Visits to Argentan

Summer & Autumn 2009

Five people from Abingdon Tennis Club travelled to Argentan in July, playing matches and staying with host families.

Church Twinning visited Argentan from 8th to 12th October. There were church meetings to identify ways of working together.

MG Car Club visit Argentan

17 - 22 September 2009

A large party in MG cars enjoyed a busy weekend in Normandy. See the full report.

Evening Meeting: AGM

16 September 2009 - Preston Road Community Centre

The AGM was followed by "A Taste of Belgium".

Fun in the Park

13 September 2009 - Abbey Grounds

Sint-Niklaas Balloon Festival Visit

3 - 7 September 2009

Julia and Steve have written a detailed trip report.
Dirk Adriaenssens has pictures of the wreath laying on the Sunday morning.
There is a video on YouTube of the carilloneur, Geert D'hollander, playing.

American Reunion Barbecue

Sunday 26 July 2009 - 77 Ock Street, Abingdon

Maggie and Mike Greaney hosted an enjoyable barbecue for all those who went on the trip to Abingdon, Virginia last year. The barbecue was superb and it was a great opportunity to really talk to Cathy and Stephen Lowe, visiting from Abingdon, Virginia. It was also an evening full of fun and stories and photos, which wouldn’t have been possible without Maggie and Mike’s very kind and generous hospitality.

Mike and Maggie write:

On Saturday 25th July Cathy and Stephen Lowe from Abingdon Virginia came to Abingdon Oxon for a brief visit before returning to the others in their tour group to spend the next two weeks on a Baltic cruise. Cathy and Stephen had been our hosts when we visited Abingdon last year and had made us so welcome. Their cruise was already booked at that time so it was easy for us to offer them a stopover before their holiday and they readily accepted.
We met them from the airport bus early on a glorious Saturday morning and as they had both slept on the flight and on the coach from Gatwick to Thornhill they were raring to set off to visit Oxford immediately before going to Abingdon. The next three hours were spent walking around the colleges, climbing up to the top of the Sheldonian to look at the views and finally having an English beer in the Turf Bar where they were delighted to find that Bill Clinton had been a regular during his student days. The remainder of the day was spent walking around Abingdon and on the Ock Valley walk, which reminded them of the Creeper Trail on which we cycled in Virginia.
On Sunday after worship at Trinity church where they were welcomed warmly we set off to visit the White Horse followed by a mini Cotswold tour including Faringdon, Lechlade and Burford with another stop for an English beer at a riverside pub. Sunday evening was particularly special for them as all those who had been on the trip to Virginia who were able to come arrived at our house for a barbecue bearing a wonderful selection of salads and desserts, wines and Pimms and also photos of the visit to USA in albums and on laptops. Despite the weather becoming wet and cool they said they had had a ‘fun evening’. The delicious dishes provided by everyone were much appreciated as well as the co-ordination of Stella and Howard.
Their visit finished early on Monday afternoon but not before Pat Lonergan had arranged for Pat Hobby the present Mayor of Abingdon to show them around the Town Council offices and discuss with Cathy (who is one of the five councillors of Abingdon Virginia) the duties of a town councillor here. Alison Rooke, the leader of The Vale also took time to give them a comprehensive tour of the Guildhall and showed them all the rooms, paintings and silverware.
A final beer sitting in the sun outside the Broad Face pub was closely followed by a walk through the precinct greeted by lots of people they had met on their visit and they then were on their way with hundreds of photographs in their cameras.

Garden Party

Sunday 19 July 2009 - 65 Oxford Road, Abingdon

With typical British stoicism 65 members arrived for the annual Garden Lunch at the Vice-President Michael Matthews' garden at 65 Oxford Rd. The weather was threatening from the outset and during the lunch there were several scuds of rain. But we are British and expect dodgy Summer Days!! The food was in the house and there were three tents for shelter, so along with Macs, rain hats and umbrellas we all persevered and ENJOYED OURSELVES!! No grumbles and no early departures. Extracts from some of the letters and messages of thanks: It was unusual but nevertheless as good as ever – possibly better, because people had to huddle together and socialise whether they liked it or not! And they liked it. & It was thoroughly enjoyable and the food wonderful. Many thanks must go to all those who helped preparing food, setting up, washing up and clearing up all done with a great spirit of comradeship.
Michael Matthews

Abingdon Lawn Tennis Club visit to Argentan

10 - 15 July 2009

Richard Smart has written a report (Word document) of this adventure.

