Grim European port it may appear, but for John Hillman the town of Cherbourg conjures up a rather exciting image

Whenever I hear the name Cherbourg my mind instantly races back to the enduring image of Oliver Reed, resplendent as the Musketeer Porthos, waging a bet that he could take the outer wall of the town just long enough to enjoy lunch with his comrades.

Champagne and fois-gras flowed as bullets and canons roared overhead – the very essence of boneheaded manliness. It made such a lasting impression on me as a child that the last time I visited Cherbourg I attempted to recreate the memory by becoming Oliver Reed for the weekend.

It entertained some of the locals but caused a considerable problem with my travelling companions, who for some reason left their sense of humour back in drizzly old England. Fortunately it didn’t take me long to find a new job afterwards though.

The fact is that Cherbourg has been on the brunt of so many conflicts between England and France; Catholics and Protestants; that it’s hard not to walk around the town without feeling the walls resonate with the sounds of military.

From the 4^th to the 20^th century Cherbourg has been the scene of countless battles, invasions and last gasp defences, making it a town as accustomed to the ebbs and flows of geopolitics as it is to those of the English Channel.

Tags: France, Lifestyle, P&O Ferries //