Scroll down to see report on visit from Metzingen September 2016 and the visit to Noyon May 2016
Hexham Town Twinning Association forges new community links
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Hexham Town Twinning Association has just hosted another very successful visit from their German twin town, Metzingen, a town once known as a wine producer but one that today is more renowned for its designer label outlet stores, notably Hugo Boss.
Links with Metzingen go back 27 years but the passage of time has in no way diminished the enthusiasm of members in forging strong links between ordinary individuals in both towns. In fact Hexham’s co-chair, Mon Richford, emphasised how important these fundamental contacts are in the post-Brexit era; “the flame of town twinning burns as strongly as ever”, she asserted in her speech at the reception given by Hexham’s mayor, Trevor Cessford in honour of the German guests at the Beaumont Hotel on Saturday. Chair of Metzingen’s twinning association Dr Fritz Kemmler reminded guests of how bureaucratic and complicated it had once been to travel to Britain from Germany; a process none would wish to return to in this age of easy travel across Europe’s frontiers. |
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It seems that town twinning is not just about building links with Hexham’s 2 twin towns (when not exchanging with Metzingen, Hexham visits and receives guests from their French “twin” Noyon, too): it is also about creating new links within the local community here. Chris Milner, chief executive of the Hextol Foundation, had been specially invited, along with his wife Helen, its project director, to receive in person a donation from Metzingen Town Council and its Twinning Association. German speakers in Hexham’s town twinning association met for a while to practise their German in the old Hexham Tans restaurant and are now looking forward to the opportunity to try out its successor the Hextol Tans when it reopens later this month. Other invited guests included Ruth Sutton and Tim Stephenson of Hexham Brass, a group that hopes to attend a big musical event being organised in Metzingen next June.
For the German visitors the weekend offered all that could be expected of a trip to Hexham: variable weather yet a warm welcome and unbeatable hospitality. It’s no wonder that some of the visitors now know the region almost as well as the locals after their repeated trips here. The highlight of the weekend this year was a Sunday trip to Amble and the Northumberland coast: delicious fish and chips, followed by an exploration of Warkworth Castle. The rousing finale was an evening ceilidh in Hexham Community Centre, with music provided by the Hexham Village Band, another group that hopes to attend the musical event in Metzingen next year. The Village Band’s visit to Noyon in May this year has whet their appetite for future town twinning visits.
If you’re interested in finding out more about town twinning, visit: www.hexhamtowntwinning.co.uk.
For the German visitors the weekend offered all that could be expected of a trip to Hexham: variable weather yet a warm welcome and unbeatable hospitality. It’s no wonder that some of the visitors now know the region almost as well as the locals after their repeated trips here. The highlight of the weekend this year was a Sunday trip to Amble and the Northumberland coast: delicious fish and chips, followed by an exploration of Warkworth Castle. The rousing finale was an evening ceilidh in Hexham Community Centre, with music provided by the Hexham Village Band, another group that hopes to attend the musical event in Metzingen next year. The Village Band’s visit to Noyon in May this year has whet their appetite for future town twinning visits.
If you’re interested in finding out more about town twinning, visit: www.hexhamtowntwinning.co.uk.
Recent German and French Movie Screenings
Dheepan - film in French and Tamil with sub-titles June 18 2016
The Wave (Die Welle) - film in German with sub-titles June 19th 2016
L'Auberge Espagnole (Pot Luck) - film mostly in French with sub-titles September 2016
Dheepan - film in French and Tamil with sub-titles June 18 2016
The Wave (Die Welle) - film in German with sub-titles June 19th 2016
L'Auberge Espagnole (Pot Luck) - film mostly in French with sub-titles September 2016
Visit to Noyon, Picardy, France May 2016
Forty-three people from Hexham and District have just returned from Hexham’s Twin Town, Noyon, Picardy, France. This turned out to be a very musical week-end with members of Hexham Village Band playing at every opportunity, on the ferry, busking in front of Noyon’s Town Hall, at the Reception, during our visit to Compiegne, on Saturday evening by the canal and on Sunday for the dancing-‘they provided great entertainment throughout the week-end’ as sixth former, Caitlin Bell reported.
