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Petersfield Twinning Association
Promoting goodwill and friendship with Barentin in France and Warendorf in Germany
Designed by Phil Chapman.
May 2006 Newsletter
Dear Fellow Twinners,
Although the weather still remains a trifle cool for the time of year, matters on the twinning front have been hotting up since my last communication.
First: our Bring and Buy Sale at the beginning of February in The Pop-In Club was well supported, and we made a profit of just under £100. Many thanks to all who produced items for sale (there were some delicious cakes), helped, or just brought and bought.
On 8th March the 2006 A.G.M. was also well attended at the Half Moon P.H. Many said that they preferred the venue to either the Rose Room or Petersfield School. We should be interested to hear other people’s views. Our visitors from Alton Town Twinning Association were a cheerful group and entertained us with anecdotes of some of their activities with their Italian twin, Montecchio Maggiore. The evening finished with a not-too-serious quiz. For the benefit of those unable to attend, the officers of the Association and committee who stood were re-elected and, having earlier co-opted Ros Smith to represent Churcher’s College, we gained two new committee members, Dinah Duffy and Elizabeth New, bringing the committee up to its full strength of twelve. We are very grateful to both Ruth Kelly and Anna Stoker who, for personal reasons, felt the need to leave the committee. They have both done some sterling work over the time they have served the Association.
The first weekend in April saw the Town Mayor, Vaughan Clarke, and his wife, Gill, and your Chairman and Secretary in Warendorf for the two mayors to sign a “declaration of intent”, confirming their determination to formalise a civic twinning link between our two towns. A short ceremony took place in the Warendorf Rathaus (town hall), observed by members of the Warendorf Freundeskreis (Friendship Circle) and the party of school pupils from Churcher’s College, together with their hosts, on the first leg of the 2006 exchange between Churcher’s and the Mariengymnasium. That evening the Headmaster of the Mariengymnasium and the Chairman of the Freundeskreis jointly hosted a dinner attended by all the Petersfield representatives in a local restaurant. Yet another step along the twinning road. Three days later the Warendorf Council finally gave its unanimous assent to a formal link between our two towns. We have had a charter prepared here which we hope the two mayors will sign during the Warendorfers’ week-long visit to Petersfield at the end of July, followed by a similar ceremony in Warendorf in September. Please come along to this event, details of which will be advertised in the press.
If you drive, cycle or walk along Ramshill, you will probably have noticed a new “brick in the wall” at the entrance to Barentin Way. On 21st April Taylor Woodrow positioned in one of the brick pillars the hand-carved stone coat of arms of Barentin presented to our (then) mayor, Brian Dutton, by Michel Bentot, mayor of Barentin, in October 2004. The builders made a good job of opening up the brickwork and inserting the stone. We think it adds a neat touch to the entrance of Barentin Way - another reminder of twinning links.
At the end of April a party of 40+ members of the Twinning Association journeyed to Barentin for our biennial get-together in Normandy. The weather was not of the best but our hosts’ welcome was as warm as always. There is a more detailed report of the weekend later in this Newsletter. In the morning before our afternoon departure, Muriel and I and our hostess visited the little copper beech presented to Barentin ten years ago and planted on the edge of the Clos de Petersfield, a small estate of houses. We can report that the tree and the three variegated cornus bushes presented two years ago are flourishing. Photos were taken in the pouring rain just as they were ten years previously.
Now to future events:
Saturday, 10th June - Car Treasure Hunt (provided that fuel costs don’t rise much more). Departure will be at 5.30 p.m. from the central car park, behind The White Hart P.H. We must have details of how many vehicles and people to expect, as we have also publicised the event to one or two other twinning groups. The cost is £5 per car, payable on the night. If you have a copy of the O.S. map of Chichester and the South Downs this will make following the clues easier, but it is not essential. Everyone will be provided with a sealed envelope giving the name of where we shall finish, to be opened (of course) only in case of need. The hostelry where we plan to meet has a pleasant garden in a beautiful setting, so come and join us - but do let us know by the end of May at the latest, returning the relevant tear-off slip.
Saturday, 1st July - Summer Bring and Buy Sale on Lloyds Bank forecourt on , from 10.00a.m. to 1.00p.m. As always we should like to receive items to sell, as well as offers to help on the day itself. Even if you can offer only half an hour of your time, this will be very useful. We cannot accept electrical goods but we shall welcome most other offers such as cakes, tinned goods, plants, bric-a-brac and books. If you can help in any way, please complete and return the relevant slip at the end of the Newsletter. Please encourage your friends to come along on the morning to support us.
