Level of theft ‘is killing hedge veg’
Tuesday 25th August 2009, 2:29PM BST.
Dave Gorvel has sold produce at Les Caches, St Martin’s, for over 40 years but is to stop because so much was being stolen. (Picture by Adrian Miller, 0829892)
THE hedge veg tradition is dying out, according to a stallholder who has had to close his business.
Dave Gorvel, 59, has sold fruit, vegetables and eggs from his site at Les Caches in St Martin’s for more than 40 years.
He said the level of theft was leading to a drop in hedge veg around the island and he has now closed his farm shop, which had relied on customers’ honesty.
‘My mother, Ruth, enjoyed looking after it but too much was taken,’ he said.
‘She was getting upset. She comes from a generation when people did not steal food from each other.’
He said produce was being taken on a regular basis.
‘It would be the odd person, but they would take a lot. Even as much as £10-worth of food.’
The Gorvel family has owned the site since 1946 and has always kept animals and grown food there.
Mrs Gorvel, 87, used to look after the food at the shop. She said potatoes, eggs and tomatoes were the most common foods taken.
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Such a shame.
No respect.
Even if it were genuine poverty behind the thefts I would think something would have been given in return.
You hear of people taking toilet rolls from work, still stealing.
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What I find so sad is that, given the amount of theft from hedge veg. stalls, some of the theives are almost certainly locals.
These stupid idiots do not realise that, living in a community where people can leave honesty boxes by the side of the road, makes this island quite unique. By destroying that they are destroying a small but precious part of Guernsey’s cultural identity.
They should be ashamed to call themselves Guerns.
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Although I agree with much of Guern abroad & CD’s thoughts, why is there the automatic assumption that it’s immigrants or poor people stealing from hedge veg?
Deep down, humanity is the same wherever you go. Rich people steal when they diddle their tax returns; locals have been prosecuted for theft long before the current influx of immigrants.
Yes, hedge veg is part and parcel of Guernsey culture however Guerns aren’t so morally superior that somehow they know better than the “ignorant immigrant” that stealing is immoral and illegal. Theft is recognised as a criminal offence in pretty much every nation worldwide.
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I lived in Guernsey for twenty years and a few months ago was looking forward to watching River Cottage the cookery program on channel four. If you watched it the presenter was taken on a motorbike to buy veg from a roadside stall and he showed the whole of the United Kingdom how honest the people of Guernsey really are. I smiled to myself watching this program from the North West of England where it would be stolen within minutes. I would be very surprised to believe it would be stolen by local people.
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Paul Le P – Apologies if I implied that I thought it was “immigrants or poor people” stealing from hedge veg stalls. That is not the case, it is just that, in the past, Guernsey people simply didn’t steal from the roadside – it just wasn’t done. If it is locals (no matter how well off or otherwise they may be) then I still resent what they are doing to our Island’s reputation.
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These illegal immigrants are living under the radar, surviving on our ‘hedge veg’, stealing our jobs and probably our women. There is a wider issue here.
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Perhaps it is the taxman taking his 20% on undeclared income!
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Why not have the produce in a series of coin opened compartments? Hire the boxes out for a season. Even better would be a token scheme. Islanders could exchange wares at some central point for tokens that could then be used with participating vendors. The central point could also be a market to exchange tokens for reinvestment ie seeds and stuff, or raw materials for manufactured stuff like, er, cakes.
It could be a good way of promoting community self reliance.
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@CoinOp Solutions Ltd
Kind of turns cherished local hedge veg into vending machines. Also if I want some spuds on the way home it could get kinda annoying if I haven’t been to the token distribution hub beforehand. Also I’m not sure Dave Gorvel is ready to replace his stall with a ‘Bling King Veg Crane’.
Nice try though!!
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I dunno Dean, I reckon Mr Gorvel could profit from a selection of fruit machines….
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I wish he or the police would install a hidden CCTV system and catch the people involved. It only takes a few example convictions with serious sentences and their names and faces splashed across the front page of the Press to warn people thinking of doing this that it’s not on.
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@Dean. Having discussed your points with my sister company EllEllPee LLP (a consultancy) it’s quite clear what the solution is.
