Twinning Yearbook 2011

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YEARBOOK 2011 http://llandrindodtwinning.wordpress.com/ L l a n d r i n d o d W e l l s a n d A r e a T w i n n i n g A s s o c i a t i o n

description

Booklet describing the activities of Llandrindod Wells and Area Twinning Association for the year 2011

Transcript of Twinning Yearbook 2011

Page 1: Twinning Yearbook 2011

YEARBOOK 2011

http://llandrindodtwinning.wordpress.com/

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Page 2: Twinning Yearbook 2011

Home made dinners available daily, just give us a Home made dinners available daily, just give us a call and book upcall and book up

Meeting room availableMeeting room available

Bookings and Enquiries CallBookings and Enquiries Call

01597 82387301597 823873Email: [email protected]: [email protected]

BreakfastsBreakfastsLunchesLunches

Main MealsMain Meals

11stst Tuesday of Tuesday of the Month the Month Quiz NightQuiz Night

The 19The 19thth Hole Hole Open to All @ Llandrindod Wells Golf Club Open to All @ Llandrindod Wells Golf Club

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Llandrindod Wells and Area Twinning Assocation

Chairman

To all readers hearty greetings and a very warm welcome to our year book - a book that brings reports, stories and news of the Llandrindod Wells Twinning Association's activities during 2011. Firstly a little advertisement. As we are always needing to raise funds, please purchase our excellent Christmas Cards. At just 50p each they are an ideal way of promoting Llandrindod Wells during the festive season.

Our committee have once again pulled out all the stops to make the 'Twinning' events of this year very successful indeed. From the aforementioned fund raising through to hosting, entertaining, and generally sharing time with visitors from both twinned towns. At these events the committee and the friends of twinning joined together seamlessly and successfully. Everyone played their part and it is pleasing to note that we have more volunteers waiting in the wings to be part of the Association.Each year the strength of genuine friendship grows. This is an item that is especially important from the very start. During exchanges, someone has to break the ice, begin the communication and establish a programme. This is what we do. The planning and arrangements are first class. Come along and join us, see for yourself, and be one of the 'Twinners'. We have a lot of support out there and to that end we thank Mayor Trish Hill and the Town Council for their continued backing.

The Twinning Association of Llandrindod Wells is very much alive and thriving and at this juncture we take the opportunity to thank all those in the 'Business Community' who have supported this 2011 year book. We also send seasonal greeting to all our readers and friends of Twinning - remember the Association is for Llandrindod Wells and “Area”.

We have our AGM in May 2012. Come along and join in. We also have a very important milestone in July 2012 when we are due to celebrate 20 years of Twinning with Contrexéville. This, along with Bad Rappenau celebrating 30 years of Twinning with Contrexéville at the same time, means that it will be all buzzing, full on, in Contrex in July 2012. Come on the trip and see for yourself !

Happy Christmas and a Merry New Year to you all

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About Twinning

Who are we twinned with?We signed a twinning charter with the small spa town of Contrexéville in 1992. It is in a region of low mountains called the Vosges, a rural area which shares many features with Radnorshire. Contrexéville was itself twinned with the German spa town of Bad Rappenau, near Heidelberg, and in 2001 a formal twinning charter was signed between Llandrindod Wells and Bad Rappau

Town twinning is an agreement of goodwill made between two or more towns of similar size and character in their different countries. They sign a charter to foster friendship and goodwill between their two communities. Reciprocal two-way visits foster personal friendships and mutual understanding. By visiting a twin town, staying with a family and discussing things of mutual interest, we discover what we have in common and learn to understand and enjoy our differences - such as French cooking!

The aims of the AssociationThe Association wants to make twinning accessible to all sectors of our community and would like to hear from any local group wishing to make an exchange visit. These are some of the areas in which we would like to see exchange visits being arranged :

• education, training and work experience• culture, music and the arts• sport and recreation• business and tourism development• social visits

We particularly wish to support exchanges involving young people.

How is the Association run?The Twinning Association is an independent organisation and relies on the energy and enthusiasm of local residents to make the programme work. A small committee of volunteers runs the twinning programme and keeps in regular contact with our counterparts in Contrexéville and Bad Rappenau. The committee is supported by a number of working groups dealing with matters such as fundraising, publicity and hospitality.

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How is twinning funded?The Association’s activities are funded almost exclusively from local voluntary contributions. The Association has received some grant support from Llandrindod Wells Town Council and also seeks grant aid from the European Commission for specific projects. However, we rely almost exclusively on the efforts of our fundraising working group in order to meet the cost of receiving visiting groups. We rely on local families to provide hospitality, but additional funds are needed for the receptions and social gatherings which we arrange whilst visitors are here. These events provide excellent opportunities for visitors and local people to meet.

