TV presenter Craig Phillips (43) has been in the Island this week as the latest celebrity to take on the title of Mr Battle. But when the Liverpudlian is not riding down the Avenue on a floral float, he loves nothing more than chatting about cars.
The origins of the Battle lie in 1902, during the coronation of Kind Edward Vll and Queen Alexandra. Islanders decided to hold a parade in their honour, with horse-drawn floats covered in flowers taking to the waterfront streets of Jersey. There was a tradition of picking flowers from the floats and throwing them to the audience; this quickly developed into flowers being thrown back, and the 'Battle of the Flowers' was born.
The festival took a break during the Second World War and German occupation, but was revived during the 1950s and has gone from strength to strength ever since. Today the Battle of Flowers is a community event that involves the whole island and attracts many visitors year after year. Floats of all sizes compete for a variety of prizes and honours, with the large float class winner being awarded the Prix d’Honneur.
The Battle of Flowers takes place during early August every year.
Written by Peter Harrison
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August 24, 2015