`Napoleon and a secret passion for liquorice'.

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Byline: By Denis KilcommonsNapoleon and I have a lot in common. He was five foot six and so am I. He had an iron will and I have a whim of iron. And he was a fun guy, just like me.It's quite possible he did a stand-up in the comedy clubs of Paris in between battles and retreats from Russia."Where does Napoleon keep his armies?" he would say.And the audience would reply: "I don't know. Where does Napoleon keep his armies?"To which he would answer: "Up his sleevies."Which was very droll in the early 19th century.Of course, as I've explained before, I have been a francophile since an encounter in the dark with Brigitte Bardot. Unfortunately, she was on the screen and I was in the back row.I even went to a fancy dress party as a French sandal salesman - Phillipe Fillop.The next time I went as Bonaparte but that was less than successful."I don't care if your name is Napoleon, get your hand out of my blouse," one young lady said, after a total misunderstanding over a bread roll.And now, the clincher that persuades me we are soul mates - he loved liquorice.I discovered his secret passion in the book Liquorice by Briony Hudson and Richard Van Riel, which is published by Wakefield District Council at pounds 3.99.My own passion started with a selection box in a Christmas stocking that contained pipes, straps, sticks, wheels, laces all made from liquorice.In fact, it was no selection at all. I also noticed how it tended to turn the teeth black and decided at an early age that a box of Milk Tray was a safer bet than a bag of Pontefract Cakes for a first date.Napoleon had the same problem. He chewed liquorice root incessantly, which blackened his teeth.And he may have had another problem.Research has shown that eating too much of the stuff can affect the male libido. Perhaps that explains the frequenecy with which he said, "Not tonight, Josephine."Liquorice originated in the Middle East and has been used since ancient times as a medicine.So it is strange that Pontefract became a centre for world excellence with the growing of the plant and turning it into sweet confection. Pontefract Cakes date from 1614.By 1900 there were at least 10 liquorice factories in the town that exported around the world. Amazingly, allsorts were mixed with a shovel and cakes were stamped by hand until the 1960s.The popularity of liquorice has declined, although Bassett's still produce more than 14m allsorts a day and Bertie Bassett is still going strong 76 years after he first appeared in advertisements.These days, 90% of the world crop of liquorice goes up in smoke. Literally.It's used as sweet flavouring for American tobacco to make sure it burns evenly.Pontefract itself is a most delightful town that is well worth a visit.Next time you go, buy a bag of Pontefract Cakes and munch one for me. And Napoleon.