1 December: The Channel Tunnel handshake, and a bowl of Leek and Potato Soup
On 1 December 1990 Graham Fagg from Dover and Philippe Cozette from Calais broke through the last wall of chalk under the Channel and shook hands, joining Britain and France on foot for the first time since the Ice Age. A handshake between neighbours deserves something warm and simple to share: leek and potato, one of Britain's best-loved home soups, ladled out for two.
Leek and Potato Soup
United Kingdom5.1
Leek and potato soup is one of the best-loved home soups in Britain. Sliced leeks and onion are sweated gently in butter until soft and sweet, then simmered with cubed floury potatoes in vegetable or chicken stock.
Read about Leek and Potato Soup and get the recipe →What happened
British and French tunnellers Graham Fagg and Philippe Cozette break through the last wall of chalk in the Channel Tunnel's service tunnel and shake hands.
Sources
- UPI Archives: Workers break through in first Channel Tunnel
- Los Angeles Times: 'Hello' and 'Bonjour' as tunnelers meet
- INA: First handshake under the English Channel
This page comes back every year on 1 December.
Every special day and its soup, in one calendar.
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