Italian Market

26 - 28 June 2009 - Market Place

ADTTS had a publicity stand when the Italian market stalls visited Abingdon. We thank Anne & Peter Dodd and all their helpers. By doing this we are letting people in Abingdon and the Vale learn about Twinning and how good it is. For events such as this, we would like, if possible, more members to help, even if it is only for a short time, e.g. for half an hour or an hour.

Teas at Blewbury Manor Garden Open Day

Sunday 14 June 2009 - Blewbury Manor

I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who helped serving tea and cakes at Blewbury Manor on 14th June. We did wonderfully well and made a profit for ADTTS of £515. We were there from 1 until 6, and serving for about three and half hours, so it was hectic, but at £100 an hour it was more than worth it and with so many helpers, many of whom stayed for longer than they had said, everyone had a chance to walk round the glorious gardens as well on a really perfect day. Ideally I would have liked to have rung everyone individually to thank them for their help and generosity, but with 36 people involved, either making cakes or serving, or, in many cases, both, it would take me longer to ring everyone then we spent at the Manor!
Everyone at Blewbury Manor was very happy with the afternoon and have invited us to do it again next year. In addition Richard has said that we can arrange a private tour of the gardens with him some time next year so we will get that booked up quite soon. They also let slip that there was a photo shoot there a couple of weeks ago for House and Gardens. It will feature in the November edition, so look out for it in the newsagents in October.
Thank you once again.

Stella Carter

Biking from Abingdon to Argentan

5 - 7 June 2009

After Pierre Silliere's last visit at which he tried to encourage sporting links between us, Ed, a friend of Marianne`s, Mike, my work colleague, and I decided to organise a sponsored cycle to Argentan to celebrate D-Day with our partners. Our plan was to cycle to Portsmouth on the 5th June, get the night ferry and then continue to Argentan on the 6th. The line up was as follows:

Richard Hackett, Rob Tubb, Mike and Andy Kyle, John Barron, Paul and Jon Franklin, David Wynn and Pete, all representing Pathway Workshop; Ed Hunt and friend, Viv, and Paul Milburn for UNICEF and Pathway; Dave Surman, Richard Smart, Ian and Rosemary Jardine and Linda Phillips for Pathway and ADTTS; Norma Queralt, Bill Patisson, two volunteer medics and Barbara Wynn support cars.

After a lot of preparation eighteen of us were finally seen off at the market square at 9.00 on 5th June by Maurice Armstrong, Pat Hobby and many others. It was good cycling weather, overcast and quite cool but Portsmouth is a long way and we were pretty smug when we got to a pub which was about three quarters of the way, for dinner. We stayed too long in that pub and only just got to Portsmouth in time for the ferry. We were only able to get one cabin and so most of us suffered a sleepless night in that medieval torture known as the "reclining seat".
We were met in Ouistreham by a dozen cyclists from Argentan cycling club who took us on a lovely route in warm sunshine along the canal and some quiet country lanes via Pegasus Bridge to Falaise where they had laid on a sumptuous spread on the grass in front of the castle.
After a siesta we continued to Argentan where we were welcomed by Argentan`s dignitaries. Mme Guguen read out a welcome speech which I believe Pierre had written praising me to the skies and then asked me to translate it. There were a lot of puzzled faces as I eulogised myself and a roar of disrespectful laughter when I translated the words "sport if accompli". We then booked into the Hotel des Voyageurs and thirty two of us sat down for a meal together. I made people move after each course to try to make them mix, a policy which did not go down well with exhausted cyclists who just wanted to have a meal and go to bed.
The next day after a tour of Abingdon and a farewell "cafe dessert" the bulk of the group set off back, some by bike and some in Argentan's minibus and trailer.

Richard Smart

Colmar Choir Visit

21 - 24 May 2009

At the end of May, the De Si De La Choir, from Wintzenheim on the outskirts of Colmar visited Abingdon for three days, giving concerts in the Market Place, in Old Station House care home, and a joint public concert with the local Pavlova Wind Quintet at Trinity Church. We were very impressed by the high standard of their music and the very varied programmes they sang, all on the theme of animals. And they were thrilled by their experience of Abingdon – the welcome from their host families, the opportunity to perform for us (in church at St Michael’s as well as in the concerts), and Abingdon town itself looking glorious in the early summer sunshine. Many thanks to everybody involved with the weekend, especially to Angela Waterhouse.

