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Petersfield Twinning Association
Promoting goodwill and friendship with Barentin in France and Warendorf in Germany
Designed by Phil Chapman.
NEWSLETTER NOVEMBER 2008
Dear Twinners,
I hope you have been enjoying the autumn sunshine we have had lately before the winter sets in. We were able to enjoy the Boules and Barbecue out of doors in September, and it was a very pleasant occasion, where our youngest member (now aged 12 months) delighted everyone. Sadly the weather was not quite so obliging for the Bring and Buy stall at the beginning of October, but we did manage to raise £111 before the rain drove us away. Thank you to everyone who helped by buying or selling and especially to Bernard Kirk who made lots of delicious jam, some of which found its way to Germany two weeks later.
A group of us was fortunate enough to go to Warendorf in mid-October to attend their first international Arts Festival, inspired by Petersfield’s Paint Trail. We not only experienced art, but also their annual Fettmarkt ( a livestock market, including a large funfair) - and lovely sunshine! We joined artists from Olesnica in Poland, and Pavilly and Barentin in France. It was a delightful weekend, and our artists - Julian Bond and Diane Thiessen - held workshops with the other artists on the Saturday, as well as displaying some of their work, and - I hope - enjoyed themselves. On the Friday John and Muriel Kent gave an illustrated presentation to a class of 15-year-old pupils on Petersfield and the Downs and on some traditional British customs. The pupils are due to produce some art work as a result of this session and we look forward to seeing the results. Our artists hope to hold an exhibition here in Petersfield in April next year, when they may need help in hosting Warendorf artists. I am sure some of the twinners will be able to help out. There were also suggestions of an international football competition and an international music event, so many things may develop in the next year or two.
We have in this Newsletter an account of the Warendorfers’ visit in July, written by Ulrike Klapp, who had not been to Peterfield before, and who clearly enjoyed visiting the area despite the rain.
We are planning next year’s exchange to Warendorf, which will take place from Wednesday 5th August to Tuesday, 11th August. (please note it is not Wednesday to Wednesday). We are trying to hire a coach which will take us direct to Warendorf, since the air links from Bournemouth have been stopped and flying would mean going to Stan- sted and Paderborn, which makes for a horrible journey. At present it seems to be that:
if we have 35 people travelling, it will cost £135 a head, but if we have 25 people, it will cost £150 just for the travel.
We do not yet know whether there will be any admission charges to places of interest.
There will be a ‘Horse Symphony’ on the Saturday, where we will see dressage and horses dancing, a little like displays of the Spanish Riding School in Vienna, and plans are in the process of being made.
We have several events planned for here in Petersfield during the winter. First, there is our Quiz this week on 13th November at The Half Moon P.H. It is short notice but, if you have not yet asked to come along and would now like to do so, please ring Philip Brenchley on 264435 to see if there is room. At present there are about 40 people due to attend. You will also need to say whether you wish to have a cheese, ham or mackerel ploughman’s. The price is £9 a head.
We also have an International Supper at The Masonic Hall in Windsor Road on Saturday, 10th January at 7.30p.m. There will be a 3 course meal - each course from a different country. There will be a bar available on the evening. The cost will be £12 per head and there will be a raffle. We need to know how many are coming by 31st December. So please apply early before getting involved in preparations for Christmas! You are free to bring friends if you wish, but numbers will be limited to 40, so don’t leave it too late.
Just a month later we shall be holding our winter Bring and Buy Sale at The Pop In Club in the High Street. The date is Saturday, 7th February. The time will be 10 a.m. to 12.30p.m. We shall be pleased to receive items to sell - books, cakes, bric à brac etc. If you receive unwanted Christmas presents, this is an ideal opportunity to off-load them for a good cause. We shall also hold a raffle as usual. Please come along to support us and tell your friends about the event, too. We shall need help with running the event, so if you can give an hour or so on that morning, please return the reply slip at the end of the Newsletter.
Our A.G.M. will take place some time in March. More details will come with the next Newsletter. In addition, it is hoped to organise a visit to Ballard’s Brewery near Rogate, but no arrangements have yet been made. We hope to have another Car Treasure Hunt in the spring. Again, no definite arrangements are yet available, so watch this space, as the saying goes.
We are also due to host our friends from Barentin next year. It looks as though they wish to come for the 3-day weekend of 23rd to 26th May, (the Spring Bank Holiday weekend) but we await confirmation of these dates. At present money there is a problem - they are not used to organising fund-raising events, as we are here, and they are trying to sort things out. We hope to know fairly soon whether the above dates are definite or not. By the next Newsletter we should have more information.
