Dear SHTA Friends,
We hope that our second Newsletter of 2024 finds you well.
If you go to the SHTA website, sandwichhonfleurtwinning.org.uk, you’ll find plenty of pictorial evidence our activities from 2023 in the Gallery section.
As mentioned in the January Newsletter we are looking at putting our plans in place for hosting our friends in Normandy from 31st October – 3rd November. Our guests have expressed a wish to change the time of their visit from early summer to late autumn so they can witness Halloween and Bonfire Night celebrations in the UK. Apart from organising aspects of the events for the exchange visit later in the year, your SHTA Committee needs to start the process of signing up those of you who would like to host guests from Honfleur, whether that be to reciprocate following a past visit to Honfleur or simply to enjoy having French visitors in your home for three nights. Therefore, could you please let our Chair, Stuart, know, as soon as it’s convenient, if you’d like to host in 2024 and how many guests you could accept.
February in France
February begins in France with the tradition ‘Le Chandeleur (Candlemas) which took place on Friday 2nd February. It is considered the last cycle of the Christmas celebration. In religious tradition, Christians were only meant to clear the Christ’smanger scene after La Chandeleur. Nowadays, La Chandeleur is mostly known as the day of the crêpes. It’s a day when families and friends all make crêpes and enjoy them together. There are a number of theories as to why crêpes are made : –
- The colour and shape of the crêpe is meant to be evocative of the sun after a harsh winter.
- Using the wheat of the previous harvest to make crêpes was meant to be a charm of good luck for the next harvest.
- Pope Gélase I used to distribute a crêpe-style dish to the pilgrims who came to Rome and the tradition just continued.
February in Normandy
Specific to the Région de Normandie, the coastal town of Granville in the neighbouring Département de la Manche (105 miles / 2 hours west of Honfleur in Département du Calvados) is the annual Granville Carnival which has been celebrated every February for over 150 years. It’s the biggest event of its kind in western France beginning with approximately 40 satirical float parades taking a humorous perspective on current affairs, politics and celebrity culture, interspersed with marching bands. The four day festivities finish with a ‘Night of Intrigues’ when carnival-goers disguise themselves in costume to play tricks on family and friends.
The history of the Carnaval de Granville is linked to the town’s maritime heritage, and more specifically to the history of cod fishing, which was the port’s main activity from the 16th century until the early 20th century. The inaugural festival was held in 1872 in honour of the Terre-Neuvas, the fishermen who spent long months each year, far from their families, fishing for cod on the Grand Banks of Newfoundland, off the coast of Canada. These expeditions were long and sometimes perilous.
February Cinema Evening
Closer to home the date of the second film of 2024 is Wednesday 21st February under the title of ‘Le Dîner des Cons’. (English title ‘The Dinner Game’).
A 1998 French comedy film written and directed by Francis Veber, adapted from his play of the same name. It became that year’s top-grossing French film at the French box office (second overall behind Titanic).
The ‘dinner’ of the title is a regular gathering at which some smug young Parisian gentlemen compete to invite the most amusingly ridiculous character as their guest.
As usual, if you’d like to see the February film, please contact Jan Cooper at
jannicooper@icloud.com or phone her on 01304 612895 to secure your place. As you’re well aware, the cost of a seat remains at £7.50 per head and can be paid online in advance to SHTA (account number 42027168; sort code 30-90-09);
alternatively you can pay by cash or card at the cinema on the night.
Annual Subscriptions
Please don’t forget that Annual Subscriptions were due by the end of September, why not use the same bank details above to pay your year’s
membership at the same time if you haven’t got around to renewing as yet ? At our Annual General Meeting held on Thursday 20th July 2023 members attending the meeting voted in favour of keeping membership fees at £12.50 per person for at least another year. Please do try to attend to this sooner rather than later – thank you. Having paid your subscription you’ll be entitled to a membership card which will include details of all film titles and dates, as well as other social activities for 2023-2024.
Future Cinema Evenings
So that you can plan your social engagements around your monthly French films, here are the dates of future SHTA film nights at The Empire Cinema :
Wednesday 13th March : ‘Le Château De Ma Mère’
Wednesday 17th April : ‘Des Vents Contraires’
Wednesday 15th May : ‘Le Charme Discret de la Bourgeoisie’
Wednesday 12th June : ‘Un Long Dimanche de Fiançailles’
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