NEWS RELEASES
The French are Coming!
4th September 2007
This panic stricken call would have echoed the streets of Horsham if Napoleon had had his way. Two hundred years later panic has changed to delight as Horsham gears itself up for the arrival of Horsham FrenchFest from 14 - 15th September, a festival of French food, fun and French connections. However as the new French Trail at Horsham Museum illustrates, the French have been coming to Horsham for a millennium. In fact Horsham was originally a colony of France, created by a French Lord to make money, but most of the connections involve trade, art and design and food.
The free French Trail allows the visitor to explore a number of fascinating and unusual connections between Britain and France, connections which haven’t always been based on war. The humble fork, that tool of the table now used by more people than the knife has a French tale to tell, whilst the milkmaid* and lovers* are more decorative, but at least they didn’t lose their head over it, unlike the Queen who actually meant French bread but it came out as cake.
As the visitor wanders through the myriad of rooms little French fancies are brought to the attention by the trail. Some of them though are obvious - such as the cannons made in Sussex to defend these shores from the possibility of a French invasion whilst others such as the initials of a French prisoner scratched in to the floor board over 225 years ago could easily be lost amongst the wealth of objects on display.
So whilst visiting a “corner of an English field that for two day’s only, will be French”, make time to wander through the byways of Horsham district’s history and discover the French Connections. If you have time, sit in our award winning garden and look out for any snails that may have escaped our Continental cousins.
Horsham Museum FRENCH Connections trail is free, pick up a copy at the front desk and tour Horsham Museum - you might be surprised by what you find.
* French inspired designs on ceramics
For further information contact Jeremy Knight, Curator.
Horsham Museum
9 Causeway, Horsham, West Sussex RH12 1HE
Tel: (01403) 254959 Fax: (01403) 282594
Email: museum@horsham.gov.uk
http://www.horshammuseum.org/