If like me you are a fan of intricate French pastries, and marvel at the wonders which are gorgeously displayed in the elegant windows of Normandy patisserie, then no doubt you have been an avid viewer of Channel 4′s excellent gastronomic delight “Glamour Puds” and being entertained by the Charming Eric Lanlard.
Archive for the ‘April 2010’ Category
April’s Virtual Magazine Issue
Aprils edition – Sir Patrick Moore and Flowery Fish
Click the Cover to view the online magazine
Welcome to April’s Magazine
Welcome to April’s edition
You can contiue to read our editorial below with links to all the articles on this website or flick through our virtual magazine by clicking the magazine image at the bottom of this page . Either way we hope you enjoy reading.
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Normandy comes alive in April. As the clocks are moved forward an hour nature produces a dazzling display with the plants and trees bursting free of the harsh cruel grip of winter as the warmth of the sun’s rays penetrate the earth, Having experienced the terrible combination of snows, rains and winds that brought such destruction; spring brings a welcome warmth to our heart’s and new hope to our souls.
April also carries with it that quirky tradition – April Fool’s Day – a time when everyone is given a licence to play practical jokes on the unsuspecting. These hoaxes range from minor japes played on family and friends to major hoaxes involving thousands of people.
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But when and how did April’s Fool day develop and why?
Extensive research suggests there are many theories but no one satisfactory answer. It would appear that many of the developed countries for some reason or other each adopted a single peculiar custom on one day of the year. One theory about the establishment of April Fool’s Day originated from the alteration of the French calendar in the sixteenth century. Some sources claim that in 1564 France moved the start of the year from the end of March to the date we all use today, January 1st.
As with most changes to the secure rhythm and routine of people’s lives some were resistant and adverse to change preferring to continue celebrating the beginning of the new year at the end of March. The suggestion is that these poor souls were made a laughing stock by having a paper fish pinned on their back and had jokes played on them. Today the French still adopt this tradition called ‘Poisson d’Avril’.
However this theory does not fit the historical development of the calendar reform and there are many countries claiming ownership of the Aprils Fool’s Day tradition, including Great Britain, Germany and the Netherlands.
Most countries such as the UK and Canada the jokes can only be played up until midday, after which any person initiating a prank then becomes the fool. However in others countries such as Italy and France the jokes can last all day. There have been many famous hoaxes played on us the unsuspecting public by people and organisations that we trust and respect. Our favourite prank was played by Sir Patrick Moors and BBC on his Radio 2 show. Both the BBC and Sir Patrick Moor are such bastions of truth and knowledge that we would never have suspected them of playing such a prank!
Sir Patrick Moore announced to an eager audience that trusted his expertise in all things celestial, that on the 1st April a unique alignment of the Planets Pluto and Jupiter would create a counter gravitational pull to the earth’s own gravity. He advised the listeners that if they jumped in the air at precisely 9.47 am they would be able to experience a floating sensation. Hundreds of people did exactly that and many reported back to the radio station with reports of families and friends suspended in animation in their homes and floating around their rooms.
We wish you all a happy April Fools day and can assure you that there are no japes or hoaxes in this month’s magazine. Or are there?
N 4 Normandy Team
Contact us at N for Normandy Magazine using the form at the bottom of the page.
APRIL’S CONTENTS
- Christmas Cupcakes
Christmas Cupcakes with Brandy Butter Frosting - by Lindsey Sermon
- Eric Lanlard
Eric Lanlard, A Master Patissier of Glamourous Puds
- France Equestre - Feb 11
- Diagnostics Immobiliers
Buyers of property in France have traditionally always been very well protected by the law with a whole raft of experts’ reports or ‘Diagnostics Immo-biliers’ that are attached to the Compromis de Vente at the time of signing. However, January ...
- France – a different approach to Education - Part 1
The French education system couldn't be more different to that present in the UK at the moment. This does not pose much of a problem to young families who first attend school this side of the channel but for older kids (and therefore their parents) and...
- N4Normandy - Holiday Accommodation
- You just can't beat a Retreat!
