New Members Evening, 9th January 2020

We had an excellent turnout for an enjoyable evening at the Kings Arms with fizz and canapés, with an additional 2 new members joining on the night!

We saw out the last decade with our annual Christmas Dinner & Party on Saturday 14th December at The King’s Arms. A fabulous evening was had by all and we greatly admired John Gisbey’s illuminated Christmas Jumper!

A very busy night for the staff in the festive period nevertheless saw them provide wonderful service and a lovely meal for 48 guests who were generous in their donations to Pilgrims Hospice; together with Gift Aid, we’ve been able to give them a contribution of £200. Many thanks to all of you who donated.

Le Weekend

Despite the rather wet and windy start to Le Weekend the SHTA stand welcomed many visitors over the Saturday and Sunday.

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Sandwich Christmas Lights, 30th November 2019

A big thanks to all those that helped with our Vin Chaud stalls which helped raise £400 for the Sandwich Community Lights Committee, with the chilly, but dry weather, the Guildhall square was full to capacity this year.

Remembrance Day Service, Sunday 10th November at the War Memorial. Committee members (left to right) Rick Ratcliffe, Christine Ratciffe, Jan Cooper, Sandra Jones and Stuart Jones laying a wreath on behalf of SHTA.

Wreath message: ‘In memory of those who gave their lives’ from Sandwich Honfleur Twinning Association.

60-year celebrations in Honfleur

Thirty-seven travellers left Sandwich on Thursday 20th June to spend the next four days in Honfleur with their Normandy hosts to celebrate 60 years since the inception of the twinning arrangement between the two towns.

Part of the celebrations saw the inauguration of a new road, La Rue de Sandwich, seen below being unveiled by Honfleur Mayor, Michel Lamarre, Sandra Trussler, widow of former Sandwich Mayor, Joe Trussler and Janice Norman, a student visitor to Honfleur in 1960.

Above: four of the SHTA Committee with the new sign, Stuart Jones, Sandra Jones, Jan Cooper and Steve Laslett.

A speech from Monsieur Lamarre gave a brief history of the exchange, with a translation read by Sue Wallis, former Chair of SHTA, and a reply by Stuart Jones, current SHTA Chairman, included a letter from the Mayor of Sandwich. A Gertrude Jekyll English rose was presented by Sandra Jones, SHTA Secretary, which will be planted in the nearby eco-district’s park as a memento of the occasion.

After the road-opening, many of the group spent the evening in town taking in the vibrant atmosphere of the Fête de la Musique. A vast array of cafés and restaurants offering crêpes, galettes and much more were accompanied by dancing, singing and a range of musical talent. Earlier in the day the group had enjoyed a visit to the Château du Breuil and its calvados distillery, a lunch inside four huge calvados barrels at a restaurant in Pont l’Évêque and a boat trip from Honfleur harbour out into the Seine estuary to view close-up the enormous Normandy Bridge.

Guests and hosts decided between themselves how to spend Saturday 22nd June: some strolled around the fantastic Honfleur market; some travelled to local sites of interest; others selected a café or bar while a few indulged in a spot of retail therapy!

Late afternoon saw us entertained by Kanto Mondo, an all-female singing group in the Ancienne Chapelle de l’Hôpital where we were enchanted by songs from all around the world.

We were treated to a formal dinner in the evening at La Briquerie where Monsieur le Maire thanked everyone involved for their part in the 60-year history of the twinning, while President Pierre Jan & Chairman Stuart Jones, spoke on behalf of the Honfleur & Sandwich Twinning Associations, thanking them for their generous hospitality, warmth and kindness throughout. The months of preparation for the celebrations and organisation by the Honfleur committee were clearly evident throughout the weekend.

Above: the newspaper held by Pierre and Stuart was an original copy of The Daily Telegraph of 1959 donated by Sandra Jones to our friends in Honfleur.