14th September 2011
Graeme le Saux champions Gerald Durrell
Jersey-born footballer Graeme le Saux, once the most expensive defender playing for any English club, championed conservationist Gerald Durrell on the BBC’s Great Lives programme. Why? Because, said le Saux, “Gerald Durrell has always had a huge influence on life in the island… but also sowed a seed in my environmental values, which have stayed with me and I’ve passed on to my own children”.
Le Saux explained on the programme that growing up in Jersey meant his chances of becoming a professional footballer had been very narrow, and he’d been encouraged to consider other options, including his careers advisor’s recommendation that he become a bank manager.
Childhood memories
As well as visiting the zoo, he worked there as a teenager, but while the two met, le Saux said that he was not fortunate enough to get to know Durrell. He had been around 10 years old at the time and been to a tea party held outside the house in whose grounds the wildlife trust was established.
Gerald Durell’s widow, Lee also appeared on the programme and explained that while Gerald had seen long before many others how much danger our environment was in, he lacked confidence in his writing, despite his books being bestsellers many times over.
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Other events that occured in September
Freemont Point transmitting station opens
- The 139m transmission tower at Freemont Point was built by the Independent Television Authority (ITA) to serve the whole Channel Islands.
- Read more…
Jersey lifeboat rescues a French yacht
- Crew on a French yacht were rescued by the Jersey lifeboat when struck by a double tragedy in the dead of night.
- Read more…
The Beast of Jersey loses his appeal
- Edward Paisnel was convicted of 13 counts of assault, rape and sodomy and sentenced to 30 years imprisonment in December 1971.
- Read more…
Construction of Gorey Railway begins
- The honour of cutting the first sod in the construction of Jersey’s new Eastern Railway line went to one of the directors’ wives.
- Read more…