Here are some words from Marc Lischer, their organiser, on their return home to Colmar:

« Mille étoiles pour te bercer » (Last verse of the “Berçeuse” by Roger Calmel)

Once upon a time, 27 members of a choir from Wintzenheim, near Colmar, arrived in a foreign Country with left luggage offices so exotic, with buses that transport persons but do not convey their luggage, with cars driving on the wrong side of the road, with majestic spires, with a market place where buns are thrown from the roof of the County Hall near the shores of a magnificent river, with Almshouses far older than the Eiffel Tower and even with eatable food.
Eager to meet the people living there, these 27 Frenchmen, discovered the most welcoming and dedicated persons they’ve ever met. Hosted in families where they had the opportunity to feel the real thing, and soon after a little apprehension, they retrieved the feeling of their homeland Alsace “Heimlichkeit”.
So they tried to share their happiness with the residents of Old Station House proposing several songs from their programme “Birds and Beasts”. They share their love to music with the Quintet Pavlova at Trinity Church, after having braved the wind and traffic noise in the centre of Abingdon. The sun was shining outside and in their hearts during the Sunday service at Saint Michael Church.
How long did it last? Was it just a dream? Some may say it was only a fairy tale, some other are convinced they had lived this wonderful Ascension weekend for real. But I know that in every eye there still shine “thousands stars to lull you”.

This story has been made possible by the ADTTS members under the command of Stella and the patient and never faltering benevolence of Angela.

Schongau Twinning Weekend

14 - 18 May 2009

Abingdon had an Invitation to Schongau for their Parklands in Munich and Pfaffenwinkel twinning weekend.

Our representative, Megan Price, had a most enjoyable time.  She writes:

"Pfaffenwinkel! A lovely name, meaning the region of priests and pastures. The theme of this long weekend was the gardens and heritage of the Schongau region. Ten guests representing the twinned towns of Abingdon, Colmar and Sint-Niklaas received a very warm welcome from both the Schongau hosts and the town. Although the weather promised cool showers, the whole weekend was bathed in the warmth of the climate and the people. On Friday we visited the house and grounds of Linderhof, built by Ludwig II. Smaller and less lavish than Neuschwanstein, this building displayed beauty on a human scale. On Saturday we took the train to Munich where the group divided, some to see the city, others to explore the Botanical Gardens and the park at Nymphenburg. Here the sunlight on the trees and plants made it a perfect day. On our last evening we enjoyed a wonderfully cooked meal at the Poll Restaurant, where in German, Flemish, French, English and Italian everyone shared the adventures they had had on their free day with their hosts.

This was a wonderful visit, my first time to Schongau and certainly not the last. On a personal note I think that twinning visits like these offer people an opportunity to get together to share, explore and enjoy their similarities and differences. This requires a lot of background work and commitment and I would like to thank everyone involved."

Sint-Niklaas Twinning Weekend

7 - 11 May 2009

The town of Sint-Niklaas celebrated Europe Day (9th May 2009) with an adult twinning exchange. They invited four adult inhabitants from each of their twin towns to be accommodated in host families. Representing ADTTS were Pat Lonergan, Stella Carter, Anne and John Smith. It was an enjoyably busy weekend with generous Flemish hospitality. Stella has written an extensive and informative report (Word document).

Dragon Boat Races

Sunday 10 May 2009 - River Thames, Abingdon

Peter & Anne Dodd again organised the ADTTS stand at this fun annual event, promoting the Society to the race crowds with a quiz and taste of our twin towns. [Video clip]

Europe Day - Dinner

Saturday 9 May 2009 - ASK Restaurant, The Square

Twenty-two ADTTS members enjoyed a convivial evening at Abingdon's newest Italian restaurant. Our new set of twin town flags were on the tables and looked very good. This meal to mark Europe Day is now becoming a regular feature of our programme.

Europe Day - Rock Concert

Saturday 9 May 2009 - Abbey Grounds

Sint-Niklaas

Colmar

Rock groups from the twin towns celebrated Europe Day with an all-day session in the Abbey Grounds. The “Rock in the Park” concert, promoted by Abingdon Town Council and organised by the Abingdon Twinning Officer, Marianne Milburn, featured visiting bands from Argentan, Sint-Niklaas and Colmar. The EU had a stand promoting the European Community with flags, literature and a competition to win a tee shirts. The ADTTS stand ran a popular Twin Towns Quiz with prizes of European cakes and chocolates. It was a lovely sunny day and the event was well supported, particularly by families.

