Dear SHTA Friends,
With overnight temperatures hovering around the zero mark for the next couple of weeks, we can hardly have rosy images of Springtime in Paris or Honfleur let alone Sandwich. However, we are able to enjoy more hours of daylight now than of darkness, and we can look forward to gardens bursting into life, lambs frolicking, and SHTA members getting together for outdoor as well as indoor events through 2023.
Until we think about showing French films on the Quay Green in Sandwich, rather like they’re used to doing in the USA (Sandy and Danny in ‘Grease’?!), screenings of our monthly offerings indoors at the Empire Cinema will be advertised via this newsletter and on our website. This month you’re invited, as usual, to our lovely art deco cinema, originally opened in 1937, to come and see ‘Le Château De Ma Mère’ on Wednesday 15th March.
Released in 1990 and directed by Yves Robert, the film is based on the book of the same name by Marcel Pagnol and is a sequel to ‘La Gloire de Mon Père’, also a novel written by Pagnol and film directed by Robert. It is set in the period between 1900 and the start of the First World War. Rotten Tomatoes describes it as follows:
“To his chagrin, young Marcel Pagnol (Julien Ciamaca) and his family move back to their home in Marseille, far from their pastoral holiday cottage in the hills. Determined, Marcel makes the long voyage back to the cottage on foot and lands himself in trouble. One day Marcel’s father (Philippe Caubère) discovers a shortcut to the cottage, but it requires trespassing. Despite their trepidations, Marcel and his family begin using the secret trail to reach their cottage.”
The film has a PG rating and a runtime of 98 minutes. If you’d like to come along to see this pre-coming-of age film, set in the enchanting Provence countryside, send an email to Jan Cooper on jannicooper@icloud.com and ask her to reserve you a seat. As always, the cinema doors will open at 7.00 for a 7.30 pm start, the cost remaining at £7.50.
A reminder of the remaining films from April to June:
Wed. 19th April: ‘Des Vents Contraires’
Wed. 17th May: ‘Les Femmes Du 6ème Étage’
Wed. 14th June: ‘L’École Buissonnière’
The purpose of devising a programme for the year is to have ample time to make arrangements and also to inform members of forthcoming events well in advance. Consequently, you have already seen much of what follows in this newsletter. However, if you’re new to SHTA (welcome aboard!), or to reading these monthly bulletins here’s some information on what’s coming up between now and the AGM in July:
There’ll be a Cheese & Wine Pairing & Quiz (in your opinion, which wine best suits which cheese & a couple of brief table quizzes) at St Clement’s Hall in Sandwich on the evening of Saturday 15th April. Committee member Steve Thomson is taking charge of this and you can get hold of him to sign up through his contact details at the end of this March update. We look forward to seeing as many
of you there as possible.
• Further on into Spring and decent weather permitting, there will be a Pique-nique on the Quay on Monday 22nd May at 1.00 pm. You’ll have the chance to see some familiar faces, make some new friends and try your arm at playing boules. So, why not bring your lunch and possibly a deckchair to the Quay for that one.
• Once you’ve found (or rekindled) a liking, aptitude or just a curiosity for boules, you might be tempted to come to the Anchor Pub in Wingham on Thursday 27th July to join us for an evening of Bangers & Boules. No great skill is required but it’s surprising how the gentlest of souls become competitive in the heat of battle! Let me know please if you’d like to take part on that particular occasion.
• As you probably know, we have a full party of 48 already signed up to make the Group Visit to Honfleur in June. For those who haven’t yet been to Honfleur or if you’d like to remind yourself of its attractions, there are some photos of our delightful twin town towards the end of the Gallery on our website.
We’re at the stage where we’re sending information to Honfleur so that they, in conjunction with ourselves, can make arrangements for guest & host match-ups; so it’s very exciting indeed.
• The remaining activity in the first half of 2023 to bring to your attention is the now traditional ‘Le Week-end’ on Saturday 10th & Sunday 11th June, when SHTA will, once more, be holding a stall in Market Street. We shall be asking for volunteers nearer the time.
Finally, for those amongst you who’d like to keep your spoken French ticking over, why not join the group attending ‘Une Heure de Conversation’ at Sandwich Library; it’s every Thursday afternoon from 2.30 – 3.30 pm That’s all the news for now, so we look forward to seeing you at one or more of our forthcoming events.