From 13th to 16th July - Barentin is celebrating its millennium, the town having been founded in 1006. A packed programme of events is planned, including two firework displays, a dance and a celebratory meal, and the Barentin mayor has invited deputations from each of Barentin’s twin towns - Warendorf, Castiglione and ourselves - to join in the festivities. We are hoping that there will be civic representatives from our town there, as well as members of the Twinning Association and others who may never have been to Barentin before. If you would like to be one of the group, please telephone us on 01730 302862 and we will see if we can add you to the list. There will be no coach for this journey, so all are responsible for their own transport. Travel insurance is also important; one never knows if something totally unforeseen may happen, as befell one of our group who set off for Barentin two weeks ago and, instead, spent over a week in a Caen hospital and is still in hospital in Guildford as I type this. Accommodation in France will be provided by the Barentin Twinning Association for any of our twinning members. Civic representatives will be found accommodation by the Barentin Council.
22nd July - Warendorfers in Petersfield. They will be here for a week. They are travelling by road and ferry and will arrive in the late afternoon of Saturday, 22nd and will leave at about 9.00a.m. on Saturday, 29th. There are about 26 in the group, some married couples and some singles. We would still appreciate one or two offers of accommodation as about three families who were going to host have had to pull out for various reasons. If you can help, please complete and return to us the tear-off slip. Language should not be a problem as almost all the group speak some English, some fluently, as English is the first foreign language taught in German schools. We are always happy for our members to join in the activities planned for visits such as this, but it will be at individuals’ expense. We also plan a farewell meal just before the Warendorfers return. It is hoped that this will not cost more than £16-£17 per head. (Our German friends will be paid for from the Association’s funds.) Even if you cannot host a visitor you may like to join in one of the outings or the farewell meal. As mentioned earlier, we hope to have a charter signed during this visit and we hope also to see as many people at this event as possible. The week’s programme is in course of being finalised at the present time. Please help us to make this a memorable week’s visit. As mentioned on other occasions, we always receive a tremendous welcome from both our German and French friends and we want to reciprocate as best we can.
August sees a lull in twinning activities but, as I have already mentioned, the Germans are talking of having a charter ceremony in Warendorf some time in September. We naturally hope to take a group from Petersfield for this important occasion, although, probably, not a large one. If you would like to be included, please say, so that we have some idea of numbers. If you have not been to Warendorf before we can promise you a delightful visit in this very attractive and hospitable town.
October - Indian evening. As we mentioned in a previous newsletter, an Indian evening has been mooted for the autumn, probably in . It is hoped to hold this at Steep Village Hall and the cost should not be expensive. More details next time.
Just in case some readers, having read this far, get the impression that twinning is only about eating, drinking and socialising (not that there is anything wrong with any of these activities in themselves!), perhaps this is the time to re-emphasise some of the other bonuses that twinning can bring. Just in the past two years the committee has been involved in organising work placements for young people both here and in our two twins across the Channel, putting the Town Juniors Footballers in touch with teams in Warendorf and Barentin, helping several schools to make links with French and German schools and helping local Freemasons to get in contact with Freemasons in Germany. Churcher’s College has had two very successful exchanges with the Mariengymnasium and has also had musical exchanges with the Music School in Barentin. We have even been asked to help find contacts with short wave radio enthusiasts for “hams” in Warendorf! People in Germany are keen to make commercial and industrial links with firms here, so if you know of any companies who would welcome such overtures please let us know. We see ourselves as ‘enablers’, putting people in touch with like-minded souls.
Even if those on the committee do not know anyone personally who can help in every case, in the words of a famous motoring advertisement, we probably know a man (or woman) who can.
New website:
We hope you have noticed our different and colourful heading. Thanks to Phil Chapman, a new(ish) member, we now have some very decorative information leaflets and our own website, which should be operational by the time you receive this. The Association is mentioned on the Hampshire Local Government website but Phil has given us the opportunity to become more widely known still. The new website address is as follows:
www.petersfieldtwinningassociation.org.uk
We can also be contacted directly by a new e-mail address:
honsec@petersfieldtwinningassociation.org.uk
If you are on e-mail, please try this out and let us have your e-mail address.
We are very grateful to Phil for spending so much of his time lately on giving us a new 21st century image.
On a totally different subject, there are at least three members of the committee who happen to be diabetic. The Hon. Sec. is planning to take part in a sponsored walk on 18th June in aid of Diabetes U.K. The length of the walk is not long, only some 2 - 3 miles but if anyone would care to sponsor her for this very worthwhile cause she would appreciate it very much. Any donations of whatever size will be gratefully accepted and passed on to the charity. Again there is a tear-off slip at the end.