Film Evening

Thursday 30 April 2009 - Abingdon & Witney College, Northcourt Road

In an evening jointly arranged between ADTTS and the ABCD Film Society, members enjoyed a cheese and wine party in combination with the screening of the film Days of Glory (Indigenes):

An excellent and engaging 2007 war film set towards the end of WWII, following the progress of a regiment of North African black soldiers up through France to the Alsace. The treatment of the theme of racism is exemplary and caused quite a stir when the film came out in France, the director, Rachid Bouchareb, becoming instantly a major celebrity.

Argentan Quasimodo Fair

17 - 20 April 2009

Argentan, our twin town in Normandy, uses the occasion of its annual Quasimodo Fair to celebrate its twinning links with Abingdon, Rottenburg in Germany and Baja in Hungary.

Like the Abingdon Fair, there is large fun fair, but more surprisingly, there is also a cattle show and exhibits from a large number of organisations, ranging from suppliers of calvados, camembert, heating systems, tractors and funeral monuments to the local twinning association. The Fair adopts a particular theme and this year we had Morocco in Argentan, complete with a bazaar, belly-dancers, Moroccan musicians and a couscous meal.

We were there as ADTTS representatives along with the Mayor of Abingdon, Patrick Lonergan, and his escort, and the Mayors and representatives of Argentan’s other twin towns. We were all royally entertained at official and local twinning society events.

Argentan was very badly damaged after the Normandy landings in the last war, so it was not surprising that a major theme of all the speeches and addresses was the importance of creating and maintaining bonds of friendship between the people of the different countries to foster peace and mutual understanding. This was felt to be particularly important at this time of economic uncertainty and global warming.

On Sunday morning it was very moving to be in St Germain’s Church, which has now been restored after being virtually razed to the ground by allied bombing, for a High Mass conducted in French, English, German and Hungarian by people from the four twin towns whose countries had all been involved, in one way or another, in the war and the subsequent division of Europe.

As an added bonus to this very international weekend we were lucky enough to hear and meet a Sri Lankan choir who were visiting the area and gave an amazing and varied concert in the church at Le Mele sur/Sarthe, a town which is twinned with Faringdon.

To be able to make friends with people from many countries was a great privilege.

Our special thanks are due to Pierre and Ionie Silliere, our hosts in Argentan, Pierre Pavis, Maire d’Argentan, and the Cercle Jumelage Argentan – Europe, for their hospitality and friendship during our stay.

Rosemary & Ian Jardine

Evening Meeting - Blewbury Manor Gardens

Wednesday 15 April 2009 - Preston Road Community Centre, Abingdon

Each year we are invited by Blewbury Manor to serve tea and cakes at their open days. We have done this for several years, have had a lot of fun doing it, made a lot of money for the twinning society and have been able to see the glorious gardens at the same time. This year it is Sunday 14th June. The gardens at Blewbury Manor have been in the charge of head gardener Richard Roslyn for the past 18 years. Richard very kindly agreed to come and give us a talk on 'Blewbury Manor through the seasons' at our April monthly meeting. He is also an excellent photographer and he brought with him many lovely slides to illustrate his fascinating talk.

Funeral - Heather Pennington

Tuesday 14 April 2009

Trinity Church was packed as many ADTTS members said farewell to Heather Pennington, and afterwards over a hundred gathered in the Church Hall for a lunch provided by the Society and the Thursday Club.

Colmar School Visit

Tuesday 7 April 2009

We had a coach full of students come to Abingdon from College Berlioz in Colmar for a day visit. Representatives of ADTTS took groups of them for tours of the town and river finishing with a civic reception.

Diamond Light Project Twinning Weekend

20 - 24 March 2009

Outside Merton College

Eleven visitors came from our twin towns of Sint-Niklaas, Schongau and Argentan for a weekend in Abingdon that featured a visit to the Diamond Light Project (see press release) and a visit to JET. They were welcomed to Abingdon with a group supper hosted by the Chairman. Other activities included a guided tour in Oxford with a scientific theme and an enjoyable final evening at the Al Zaib Indian Restaurant.

