More and Better

This is a speech I gave prior to the showing of a film based on the activities of Wal Mart, entitled "Wal Mart, the high cost of low price". My thanks go to Bill McKibben, whose book "Deep economy" was its inspiration.

MORE & BETTER

For generations now the idea that increasing efficiency, usually by increasing scale, is the key to increasing wealth has undisputedly produced MORE. This in turn has meant that we today enjoy a BETTER standard of living than any generation before us.

At the time of the 2^nd world war on average we spent 30% of our income on food; today that average is just 10%. Cheap oil has resulted in ever greater mechanisation, and allowed cheap synthetic fertilizers to be created; the result ever bigger and more efficient farms. So although you actually get MORE food per acre on a small farm; you get MORE food per £ with big ones.

The scale and numbers today are staggering

Today 4 Supermarkets control 80% of the food consumed in the UK. In my industry, Coffee, 4 firms control 85% of global coffee roasting; and finally without wishing to overdo the stats, one Ohio farm in the US produces 3 billion eggs per year.

But today for the first time in a generation we’re starting to wake up to the fact that MORE doesn’t necessarily mean BETTER.

The specialisation and consolidation in some areas in the US has been so intense that sociologists now designate many parts of rural America as “food deserts” totally dependent on convenience stores and without access to fresh produce.

One farm in Utah, with 1.5 million pigs has a sewage problem larger than that of the city of Los Angeles – Intensive farming being the only way to compete in the low cost arena. Is MORE therefore still BETTER?

The industrialisation of poultry has resulted in increasing cases of Avian flu, and cases of Salmonella have doubled since the 1970’s. When reflecting on the increasing centralisation of food production, one American senator said “For the life of me, I cannot understand why terrorists have not attacked our food supply, because it is so easy to do”. There’s food for thought.

World events are now having a massive impact on the price we now pay for food. Oil prices have more than doubled in a year and are now higher in real terms than they were in the 1970’s. Water tables around the world are falling as nations like India and China play catch up on our western economies. The key resources we’ve relied on for centuries are starting to run out and oil which replaced manual labour to bring us cheap food is no longer delivering the huge savings once enjoyed. But still we continue to pursue those two simple objectives of MORE and BETTER.

The problem is, as has been highlighted by the introduction of that wonderful tax GST is how disconnected the average man or woman on the street has become from the realities of the costs of doing business on Jersey. We currently have food inflation running at between 5 and 6% and together with GST this has seen some establishments having to increase their prices by up to 10%, just to stand still. Yet the result has been screams of “profiteering” and cries of “we need a 3^rd multiple” – knee jerk reactions in a fragmented society where MORE clearly doesn’t mean BETTER.

What I hope tonight’s film will do, is to allow you time to reflect upon what factors are really important to ensure the future sustainability of our community. How as a community we need to reconnect. Food security alone will become an increasingly big issue and our Government should be taking a long hard look at where the gaps are and what can be practically done to encourage local entrepreneurs to fill those gaps.

It has now been calculated in what is known as the multiplier effect that every £10 spent in a local food initiative is worth £25 to the local economy. The same £10 spent in non-local business produces just £14 worth of benefits to the local economy.

Today in a global world our spending habits don’t benefit only the local community; there is significant economic leakage as we purchase goods on the internet. By 2010 non-locally owned businesses will pay no tax to the local economy, this will result in the loss of a significant amount of taxable earnings for the Jersey economy; so considering bringing in a 3^rd multiple under the auspices of competition has far wider consequences than simply pushing down the price of a can of baked beans.

Ultimately, the MORE we do for ourselves the BETTER it will be for everyone in our community. There really is no alternative.

Aid for Maringo Community Resource Centre

As the result of a promotion by locally owned Jersey Pottery to help displaced people in Kenya, I decided that we too should get involved. With the help of Omondi Kasidhi from the Clinton Foundation we sent a proportion of the sale value of the coffee to the Maringo Community Resource Centre. They are located in Maringo estate, Makadara constituency, Nairobi.
With a relatively small sum of money we were able to help 23 families to purchase such items as Flour (Maize), Suar, Sanitary pads, Tea leaves, Milk powder, Soap, Blankets, Beans, Green grain, Rice etc. Basics, that where I come from are so readily available.
We can never hope to match the long term work of the Red Cross, however something is better than nothing, and as the message sent back to me from Maringo said, "a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush".
Once again my thanks to Omondi for making this possible.