The visitors thought that their hosts were very welcoming and one member was ‘blown away by their friendliness and hospitality. Another commented on their ‘friendly, kind and generous hosts’. People felt that they ‘got on well even with the lack of English [by the French] and the lack of French [by the English].
In his welcoming speech at the Reception on the Saturday, the Mayor of Noyon, Patrick Deguise commented on our shared values and culture and hoped that our friendships would continue whatever the result of the Referendum in June. He mentioned the long-term connections and hoped that young people would get more involved. He also referred to the peace in Europe for many years. Hexham’s Mayor, Trevor Cessford, referred to the use of social media by young people and valued face to face communication. He also referred to the contacts that had been built up over the years.
Visitors commented on Noyon’s beautiful town with it’s impressive cathedral. Our visit to the Palace at Compiegne , originally a royal hunting lodge used by Louis 14th and rebuilt by Louis 15th and then Napoleon 1st and renovated by Napoleon 3rd, Much of the furniture was removed during the French Revolution and replaced by Napoleon 3rd.The Empress Marie-Louise’s bedroom and reception rooms were very sumptuous and the ballroom, with it’s crystal chandeliers, impressive.
We were entertained very well by our hosts, with convivial meals with their friends, delicious food and of course wine. Perhaps the highlight of our visit was the Ceilidh on Sunday with two bands, The Hexham Village Band and The Bog Frogs, an Irish/French/American Band. Our party were surprised when two members of our party namely the Mayor of Hexham, Trevor Cessford gave us ‘a hearty song’ and Penny Grennan sang a more soulful song. French and English joined together in the dancing instructed in French and in English by David Oliver, accompanied by Hexham Village Band.
To quote another member new to the twinning experience, ‘an amazing experience and unique in giving a brief glimpse of life in a relatively small French town. It shows the things that bind us are so much stronger then the differences of language and history’.
We hope that more people will join with us in the future to enjoy such experiences together.
The visitors thought that their hosts were very welcoming and one member was ‘blown away by their friendliness and hospitality. Another commented on their ‘friendly, kind and generous hosts’. People felt that they ‘got on well even with the lack of English [by the French] and the lack of French [by the English].
In his welcoming speech at the Reception on the Saturday, the Mayor of Noyon, Patrick Deguise commented on our shared values and culture and hoped that our friendships would continue whatever the result of the Referendum in June. He mentioned the long-term connections and hoped that young people would get more involved. He also referred to the peace in Europe for many years. Hexham’s Mayor, Trevor Cessford, referred to the use of social media by young people and valued face to face communication. He also referred to the contacts that had been built up over the years.
Visitors commented on Noyon’s beautiful town with it’s impressive cathedral. Our visit to the Palace at Compiegne , originally a royal hunting lodge used by Louis 14th and rebuilt by Louis 15th and then Napoleon 1st and renovated by Napoleon 3rd, Much of the furniture was removed during the French Revolution and replaced by Napoleon 3rd.The Empress Marie-Louise’s bedroom and reception rooms were very sumptuous and the ballroom, with it’s crystal chandeliers, impressive.
We were entertained very well by our hosts, with convivial meals with their friends, delicious food and of course wine. Perhaps the highlight of our visit was the Ceilidh on Sunday with two bands, The Hexham Village Band and The Bog Frogs, an Irish/French/American Band. Our party were surprised when two members of our party namely the Mayor of Hexham, Trevor Cessford gave us ‘a hearty song’ and Penny Grennan sang a more soulful song. French and English joined together in the dancing instructed in French and in English by David Oliver, accompanied by Hexham Village Band.
To quote another member new to the twinning experience, ‘an amazing experience and unique in giving a brief glimpse of life in a relatively small French town. It shows the things that bind us are so much stronger then the differences of language and history’.
We hope that more people will join with us in the future to enjoy such experiences together.
