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Dear Fellow-Twinners,

I hardly feel I can ask if everyone has spent a good summer in view of the indifferent weather we have experienced. However, I hope most people have managed some R and R somewhere.

There is a fair amount to report this time. First the Bring and Buy Sale at the
end of July was blessed with dry weather. Could that have been because the committee had decided to purchase a gazebo for such events in case of rain? If you came along on that morning you will have seen both the gazebo and the new banner, so we are now more easily identifiable.

We are happy to hire out the gazebo to Association members for the moderate fee of £5 a day. If you would like to take advantage of this, either this autumn or next year, contact our Treasurer, Phil Chapman, on 01730 260990, and he will show you how easy it is to erect.

Then, last month a group of 27 of us travelled to Warendorf for a week’s visit. Unlike previous visits, the weather was rather mixed, but when we needed it to be dry, it was. The reason for the timing of this trip being in mid-August was so that we could witness the celebrations over the weekend of 18^th-19^th August for the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. Warendorf is in a strongly Roman Catholic area and these celebrations attract thousands of people from all over Germany. A full report of the week appears in this Newsletter, so I will say no more except that the Warendorfers may well remember this year for two reasons: one is that the Chamber of Commerce commissioned 120 life-size, resin horses to be made. They are painted in a variety of styles and colours and appear all over Warendorf, advertising shops and other businesses and adding a delightfully quirky touch to the town. The other reason is that there has been an ice-cream price war among the ice-cream parlours. We were able to buy a single scoop of delicious ice cream for 20 cents - 14 pence. Need I say that most of us indulged more than once!

Some of the picturesque horses in Warendorf this summer

The next event in the twinning calendar in a few days’ time on Friday, 21^st September is the Skittles Evening at The Barley Mow in Walderton at 7 for 7.30p.m. There are still a few places available. The cost is £8 per person and this includes a buffet supper. If you have not yet told us you are coming and would like to do so, can you, please, telephone 01730 302862 as soon as possible? If transport is a problem, please phone and we’ll try to help.
We have recently heard that a coach load of our friends from Barentin is going to spend the day in West Sussex on Saturday, 20^th October, and would like to call in at Petersfield at about 7 o’clock on that evening for a couple of hours before heading to the ferry. Those who have contacts here have been asked to let their English friends know whether they are coming or not. To be on the safe side, those of you who know people in Barentin might also like to telephone or write to them to ask them whether they will be among the party. At present the Barentin Chairman has no idea of how many are likely to come - especially as the date coincides with the final of the Rugby World Cup being played in Paris!! . However, when these day trips happen, there are usually a number of folk who have never been to Petersfield before. When we know more, we may find a central venue in the town to welcome them and give them light refreshment. Perhaps you would like to contact us (on the usual telephone number) nearer the time to find out the latest information we have. Even if your particular contacts are not coming, you might like to join several of us to greet any newcomers.
While on the subject of Barentin, the dates for our next visit there in 2008 have been agreed as the last full weekend in May, i.e. Saturday, 24^th May to Tuesday, 27^th. The ferries have not yet announced their tariffs for 2008 and so it is not possible to tell you the cost of this visit at the time of writing. However, if you are interested in going to Barentin then, please complete and return the relevant slip at the end of this Newsletter. You will be under no obligation to commit yourself at this stage but we should like to know possible numbers.
At the end of October, on Friday, 26th.at 7.30p.m., the Lions Club and the 8 O’clock Club are holding their annual charity quiz in the Festival Hall. The Association has once again been invited to take part. We have entered teams for several years and, whereas we have not yet won, we twice came a very creditable 4^th out of about 30 teams. If you would like to join in on this enjoyable occasion, please also complete and return the relevant slip. The cost is £8.50 per head and includes a ploughman’s supper. The profits from the evening go to Holidays for the Disabled.
We need to know numbers by the end of September at the latest.
In the last Newsletter, I mentioned that there might be the possibility of taking a stall at the Christmas Market in December. On reflection, the committee has decided not to take a stall this year after all, but we bear it in mind for 2008.
In the New Year we plan to hold a second Italian Evening. This will be on Saturday, 19^th January. The venue is the Masonic Hall in Station Road, so it is very central and parking is easy in the central car park. The cost for a 2-course meal will be £10 per head. There will also be a bar at this event.
        Finally, the dates of the return visit from Warendorf will almost certainly be in July 2008, probably in the first half of the month. Our German friends have a meeting on the 19^th September and hope to agree dates then. We shall let you know next time.
In February we shall probably hold another Bring & Buy Sale as we did last winter but no date is available yet.
Looking forward to seeing some of you at the Skittles Evening and also in October,
Yours sincerely,

John Kent
Chairman

The “friendship tree” being planted by our                  Warendorf’s Mayor with our flag
Chairman and the Warendorf Mayor, held
in place by three ex-mayors of Petersfield!

                  Some of the Mariä Himmelfahrt arches in Warendorf

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Please note that we wish to add e-mail addresses to the membership list. If you have an e-mail address, would you, please, telephone us on 01730 302862 … or even e-mail us on kent.rowans@ntlworld.com <mailto:kent.rowans@ntlworld.com>

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