Attention dear SHTA Members, Friends & Potential Guests!
Please read the first part of this newsletter so that you don’t miss the fun:
You may already know that the SHTA Christmas Dinner & Party, takes place on Thursday 11th December at The Bell Hotel in Sandwich. Many thanks to all of those who have signed up and, particularly, if you’ve given your choice of meal and made your payment to SHTA. Could I please ask those amongst you who have signed up but yet to make your menu selectionor your payment to do so by Monday 24th November at the very latest, if not sooner. Please choose from the range of menu options below and let me know by email asap:
Although the Dinner & Party is essentially an event for Members, even if you haven’t signed up yet, you’re invited to bring a guest(s), so why not introduce your friend(s) to this year’s SHTA festive occasion in The Bell’s function room:
Complimentary fizz will await you on arrival in Reception at 6.30 pm and the meal will start at 7.00 pm in the festively-decorated upstairs room. The cost of the meal, as mentioned above, is £32 for 2 courses or £37 for three. The SHTA account number is 42027168; and sort code is 30-90-09, payment to be made by 24th November, either online or by cash/cheque to SHTA at 104 St George’s Road (Steve Laslett).
What makes this a Party as well as a Dinner? Guests are invited to come in festive outfits and there will, as usual, be prizes for the best on the night. Also, there’ll be a couple of short quizzes, a few silly games and maybe a bit of Christmas singing. An evening of fun is guaranteed!
Depending on whether you’re going for 2 or 3 courses, please choose one from each of the following and contact me with your choice asap:
STARTERS
- Roasted butternut squash & tomato soup, chestnut gremolata, mini tin loaf (V)
- Chicken liver & cherry brandy pâté, pickled vegetables, apple chutney, mini tin loaf
- Smoked salmon, sweet & sour beetroot, shallots, dill, whipped horseradish cream, herb oil, mini tin loaf
- Chard chilli broccoli, white almond gazpacho sauce, sumac, lemon oil (VG)
- Goat’s cheese, chicory & spiced squash salad, lentils, caramelised pecan nuts, chipotle mayonnaise dressing (VG)
MAINS
- Larchfield Farm roasted turkey, crispy roast potatoes, turkey & apricot stuffing in bacon, Yorkshire pudding, seasonal vegetables, cranberry chutney, red wine gravy
- Roasted rolled pork belly, crackling, roasted potatoes, green beans, aromatic braised red cabbage, crispy sage, whisky, wholegrain mustard & honey sauce
- Rye Bay seabass fillet, pea & herb potato cake, buttered samphire, tomato concasse, Prosecco & chive sauce
- Aged prime beef burger, Cheddar cheese, turkey, apricot & bacon stuffing, chorizo pig in blanket, cranberry spiced chutney, roquette leaf, skin-on chips, gravy dipping pot
- Creamy woodland mushrooms & spinach vol-au-vent, sweet potato & root vegetable crush, glazed parsnip, green beans (V/VG)
- Venison & pancetta pie, creamed mash, braised aromatic red cabbage, slow-roasted carrot, red wine gravy
PUDDINGS
- Shepherd Neame Christmas Ale pudding, brandy butter custard, treacle snap shard (V)
- Cranberry & apple crumble slice, custard, raspberry purée (VG)
- Warm chocolate banoffee brownie, Biscoff crumb, cream cheese frosting, caramelised banana, salted caramel sauce (V)
- Baked lemon & blueberry cheesecake, pistachio crumb, festive dark fruit purée (V)
- Kentish cheeseboard including Canterbury Cobble, Kentish Blue & Chaucers, grapes spiced apple chutney, artisan crackers (V)
Better late than never, the monthly introduction from Mark Moorhouse, our Vice-Chair, gives an outline below of what’s happening across the Channel at this time of year:
In Honfleur, Normandy and France:
November is a quiet month in Honfleur – nevertheless there’s Herring Festivals along the Normandy coast and in the inland town of Lieurey. Thursday 20th November is Beaujolais Nouveau Day across the whole of France and beyond.
Herring is traditionally known as the poisson roi (king of fish) in Normandy and, up until the 1970s, was a major contributor to the local economy and population.
Herring festival season in Normandy starts in the seaside town of Le Tréport before moving west along the Côte d’Albâtre (Alabaster Coast) to Dieppe, Saint-Valery-en-Caux and Fécamp. Enjoy stall upon stall of market sellers grilling fresh herrings, fishermen selling their wares on the quaysides, and live music as you eat. In Dieppe, the number one scallop port in France, you can also enjoy this gastronomic speciality alongside herring at the city’s annual festival, which attracts over 100,000 people every year, whereas in Fécamp, Le Musée des Pêcheries (The Fisheries Museum) is well worth a visit to find out more about this fishing port’s rich maritime heritage.
