Dear SHTA Members & Friends,
I hope that you’re well and that the Summer has been kind to you. As we step into autumnal mode, this newsletter starts, as usual, with Vice-Chair Mark Moorhouse’s customary introduction:
In Honfleur, Normandy and France:
There is only one event of significance in Honfleur itself during September when the Greniers à Sel hosts the Estuaire d’en Rire (Estuary of Laughter) festival from
Tuesday 9th to Saturday 13th. As the days become shorter this is an opportunity to discover a line–up of promising young comedians in an intimate and friendly atmosphere. The five day event also features musical entertainment and karaoke.
Normandy is the main region for apple and cider festivals in France, with events often held from mid–September through to early November. While specific dates vary annually, you can expect festivals that feature apple pressing, cider and Calvados tastings, markets, and musical entertainment. The region’s rich apple-growing tradition, particularly in the Pays d’Auge, is celebrated with various festivals throughout the autumn.
The most notable are: –
- Vimoutiers (65 km south of Honfleur) :
Known for its apple festivals which include concerts, funfairs, floats, and local markets.
- Conches (90 km south east of Honfleur) :
Hosts the Fête de la Pomme et du Cidre et du Fromage (Apple, Cider, and Cheese Festival), a popular event for experiencing local produce.
- Caudebec-en-Caux (54 km east of Honfleur) :
Features a unique cider competition and a traditional practice where waiters serve drinks on horseback.
- Beuvron-en-Auge (48km south west of Honfleur):
A village known for celebrating cider and apples, with traditional pressing demonstrations and stands selling fresh juice.
Further afield : –
Coutances (163km west of Honfleur) hosts a Dahlia Festival which showcases over 300 varieties throughout September.
The Sainte-Croix Fair in Lessay (167km west of Honfleur) is an open-air event centred around agriculture which attracts ~350,000 visitors over the three days. The Lessay Fair dates back to the 12th Century and is said to have been created by Benedictine Monks
Normandy has 4 regional cheeses (Camembert, Livarot, Pont l’Evêque, and Neufchâtel) of which Camembert is probably the most well known … but one of the other 3, Neufchâtel, is actually one of France’s oldest cheeses having been made since 1035. This is celebrated in a Fête du Fromage in the town of its creation, Neufchâtel-en-Bray, in the Seine-Maritime department of Normandy. This year the festival takes place on September 15th.
Neufchâtel is a soft cheese made from cow’s milk and traditionally made in the shape of a heart. It is however also possible to buy it as log shapes, known as a bondes and squares (carrés). It is similar in texture to Camembert, matured for 8-10 weeks and has a rich mushroom/nutty taste.So why the heart shape? It is said that French dairymaids fell in love with English soldiers during the 100 Years War (1337 – 1453) and created the heart–shaped cheeses for them.
Sandwich participates in the Heritage Open Days during the weekend of Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th September, which is hosted by many cities, towns, and villages throughout England to celebrate history and heritage.
France hosts a similar event from mid to late September known as Les Journées du Patrimoine which features activities with a heritage or historic theme. Normandy’s programme is made up of over 600 events across the five departments (Calvados, Eure, Manche, Orne, and Seine-Maritime) including concerts, workshops, exhibitions, visits to churches, abbeys, castles, priories, and mansion houses.
Many thanks, as usual, to Mark for the intro above.
What’s happening in the Sandwich Honfleur Twinning Association?
Following the Association’s Annual General Meeting in July, the new Committee embarked on the SHTA 2025-2026 season by inviting all of those who had become New Members over the past 12-18 months to an evening get-together at
The Waiting Room in Sandwich on Thursday 28th August. Committee members and new members enjoyed each other’s company and learnt a bit more about one another in an informal and relaxed atmosphere. Details and plans for SHTA social events for the next 12 months were discussed and a good number of those present signed up for a variety of forthcoming activities.
Above: just a few of the New SHTA Members at The Waiting Room.