How can I get involved?There are no limits to the extent to which the twinning programme can be developed for the benefit of our community. We look to local residents and groups to put forward ideas, so that the programme can reflect the needs and wishes of the community. If you can offer your help on a regular or seasonal basis, for example by helping with fundraising or by putting up visitors in your home, this will help to enlarge and expand our twinning links. This provides opportunities to get involved with your local community and with the French and German visitors. Opportunities will then arise for visiting Contrexéville and Bad Rappenau at the cost of a bus or air ticket and some presents for your host family.

If you are interested then please fill in the response form and post to theTwinning Association Secretary Peter Davies.

Groups and people travelling abroad are responsible for funding their own transport costs. The Association assists groups to find accommodation through our counterparts in Contrexéville and Bad Rappenau.

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Annual Dinner

J F Maran eb

Committee members and twinning supporters gathered at the Bell Country Inn, Llanyre, for their annual dinner on 4th February.

After enjoying a pre-dinner drink in the bar the party repaired to the conservatory for a three-course meal.

The next dinner will be held in February 2012. Keep an eye on the website for details.

LlanyreLlandrindod WellsPowys LD1 6DY

Tel: 01597 823 959

FOOD & DRINK ACCOMMODATIONSPECIAL OCCASIONS CONFERENCES

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The Twinning Association's AGM was held at the Llandrindod Wells Conservative Club on 18th May. In his report the Chairman, Jeff Thomas, outlined the year's activities and challenges faced by the committee. He thanked all those members involved in fund raising and organising eventsand the Town Council for their continued financial support.

The Treasurer, Ray Trend, presented the audited accounts that showed a healthy positive balance.

The following officers and committee members were elected:

Officers:Chairman: Jeff Thomas (1), Vice Chairman: Rob Shelton (2), Treasurer: Ray Trend (3), Secretary: Peter Davies (4), Hosting Secretary: Barb Shelton (5), Fund Raising Secretary: Deryn Gambles (6), Publicity Officer: Wendy Thomas (7).

Members: Elsbeth Vipond (8), Sheila Bufton (9), and representing Llandrindod Town Council: Trish Hill (10) and Gary Price (11). Ex-officio membership positions for the County Council and High School remained unfilled.

The date of the 2012 AGM is 15th May. The time and location will be announced on notices that will be posted on Town Notice Boards and on Tesco's Community Notice Board.

Everybody living in Llandrindod Wells and the surrounding area is invited to attend and get involved in twinning activities. New hosts and people wishing to organise visits and events with our twin towns of Bad Rappenau and Contrexéville are always welcome. The committee would specially welcome younger residents to complement the existing experienced team.

1 2 3 4 5 6

7 8 9 10 11

Annual General Meeting

VACANT

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Mid-Powys Youth Choir Visit Germany

J A Sepul ug

The Mid Powys Youth Choir under the leadership of their musical director Eleanor Madoc-Davies visited Llandrindod’s twin town Bad Rappenau in Southern Germany during the first week of July. The visit was arranged as a cultural exchange by the twinning associations of Llandrindod Wells and Bad Rappenau.

The choir, who enjoyed a busy weekend singing at numerous venues, received the best German hospitality wherever they went. Their performances were interspersed with days out in the picturesque Neckar River Valley with visits to a castle and to the ancient city of Heidelberg.

The highlight of the tour was a concert at the Catholic Church in the pretty village of Obergimpern, where the girls wowed an enthralled audience with their performance singing a musical miscellany in Welsh, Latin and English. Two senior choir members, Jess Evans and Iona Tattersall, sang solos with their young accompanist Laura Powell and these were greeted with rapturous applause by an appreciative audience.

The choir also took part in the Sunday service at an ancient church in Heinsheim, a village on the banks of the river Neckar, where they sang three anthems in a family orientated service.

The following day the girls were special guests at the local high school, Wilhelm-Hauff-Realschule . The Headteacher, Dieter Villimek, praised the Youth Choir for the high standards they achieved in their singing.

The young choir members and their adult companions were overwhelmed by the kindness and generosity shown to them by the host families and twinning association in Bad Rappenau. The visit proved to be a successful vehicle for creating friendship and understanding between young people through the exchange of music and cultural experiences.

