Dear SHTA Friends,

I hope that this first Newsletter of Spring finds you in good form and enjoying the sunshine currently coming our way.

In Honfleur, Normandy and France:

• Tuesday 4th March is Shrove Tuesday – ‘Mardi Gras’ in French which literally translates as ‘Fat Tuesday’. This originates from the custom of using all of the fats in the home before Lent in preparation for fasting and abstinence.
• Mardi Gras was originally a religious festival. It takes place 47 days before Easter, the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday and the start of Lent when Christians traditionally abstain from eating fatty food, especially meat.
• In French culture, Lent holds significant importance as a time for reflection, mindfulness, and intentionality. It is a period where individuals engage in fasting, self-reflection, and spiritual growth. The practice of Lent in France is deeply rooted in tradition and carries with it a sense of cultural sensitivity
• During Lent, French individuals focus on abstaining from certain foods or habits, symbolising sacrifice and self-discipline. This period encourages mindful eating and intentional living, reminding individuals to be more present and aware of their actions.
• Throughout French history, Lent has been viewed as a time for introspection and personal growth. It is considered a time to reassess priorities, strengthen relationships, and practise gratitude.
• Seafood is a popular choice for Lenten meals in France, as it provides a source of protein without breaking the abstinence from meat. From bouillabaisse to moules marinières, there are numerous traditional French seafood dishes to try during Lent.
• French cuisine also offers a variety of vegetarian dishes that are perfect for Lent. Ratatouille, Quiche Lorraine, and French Onion Soup are just a few examples of meat-free dishes that can be enjoyed during this period.

Many thanks, as usual, to Vice-Chair, Mark Moorhouse, for the introduction above.

What’s happening in the Sandwich Honfleur Twinning Association?

Many thanks to Mark for deputising over the past month while Sandra and I have been on holiday. It always amazes me how he manages to do a full-time job, be a Town Councillor, volunteer for a variety of causes and be Vice-Chair of SHTA. Sleeping, eating and relaxing are clearly not major priorities for Mark; either way, we’re very lucky to have him on our Committee and as a friend.

I hear that attendance at our February film, ‘Un Singe en Hiver’, was good, and we’d like to expect much the same for this month’s film, ‘Les Aventures de Rabbi Jacob’ which we’ll be showing on Wednesday 19th March.

The film is a 1973 French-Italian comedy, directed by Gérard Oury, starring Louis de Funès, Claude Giraud, Suzy Delair, Marcel Dalio, Henri Guybet and Miou-Miou. It follows a bigoted businessman and a kidnapped revolutionist who disguise themselves as rabbis to escape from assassins. One of de Funès’ most popular and iconic movies, it has become a cult classic.

‘Les Aventures de Rabbi Jacob’ received universal acclaim from critics and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Film. It is widely regarded as one of the most popular French comedies of all time. Phil Hall of ‘Film Threat’ called it “a masterpiece of slapstick”, stating that “this wild movie achieves the near-impossible of being politically incorrect without being nasty, of overdoing the slapstick without becoming tiresome”. Roger Moore of ‘Movie Nation’ stated: “Pre-Blazing Saddles and Airplane!, Rabbi Jacob could claim to having more gags-per-minute than any film anybody had ever seen”. Judith Crist of New York Magazine was equally enthusiastic upon its release, saying that “Rabbi Jacob is the best of the Chaplin-Marx Brothers spirit, sustained by a touch of satire here and a wink there”.

The film broke box office records in France, Spain, Germany, Israel and Canada. Ticket sales placed it at the top of the French box office for 1973.

If you’d like to reserve your place for our film in March please send me an email on stuartpjones100@yahoo.co.uk. Admission to film nights remains at £7.50 per head and priority will be given to members who book in advance. You can pay in advance online to SHTA, account number: 42027168; sort code: 30-90-09. Alternatively, you can pay by cash or card on the night at the cinema.

Our other two Spring films are as follows:

• Wednesday 16th April : ‘L’Enfant Sauvage’, a 1970 historical drama, directed by François Truffaut, this is the true story of a wild child found in the forest by some countrymen; he could not walk or speak. A doctor took interest and began to educate him and his love and patience paid off.

• Wednesday 14th May : ‘Coup de Chance’, a 2023 comedy-drama-thriller, written and directed by Woody Allen. A young married woman runs into an old school friend and is immediately smitten. The two friends grow increasingly close, eventually leading to infidelity and even a crime.

Our film for June, ‘Va Savoir’, was scheduled to be screened on Wednesday 18th June, but will now be brought forward a week to Wednesday 11th June TBC, due to the Group Visit to Honfleur betweenThursday 19th and Sunday 22nd June 2025. The film dates were published in the Member’s Card and on our website before the exchange visit was confirmed, but we apologise for any confusion around this.

A big thank you to everyone who has signed up for this year’s Trip to Honfleur. We have already reached our target number of members and also have a handful on our Reserve List in case of any withdrawals. As mentioned in the past couple of newsletters, the cost per head is £140 which we would ask you to pay to SHTA by the end of April. You can use the same payment method as for film nights; our bank details are above at the end of information on this month’s film. If you have questions about the trip, please don’t hesitate to ask any of us.

To get you in the mood, below is a photo of the Honfleur group, with their Sandwich hosts, prior to their departure after their visit to us back in the Autumn:

Now, if you like a glass of French wine and enjoy various types of cheese, this may be especially relevant to you: with our May and June events being quite busy, the Committee has decided to postpone the Wine & Cheese Evening from 29th May until early Autumn; we plan to hold this now on Thursday 25th September. Further details confirming the date with venue and cost to come in next month’s newsletter.

Leaping on towards the end of the year now, whether you have a digital or paper diary or lots of post-it notes stuck to your fridge, you may wish to make a note of this year’s SHTA Christmas Dinner & Party in order to avoid clashes around that time of year: the date for this has been confirmed as Thursday 11th December and, in a change of venue this year, will take place at The Bell Hotel, Sandwich. With quite a few new members recently joining SHTA, we’ll be looking to invite up to 60 people to enjoy some festive fun. Why not sign up now before you forget?!

That’s all the immediate news for now; we look forward to seeing as many of you as possible at the Empire Cinema on Wednesday 19th March.

Stuart, Mark and the Committee.