This is the traditionally the time of year when you take stock of your life, looking back at what has gone before and forward to what is to come. Maybe things didn’t turn out quite the way you had planned…Maybe you didn’t have a plan at all...
- Currency Corner - Feb 2011
Hello from Currency Corner! Where did January go? It seemed to whizz by for us at First Rate FX. We had a stand at The France Show at Earl’s Court, London, where 17,400 people came through the doors over the weekend. Friday and Saturday were v...
- Guest Châteaux of Normandy - Canisy
The Incredible Charm of Château de Canisy Nestled on a verdant seven hundred forty acres in Normandy with its own lake, the Château de Canisy near St Lô has been in existence for 1000 years. It is of historic importance in the region, and has a p...
- Guess the Location - Feb 2011
Je suis Normande! I was born in Vire, lived near Lisieux most of my childhood and graduated from the University of Caen. I now live in the state of Minnesota in the US. I am a commercial photographer, specializing mostly in interior/ lifestyle photog...
- Angels - KAS
- Hawkinge Hanger Dance 2011
- Properties in Normandy
- Subway Franchise
- Impending Digging
Well I hope everyone enjoyed the festivities over Christmas? I don’t know about you, but once Christmas is out of the way I tend to think the springtime and warmer weather are just around the corner. Apart from the snow we had in early December I th...
Click the image below if you prefer to read the articles in our virtual magazine
All American – Part 3
By Carol Schultz Vento, daughter of Arthur ‘Dutch’ Schultz, 82nd Airborne, 505 PIR, World War II
Dad and the rest of his division didn’t have much time to regroup before the surprise attack by the Germans which began the Battle of the Bulge, an experience which haunted my father the rest of his life. The paratroopers of the 82nd were on rest and relaxation at Rheims, France after the grueling Market Garden episode.
If I knew you were coming I’d of baked a cake!!
By Madeleine Roux
It had been one of those weeks which had underscored the old adage ‘Life is what happens to you while you are making other plans’. Doing a fair imitation of a ‘whirling dervishes’ I moved from task to task without hardly time for my feet to touch the ground. Motivated by the solemn promise I had made myself – that Sunday morning I would lie in bed indulging in fresh jam on newly baked croissants from our local bakery, listening to the radio where others were taking care of the world while I smugly snuggled into the luxuriant warmth of the duvet.
Lost in Translation
French homework with a sting in the tail!!
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By G.Rand Conte
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Finally recovered from our ignominious arrival on French soil, and settling in enthusiastically in our new home and community, we wanted to improve our French and develop our communication skills. Enrolled at the local school we began our journey into radically reversing how we spoke English. Our E’s now had to sound like I’s and our I’s had to sound like E’s the G was now a J and vice versa.
Given our homework for the week we had to return with an account of what we did during the week and what new words we had learnt. We decided on a walk around our local nature reserve knowing that along the walk there were notice boards displaying detailed information about the natural wildlife.
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On a beautiful morning we set out following the trail that wound around the local marsh land. There were many displays with pictures of the birds and fish and a brief description. With our limited French we accepted the challenge to learn new words along with more about the wildlife.
One particular information board explained that the fossilised trees found in the area are called “Sitting Dogs” by the locals.
Enjoying our sojourn and pleased with the progress we were making, we were challenged by a particular notice that because of its location was hard for to us to read. Placed amidst some interesting looking mini wigwams made from birch wood, we strained to read the wording on the board placed as it was in a rather awkward position between us and a number of small ditches.
Mentally deriding the official who had placed the sign in such a difficult position to read and after a deal of huffing and puffing, I decided that there was no choice but for me to climb over the ditches to read the notice. Just managing to negotiate the ditches and scramble up to the notice, I was finally able to call back the words in French to my partner, who duly began to slowly translate them using our trusty pocket French / English dictionary.