The Elusiveness of great coffee

I was on holiday last week at Centre Parcs in Normandy. They provide these wonderful cottages, but most importantly they also provide a filter coffee machine in the kitchenette. Knowing this I took my own coffee, some Guatamalan from the Nueva Granada Estate.

Now my first mistake was not to have the coffee ground specifically for a filter coffee machine. Because I have a Cafetiere (French Press) at home I broke one of my cardinal rules, I "multi-ground" the coffee, i.e. it should work in both a Filter coffee machine, and a Cafetiere. But of course as with all compromises that doesn't really work. What it means is that you have to load more coffee in the filter coffee machine than would be ideal in order to get the level of extraction you would get if the coffee had been correctly ground. So first pot of coffee based around my usual measures turned out to be disappointingly weak.

Day 2 - Loaded coffee machine with adjusted quantities of coffee, and hey presto! those wonderful Caramel notes started to surface.

Day 3 - Aaaaaaaagh! Coffee's ok, but not nearly as good as day two, despite being stored in the fridge and a barrier bag. What happened? Has the staling process of the coffee resulted in the finer qualities of the coffee disappearing, is it me?

Day 4 - Different again

I'm not sure what to conclude, clearly the coffee will be staling as oxygen from the atmosphere is absorbed by the grounds - interestingly also Centre Parcs put up a notice to say that the tap water had become unsafe to drink (there had been a lot of rain). Or finally was it me? Like all things we consume there are some days when we can't get enough of a particular food or drink, whilst on others when we really aren't bothered and in fact want something completly different.

As a coffee roaster it highlights just how diificult it is to achieve perfection when so many factors are at play. I guess consistency is the key - keep shooting at perfection and just maybe the coffee will be great more often than not.

A message from Monsignor Nicholas France

In the local Jersey Evening Post they have a section called "Quotes of the week". This week the Roman Catholic Dean, Monsignor Nicholas France was talking about having been diagnosed with prostrate cancer. He said:

"It is good to be reminded that you are mortal and the truth of the fact that the graveyards are full of indispensable people"

Good luck with the treatment father

Latte Art Demonstration at Olympia London

The 2007/8 World Barista champion, Englishman, James Hoffman has been giving a masterclass in advanced Barista training at the Caffe Culture show at Olympia in London this week. His passion for the subject is incredible and as can be seen from the attached photograph has brought a new meaning to the words "getting down and dirty". If you get a chance to listen to this guy take it.

Ethiopian Coffee Trademarking & Licensing Initiative

Had a great surprise in Minnesota - Having been invited by H.E. Yaecob Yalla, State Minister of Agriculture & Rural Development; H.E. Dr. Samuel Assefa, Ethiopia's Ambassador to the US and Getachew Mengistie, Director General of EIPO to a special celebration dinner to honour the partnership of "Pioneer Licensees" under the Ethiopian Fine Coffees Trademarking and Licensing Initiative at the Hilton, 1001 Marquette Avenue, I was presented with a plaque on behalf of Cooper & Co. which now sits proudly above our Harar offering in our shop here in Jersey.

A great night and my thanks to the Ethiopian Government - Here's a 'photo to share - me with His Excellency Dr. Samuel Assefa, Ethiopia's Ambassador to the US.

Jura, what are you doing?

In a previous blog I explained how to sort out a jammed Jura bean to cup coffee machine, which I'm pleased to say has helped out at least one person.

Yesterday a customer brought in a Jura F50 coffee machine for the 3rd time with exactly the same problem - the mechanism jamming. We went through the routine of removing the waste drawer and replacing the tray, and hey presto machine starts to function normally.

So what are Jura doing about the problem? As Jura agents we ask again what are Jura doing about the issue? Sorry louder .............JURA WHAT ARE YOU DOING ABOUT THIS PROBLEM?

Who knows maybe the power of the blog will get some reaction. By the way they sell the best "bean to cup" coffee machines on the market, it's therefore a shame that solving a simple technical error is taking so long.

From Earl's Court, London to Minneapolis, Minnesota

Well I'm back after what has been a hectic fortnight of travelling - tiring and inspiring!

We exhibited at the Real Food Festival in Earl's Court under the Jersey banner, the first time we've physically presented ourselves in the UK mainland. Not knowing what to expect, we did a stripped down version of showcasing some of our coffees.

I think Espresso based drinks have been done to death so instead we simply ground coffee into a filter paper, placed it in a filter cone and poured hot water over the highly aromatic coffee, producing one sensational cup of coffee.

