2017
Great Barford visits Wöllstein Friday 26th to Tuesday 30th May 2017
On the evening of Friday the 26th May 40 people traveled to Wöllstein on the coach. We gathered once more at Great Barford Village Hall car park in time for departure. Travelers who needed to were able to leave their cars in the car park over the weekend. Our party included seven members of our village choir, The Alma Singers, and their Musical Director, Dianne Walters. At 6 pm the coach left for an overnight trip to Germany and our twin town - Wöllstein.
We planned to arrive at Wöllstein Village Hall at about 11 am on Saturday, but because we caught an earlier ferry we arrived two hours early. John Vincent had telephoned ahead and all our hosts were there to welcome us. In the village hall we were given soup and rolls and listened to the official welcoming speeches. The rest of the day was spent resting after our journey and catching up with our hosts.
The Parish council's gift of sand pit toys for the Kindergarten, was gratefully received by Wöllstein's Mayor, Lucia, on their behalf.
|
Saturday was a free day to catch up with our hosts and friends. Many people took the opportunity to go shopping and visit local vineyards to taste and purchase wine. The Official Partnership Evening began at 6pm. Before the meal we were entertained by pupils from the local school, Siefersheim, who performed an African Dance. |
Eight members of Great Barford's choir, The Alma Singers, sang for half an hour accompanied by Tony Walters' Getto Blaster. Six Sopranos and two Altos managed to fill the hall with song. |
|
|
After a wonderful buffet bottles of several different local wines were distributed for a wine tasting lead by this year's Queen and Princess of Wine. |
We were treated to a very amusing poem by Johannes translated into English by Helmut. |
|
At the end of the evening, John Vincent, on behalf of Great Barford, invited our Wöllstein friends for a return visit to Great Barford in 2018. Mayor Lucia was pleased to accept. 2018 will be the 40th anniversary of the Great Barford twinning with Wöllstein. We will meet to celebrate our 40th anniversary on the weekend including Saturday 2nd of June so that we can enjoy the Great Barford Village Fun Day together.
|
Sunday was a perfect day for the planned covered wagon ride through the vineyards at Nierstein-Schwabsburg. The wagons were pulled by old tractors used in the vineyards There were regular stops where we could get out and stretch our legs while some aspect of viticulture or the surrounding countryside was explained or admired. The trip was accompanied by tasting the wines that were produced by the vines as we visited them along the way. |
On Monday we breakfasted at the Village Hall in preparation for a full day trip to Heidelburg and a guided tour of the city. We Traveled in either of the two coaches - German or British with our Partnership hosts.We also had the opportunity to climb the steep hill behind the city a on a funicular railway with stunning views across the city and the river. |
|
|
Monday evening is, traditionally, Games Night. This year the games were organised by local school children who had invented a selection of novel games. These included Pictionary, Lip Reading, Welly Wanging, and Ping Pong Ball Hoopla. This year the Edmund Petri Trophy was won by Wöllstein so we had to leave it behind in Germany. We look forward to our Wöllstein friends' return visit in 2018. |
We returned to Britain via the Channel Tunnel for the first time. The coach drove in to a train carriage and we were able to leave the coach and walk about in the train compartment as the train took us through the Tunnel. It was a very quick and efficient way to travel.
It has been agreed that next year's 40th Anniversary Partnership Meeting will take place over the weekend including Sunday 2nd of June. During the visit we will celebrate the renovation of the wine press which was given to Great Barford in 1982.