BBC Radio Guernsey

Organisers of the Guernsey Heritage Festival plan to take inspiration from the movie The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, starring Lily James.

Retailers and venues across the island are being invited to transform their windows to reflect the occupation and liberation of the island during World War Two.

Visit Guernsey said it was a celebration of a group of small islands with a big history, and it hoped everyone would get involved.

The first prize for the best shop window in the festival's window competition is a handcrafted trophy by a local jeweller.

More on this story:

• Guernsey film: 'A very good story to tell'
• Guernsey film premiere

• Director 'anxious' islanders feel represented by film

• Guernsey star excited about island visit
• Co-author: 'The pie in the sky has become the pie on the screen'

Guernsey Press

A Guernsey care home resident who suffers from dementia had a smile brought to his face thanks to a surprise package from an ex-employer., external

One person has been taken to hospital after a crash on Le Mont Les Vaux in St Brelade, Jersey earlier today.

Jersey Fire and Rescue officers worked with paramedics and one person, who has not been named, was released from the vehicle and taken to hospital.

BBC Radio Jersey

The new chairman of the Jersey Consumer Council says he wants islanders to help decide the issues the organisation should work on.

Carl Walker said he wanted to form a council made up of a cross-section of the community so that all consumers were being represented.

He said he hoped it would ensure people's views were heard and that politicians would take action on what really mattered to the public.

Guernsey Press

Guernsey must prepare for a technology revolution that could see new opportunities arise and current jobs disappear, , externala telecoms boss says.

BBC News

British company De La Rue, whose founder Thomas de la Rue was born in Guernsey, has abandoned its plan to appeal against the UK Government's decision to award a contract to make British passports after Brexit to a Franco-Dutch firm.

Image source, EPA

De La Rue's chief executive, Martin Sutherland, said they had to make a pragmatic business decision.

He said: "We've done our homework, we've taken legal advice, we've looked at, frankly, the likelihood of overturning the decision, and the sensible thing for us to do is to refocus our efforts elsewhere and to move forward."

The burgundy passport, in use since 1988, is due to change to a blue and gold colour from October 2019.

Ryan Morrison
BBC News Online

Plans for Jersey's new £466m hospital have been submitted to the Planning Department for review, external.

Image source, States of Jersey

Health Minister Andrew Green has urged people to view the plans before making their mind up over the £466m project.

The previous plans were rejected by the planning minister, who said they were too big for the site.

The new plans will see the hospital built over a lower, wider footprint than the previous design, and will have a maximum height of six storeys, compared to the nine storeys of the previous design.

It is hoped it will be open by 2024.

Image source, States of Jersey

Ryan Morrison
BBC News Online

Jersey Talking Therapies has been criticised by mental health charity Mind Jersey for the long waiting times for people needing their services.

A spokesman for Jersey Talking Therapies (JTT) said they were working on a number of measures for reducing waiting times, including:

• Recruitment: "The service has been operating with insufficient staff and only a limited amount of agency cover to fill the gap. Interviews are taking place later this month for five psychological therapist roles and one psychological wellbeing practitioner role and the aim is to have appointed to these six positions by early May"
• A new IT system: "This has recently been introduced and is expected to streamline the administration of JTT"
• A rapid improvement review process is under way, "analysing the needs of people using the service and how these needs can best be met"
• Shared facilities: "We anticipate that JTT and the Psychology Service will be co-located in the same building later in 2018 – this will create more efficiencies and enable us to introduce a self-referral system, which has been one of the key needs assessed so far"

Guernsey Press

Questions over how campaign groups expenditure would be monitored in the run-up to the island-wide voting referendum were a key theme at a public meeting at The Princess Royal Centre for the Performing Arts., external

BBC Radio Jersey

Jersey Police say they've exhausted all their leads in the search for the mother of a baby left at the Jersey General Hospital a month ago.

Officers said they had had a very positive response from people who wanted to help, and looked into numerous leads, including analyzing CCTV (pictured) but they led to nothing.

Now they say the information they received will stay on file in case any new details emerge.

Officers said the baby was being cared for and doing well.