Sometimes keeping things simple really works and here was a case in point. We sold hundreds of cups of coffee; it's amazing how interested people are in watching coffee being brewed - a purple cow Seth?

What the show did highlight is the great wealth of small businesses that exist around the country supplying farmers markets and being truly innovative; and you thought choice could be found in a supermarket!

The following weekend saw me at the Speciality coffee association of America's conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Once again another truly great show, inspirational speakers, in particular Michael Shuman, author of the Small Mart Revolution who gave the key note speech.

Times they are a changing "Small is the new Big"! - Community, community, community

Real Food Festival at Earls Court, London

Our first foray off the Island will be at the real food festival in Earls Court on the 24th April - 27th April. (www.realfoodfestival.co.uk).

We are being supported by the Government's Economic Development Department and will be on the Jersey stand alongside six other excellent local businesses.

We're looking forward to showcasing four of our coffees which will be prepared and brewed in front of you in the simplest and most basic way. Look out also for our "beer mats" - there's a 10% discount on any on line purchases when you input the appropriate code.

If you're in town, see you there!

The importance of correctly ground coffee for Filter Coffee machines

Like London buses nothing for ages, and then two come along at once!

We had an issue today with a restaurant customer of ours who was finding that his filter coffee was tasting very bitter. The immediate reaction might be to check how long he's been brewing it for, how clean is the machine / jugs etc.

However on this occasion we had to hold our hands up and say that we had ground the coffee a little too coarsely. Rather than the water being held by the coffee to allow time for brewing, it was passing through the filter way too quickly. The result a thin, bitter tasting beverage was pretty awful.

From our perspective particularly irritating because we carry out routine tests on our coffee grinders to ensure that extraction levels are correct - clearly something went wrong on this occasion.

The second issue was the total opposite. A domestic customer who grinds his own coffee was finding that he was getting grounds in his cup. He thought that he might be grinding his coffee too fine and that this was passing through the paper. This last point is virtually impossible unless the paper is splitting at the seam.

Actually though he is correct in that by grinding the coffee too fine, he's not actually allowing it to flow away sufficiently quickly and as a result the filter holder is becoming inundated with water and coffee, and then overflowing slightly into his cup / jug.

The interesting point is that in terms of microns, there probably isn't that much difference between the particle size of the coffee that hasn't been quite ground fine enough, and the one that is too fine, but the result in the cup is completely different.

So as for espresso coffee, the correct grind for filter coffee is just as important, it just doesn't get the headlines that espresso coffee gets.

Easter - A Christian story and much more?

This Sunday past, my Church, Trinity Parish Church was filled to the gunwales (to use a naval expression!) . Why? - Isn't Christianity on the wane? - isn't going to Church a little old fashioned these days, we've heard that "God is dead" - as espoused by Nietzsche (countered by some wag who wrote "Nietzsche is dead - God!"). Then we've in more recent times had Richard Dawkins best selling book "The God delusion". With all this scepticism isn't it about time that we turned some valuable real estate, namely Trinity Parish Church into much needed housing?

As our Parish priest Geoff Houghton said to me - "blog about that David!"

What is it about the human condition that seeks spiritual as much as physical comfort? In an era where we have come to believe that science has an answer for everything why do we still seek comfort from something we don't even know exists? - Isn't it just a matter of time before science blows this God myth thing? Somehow I don't believe that that will ever be the case.

It seems as reflected in last Sunday's congregation of young and old that human communities have a great need to commune. To seek out that safe haven in times of turbulence, and what times they are - Unstable financial markets, soaring local house prices, massive borrowings and more recently Haut de la Garenne.

Rowan Williams (the Archbishop of Canterbury) wrote a great article in this weekend's press, when talking about Jesus's crucifixion; how it was all about Jesus being used as a scapegoat; "how groups and societies work out their fears and frustrations by finding scapegoats".

We only have to look around our own community; binge borrowing is all the bank's fault for making money too readily available; house price rises are the fault of unscrupulous speculators; turbulent markets are due to US banks lax lending; Haut de la Garenne - the result of out of control individuals. And so it goes on - but hang on a minute when are we as a society or as individuals going to take the can for our own actions - the actions that result in the problems we want to pass on to someone else?

What Easter reminds us is that a couple of thousand years ago there was someone prepared to die for all of us to save us from ourselves. So is attending Church at Easter just a big guilt trip? - Once done we return to our old ways having as Monty Python would put it "taken the curse off" our guilt.