Visit to Metzingen 17th to 20th July 2015
We were invited by the Oberbürgermeister of Metzingen, Dr. Ulrich Fiedler, to the 25th anniversary of the promotion of Metzingen to a Großen Kreisstadt, celebrated the day before the start of their Heimatfest, [a celebration of homeland], which is now held every three years in Metzingen. A party of eleven people from Hexham and surrounding area and the Mayor of Hexham, Trevor Cessford, participated in the festivities. We joined a party from Metzingen’s twin town in Hungary, Nagykallo and many residents of Metzingen on a warm Friday evening, sitting at long tables in the Keltenplatz or market place and were welcomed by Dr. Fiedler who followed tradition by opening the first cask of beer. A brass band of young people played while we ate Rotwurst and drank German beer .
The following day, we felt priviledged to carry our Hexham Town Twinning banner, behind the Burgermeister and his Town Councillors, the mayor of Nagykallo and the Mayor of Hexham, Trevor Cessford at the head of the procession. Members of the Twinning Association, including Caitlin Bell from QEHS, also carried the Northumbrian flag. Three thousand people including two thousand two hundred children from nursery school age to secondary school age, many in fancy dress, took part in the procession round the central part of the town. All along the route were people smiling and clapping. It wasn’t until we were invited to join the Mayors on a platform erected in the market place that we became aware of the length of the procession. We were amazed at the variety and creativity of the children’s costumes.
Children who went to a first school where there was building work being carried out were dressed as workmen and carried plastic hammers and other implements and bricks. Intermittently, we were showered with water bombs by schoolchildren and sprayed with water by some gardeners with watering cans and by firemen. Even pairs of horses pulling wagons representing farming activities or charcoal burning were dressed up wearing special hats. A group of young gymnasts were very energetic, performing somersaults along the way and another group in traditional costumes were throwing large banners in the air and catching them. Every so often came along another brass band in which young people were well represented. It was a very happy occasion for the town and visitors.
The following day, Hexham Town Twinners and their hosts were taken by coach through the lovely, Schwabian countryside to Steinhausen to visit the rococo, highly decorated parish church of St. Peter and St. Paul built in 1729-30 then went to eat a hearty meal at a nearby brewery in Bad SchussenrIed We also visited another baroque church, St. Oswald’s nearby which had connections with St. Oswald’s at Heavenfield. Sadly we left our friends and the heat of Metzingen yesterday.
A very enjoyable week-end was had by all.
The following day, we felt priviledged to carry our Hexham Town Twinning banner, behind the Burgermeister and his Town Councillors, the mayor of Nagykallo and the Mayor of Hexham, Trevor Cessford at the head of the procession. Members of the Twinning Association, including Caitlin Bell from QEHS, also carried the Northumbrian flag. Three thousand people including two thousand two hundred children from nursery school age to secondary school age, many in fancy dress, took part in the procession round the central part of the town. All along the route were people smiling and clapping. It wasn’t until we were invited to join the Mayors on a platform erected in the market place that we became aware of the length of the procession. We were amazed at the variety and creativity of the children’s costumes.
Children who went to a first school where there was building work being carried out were dressed as workmen and carried plastic hammers and other implements and bricks. Intermittently, we were showered with water bombs by schoolchildren and sprayed with water by some gardeners with watering cans and by firemen. Even pairs of horses pulling wagons representing farming activities or charcoal burning were dressed up wearing special hats. A group of young gymnasts were very energetic, performing somersaults along the way and another group in traditional costumes were throwing large banners in the air and catching them. Every so often came along another brass band in which young people were well represented. It was a very happy occasion for the town and visitors.
The following day, Hexham Town Twinners and their hosts were taken by coach through the lovely, Schwabian countryside to Steinhausen to visit the rococo, highly decorated parish church of St. Peter and St. Paul built in 1729-30 then went to eat a hearty meal at a nearby brewery in Bad SchussenrIed We also visited another baroque church, St. Oswald’s nearby which had connections with St. Oswald’s at Heavenfield. Sadly we left our friends and the heat of Metzingen yesterday.
A very enjoyable week-end was had by all.