From the President

 Chers tous,

Today is 1 May, a public holiday in France to celebrate Labour Day, which commemorates the social achievements of workers and has its origins in the fight for the eight-hour day. It is synonymous with International Workers' Day in most countries. It is also Lily of the Valley Day. Back on 1 May 1560, King Charles IX of France was presented with lily of the valley (muguet) flowers as a lucky charm. The King appreciated the gift so much that he decided to gift the flowers to every lady of his court every year on 1 May. This gesture started to become more commonplace at the beginning of the 20th century with men presenting lily of the valley flowers to women to express their affection. Nowadays, it has become custom to give a sprig of these flowers as a token of appreciation to close friends and family members on 1 May. For one day each year, the French government allows the tax-free sale of lily of the valley flowers on the street to promote this tradition and ensure its continuation.

Due to the persistence of French subtitles refusing to give way to those in English, your cinema night (24 April) began with a somewhat unexpected plot, but thanks to Lil and Mike Warren the evening was saved by replacing the film La Dégustation (The Degustation) with Eiffel, a film which in the end was apparently enjoyed by everyone. Many thanks to Lil and Mike for their responsiveness. For those of you who weren't interested in La Dégustation but would like to see Eiffel, the DVD is now available from our library. Please contact Rhonda, our librarian, should you need more details.

An exhibition on a cast-iron cocotte (casserole dish) may seem a far-fetched idea, but to mark its centenary, the Le Creuset brand has decided to pull out all the stops. The famous cocotte, the essential star of our grandmothers' kitchens, celebrated its centenary with a temporary exhibition held in Paris on 16 and 17 April. https://www.lecreuset.com.au/centenary/cap0216.html

An article published in France Today Magazine: “No Whey! Is The Future of French Cheese at Risk?” attracted my attention ; France without Camembert and Brie seems unthinkable, so if you agree with me and are interested, read the short article on page 3 of this month’s newsletter.

Looking forward to seeing many of you on 29 May for our picnic day! Please bring a chair, a bottle, and a plate to share, but before making any preparations, wait for Mike’s message with all the necessary details.

A très bientôt, See you soon,

Sylvie