Image source, States of Jersey Police

Ryan Morrison
BBC News Online

Jersey's first Children's Commissioner, Deborah McMillan, has been asking the island's children which issues she should work to resolve and what should be at the top of the agenda for children.

She said that stopping bullying was the top issue raised by seven to 11-year-olds.

Ryan Morrison
BBC News Online

Jersey Talking Therapies (JTT) says it is working on a number of ways to reduce "too-long waiting times".

Recent figures from a Freedom of Information request found people were waiting more than seven months for treatment from Talking Therapies, a joint project between the Health Department, GPs and Mind Jersey.

A spokesman for Jersey Talking Therapies said managers would work on recruiting more staff, a new IT system, an improved review process and moving to a new location alongside the Psychology Service to improve waiting times.

He said: "Since its introduction, JTT has been successful for many of those who have used the service, with outcome results benchmarking well against UK figures."

Jersey Evening Post

Jersey was set to be hotter than parts of Italy and Greece today – and the warm weather is expected to last until the end of the weekend., external

BBC Weather

In general, there will be lots of sunshine throughout this morning and it will feel pleasantly warm.

Little change in to this afternoon, with lots of blue sky on offer and it will be rather warm too.

Maximum temperature: 19 to 22C (66 to 72F).

Jersey

Guernsey

Simon Fairclough
Guernsey Political Reporter

Guernsey's politicians meet today to discuss a number of issues, including how much islanders should pay for putting out their rubbish, external.

First up this morning, States members will pay tribute to the island's former Lieutenant Governor, Air Chief Marshal Sir Peter Le Cheminant, and former Deputy Michael Marshall who died earlier this month.

The assembly will be updated on the work of Education, Sport and Culture and the States Trading Supervisory Board, and then there will be questions on the waste water network extension and population management.

Members will then decide between a number of options on how much islanders will all have to pay in future for getting rid of household waste.

More on this story:

• Waste changes going back to politicians
• Waste charges: Household costs
• Islanders will pay 'per bag' for household waste

BBC Radio Jersey

Rescue services in Jersey are urging people to "take more care outdoors" after several call outs last night.

The first call saw the fire service to deploy the inshore rescue boat to save two people caught out by the tide at Elizabeth Castle in the St Helier.

Image source, Jersey Fire and Rescue

The second was to help two climbers who had been swept off the cliffs at Gronez by a wave and, following that, to rescue someone struck at La Rocco Tower.

It was too rough to send the inshore rescue boat to Gronez, so the fire service used a drone to look for somebody but it turned out nobody was there and the search was called off.

Officers said summer weather this weekend would tempt people into the sea but urged people to check the tide times, to tell others where there were going and when they were due to be back to avoid any problems.

Guernsey FC lose away from home for the first time since 30 January as they went down 2-1 at South Park.

BBC Weather

Winds should ease through tonight. It will remain dry and there will be some long clear spells. Remaining mild.

Minimum temperature: 8 to 12C (46 to 54F).

A fine spring day on Wednesday, with plenty of warm sunshine and little in the way of cloud. A moderate south-easterly breeze.

Maximum temperature: 17 to 22C (63 to 72F).

BBC Radio Guernsey

The Idlerocks Hotel site in Jerbourg, Guernsey, is unlikely to be developed despite planning permission been approved.

Permission has been granted for the hotel to be developed with a restaurant and spa, car parking and landscaping.

The architect behind the project, Andrew Ozanne from Lovell Ozanne Architects, said there isn't the growth in the tourist industry they hoped would occur and a 35 bedroom luxury hotel may not pass the viability test.

Ryan Morrison
BBC News Online

Jersey's government says it will employ a team of consultants to make radical changes to the island's civil service.

The chief executive is already paying four experts who have reviewed the islands public services to try to make them more efficient and is now recruiting more.

An advertisement issued by the government is calling for a company with a track record of delivering "major cultural and behaviour changes" in large organisations.

Four consultants from the UK have already been working on the project since last October at a cost of £400,000.

The initial phase of their work is now over but they're being kept on to work on specific projects.

There has been strong opposition from civil servants to plans to revise their pay and conditions.

While some workers will get a significant pay rise, others face significant cuts. Their union has threatened industrial action.