Saturday 13 April 2024

Northumberland Senior Cup Final 2024

 Northumberland Senior Cup final at Morpeth Rugby Club between Alnwick RFC and Northern FC.  

IJ Morpeth RFC




Friday 29 March 2024

Falcons 2023/24 - Leicester

 

Flash Falcon v Leicester


Twenty minutes of overtime and Leicester down to 12 men..... but unfortunately the Falcons could not score. 

Sunday 24 March 2024

Reims 2024 - Champagne Tasting

 Reims, the center of the Champagne region in France. A visit to to the Charles De Cazanove Champagne House in Reims to learn about the local drink. 

 Charles De Cazanove Champagne House Reims


The Charles de Cazanove Champagne House was founded in 1811 in Avize 40km south west of Reims. 

Champagne Charles De Cazanove (champagnedecazanove.com)


An opportunity to understand the process  of producing champagne. 


Once the grapes have been harvested they are pressed and the grape juice stored in tanks or barrels for first fermentation. 

Charles De Cazanove Reims primary fermentation tanks

Charles De Cazanove Reims primary fermentation barrels


The wines are then blended and bottled. 



They are aged with the second fermentation taking place in a bottle which produces the bubbles. Whilst being aged the bottles need to be turned regularly in a process known as riddling. This is done by hand or machine. 

Charles De Cazanove Riddling Mechanisms

After ageing and second fermentation the champagne is discouraged from the bottle and rebottled and corked. The traditional hand bottling has been replaced by mechanical bottling. 

Charles De Cazanove hand bottling

 
Charles De Cazanove
Finished Bottle

Charles De Cazanove Champagne ready for consumption

An the opportunity to learn about the different blends of grape that style the champagne and the amount residual sugar that give the differing taste of champagne.





Then the opportunity to taste the Champagnes and discover the different tastes.

Charles De Cazanove Champagne Tasting
Romance
Arlequin
Brut Blanc de Blanc
Brut Blanc Noir
Ɓrut Milleesimme 2007

Charles De Cazanove Champagne Tasting

Charles De Cazanove Champagne Tasting

Charles De Cazanove Champagne Tasting

Charles De Cazanove IJ





 


Reims 2024 - Reims-Gueux Grand Prix Circuit

 The former Reims Gueux  race track is located 8 km west of Reims . The racing circuit was made up of public roads and was active during from 1926 till 1966.

Located 8 km west of Reims is a former Grand Prix racing circuit which was made up of rural public roads. 

The grandstand, pits and other buildings have been restored and the public roads used in the racing are in still in use. The preservation of the circuit and it's history is undertaken by Les amis du Circuit de Gueux.

The circuit established in 1926 when the circuit hosted the second Grand Prix de la Marne.

1926 Grand Prix de la Marne

The  original circuit  went through the village of Gueux.

Reims-Gueux Grand Circuit 1926

1928 Grand Prix de la Marne Gueux

The Grand Prix de la Marne was held on the circuit from 1926 to 1931.


 In 1932 it was the venue for the French Grand Prix. 

1932 French Grand Prix

From 1933 to 1937 the Grand Prix de la Marne returned, as did the French Grand Prix in 1938 and 1939. 
1936 Grand Prix de la Marne Gueux

Grand Prix racing was suspended from 1940 to 1946 during the Second World War.
The first post war race in Reims was the 1948 French Grand Prix which was also held there in 1949, 1950 and 1951.

1951 French Grand Prix

For the 1952 Grand Prix  de la Marne the track was re-configured to bypass Gueux.




Reims-Gueux Grand Circuit 1952

The circuit hosted the French Grand Prix in 1953,1954,1956, 1958 to 1961,1963 and 1966.

1966 French Grand Prix

The circuit closed in 1972. As well as the Grand Prix racing the circuit hosted hosted the 12 hours of Reims sports cars endurance race and motor cycle racing. 

1967 12 Hours of Reims

1967 12 Hours of Reims

Reims-Gueux

Reims-Gueux Pits and Hospitality Stand

Reims-Gueux Pits and Timekeepers building

Reims-Gueux Starting Straight

Reims-Gueux DM AJ IJ


Reims-Gueux Circuits

The current public roads make a circuit of the original 1926 circuit possible (Yellow Route). It does however pass through the centre of the village of Gueux. The 1953 circuit is not possible (Red Route) as part of that route comes to a dead end and does not connect the rest of the circuit.

It is possible to complete a circuit which combines both the 1926 and 1953 circuits. The starting straight is common to both circuits. Then it is case of joining the 1953 circuit to bypass Gueux, before rejoining the 1926 circuit. The circuits combine at the Virage de la Garenne down the straight  to Virage de Thillois and right onto the finishing straight. 

Reims-Gueux ready for the off

Reims-Gueux ready for the off
















Reims 2024 - Museum of Surrender

 On Monday, May 7, 1945 at 2:41 a.m. the unconditional surrender of the German Third Reich was signed at Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF) in Reims bringing the war in Europe to an end.

German unconditional surrender Reims

The headquarters of SHEAF were located in the Collège Moderne et Technique near the railway station in Reims.

SHEAF  HQ Collège Moderne et Technique Reims

The headquarters returned to being an educational establishment after the war and remains so today.  The room where the surrender was signed was preserved and part of the college turned into a museum. 

Collège Moderne et Technique Reims

Surrender Museum Reims

German unconditional surrender Reims

German surrender room and signing table

German surrender room and signing table IJ


German Instrument of Surrender

German unconditional surrender display