Finally (and I really do mean that, as this communication is rather lengthy), you may recall that some three and a half years ago a group from the Association went on a 4-day visit to Christmas markets in Cologne. It has been suggested that maybe there is enough interest among members for a similar trip to a
German Christmas market this December, either in Trier or Bonn. The cost would be in the region of £145 to £169, half board, travelling by coach, depending on the dates chosen. We should need to make a provisional booking fairly soon, so we should like to know what level of interest there may be before we do anything further. Please complete and return the appropriate slip if you are interested in finding out more information.
Please encourage your friends to come and join our ranks. We shall be delighted to welcome them.
Your Chairman,
John Kent
Barentin Visit
Members of the Association have recently returned from the biennial visit to Barentin - Petersfield’s twin town in Normandy. As always, our weekend was crammed full of visits and exceptional hospitality.
This year the group had to travel by the “Transmanche” ferry service via Newhaven and Dieppe and, although the service is very different from the P&O Portsmouth service, it meant that the group arrived earlier in Barentin than hitherto. A welcome reception was held for us in the Salle Warendorf of the Barentin Mairie; the usual hall being used for two weddings that afternoon. Roland Tessiau, the Chairman of the Barentin Association, welcomed us and gave us two books for our public library. John, our Chairman, responded and presented a gift of a basket of Hampshire “goodies”.
The Saturday afternoon and evening were spent in our hosts’ homes and gave people the opportunity to look round the town, shop, or just rest after a very early start. One couple was taken to Monet’s garden at Giverny for a visit before the sun set.
Sunday saw everyone up early for a joint visit to the Bay of the Somme area. We enjoyed a tourist train trip round the Bay from Saint Valéry sur Somme to Le Crotoy, steaming through an area of wetlands, a bird sanctuary. Then, on to lunch at an “auberge” at Noyelles sur Mer. The short run into Eu saw many folk snatch a snooze before spending about an hour walking round this town, visiting the gardens behind the Mairie and the Abbey where William the Conqueror married Matilda.
Monday morning was spent recovering and relaxing after all our travelling before setting out on the return journey. A very busy weekend!
The abiding memory for most people is one of friendship, hospitality and, more often than not, laughter. It is so easy to laugh and enjoy yourself when your hosts put themselves out on your behalf, invite other members for an aperitif or a meal, when stories are told and conversation never flags. Vive le Jumelage!
LINK BACK TO CURRENT NEWSLETTER
______________________________________________________________________________
Dear Fellow Twinners,
Although the weather still remains a trifle cool for the time of year, matters on the twinning front have been hotting up since my last communication.
First: our Bring and Buy Sale at the beginning of February in The Pop-In Club was well supported, and we made a profit of just under £100. Many thanks to all who produced items for sale (there were some delicious cakes), helped, or just brought and bought.
On 8th March the 2006 A.G.M. was also well attended at the Half Moon P.H. Many said that they preferred the venue to either the Rose Room or Petersfield School. We should be interested to hear other people’s views. Our visitors from Alton Town Twinning Association were a cheerful group and entertained us with anecdotes of some of their activities with their Italian twin, Montecchio Maggiore. The evening finished with a not-too-serious quiz. For the benefit of those unable to attend, the officers of the Association and committee who stood were re-elected and, having earlier co-opted Ros Smith to represent Churcher’s College, we gained two new committee members, Dinah Duffy and Elizabeth New, bringing the committee up to its full strength of twelve. We are very grateful to both Ruth Kelly and Anna Stoker who, for personal reasons, felt the need to leave the committee. They have both done some sterling work over the time they have served the Association.
The first weekend in April saw the Town Mayor, Vaughan Clarke, and his wife, Gill, and your Chairman and Secretary in Warendorf for the two mayors to sign a “declaration of intent”, confirming their determination to formalise a civic twinning link between our two towns. A short ceremony took place in the Warendorf Rathaus (town hall), observed by members of the Warendorf Freundeskreis (Friendship Circle) and the party of school pupils from Churcher’s College, together with their hosts, on the first leg of the 2006 exchange between Churcher’s and the Mariengymnasium. That evening the Headmaster of the Mariengymnasium and the Chairman of the Freundeskreis jointly hosted a dinner attended by all the Petersfield representatives in a local restaurant. Yet another step along the twinning road. Three days later the Warendorf Council finally gave its unanimous assent to a formal link between our two towns. We have had a charter prepared here which we hope the two mayors will sign during the Warendorfers’ week-long visit to Petersfield at the end of July, followed by a similar ceremony in Warendorf in September. Please come along to this event, details of which will be advertised in the press.
