1978: The ONLY RESIDENT on ÉCRÉHOUS | Nationwide | Voice of the People | BBC Archive

Discover the story of Alphonse Le Gastelois, self-titled 'King of the Écréhous' and sole resident of this small group of islands in the middle of the English Channel.
Clip taken from Nationwide: Remote Britain first broadcast on Monday 14 August, 1978.
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[@fredo1070]

Alphonse Le Gastelois died in 2012 aged 97.

[@fidelcatsro6948]

all those years of fish diets paid off big time! not many of us can hit beyond 80

[@daniellamcgee4251]

​@@fidelcatsro6948Life expectancy varies depending on what country you live in, though.

[@michaelroberts7374]

​@@daniellamcgee4251 hahaha!! 😂

[@daniellamcgee4251]

@@michaelroberts7374 ? 🤔 In some countries, average life expectancy is recorded to be over 80 years. In other countries, lower than 80, but some who live long lives on a healthy diet in more remote villages in African coutries, as the example I know, are not recorded in life expectancy records. So life expectancy is probably higher in those countries, too. Diet is a significant factor in health and life longevity, but there are other factors, too, which are environmental, social - informal social support, meaning family and friends, social connections, and social service dependent, including medical services, as effected by which country you live in. That's my point. I am not getting the joke, but sense of humor is subjective, so - enjoy! Glad my comment about stats could provide you with mirth. 😊

[@michaelroberts7374]

@@daniellamcgee4251 ecrehous must have good life expectancy. That is the basis of my reaction. I found your comment mildly amusing on that level. 'Some countries' 😀

[@Jimfowler82]

I went their last Wednesday 👌

[@scottblack9213]

Take me there now!

[@UKTransportVideos82]

14th October 1914-3rd oct 2012

[@Barnaby_bo]

Crazy story.

[@railgap]

"No Squatters!" said the squatter.

[@KozenaDrzka]

He was born at start of WW1 and could saw trailer for GTA V

[@petergivenbless900]

As if to disprove that "no man is an island"? I wonder how Ecrehous is faring today, under climate change and sea-level rises?

[@NorseNorman]

The Écréhous has recently gotten extra environmental protection by the Jersey government after many decades of rich yachtsmen taking their dogs on the island and having BBQs. To ensure this, Jersey sends patrols to the island to report any possible damage and environmentalists from La Société Jersiaise monitor wildlife population and welfare. However the situation in the waters around the Écréhous is a different story. Here, French industrial trawlers, who have equal access to Jersey's territorial waters, have been overfishing to an alarming degree around the Écréhous.

[@petergivenbless900]

@@NorseNorman thanks for the info. Because it is so low-lying I can imagine that the isles might be the "canary in the coal mine" for sea-level rises!

[@nicholasgargano7396]

It was him

[@fidelcatsro6948]

anyone else living in ECREHOUS now? i checked the google map i find jersey and guensey so close to french coast yet its under the UK? He was forced to flee to the Ecrehous and only returned when the real offender, Edward Paisnel, was caught in 1971 and sentenced to 30yrs in prison.. He was released after 20yrs in 1991, died in 1994 John Riseborough, the police officer who caught Edward Paisnel said he was sorry for the way Jersey had treated an innocent man. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Paisnel Mr Riseborough caught the Beast of Jersey after he was caught jumping a red light in 1971.

[@darrenbrashaw8409]

If only Jim Bergerac had been there in the 60s.

[@MitzvosGolem1]

Cigars legal there.

[@NorseNorman]

Hi there, native Jerseyman here. No, nobody since King Alphonse Le Gastelois I has since lived permanently on the Écréhous. As the video says, there are huts for Jersey fishermen and few have been bought by superrich yachtsmen, but nobody lives in them for more than a few days.

[@fidelcatsro6948]

@@MitzvosGolem1 golem amigo! 🐱🚬

[@fidelcatsro6948]

@@NorseNorman wow nice place for a vacation then!