A few years ago I would have said yes to that question, but today I think a message is coming down to us, a message that our ancestors knew milenia ago , that is one of the fragility of everything we hold dear. Today we use the word sustainability , but sustainability encompasses so much, that it's a bit like trying to picture the size of the Universe; almost incomprehensible in it's vastness.

I believe we're going back to basics - our desire for spiritual help as we try to deal with the powerful elements that swirl around us at an ever increasing speed is something humankind has always returned to and there is something in the Christian message that is enduring - "that you should love one another as I have loved you". By constantly reminding ourselves of the need to help each other; that we're all part of the problem as well as the solution will we ultimately fulfill both our material and spiritual needs.

I don't think we'll be bulldozing Trinity Church for a few years yet!

5 minutes with Annie Nightingale

That legend of BBC Radio 1 broadcasting Annie Nighingale recently did a "5-minute interview" with the Independent Newspaper today. The grand dame, now 65 stated "In a nutshell my philosophy is this" - "If not now, when? If not you, who?" - true wisdom!

Jersey Eisteddfod - the remarkable tallent of Jersey's youngsters

Yesterday evening I was privileged to go and see the work that has been entered for this venerable competition. This time the focus is on arts and crafts, and what a show it is.

I've always said that Jersey is remarkable for the sheer quantity of talent that exists in such a small population. I believe it highlights the benefits of living in a small community where education, the environment and family life are held so dear.

From the quality of the entrants you can see the pride of those who support them, whether they be parents, teachers or friends. Then there was the prize giving at which the Governor of Jersey handed out certificates and trophies to young and old alike. We got to see the efforts of each entrant projected onto a large screen and we never tired of applauding their efforts.

Where then was Sky News or for that matter any of the terrestrial channels? The national newspapers, Newsnight camera crews? Is this just too much of a "good news" story?

What has happened at Haut de la Garenne is appalling and I hope that those responsible will be brought to justice; as a society it shows what happens when we don't embrace those who are less fortunate and don't act like the biblical "Good Samaritan", but instead ask other agencies to sort out problems that society don't want to deal with. We must all learn from this lesson and move forward.

However what the Eisteddfod shows is the positive side of a community that encourages and nurtures and surely this is something to celebrate -

24 hour rolling news has a responsibility here too - rather than continually looking to be destructive in their coverage why can't you tell the world of the good that so many people do for a change?

Read all about it!

I've just found out that the BBC has discovered the Island's Blogging community and are telling the world - old news?

See the article on the following link: BBC JERSEY

Jura bean to cup coffee machine - problem solving

We had a call today from the owner of a Jura bean to cup coffee machine with a problem that we've now seen on a few occassions.

This lady went to replace the waste drawer in the machine, only to find that it wouldn't relocate properly. What appears to be happening is that for some reason the coffee brewing unit seems to get stuck in mid cycle. This results in a part of the mechanism "sticking out" and interferring with the waste box.

As usual with this type of problem no mention is made in the manual as to how to overcome it which really is quite simple.

You ensure that the machine remains switched on, you then remove the waste unit - this includes both the tray and the waste box. Now put the waste box to one side and slide the tray back in. Interestingly it is the one part of the machine that doesn't have a sensor telling you that you've left something out!

When you have replaced the tray, if the mechanism still doesn't return, try making a coffee to force the machine to reset itself.

We have found this proceedure to work 100% of the time, however clearly if the problem remains, it's time to contact your Jura service agent.

Don't forget that once the problem has been resolved to replace the waste box!

Don't forget the Engine Room of Jersey

This blog follows on from my last one and endeavours to remind our decision makers of the importance of looking after those people who desire no recognition just a fair wage for a fair day's work.

In the age of the global market place and the immense competition that the internet provides it takes quite some effort to differentiate yourself and have sustainable success in a market place of just 90,000 people, something I don’t believe is recognised by many of our decision makers.

I would like to pay tribute to those who work in what I would describe as the engine room of Jersey’s business community. Those like my staff who work hard, don’t ask for recognition, earn a decent wage and yet because of the ridiculous cost of housing are unable to contemplate ever one day owning their own property and having a deserved stake in our community.

If we as a community don’t do anything to redress this appalling inequity we will be sowing the seeds of our own destruction. Why should local people work for local businesses if they can never hope to have a stake in the future of their own society? If nothing is done about this problem local businesses will increasingly need staff from outside of the Island which can only leave any immigration policy in tatters if we want a diversified and sustainable business community.