Our Film Season featuring a French film at The Empire Cinema in Sandwich every middle Wednesday of 9 months between September and June forms a major part of the SHTA programme. This year we kick off on Wednesday 17th September
when we’ll be screening ‘L’Homme du Train’ (English title: ‘The Man on the Train), a 2002 drama directed by Patrice Leconte which stars Jean Rochefort and Johnny Hallyday. Here’s a synopsis from Rotten Tomatoes:
“Milan (Hallyday) is a beleaguered old thief who rolls into a small French town with the aim of robbing its bank. However, a chance meeting with a local professor, Monsieur Manesquier (Rochefort), delays his scheme and leads to an unexpected friendship. Milan has grown tired of his adventurous life on the run and wishes to retire in peace; Manesquier craves the danger he’s never known in his bookish existence. Their shared admiration and envy inspires each to follow his dream.” The website’s consensus reads: ”A lovely, contemplative character study with two wonderful performances at its centre.”
As in past film seasons, if you’d like to reserve your place for our film in September, please send me an email on stuartpjones100@yahoo.co.uk. Amazingly, 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. Whilst doing that, why not also pay your membership subscription for the year which also remains at the same bargain price as many previous years of £12.50 per head.
Now that we’re into September, the first non-film social event of the season to entice you to attend is our Cheese & Wine Evening which we’ll be holding in the
Jury Room at the Guildhall on Tuesday 23rd September.There will be samples of 6 different French wines and 6 cheeses, accompanied by a Richard Osman-type quiz (the answer being in the question) and another, a general knowledge one on cheese & wine. All this will come your way for just £15 per head, so, if you’d like to join those who have already signed up, please email me at the address above as soon as possible.
Payment for the Cheese & Wine Evening is due by Friday 12th September. Please make your payment to SHTA using the same bank details as mentioned above towards the end of the last paragraph on this month’s film. As a further attraction to the evening, which will start at 7.00 pm, there will also be a raffle during the course of proceedings. A fun occasion awaits!
Before mentioning events beyond this month, can I please remind you that your
Subscription for your SHTA Membership for 2025-2026
is due by 30th September.
Please pay your £12.50 per head to SHTA using the bank details mentioned above. Thank you.
November and early dark evenings may seem a long way off, but now is a good time to ask you if you might be able to volunteer to help to promote SHTA on our Vin Chaud Stall which will be part of the Switch-On of the Christmas Lights on Saturday 29th November. All that’s required will be some help towards the creation of our very own famous mulled wine and a word or two in the direction of passers-by and visitors to our stall. Please let Christine Ratcliffe know on the email address at the end of this newsletter if you could be on our stall for an hour between 2.00 pm and 7.30 pm. All help will be greatly appreciated, thank you.
Almost two weeks later, the SHTA Christmas Dinner & Party will be taking place on Thursday 11th December. We’re looking forward to holding this at The Bell Hotel in Sandwich, a first for SHTA. Many thanks to all of those who have signed up for this, so, if you haven’t already, why not get in touch to ensure that you don’t miss out on a sure-fire evening of fun and enjoyment, with a glass of fizz on arrival at 6.30 pm and the meal starting at 7.00 pm in the upstairs function room. The cost of the meal will be, as for the past couple of years, £32 for the two-course option and £37 for three courses. There will be the usual seasonal choices as well as alternatives including vegetarian and gluten-free options.
Finally for this newsletter, you’ll be aware that there’s a lot of planning that goes into the organisation of a group visit to either Sandwich or our twin town of Honfleur. With this in mind, your Committee would be very grateful if you could consider hosting a guest or two when our friends from Normandy come to Sandwich in 2026. Often they’ve come in June, but preparation time will be shorter this time as their group will be staying with us from Thursday 14th – Sunday 17th May, hence our request to you now to sign up as a host. If you have any questions about this, please don’t hesitate to ask. Many thanks in advance.
That’s all the news for now. Looking forward to seeing you at one of our events soon,
Best wishes, Stuart, Mark and the Committee.