If you drive, cycle or walk along Ramshill, you will probably have noticed a new “brick in the wall” at the entrance to Barentin Way. On 21st April Taylor Woodrow positioned in one of the brick pillars the hand-carved stone coat of arms of Barentin presented to our (then) mayor, Brian Dutton, by Michel Bentot, mayor of Barentin, in October 2004. The builders made a good job of opening up the brickwork and inserting the stone. We think it adds a neat touch to the entrance of Barentin Way - another reminder of twinning links.
At the end of April a party of 40+ members of the Twinning Association journeyed to Barentin for our biennial get-together in Normandy. The weather was not of the best but our hosts’ welcome was as warm as always. There is a more detailed report of the weekend later in this Newsletter. In the morning before our afternoon departure, Muriel and I and our hostess visited the little copper beech presented to Barentin ten years ago and planted on the edge of the Clos de Petersfield, a small estate of houses. We can report that the tree and the three variegated cornus bushes presented two years ago are flourishing. Photos were taken in the pouring rain just as they were ten years previously.
Now to future events:
Saturday, 10th June - Car Treasure Hunt (provided that fuel costs don’t rise much more). Departure will be at 5.30 p.m. from the central car park, behind The White Hart P.H. We must have details of how many vehicles and people to expect, as we have also publicised the event to one or two other twinning groups. The cost is £5 per car, payable on the night. If you have a copy of the O.S. map of Chichester and the South Downs this will make following the clues easier, but it is not essential. Everyone will be provided with a sealed envelope giving the name of where we shall finish, to be opened (of course) only in case of need. The hostelry where we plan to meet has a pleasant garden in a beautiful setting, so come and join us - but do let us know by the end of May at the latest, returning the relevant tear-off slip.
Saturday, 1st July - Summer Bring and Buy Sale on Lloyds Bank forecourt on , from 10.00a.m. to 1.00p.m. As always we should like to receive items to sell, as well as offers to help on the day itself. Even if you can offer only half an hour of your time, this will be very useful. We cannot accept electrical goods but we shall welcome most other offers such as cakes, tinned goods, plants, bric-a-brac and books. If you can help in any way, please complete and return the relevant slip at the end of the Newsletter. Please encourage your friends to come along on the morning to support us.
From 13th to 16th July - Barentin is celebrating its millennium, the town having been founded in 1006. A packed programme of events is planned, including two firework displays, a dance and a celebratory meal, and the Barentin mayor has invited deputations from each of Barentin’s twin towns - Warendorf, Castiglione and ourselves - to join in the festivities. We are hoping that there will be civic representatives from our town there, as well as members of the Twinning Association and others who may never have been to Barentin before. If you would like to be one of the group, please telephone us on 01730 302862 and we will see if we can add you to the list. There will be no coach for this journey, so all are responsible for their own transport. Travel insurance is also important; one never knows if something totally unforeseen may happen, as befell one of our group who set off for Barentin two weeks ago and, instead, spent over a week in a Caen hospital and is still in hospital in Guildford as I type this. Accommodation in France will be provided by the Barentin Twinning Association for any of our twinning members. Civic representatives will be found accommodation by the Barentin Council.
22nd July - Warendorfers in Petersfield. They will be here for a week. They are travelling by road and ferry and will arrive in the late afternoon of Saturday, 22nd and will leave at about 9.00a.m. on Saturday, 29th. There are about 26 in the group, some married couples and some singles. We would still appreciate one or two offers of accommodation as about three families who were going to host have had to pull out for various reasons. If you can help, please complete and return to us the tear-off slip. Language should not be a problem as almost all the group speak some English, some fluently, as English is the first foreign language taught in German schools. We are always happy for our members to join in the activities planned for visits such as this, but it will be at individuals’ expense. We also plan a farewell meal just before the Warendorfers return. It is hoped that this will not cost more than £16-£17 per head. (Our German friends will be paid for from the Association’s funds.) Even if you cannot host a visitor you may like to join in one of the outings or the farewell meal. As mentioned earlier, we hope to have a charter signed during this visit and we hope also to see as many people at this event as possible. The week’s programme is in course of being finalised at the present time. Please help us to make this a memorable week’s visit. As mentioned on other occasions, we always receive a tremendous welcome from both our German and French friends and we want to reciprocate as best we can.
August sees a lull in twinning activities but, as I have already mentioned, the Germans are talking of having a charter ceremony in Warendorf some time in September. We naturally hope to take a group from Petersfield for this important occasion, although, probably, not a large one. If you would like to be included, please say, so that we have some idea of numbers. If you have not been to Warendorf before we can promise you a delightful visit in this very attractive and hospitable town.