A number of twinning members took part in The Lions’ Annual Quiz at the end of October, which raised a record £1800 for Holidays for the Disabled. I am delighted to tell you that, for the second year running, the Quiz was won by Jenny and Philip Brenchley, Jenny’s sister, Eileen Tyler, and 3 other friends. They were kind enough to donate their £60 prize back to the Lions to be added to the charity proceeds. It was a good evening as usual, with more teams than ever taking part.
The committee will be considering at its next meeting whether we can offer the Youth Travel Bursary again next year. As you may remember, we hope to make this an annual offer if possible. If you know of any young people who will be between the ages of 16 and 22 next summer and who might be interested in applying for it, please spread the word. More details will be made public early in the New Year, if the committee decides to award the Bursary in 2009. This year’s recipient, Alex Butler, spent a very worthwhile two weeks in Warendorf in August and he is due to report back to the committee at our next meeting. The Bursary must be used to conduct a project either in the Warendorf area or the Barentin area. We can help find accommodation for the person who goes.
Can I remind everyone that if you are available on the first Thurs- day of each month, there is a social get-together at The Half Moon from 8.00 o’clock for an hour or so. So if you are free pop along and see who is there. Just one point: as the first Thursday in January is New Year’s Day, there will be no get-together then.
Enjoy the run-up to Christmas, if that’s possible. We have four people travelling to Warendorf in December to show German pupils what we cook for Christmas, while we at home can ensure that we have made our mince pies, Christmas puddings and Christmas cakes, and whatever else we think is essential! I hope to see you all soon.
With all best wishes,
Gill Clarke
Your Chairman
Some pictures from the Warendorf Arts Festival Weekend
The Visit to Petersfield in July 2008
by Ulrike Klapp
On Saturday 5th July, the Warendorfers gathered at the local central bus station at 6:15 for the trip to Petersfield. Among them were some newcomers like me, some of them had been to Petersfield before and were looking forward to seeing friends again. Everybody was in high spirits - all the more as the sun was shining brightly and the coach was already waiting for us. It was a quick job to get the luggage into the coach and soon we were on our way.
The journey to Calais was a smooth one - our coach driver did a very good job (he proved to be one of the nicest and most capable drivers you could think of!) . On board the ferry to Dover we were very eager to spot the White Cliffs - and spot them we did! First shots were taken…
After leaving „Europe“ and getting ashore, we headed for Petersfield where we arrived at around 19:00. The hosts welcomed the visitors - there was a lot of hugging and greeting, as most of the visitors and hosts knew each other quite well. The evening was spent at the hosts’ homes.
The next day - Sunday - saw us sleeping in late, all the more as the weather had changed: as bad luck had it, it was raining nearly the whole day. Nevertheless, the Warendorfers were taken to a walk in town to see the Farmers’ Market, to attend Sunday service in church etc. The rest of the day including the evening was spent with the hosts, enjoying company, discussing Wimbledon tennis (!) and exchanging news.
On Monday we (and some Petersfield hosts) departed for Chichester, where we had a most interesting guided tour in the cathedral. After that everybody had a stroll around town as the fancy took them, before we set off for Fishbourne. All of us were most impressed by the excellent reminders of the Roman past, especially those who had never seen the mosaic before. The one in Cologne (which people from North-Rhine Westphalia take pride in) can’t compete with the one in Fishbourne!
After returning home and getting a short rest we got on the coach for the hog’s roast in the ‘Hog’s Lodge’ in Butser. Meanwhile the weather had changed and it had become quite chilly. As the meal had been booked to be served outside, the management had to do its best to sort out the razzle-dazzle on arrival - as all of us were now to be seated inside! But they did their best and soon we were all having a delicious hog’s roast, accompanied by various drinks, also mixing up during the evening and thus getting to know each other even better.
Tuesday brought us to London at a very early hour. But it meant a fairly quick trip into the city centre as traffic was not too bad by then. 11:00 saw us outside the Palace of Westminster, excitedly waiting for the guided tour in the Houses of Parliament. And exciting it was! And most impressive! Even for Germans not used to events and ceremonies like the opening of Parliament. The guides’ humorous speeches could easily hold people’s attention. So time flew quickly.
Outside again, everybody was off to meet up with London friends, to stroll around the city, to visit a museum, to take a boat to Greenwich, to take a ride on the “Eye” etc. At departure time a group of cheerful and thrilled people gathered, although showing signs of strain and weary-boned, they all agreed: London is ALWAYS worth a visit!