Inevitably the development of St. Helier will have to look to the heavens if we want to keep the rest of this wonderful Island green, anything less and we’ll be simply doing the equivalent of rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.

Here’s to the unrecognised heroes of Jersey enterprise – the engine room

The Enterprise awards that failed to recognise the enterprises

Last Thursday (28th Feb) was supposed to be the night when large and small local businesses were supposed to be given the red carpet treatment by the States of Jersey Economic Development Department led by Senator Ozouf.

Sadly for all the razamattaz and effort put into organising the event the businesses who had entered the awards competition must be wondering why they bothered.

In front of an international audience not one business was profiled, not one winner got an opportunity to speak. The small business winners, a software development company who many in the audience had never heard of, walked on and off without any of us being any the wiser as to why they won or what they do, why? - What a missed opportunity and how disappointing for them.

James Caan of BBC's Dragons Den fame who gave the keynote speech talked about the importance of people, and it is of course people who make or break businesses. I would therefore like to take this opportunity, an opportunity I wasn't given on the night of the awards to acknowledge the people who work with me every day and who helped get my business shortlisted in the small business category which contained between 50 and 60 entrants although you wouldn't have known it.

I start with a famous quotation by Sir Isaac Newton – 1642-1727

“If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants”

And those giants and members of staff are:

Kathy Jehan - Who has been with the business for 18 years and who is the only true local. She has been unstinting in her efforts in running the office. Going way beyond her call of duty

Philip Bull - Originally from Wales who has been with the business for over 25 years and who has been key over the years in the operations of the business

Pedro Mendes - From Portugal who has been delivering customer orders for nearly 10 years now

Ania Emerli - From Poland who has run our shop for the last 3 years and made such an impact

Lorna Frow - Originally from Yorkshire, the new kid on the block who has filled the shoes of Stephan (who returned to Sweden) so well in the operations side of the business.

And last but not least Robert Wheeldon who at the end of last year took over the job of roasting our coffee and has already made such a positive impression.

On the outside we have Harry Sutherland-Hawes who works in London, the man behind the Cooper's look and who keeps me on the straight and narrow!

Finally I would like to give a mention to those who have inspired me over the years

The recently retired ceo of the SCAA: Ted Lingle who has championed quality coffee and the cause of the industry for as many years as I can remember

Kenneth Davids, a great writer and reviewer of coffee whose tastings make you want to tour the coffee world for the rest of your life

Sunalini Menon from Bangalore, a massive supporter of Indian coffee who tours the worlds trade shows promoting Indian coffee and the person who introduced me to Monsooned Malabar coffees at a memorable tasting

To the growers:

From Daterra Farm in Brazil –

Isabel Pascoal – Her energy and passion for sustainability

Holly Nottebohm from the Nueva Granada farm in Guatemala who I first met in LA discussing the books she needed to get for the farms Creche

Simon Wakefield – Whose passion for sourcing great sustainable coffee is now paying off

And finally………….To Howard Schultz, who in 1987 bought Starbucks a small coffee business based in Pike, Seattle and revolutionised our coffee drinking habits and the reason why Coopers today is able to showcase so many of the great coffees of the world.

I salute you all

Difference - What are we so frightened of?

There's a famous coffee shop found in the souqs of Khan al-Khalili in the Islamic quarter of Cairo called Fishawi's - It's open 24 hours a day and all they appear to sell is tea, coffee and Sheesha (a water pipe used for smoking). The only question the waiter asks after he has identified that you want a coffee is "do you want sugar in it?"
All Cairo seems to pass through their doors - I say doors only in a metaphorical sense as it has no doors; in fact the only way you know where the coffee shop starts and ends is when the chairs run out! Like so many shops in the Souqs they exist in one of the many alley ways populated by hawkers and panhandlers.
The waiters will proudly show you an ancient photograph of the old King Farouk in his dark glasses, who used to frequent the place. What can you say about Fishawi's? It's so .........Egyptian!
It's the distilled essence of Cairo; King's have been deposed, Presidents have come and gone, but Fishawi's like the Pyramids of Giza has always been, please God don't let it disappear.

Then there's the Coptic quarter, the part of Cairo that came before Cairo even existed. When Byzantine Rome became a Christian empire and before the armies of the east brought Islam. Here stand the great Christian Coptic churches, side by side with the Islamic mosques - each respecting the others tradition yet each determined to maintain their own identity.