October - Indian evening. As we mentioned in a previous newsletter, an Indian evening has been mooted for the autumn, probably in . It is hoped to hold this at Steep Village Hall and the cost should not be expensive. More details next time.
Just in case some readers, having read this far, get the impression that twinning is only about eating, drinking and socialising (not that there is anything wrong with any of these activities in themselves!), perhaps this is the time to re-emphasise some of the other bonuses that twinning can bring. Just in the past two years the committee has been involved in organising work placements for young people both here and in our two twins across the Channel, putting the Town Juniors Footballers in touch with teams in Warendorf and Barentin, helping several schools to make links with French and German schools and helping local Freemasons to get in contact with Freemasons in Germany. Churcher’s College has had two very successful exchanges with the Mariengymnasium and has also had musical exchanges with the Music School in Barentin. We have even been asked to help find contacts with short wave radio enthusiasts for “hams” in Warendorf! People in Germany are keen to make commercial and industrial links with firms here, so if you know of any companies who would welcome such overtures please let us know. We see ourselves as ‘enablers’, putting people in touch with like-minded souls.
Even if those on the committee do not know anyone personally who can help in every case, in the words of a famous motoring advertisement, we probably know a man (or woman) who can.
New website:
We hope you have noticed our different and colourful heading. Thanks to Phil Chapman, a new(ish) member, we now have some very decorative information leaflets and our own website, which should be operational by the time you receive this. The Association is mentioned on the Hampshire Local Government website but Phil has given us the opportunity to become more widely known still. The new website address is as follows:
www.petersfieldtwinningassociation.org.uk
We can also be contacted directly by a new e-mail address:
honsec@petersfieldtwinningassociation.org.uk
If you are on e-mail, please try this out and let us have your e-mail address.
We are very grateful to Phil for spending so much of his time lately on giving us a new 21st century image.
On a totally different subject, there are at least three members of the committee who happen to be diabetic. The Hon. Sec. is planning to take part in a sponsored walk on 18th June in aid of Diabetes U.K. The length of the walk is not long, only some 2 - 3 miles but if anyone would care to sponsor her for this very worthwhile cause she would appreciate it very much. Any donations of whatever size will be gratefully accepted and passed on to the charity. Again there is a tear-off slip at the end.
Finally (and I really do mean that, as this communication is rather lengthy), you may recall that some three and a half years ago a group from the Association went on a 4-day visit to Christmas markets in Cologne. It has been suggested that maybe there is enough interest among members for a similar trip to a
German Christmas market this December, either in Trier or Bonn. The cost would be in the region of £145 to £169, half board, travelling by coach, depending on the dates chosen. We should need to make a provisional booking fairly soon, so we should like to know what level of interest there may be before we do anything further. Please complete and return the appropriate slip if you are interested in finding out more information.
Please encourage your friends to come and join our ranks. We shall be delighted to welcome them.
Your Chairman,
John Kent
Barentin Visit
Members of the Association have recently returned from the biennial visit to Barentin - Petersfield’s twin town in Normandy. As always, our weekend was crammed full of visits and exceptional hospitality.
This year the group had to travel by the “Transmanche” ferry service via Newhaven and Dieppe and, although the service is very different from the P&O Portsmouth service, it meant that the group arrived earlier in Barentin than hitherto. A welcome reception was held for us in the Salle Warendorf of the Barentin Mairie; the usual hall being used for two weddings that afternoon. Roland Tessiau, the Chairman of the Barentin Association, welcomed us and gave us two books for our public library. John, our Chairman, responded and presented a gift of a basket of Hampshire “goodies”.
The Saturday afternoon and evening were spent in our hosts’ homes and gave people the opportunity to look round the town, shop, or just rest after a very early start. One couple was taken to Monet’s garden at Giverny for a visit before the sun set.
Sunday saw everyone up early for a joint visit to the Bay of the Somme area. We enjoyed a tourist train trip round the Bay from Saint Valéry sur Somme to Le Crotoy, steaming through an area of wetlands, a bird sanctuary. Then, on to lunch at an “auberge” at Noyelles sur Mer. The short run into Eu saw many folk snatch a snooze before spending about an hour walking round this town, visiting the gardens behind the Mairie and the Abbey where William the Conqueror married Matilda.
Monday morning was spent recovering and relaxing after all our travelling before setting out on the return journey. A very busy weekend!
The abiding memory for most people is one of friendship, hospitality and, more often than not, laughter. It is so easy to laugh and enjoy yourself when your hosts put themselves out on your behalf, invite other members for an aperitif or a meal, when stories are told and conversation never flags. Vive le Jumelage!
LINK BACK TO CURRENT NEWSLETTER
______________________________________________________________________________