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A group of twenty five pupils and their teachers from the Wilhelm-Hauff-Realschȕle, Bad Rappenau , Llandrindod Wells’s twin town in Germany, visited Mid Wales in July staying at the Elan Valley Lodge. The school party was accompanied by a group of adults who stayed at the homes of local supporters of the Llandrindod Wells and Area Twinning Association.

A full programme of events was organised by the Llandrindod Wells and Area Twinning Association that enabled the German students to meet and make friends with young people in the area.

Mrs. Shân Davies, Headteacher of Builth Wells High School, invited the German students to spend a day at Builth High School where they were given the opportunity to join in classroom activities, receive a short introduction to Welsh, explore Builth Wells, to investigate it's architecture and history, and play a game of rounders.

The day's activities were followed by a barbecue when the German students were able to practice speaking English with their new friends. Sabine Kaiser, one of the teachers accompanying the German pupils, said how pleased she was at the way the pupils from both schools had interacted through the medium of English.

A day of outdoor activities was organised for the visitors. Despite torrential rain the young German students undertook a morning of raft building in the Claerwen valley. The group then took a coach tour of the Elan Valley before visiting Llandrindod where the students met members of the local Youth Group for an evening barbecue. The Mayor of Llandrindod, Trish Hill, welcomed the group to the excellent new facilities at the Llandrindod Youth Centre.

On their last full day the young visitors enjoyed a warm sunny day visiting the beach and nature reserve at Ynys Las followed by an afternoon's sight seeing and shopping in Aberystwyth.

Before returning to Germany the adults who travelled with the school group met their hosts and committee members for a farewell party hosted by Dai Hawkins.

Realschüle Visit Mid-Wales

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Once again this year the Twinning Association organised a sale to raise money to host visitors from the twin towns of Contrexéville, France, and Bad Rappenau, Germany. This year it was decided to share the sale with the local scout group.

There was great support from people in Llandrindod Wells and the surrounding area who gave an excellent selection of items, the sale of which raised £1,200.

Monica O’Dea, Leader of Llandrindod Wells Scout Group, was pleased to accept a £600 cheque from Deryn Gambles who was responsible for all the hard work organising and running the sale. Monica thanked everyone who had given so generously and particularly Deryn who had donated so much of her time to make the event such a success.

It is hoped that the Scout Group, with the help of the Twinning Association, will be able to take part in an exchange visit either to Bad Rappenau or Contrexéville in the summer of 2013.

Fund Raising Sale

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Tenth Anniversary Visit To celebrate ten years of twinning between Llandrinod and Bad Rappenau, groups from France and Germany flew to Britain in late August to attend the Llandrindod Wells Victorian Festival and visit local places of interest with theirhost families.

On their journeys to Wales from Birmingham and Manchester airports our guests toured historic Stratford Upon Avon and Chester. Arriving at a cool and wet Llandrindod Wells they were welcomed by those Twinning Association supporters who were to entertain them over the next few days.

Both the German and Frenchvisitors were treated to an informative and entertainingtown walk by Dai Hawkins on Friday morning before lunching at the Conservative Club courtesy of Don Hughes-Jones. After an afternoon of sight seeing everyone met at the Severn Arms Hotel for an evening meal.

On Sunday evening the Twinning Association invited all guests and hosts to ameal at the golf club after which everybody assembled to watch the torch light procession and magnificent firework display over the lake.

departed the following day grateful that, in spite of it being the coolest and wettest August for several years, the sun had shone and the rain had abated whenever outdoor activities were planned. “In Deutschland sagt man wenn Engel reisen, lacht der Himmel.”

The following day, Saturday, several guests and hosts took advantage of the early morning sunshine to inspect the classic vehicles assembled at County Hall car parkbefore setting off to visit places in the surrounding countryside. That evening Sheila Bufton hosted a barbecue. In spite of heavy rainfall a good time was had by all.

The highlight of a chilly Bank Holiday Monday was an action-packed afternoon at Llandrinod trotting races at Penybont. During the interval a delicious Welsh cream tea was provided by Jenny Davies. The fun continued in the evening with a ceilidh at Dolau Community Hall organised by Rob and Barbara Shelton. The dancing, called by

Ann Hill, proved to be a popular and novel experience for our guests who

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Neville & Barbara Bowl Them OverOn 21st October the Twinning Association, with the help of Vic Everill and Ann Harmon, hosted a skittles competition at the Llandrindod Wells Royal British Legion Club.

The event attracted thirty-eight competitors of all ages. An evening of keen but friendly competition saw Neville Clare and his playing partner, BarbaraShelton, run out as clear winners.

During an interval in play everybody tucked into a fish and chip supper that was included in the ticket price. Twinning Committee members donated prizes for a raffle, the proceeds of which together with ticket sales raised £186-00.