I suppose I should have been alerted as the first word translated was relayed back -Danger” – but I was too engrossed in my task for the word to register. However the second word “Beware” should have kick started my self preservation adrenaline flow, but it wasn’t until the whole sentence was translated “Danger, beware of the wasps nests” that my brain finally realised that the attractive wigwams that I now stood amongst were wasps nests, and that the inhabitants although tiny, and now amassing in large agitated numbers were determined to drive away the stupid English man now hastily crashing through the ditches, put there to stop such as he from getting too close to the wasps and disturbing their tranquillity.
Fortunately the only damage done was to my pride and dignity, as I had attracted the attention of a amused audience of hikers along with a group of bird watchers, who diverted from the rare birds, eagerly trained their binoculars on the strange creature they quickly named the Lesser Spotted Man with flailing arms and red face
The D Day Story Part 3
Ste Mere Eglise the 82nd and 101st paratroopers invade
One particular landing site for the American 82nd and 101st airborne paratroopers was Ste Mere Eglise. Despite the drop starting after 12 pm many of the paratroopers were illuminated by houses that had caught fire. The occupying forces opened fire and ordered the civilians who were trying to put out the house fire back to their homes. Some paratroopers were caught in the house fires, others on telephone poles and trees.
One US Paratrooper John Steele was left hanging from the church roof in the middle of the square when his parachute got caught on the steeple of the village church in Ste-Mère-Église, leaving him dangling precariously to witness the carnage unfolding below. Wounded and in pain he hung there pretending to be dead for two agonizing hours, before the Germans took him prisoner. An effigy of John Steele and his parachute can still be seen hanging from the church in the square. The story was recaptured in the film, ‘The Longest Day’
What to Feed Chickens for Optimum Egg Laying Production
by: Joshua -- www.chicken-ark.net
Feeding chickens is more than simply putting out some grains for your birds. If you are planning to grow chickens that provide you with high quality eggs on a regular basis you must know several basics about chicken feeding. When chickens first begin laying eggs, through the initial laying phase, they are still maturing. During this phase they must have a greater amount of protein. As the amount of eggs begins to diminish their protein requirements also fall.
Are you addicted to eBay?
In under a decade, eBay has grown into an incredible auction website that commands an audience of around 37 million people around the world. Some look for bargain second-hand goods, others look for cheaper versions of something they’ve spotted in the shops, and others just find themselves addictively browsing five times a day, which has to be a bit healthier than smoking, though perhaps no cheaper.
As long as you know what you are looking for, you can usually find it posted on eBay. From skin care products to outfits for you pooch, car care products to shoes – both footwear and alloys – you can bid for what you want and for the price that you are willing to pay.
Apart from the opportunity for a real bargain, there are growing numbers of aficionados who think eBay is simply more fun than a shopping mall. While the process of bidding can see like a tiresome process at your first try, when you do win a bid at a good price, you might feel like you’ve won your item, which is exactly what eBay tells you when you’ve ‘won’ the item. Feeling victorious over a store purchase just doesn’t come that often, unless you happen to find the very last this season’s must have that just happens to be your size.
“eBay is entertainment,” says Dawn Reno, co-author of The Unofficial Guide to eBay and Online Auctions. “It’s different all the time, never the same. Every half-hour there’s all new stuff, which is so indicative of the internet as a whole.
“Plus, people love an auction. There’s something about bidding that gets the heart pounding.”
eBay has certainly become one of the most successful concepts of the internet age. Uniquely, it is like the world’s largest second-hand shop and all the bargain-basement shops in the world all rolled into one.
Jim Griffith, head trainer of eBay University – the company’s road show of seminars for novice buyers and sellers – says, “Even if you don’t use it, you know someone who does, and you’ve had to listen to their stories about how much they love it.”
Since its creation, eBay has become a daily fix for millions of buyers in search of quirky stuff. It’s addictive and many homeowners find themselves hunting around on eBay instead of sitting down in front of the television. People with laptops, of course, often do both at the same time.
“Five minutes of eBay will expose you to more items than you’ll ever see in a shopping centre,” says Marsha Collier, co-author of eBay for Dummies.
On any given day, there are millions items for sale on eBay, with millions of new items added daily. Sales per day run up into the many millions of pounds. For many homeowners, it has become a way to buy what they want and sell what they don’t want.
