersey.com. 8 August 2006. Archived from the original on 4 February 2013. Retrieved 4 October 2012.((cite web)): CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  35. ^ "Europe | Jersey | Lack of cash grounds Miss Battle". BBC News. 6 August 2005. Retrieved 4 October 2012.
  36. ^ "Jersey – In Pictures – Battle of Flowers 2004". BBC. Retrieved 4 August 2013.
  37. ^ "Jersey – About Jersey". BBC. 14 August 2003. Retrieved 4 August 2013.
  38. ^ "BBC News – Jimmy Savile named in Jersey children's home abuse inquiry". BBC. Retrieved 4 October 2012.
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  46. ^ "BBC Radio Jersey in 1982". Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  47. ^ a b c d "Miss Battle of Flowers picture gallery – theislandwiki". theislandwiki.org. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  48. ^ "Jersey Evening Post: View Picture: 01868460.jpg". jerseyeveningpost.newsprints.co.uk. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  49. ^ "Jersey Evening Post: View Picture: 00004478.jpg". Jerseyeveningpost.newsprints.co.uk. 16 February 2010. Retrieved 4 October 2012.
  50. ^ "Jersey Evening Post: View Picture: 01866830.jpg". jerseyeveningpost.newsprints.co.uk. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  51. ^ "Jersey Evening Post: View Picture: 01928831.jpg". jerseyeveningpost.newsprints.co.uk. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  52. ^ "Jersey Evening Post: View Picture: 01867728.jpg". jerseyeveningpost.newsprints.co.uk. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  53. ^ "Jersey Evening Post: View Picture: 01867247.jpg". jerseyeveningpost.newsprints.co.uk. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  54. ^ a b "Farewell Sir Jim". Jersey Evening Post. 31 October 2011. Archived from the original on 26 March 2021. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
  55. ^ "Jersey Evening Post: View Picture: 01855130.jpg". jerseyeveningpost.newsprints.co.uk. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  56. ^ "Jersey Evening Post: View Picture: 01865875.jpg". jerseyeveningpost.newsprints.co.uk. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  57. ^ "Jersey Evening Post: View Picture: 00004474.jpg". Jerseyeveningpost.newsprints.co.uk. 16 February 2010. Retrieved 4 October 2012.
  58. ^ "Jersey Evening Post: View Picture: 01865932.jpg". jerseyeveningpost.newsprints.co.uk. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
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