East Wing Unit, Brookside Farm, Park Road, New Radnor, Powys, LD8 2SU Phone: 01544 350565 or 07900545139

http://www.greenglassmountain.com

We are a research and development company set up in New Radnor. Working with the local community we try and find new and interesting ways to recycle glass. Working for the benefit of the environment we also aim to help those who have been excluded from the workplace.

The winners receive their prizes from Jeff Thomas

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Twinning Choir Visits Bad RappenauTo celebrate 10 years of twinning between Bad Rappenau and Llandrindod Wells, a choir was invited to visit Germany at the end of October.

Thirty-six people made the trip by road and air. Members of the Dolau Mixtures formed the core of the “twinning choir” ably supported by singers from other local choral groups. On their arrival in BadRappenau the visitors were welcomed by their hosts at the Kurhaus.

The following day, Friday, the group travelled by train to the historic university town of Heidelberg where they were able to relax in the sunshine. On their return the choir performed at the pretty little church in nearby Heinsheim.On Saturday a party from Llandrindod's other twin town,Contrexéville, arrived to take part that evening in the jubilee concert at the town hall in Grombach, where the chairman of the Twinning Association, Jeff Thomas, delivered an address on behalf of Llandrindod's mayor, Trish Hill.Choirs from Germany and Wales and a young band from Contrexéville took part in the Sunday morning ecumenical service at the catholic church in Grombach. The Welsh Twinning Choir sang three anthems and all musicians came together to perform Revelation Song. After lunch in the town hall the three groups enjoyed a convivial afternoon before going in various directions for evening meals with their hosts.The unseasonably warm autumn weather continued the next day when a visit was made to the walled medieval town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber where the group was shown the sights by Herr Villimek, the headteacher of the highschool in Bad Rappenau. An interesting and enjoyable day was rounded off by an evening meal and wine tasting in Geddlesbach where the group werejoined the mayor of Bad Rappenau, Herr Blättgen. To mark the occasion Rob Shelton presented Herr Blättgenwith a stained glass panel of Hygeia, made in New Radnor by “Ten Green Bottles”.The last day of the visit was spent enjoying the spa centre pools and relaxing with our hosts before making the long journey back to Wales in the afternoon.

Rothenburg ob der Tauber

The choir at Heinsheim Church

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Hygeia BadgesIn Greek and Roman mythology Hygeia was the daughter of the god of medicine. She was the goddess of health, cleanliness, and sanitation. Her image was widely used until relatively recently on souvenir ware for the spa town of Llandrindod Wells.

The Twinning Association has adopted a stylised version as our logo and Have enamelled metal badges for sale at £1.00 each. The 20mmx 15mm badges have a butterfly pin and make ideal tie pins, lapel or hat badges.

Forthcoming Events in 2012The twinning committee is busy planning events for 2012 including: ● Annual dinner in February.● Quiz at Dolau Community Hall on 10th February.● AGM 15th May● Stadtfest in Bad Rappenau in June.● Visit to Llandrindod by pupils of the Realschüle, Bad Rappenau in June.● 20th Anniversary of Twinning with Contrexéville Celebrations in mid July.● Visit to German Christmas Markets 30 November - 3 December.● Fund raising events throughout the year.Keep an eye on our website (address on cover) for further news.

Penybont, Llandrindod Wells, Powys. LD1 5UAA welcome is awaiting you at the Severn Arms hotel.

Severn Arms HotelTuesday

night is

Quiz Night8.30pm

In the barEveryone

is welcome

South & Mid-Wales CAMRA Pub of the Year 2009

Public BarBeer GardenLounge BarRestaurant

Games RoomAccommodation

Fishing

To contact us at the Severn Arms Hotel for general enquiries or bookingCall 01597 851224

E mail [email protected]

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Celtic Travel, New Street, Llanidloes, Powys SY19 7BU01686 412231

Private HireWe can cater for groups whether bringing them into the country or taking them out of the country.

We can provide competitive prices for any occasion so please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Our office staff will be happy to take your details and provide a quote for:●UK and European Coach holidays●School groups●Day excursions●Weddings●Hen/Stag Parties●Sports Club outings

www.celtic-travel.co.uk

Recently we collected a German group from Manchester airport and brought them to Llandrindod Wells in our Renault Master mini-coach.

Llanfair House, Middleton StLlandrindod Wells, LD1 5ET

Tel: (01597)822310Fax: 01597 822310

BRADLEYS

Twinning AssociationChristmas Cards

Now Available - £2.50 per pack

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