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St Helier Opticians Additional
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About St Helier - show infohide info
St Helier is the capital, and largest town of, the Island of Jersey, in the Channel Islands. St Helier's population is 28,000. It is thought that St. Helier was founded around the time of the Roman Control of Gaul. St Helier was originally a small fishing village. Originally, boats could be tied alongside the wall of the Parish Church which was built in the town, though thanks to land reclaimation this is no longer possible. An abbey was founded in St Helier in 1155, and a castle was built, and named after Queen Elizabeth I, by Sir Walter Raleigh between 1600 and 1603. Until the end of the 18th century, the town consisted chiefly of a string of houses, shops and warehouses stretching along the coastal dunes either side of the Church of St. Helier and the adjacent marketplace. In the 18th century, King George II gave £200 to the town to build a port - previously boats had to be beached and unloaded at low tide across the sands. A statue was erected in the town to commemorate the King as a result; the statue still stands today. The ports expansion brought people into St Helier, and the town expanded as a result. The port allowed farmers to exploit Jersey's micro-climate, sending their wares to the markets in London and Paris before the competition. A period of road widening in the 19th century swept away much of St Heliers older buildings, giving the town a largely Victorian feeling. Today, the island is a popular tourist destination thanks to its climate and history, as well as its tax free goods! During the summer months, the island received thousands of visitors, many staying in the town of St Helier. A number of businesses have set up in or near the town, to take advantage of the tax laws, which enable them to sell goods to consumers tax free. A large export from the islands are cream and butter, potatoes and meat. Jersey has an airport close to St Helier, and sees a number of destinations served. Airlines include British Airways (London Gatwick, Manchester and Bristol; plus a number of charters during the summer to destinations including Blackpool, Liverpool, Newcastle and Southampton), FlyBE (Birmingham, Belfast, Gatwick, Bristol, Exeter and Southampton plus summer flights to Manchester, Southend and Norwich), ThomsonFly (Doncaster-Sheffield International), Aurigny (London Stansted, London Gatwick, Manchester, Alderney, Gatwick, Bristol and Dinard) and Rockhopper (Guernsey, Alderney, Bournemouth, Dinard and St Brieuc). Other airlines visiting Jersey include bmi, bmiBaby, SN Brussels, Aer Lingus, Twinjet, Air Wales, VLM and Swiss, though a number of services are seasonal only.
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