At Diamond

The visitors from Argentan write:

"During our stay in Abingdon we’ve been lucky to discover the region thanks to our extremely welcoming host. We’ve been able to visit two world famous laboratories: Diamond Light and J.E.T. As science teachers we have particularly enjoyed these visits on a personal level and found them very valuable at a professional level to enrich our current and future teachings. We are planning to put together a science and language project with in our schools in Argentan that will lead to further exchanges.

Thanks to the outstanding Abingdon-Argentan Twin Town Society organisation and in particular M Pierre Silliere, we all have very fond memories of the few days of cultural and linguistic exchanges. We would like to express our warmest thanks to our host and to the members of the Twin Town Society who have organised this visit."

Mr Rassoul Jafari (Lycee Jeanne d’Arc), Mr Janjack Belliere et Mr Christian Ayma (Lycee Mezeray)

Colmar School Visit

Thursday 19 March 2009

We had 48 students come to Abingdon from College Pfeffel in Colmar for a day visit. They enjoyed a tour of the town, a civic reception and a visit to the White Horse on the downs.

Catherine Schultz at College Pfeffel writes:

"In March, 43 pupils from Collège Pfeffel in Colmar visited England for the first time. They spent most of their stay in London but took a short break to visit Abingdon and the Vale of White Horse, coming back enthusiastic about both places. They particularly appreciated the tour of Abingdon in small groups and the reception at the Town Hall. They found it was an honour for them to meet the two mayors, and found the people they met really kind and clear in their explanations. However, the pupils’ favourite part was the visit to the White Horse in the afternoon. They all raved about it, about the calmness and beauty of the landscape and how green it was. They also enjoyed the tale about the dragon.

Back in France the pupils said it had been the best day of the whole trip and one girl even added that if she were to move to England she would like to live in Abingdon! I should add that the teachers are also grateful to their English hosts for their warm welcome and kindness."

Evening Meeting - Oberammergau

Wednesday 18 March 2009 - Preston Road Community Centre, Abingdon

John Enticott showed slides from his visit to the Oberammergau passion play in 2000. For a local taste, Ruth Sillitoe and helpers served Apfelstrudel mit Schlagsahne. Plans were then discussed for the ADTTS trips in 2010. (See Future Events.)

Argentan School Exchange

Saturday 28 February 2009

The students and teachers arrived from Argentan. A social evening was laid on when they arrived at John Mason School with a bring and share supper. Richard Smart and Stella Carter welcomed our guests and host families. Brian Moylan ran a raffle for the students from Argentan; the prize was an MG Club cap. They were entertained by a French film and also met their host families. The evening was enjoyed by everyone who attended. We thank Richard & Ann Smart for organising this event.

Evening Meeting - "Alsace, its Wine & Culture"

Wednesday 18 February 2009 - Preston Road Community Centre, Abingdon

Angela and Ian Waterhouse, who lived around Colmar for the last six years, shared their love and knowledge of wines and culture of the area. Informatively introduced by Ian, there were five Alsace wines to sample, each made from a different grape variety, but all from the Colmar municipal winery. Angela served the local traditional crown-shaped Kugel cake, deliciously prepared by Wendy Regaard and Guillaume Pernet.

To complete the evening, Angela presented a challenging but light-hearted quiz, assisted by Peter Dodd as score master. Each team had the name of a famous village on the Alsace Wine Route. The winners were Türkheim, whose members were rewarded with French chocolates. But everyone went home with a new appreciation of this fascinating and beautiful region.

Evening Meeting - "A Taste of the Twin Towns"

Wednesday 21 January 2009 - Preston Road Community Centre, Abingdon

The theme of the monthly meeting in January was "A Taste of the Twin Towns".  About sixty members enjoyed a very special evening. Peter Dodd told us some interesting facts about each town in turn and its local area. Then Anne Dodd and Angela Waterhouse invited us to taste some local food or drink specialities from each twin town: fruit beer from Sint-Niklaas, ham and sausage from Schongau, a wonderful choucroute from Colmar, delicious Livarot and Pont Leveque cheese from Argentan and creamy tiramisu from Lucca. It turned out to be more like a four course meal than a taste, but everyone came away knowing something more about our twin towns and our friendship towns (Abingdon USA and Thames NZ), as well as meeting new people in a friendly atmosphere.