I’ll set up a series of Hedge stalls selling tokens. These will be placed near existing veg entrepreneurs. They will be manned 24 hours a day and will be armed according to perceived threat levels – to the teeth. And floodlit.
That way i could branch out into security patrols, waterboarding and Guernsey Spice dealing (oregano sprayed with Red Lion Outflow Extract x50 – an up to date formula based on an ancient Guernsey aphrodisiac).
Guernsey is a great place to be an entrepreneur!
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DEAN: If you seriously believe: “Dean| August 27, 2009 at 9:01 am
These illegal immigrants are living under the radar, surviving on our ‘hedge veg’, stealing our jobs and probably our women. There is a wider issue here.”
Our prison is filled with locals who steal, use drugs, and commit crime. This is the way things have gone with teh younger generation, not only here but in the uK and Europe.
To be honest as a Guernsey employer, I would rather employ immigrants because they actually do the work, they pay their taxes and make profits for us. Most are honest, hardworking people.
Many of us Guern employers have treated these immigrants badly, making them live in sub standard accomodation (sheds), paying them low wages and generally treating them like second class citizens. So my advice to you is to keep your big trap shut before they take us before the Court of Human Rights. Maybe then people like you and your kind will end up having to work for the peanuts we pay them. Guernsey kids want to be paid far too much money and believe they should start at the top not the bottom. We are no different to the immigrants, we bleed the same way. Your comments are racist and uncalled for, perhaps your employer should terminate your employment as you seem to use their company name within your posting, implying that they are racists too. I have a godd mind to report you to the Police for your racist comments. It’s that sort opf rubbish that caused World War ll.
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James – Brilliant idea!! The Police could provide, install, monitor and service CCTV cameras on each and every hedge veg stall in the Island. Along with this they could offer to program your Sky remote, mend your washing machine, paint your shed etc. Why dont you think of other jobs for them to do – the list is endless. Not to mention RIPL / PPACE…..
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I really must take issue with this very one-sided, personal view, accompanied by the usual sensationalist headline.
There are thriving hedge veg stands all over the island which continue to make their owners very healthy profits, and I am one of them.
Just recently, I have had customers actually leave money on the stall, in clear view, as the money box was full (!) and yes, it was still there when I collected it later.
The vast majority of residents and visitors to our island have huge respect for the trust involved in this unique and wonderful way of trading, and wouldn’t dream on violating it.
I am sorry that this has happened to this gentleman, but one drop of rain doth not a winter make, and his experience is in an extreme minority – if it was more widespread, does anyone really think we wily locals would continue to trade this way?!
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Chas
I agree with part of your post but you say
“To be honest as a Guernsey employer, I would rather employ immigrants because they actually do the work, they pay their taxes and make profits for us. Most are honest, hardworking people”.
then you accuse dean of the very things you seem to imply yourself?
Guernsey people dont do the work?
they dont pay their taxes? stealing?
they are dishonest?
and lazy?
Yes there are some locals that may fall into your category, but believe me there are also some from the uk and other immigrants to.
The amount of shuddy building work done over here by chancers employed on the cheap amazes me. And that is from personal experience.
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Dean
Your posts are blinders. I hope there will be many more!!!!
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Dean, the fish is on the hook, time to reel it in.
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Chas, being a bit of a hypocrite? I personally found Dean’s comment rather hilarious.
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“It only takes a few example convictions with serious sentences ”
This is a rather sorry tale, but not something that warrants a “serious sentence”. It’s theft and should carry a similar sentence to someone who has stolen a CD for example from a town shop.
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“I would be very surprised to believe it would be stolen by local people”
Don’t be surprised Mark. We are quite capable of spawning our own hoods. Especially in St. Martins where house burning car theft and vandalism is rife :-)
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I have been away all weekend and didn’t get to see this!
@ Chas
I am sorry that my comment has caused you so much concern, it was meant to be tongue-in-cheek (I added the bit about women to make this clear).
“I would rather employ immigrants because they actually do the work”
This is unfounded discriminatory, the same crimes you accuse me of, and in fact could land you in the Court of Human Rights.
I ask you to please not report me to the police and I shall agree to do the same.
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chas if you can’t pay your staff a living wage get out of business.
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