A month’s rainfall within 24 hours - that was what was waiting for us on that very wet Wednesday. Nevertheless some people went to visit Portsmouth and its famous sights. Although sight was very much restricted by rain pouring heavily - particularly when we got on the Spinnaker Tower - those who had gone enjoyed visiting the Old Dockyard with its traditional ships, found shopping in Gunwharf Quays entertaining and had ‘cream tea’ in one of the cafés there, discussing whether the ‘Morris Men’ would have their go in the evening.
They didn’t - due to the weather. And that was a very reasonable decision - as not only the dancers but also the audience (if there had been any…) would have got soaked with rain. So people spent their evenings in the families, some met up in ‘The Good Intent’ and quickly felt at home (!) in that very British place - at least the German customers saw it that way…
Meanwhile, Ms Renate Schulze Versmar (Madam Chairman? Chairwoman? Chairperson? - I remember the many discussions we had about this term) as well as Ms Liesel Tertilt, both of the Warendorfer artist group, had been busy meeting artists from Petersfield and finalising the arrangements for the Art Exhibition in Warendorf in October, which will present pieces of art of different kinds from all our twin towns (Petersfield/GB, Barentin and Pavilly/France, Olesnica/Poland). At the time workshops will be offered at schools and for all people who are interested in art and information about the relevant towns. It turned out to be most practical that we could already take the Petersfield pieces of art on our coach to get them to Warendorf!
A mix of sunshine and rain - luckily most of us had their umbrellas brought along, and those who hadn’t were provided with umbrellas by empathetic Petersfielders - awaited us on Thursday morning. The trip to Winchester was a quick one - and the Cathedral itself and also the Close were certainly worth visiting. Having ‘Cornish Pasty’ sitting on a bench in front of the Cathedral in the sun was certainly something one won’t easily forget!
A relaxed stroll around town also led us to hidden places with lovely garden patches, remarkable pieces of architecture and - last but not least - various shops which we roamed in order to find something to take home.
Back to Petersfield by around 15:00 we had some time to get ready for the big event in the evening: a visit to Uppark with our final meal, provided for us by the Petersfield Twinning Association.
Our coach took most of the visitors as well as some hosts to that lovely place.
The guided tour around the beautiful building held certainly our utmost attention and we enjoyed the splendour of its interior.
And then it was time to have our ‘farewell dinner’. Meanwhile our mayor of Warendorf, Mr Jochen Walter, had arrived. Soon the seats were taken and a delicious two-course meal was served, accompanied by gorgeous wines and beverages, the latter provided by the town of Petersfield. The Warendorf mayor had brought along a present for the Petersfield mayor, Mr Vaughan Clarke. This gift showed the typical historic gables in Warendorf, engraved on a metal plate (which was subject to an especially detailed search of the mayor’s luggage on the plane). Jochen Walter made a speech (in English) in which he thanked the Petersfielders for their hospitality and pointed out that twinning does not mean to be an official act only but mainly means to be what everybody could virtually see: people spending time together, having fun, enjoying each other’s company and learning from each other, crossing borders.
Friday morning saw us on our way to Stonehenge and Salisbury. I think, talking about Stonehenge would mean carrying coals to Newcastle, so I’d like to confine myself to saying that - although I have known Stonehenge for about 30 years by now - it is still an awe-inspiring place and that certainly everybody was highly impressed by its view and the stories which go with it. Luckily the place was not too much crowded (yet) and so everybody could have their individual share in the atmosphere.
Salisbury provided another impressive cathedral - this time with a lovely restaurant in the cloister so that the visitors could sit down to rally their energies to admire the copy of the Magna Charta in the Chapter and later to start off for a last trip in and around town. Last minute shopping was done, some more pictures taken (those digital cameras never seem to cease to work) and off we were to Petersfield - a last time…
The last evening was spent in the host families; we had to do the packing, as the following morning was to be an early one. Last dinner, last conversations, last….., no, future plans for the return visit in 2009.
On Saturday morning we had to say goodbye to our gracious and generous hosts.
“All good things must come to an end” - how right you are, Gill! We all were very sorry to leave, it was all great fun and a joyous experience for everybody, everyone had thoroughly enjoyed their time in Petersfield - but we also look forward to seeing our friends again in 2009!
P.S.: Thank you
- in particular for the incredible hospitality some hosts offered to the two “B&B-people”….
- and also for the orange marmalade all of us got at our departure. Whenever we will have it for breakfast, we will certainly remember those wonderful days with you.
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Link to Current Newsletter
To see the August 2008 Newsletter click on this link
To see the May 2008 Newsletter click on this link
To see the February 2008 Newsletter click on this link
To see the Winter 2007/08 Newsletter click on this link
To see the September 2007 Newsletter click on this link
