Dear SHTA Friends,

July in Honfleur, Normandy and France:

Every 14 juillet , the skies of France come to life with spectacular fireworks to celebrate the Fête Nationale Française – the anniversary of the Bastille prison in Paris being stormed 235 years ago on 14th July 1789 – a major turning point for the French Revolution and the nation’s history.

https://en.normandie-tourisme.fr invites us to conjure up this scintillating image: –

There’s just something about watching the fireworks while hanging out on the quays of Honfleur’s Vieux Bassin that we simply love on Bastille Day! This picture-perfect town’s annual firework display is spectacular, and is launched from the east pier of the harbour. Visitors can also enjoy entertainment themed around maritime traditions or take part in a torchlight procession.

What’s happening in the Sandwich Honfleur Twinning Association?

This time last year 43 members of SHTA had just returned from Honfleur after the usual four-day trip, staying with hosts in and around our twin town. We were treated to generous hospitality as well as fantastic weather, while conversation on the trip home revolved around how the 2024 visit to Sandwich would go.

As you know, our Normandy friends have asked if they can come in the Autumn this year so that they can experience Halloween & Guy Fawkes Night in the flesh. Plans are well underway for their 4 days here and we have a healthy list of willing hosts, but do have scope to include others who may wish to be involved. If you’d like your name added to the list please do get in touch. Honfleur President, Pierre Jan, will shortly be sending details of our visitors which will be passed on to all of our hosts.

The SHTA Annual General Meetingtakes place in just two weeks’ time on Thursday 18th July. It starts at 7.00 pm in the Jury Room at the Guildhall and will feature a summary of the twinning year and accounts as well as elections for a new Committee. Many thanks to those of you who have already nominated or seconded current Committee members; please feel free to do so or send apologies via email to Secretary, Christine Ratcliffe, on christine.ratcliffe@outlook.com, with any SHTA members you’d like to see on the Committee if they are happy to stand.

There will be a proposal at the AGM that any non-member who attends two film nights at the cinema then be asked to become a paid-up member should they want to attend further films or social events. This will be voted upon with the intention of its becoming part of the Constitution. If you have any further points for discussion please contact us in writing. For those in attendance there will be cheese and wine after the business part of the meeting.

The following week sees the first social event, strictly speaking, of the new twinning year: Bangers & Boules will take place on Thursday 25th July at the Anchor Pub in Wingham with matches starting at 6.30 pm. All places for players are now taken but anyone who would like to spectate is very welcome. The final match will finish at 8.30 pm after which players and spectators will be able to see the winners receive their trophy and also enjoy a meal in the upstairs function room. Please do let me know for catering purposes if you’d like to come along.

Two events which took place in June are definitely worth a mention: (i) the 8th and 9th saw SHTA represented on its regular stall at Le Weekend for which big thanks go to all those members who volunteered their time.

Le Weekend was originally an SHTA initiative in 2010 but has been managed by Steve Laslett and volunteers as a separate organisation for the last 10 years. Steve informs us that this year may be the last Le Weekend. Various reasons lie behind this: it’s getting increasingly difficult to import genuine French products due to Brexit and customs checks; also, Locks of Sandwich Cycles wish to take a break from supporting Le Tour de Sandwich cycling, an important source of funding; finally, Steve also wishes to take a break, so unless others step forward there will be no Le Weekend in 2025.

Also in June: (ii) ‘Un Long Dimanche de Fiançailles’, was shown to another excellent audience of around 50 on the 12th of the month to round off our film season.

This allows me to point us in the direction of the 2024-2025 Film Season: We’ve already chosen the first film to be shown on Wednesday 18th September when we’ll be screening ‘Anatomie d’une Chute’, nominated this year in the main section of the Oscars for Best Film.

Still on the subject of films, you may recall that around 30 of us were recruited as Film Extras for a documentary film maker back in November. Richard is now editing his film and wants to include all of our names in the film’s credits. If you would prefer that your name not be included, please send me a message to that effect. Richard also tells us that he’ll invite us to a showing of the film as soon as it’s available.

That’s all the news for now. We look forward to seeing you soon.

Best wishes from Stuart, Mark and the Committee