Lieurey in the département de l’Eure also celebrates herring, welcoming around 10,000 people every November. This tradition dates back to the 15th century when merchants delivering herrings to soldiers stopped in the village during a snowstorm and decided to sell the fish to the villagers so it wouldn’t go to waste. There is also an annual challenge to see who can eat the most herrings.
Beaujolais Nouveau is a light, fruity red wine. This “vin de primeur” is known for its fast fermentation and fresh, easy-drinking style, with notes of red berries, banana, and bubblegum.
What is Beaujolais Nouveau ?
- A young wine: It is bottled and sold just a few weeks after harvest, making it the first wine of the new vintage to be released.
- Made from Gamay grapes: These are hand-picked in the Beaujolais province of France.
- A special winemaking technique: It is made using carbonic maceration, which brings out the natural fruitiness and limits tannins.
How is Beaujolais Nouveau celebrated ?
- Beaujolais Nouveau Day: The official release day is the third Thursday of November.
- Festivals: The release is celebrated with festivals and parties in France and around the world.
- Beaujolais Run: A traditional race takes place to be the first to bring the wine from France to other countries, such as the UK.
How to enjoy Beaujolais Nouveau
- Serve slightly chilled: This highlights its fresh, fruity character.
- Pair with food: It works well with lighter foods such as creamy cheeses, white meats, charcuterie, and roasted or earthy vegetable dishes.
Many thanks to Mark for the piece above.
What’s happening in the Sandwich Honfleur Twinning Association?
Our film for this month will be shown on Wednesday 12th November when we’ll be screening ‘Ridicule’, a 1996 period drama directed by Patrice Leconte starring Charles Berling, Jean Rochefort, Fanny Ardant and Judith Godrèche.
Rotten Tomatoes has the following synopsis:
“Moved by the difficulties faced by peasants living in the mosquito-ridden swamplands near Lyon, aristocratic engineer Marquis Grégoire Ponceludon de Malavoy, played by Berling, devises a plan to drain the boggy land. But to gain an audience with King Louis XVI in Versailles, he learns he must impress the royal court with his verbal wit. Drawn into a world of ever-shifting alliances where words are used as weapons, the Marquis begins to lose sight of his noble intentions.”
Roger Ebert, the well-known film critic, gives this verdict:
“Imagine a time when all compliments are two-faced, when every truth is tinged with irony, when insults are the currency of humour. We have more in common with the 18th century than we might imagine. “Ridicule” is a film that takes place at the court of Louis XVI, circa 1783, but its values would be at home around the Algonquin Round Table, or in modern comedy clubs. Wit is all. Sincerity is an embarrassment.
Mike Clark of USA Today gave it four out of four saying:
“Audiences will respond favourably to its overall warmth”. Michael Dwyer of The Irish Times said: “One of the sturdiest most entertaining films of recent years”; while Malcolm Johnson of the Hartford Courant said “Despite its elaborate costumes, wigs and comedy-of-manners verbal games, ‘Ridicule’ exhibits passion as well as style
‘Ridicule’ picked up a whole series of awards in 1997, including the César for Best Film and Best Director; the BAFTA Award for Best Film not in the English Language and an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Film.
If you’d like to reserve your place for our November film, 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 either pay in advance online to SHTA, account number: 42027168; sort code: 30-90-09; or you can pay by cash or card on the night. The same bank details apply if you’re still to update your SHTA Membership. If you’re uncertain whether you’ve paid your £12.50 subscription, please contact Treasurer, Steve Laslett, or myself.
At the end of the month you’ll see SHTA’s Vin Chaud Stall in the Guildhall Fore-
(Above: Jill Hutchinson working hard on our Vin Chaud stall at last year’s event.)
court on Saturday 29th Novemberwhena good number of our members, as every year, will be promoting the Association. We’d be very happy to see you at our stall, either to serve you a cup of our famous brew or a chat, or both! A big thank you in advance to all of our volunteers: merci beaucoup.
Also taking place this month, Sandwich-Sonsbeck Twinning Association has asked if SHTA members can help by supporting them on Saturday 15th Novemberwhen they will be holding a fundraising quiz. The venue is Sandwich Bowls Club, Millwall Place; you’re asked to arrive at 6.30pm and it will finish by 9.30. Cost is £5 per head; teams of 6 or just turn up to join in.
Into 2026 briefly, many thanks if you’ve informed us that you’d be able to host a guest or two in your home next Spring: around 40 of our Friends from Honfleur will be coming to Sandwich from Thursday 14th – Sunday 17th May, so we need capacity to handle this size of group. If you think you could help towards this or if you have questions about it, please email or phone me. Thank you in advance.
Finally, representatives from SHTA will be laying a wreath at the War Memorial in Market Street at 11.00 am on Remembrance Sunday 9th November. You’re more than welcome to join us to mark the occasion.
That’s all the news for now. Looking forward to seeing you either at the November film, our Vin Chaud stall, or the Christmas Dinner & Party, or even all three!
Best wishes, Stuart, Mark and the Committee.