Finally there are the kilometers of bland anonymous-looking high rise flats, typical in its own way of suburbia that surrounds any of the great cities of the world. Yet even here in this apparent anonymity, people crave recognition. Many of the porches from which hangs so much washing are painted in vivid colours; some in single colours, others using quite complex designs. So everywhere you look over the eons of time humankind has always wanted to leave a mark - a plaintive cry, "remember me!"

All of which makes Cairo airport like so many airports around the globe such a depressing place - a synthesis of global mono-culture. Where Coke, Cappuccino, Pizza, Pasta and French fries dominate the menus. A sanitized, stainless steel and plastic society. One that subjugates individuality. Where now is the confidence in our own cultures; our own traditions; our creative addition to our world?

Is it no wonder therefore that despite being better educated, having more opportunity than any previous generation, so many in our society reject what is on offer and seek to disfigure and disrupt.

In Jersey where I live we don't appear to be able to trust our own people to even deliver such key projects as a design for our waterfront or our own tourism website. We like so many cultures today are frightened of being different - taking a chance; in turn our own society becomes indifferent.

Rather than being indifferent to our own cultures we must get back to celebrating them. Celebrating the creativity of each and every individual from whichever culture that goes to make the human race such an extraordinary force.

Long live Fishawi's and those who strive to be different.

Coffee pods and machine set up in Food Service environment

Coffee pods as opposed to capsules are playing an increasing part in low volume outlets, they're clean, they ensure a consistent cup of coffee and require very little training to use.

What though has not been very much analysed as far as I can see is the change required to the set-up of the traditional two group espresso machine. I refer to the pump pressure, the temperature setting, the group head and the type of inserts needed in the group handles to maximize coffee extraction.

Some manufacturers are now providing special group heads for pods, two that have come to my attention are Nuova Simonelli and Fracino, both systems work well. However it isn't just a case of simply changing the group head and all your troubles are over. It's vital that the "basket" in the group head is the correct depth to take the pod, either a single or double. Too shallow and the water struggles to get through the pod, too deep and the water rushed past the pod without picking up any flavour.

On top of this if you don't change the group head to a pod version, this in turn will impact on the type of basket you can use in the group handle.

Now assuming that you've sorted out the above two points, it's vital that the pump pressure and machine water temperature are correctly calibrated. My experience is that the pump pressure can be reduced to around 8 bar, or at least a bar lower than for conventional loose group coffee. Don't ask me why, but too high a bar pressure will result in the water passing through the pod too quickly.

Finally, I believe average pressure in the water boiler needs to be set a little higher for pods. The fact that the water has to get through the paper wrapper means that there is a definite loss of water temperature when the water eventually hits the coffee. The problem I believe here is that paper is not a very good conductor of heat.

All of the above do need to be tweaked in varying degrees to optimise the quality of the drink that ends up in the cup and are vital to ensure that the consistency you are looking to achieve through the use of pods isn't wasted.

Constable Gallichan’s cows

There’s a sign on the road that leads up to my house with the silhouette of a Jersey cow, it’s scratched and a little battered. I’ve often wondered when the last cow crossed this road to the fields across the way from my house which used to be part of an old Jersey farm.

Yesterday I was reminded of the poignancy of that sign by the announcement that Mr. Gallichan who lives down the road from me has decided to give up his herd of Jersey cows because the numbers simply don’t stack up any more.

How I’ll miss Constable Gallichan’s cows.

Every morning on my way into work I, like so many other Islanders who live in the Trinity area drive past Mr. Gallichan’s farm and over the years I’ve got used to watching the activities of these simple ruminants. If I was really early, maybe going to catch the “red eye” I would be in time to see the cattle gathering outside the milking shed, steaming in the misty early morning electric light long before dawn.

If I was a little later the cows would have vanished, but from the intensity of the light pouring out of the buildings one could tell that the milking was in full swing.

A little later still and the cows would be out in the field grazing away come rain or shine.

Then there were the slight irritations: Mr. Gallichan moving the cows across the road as early morning commuters impatiently waited whilst he battled with that last cow that had just spotted the perfect piece of grass, and then finally once across he waved us on; the smell of the slurry that reminded one of the less savoury jobs on the farm.

But this morning as I went past Mr. Gallichan’ s farm there were no lights, no cows looking dolefully at us fretting commuters, the gentle rhythms to which I have become so accustomed have stopped, replaced by the ghosts of what has been.

How I’ll miss Constable Gallichan’s cows.